We Burn Beautiful by Lance Lansdale

What a debut novel from Lance Lansdale. He shows us such a unique blend of trauma and humor that you just need to keep reading to see how it all plays out. In WE BURN BEAUTIFUL can two men move past trauma of their pasts and love and live together?  

From the blurb:

We went into this knowing we'd get burned. And God, we burned so beautifully.

Kent Fox is not okay. Thanks to a botched selfie swap, thousands of his colleagues have borne witness to a photo of his sock-covered crotch. Branded a professional pariah, he's had to move home with his mother, and the only job the 38-year-old former executive can land is stocking shelves at a grocery store. To make matters worse, his new boss is none other than his ex-gay ex-boyfriend.

To everyone else, Gray Collins is the perfect Christian. He manages the local Pick-n-Save, attends West Clark Apostolic Church four times a week, and he's just bought a ring for the woman who has agreed to help him hide his homosexuality. To Kent, however, Gray is the same coward he was twenty years ago. The boy with a list of seventeen reasons why he deserved Kent’s heart. The man who did nothing as his brother ripped Kent from his arms and out of his life for two decades.

Forced together, Kent and Gray will have to confront the trauma that tore them apart, and all the old feelings that never truly died. Kent may not have a list of seventeen reasons for Gray, but he has three words that are just as true as they've ever been.

We Burn Beautiful is a single-POV, second chance slow burn romance about two childhood boyfriends who never had the chance to shine. There's pining, there's passion, and there's a group of 80-year-old Apostolic debutantes ready to help Kent Fox find his forever.

Molly Otto's Review:

What a beautiful debut novel from this author it captures you from the beginning. From what starts as fun, light-hearted tale turns into such a heart wrenching separation. When Kent returns to his hometown after 20 years, you can feel his angst in choices and what needs to be done to find his happiness. 

Once their pasts are flayed open, they begin what is not exactly a healthy relationship and yet it works for them. 

They need the other to survive. It's a painful yet still downright funny story, two things that I didn't think could go together and yet here we are and it works in this case!  

Cannot wait to see what this newbie author brings to us next!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Angel's Review:

I'm still coping with all of the emotions this book made me feel. Tears were falling multiple times while I was reading this book. This story was just really beautiful. 

I am blown away by the writing that occurred in this book, it's so beautiful and almost breathtaking in a way. The way Lance wrote the characters, and the emotional journey Kent and Gray both went on, was done so beautifully and was handled so carefully. When I started reading this book Gray was my least favorite character, and honestly he stayed in that slot for the majority of this story... But then as I kept reading more, I started to 'learn' more about Gray, and really got to see his character grow and develop. He realized what he really wanted. He finally accepted the fact that he had to stand up for Kent this time. He couldn't lose him again. And that self-discovery was done flawlessly. I think that's what made this story so emotional to read is how relatable it is. People make mistakes, and this book shines a light on the fact that some people can learn from those mistakes and grow from them. Like Gray and Kent's mom. Or, there are people like Trevor and Gray's mom who refuse to change or to see things differently. That's something I truly cherish about this story. It's sad and raw, and real.. but it's also beautiful, poignant, and gives you hope. Hope that people can change, that love worth fighting for exists. No matter what you go through, it'll be worth the journey to get that happy ending. 

This book was incredible and I'm so happy I was able to read this book. I'm shocked this is Lance's debut book, as this book was written with such skill! All of the characters were fantastic! I loved all the denim clad ladies. They were kooky and added that humor that lifted up the overall heaviness of Kent and Gray's story. Each and every character had their own personalities, and they all added their own unique touch to the storyline. I thought the romance itself was executed very well! Definitely a slow burn, which was very fitting for the characters, seeing as what had happened between them in their past.  

Overall, a stunning and poignant romance story full of second chances and figuring out who and what's important in life.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

We Burn Beautiful is available to buy as an ebook or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.