Only the Small Bones is the first book in C.P. Harris' Slow Burns and Tragic Beginnings series and it is not for the faint of heart. This book will destroy you heart before finally putting it back together again in the end. Mind the TWs.
From the blurb:
“He reminds me of someone I once knew…”
As the founder of Freedom Fighters, famed music composer, William Mayes, is often the first port of call when the FBI needs assistance with human trafficking victims.
After receiving such a call one night, William abandons everything to catch the next flight home. Arriving at Manhattan Memorial, he finds a beautiful young man restrained to a gurney. His eyes are wild with fear, and blood stains his skin. No one has been successful in getting him to speak.
When even he can’t get the young man to cooperate, William does something he may later come to regret—he extends an invite to his home.
The young man is non-verbal, angry, and at times openly hateful. All of which gives him control over William’s emotions.
William slowly begins to spiral from his own struggles with his tormented past. His nightmares return, sleep becomes a lost cause, and the dark voices in his head are out for blood.
Amid their co-dependent isolation, William’s feelings evolve. Lines are blurred, and then crossed altogether as they start down a path riddled with secrets and lies of omission.
The only thing that can set them both free is the truth. But maybe some things are better left buried. Because if the ugliest parts of William are ever unearthed, no one will be spared.
Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's review:
"๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข. ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ก."
I have a rule that I give 5 stars to any book that makes me cry. I did that. A lot in this book. I even had to take more than one break from it because the subject matter was that hard. That heartbreaking. At one point I strongly considered having to DNF. I am a parent. I have young children. Reading about what happened to an innocent child after their abduction into human trafficking and the aftermath hit me in a way I don't know if it truly could to someone who isn't a parent.
C.P. Harris was right when she warned us this was a departure of her usual style. When she said slow burn, she meant it. There is very little actual steam in this book and it was completely understandable and fitting of the story being told. That does not mean there aren't intimate moments between William and Ryan. As Ryan is non-verbal, the bulk of his communication is done through body language and facial expressions. A lot can be said with just a look.
"๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ - ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ - ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ข๐, ๐ฎ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ช๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐."
Healing is a big theme throughout the story. Both William and Ryan have pasts that haunt their present. They've both been trapped, albeit in different ways. I liked that there was a focus on therapy and not the use of a relationship being some major fix. Even with their pasts, I think this is probably the "healthiest" relationship that this author has ever written. It took work to get to that point, but both William and Ryan put in that work. In the end I'm glad I was able to finish this book because these two deserved all the good things, even if it destroyed my heart to make it there.
"๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข. ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ก."
I have a rule that I give 5 stars to any book that makes me cry. I did that. A lot in this book. I even had to take more than one break from it because the subject matter was that hard. That heartbreaking. At one point I strongly considered having to DNF. I am a parent. I have young children. Reading about what happened to an innocent child after their abduction into human trafficking and the aftermath hit me in a way I don't know if it truly could to someone who isn't a parent.
C.P. Harris was right when she warned us this was a departure of her usual style. When she said slow burn, she meant it. There is very little actual steam in this book and it was completely understandable and fitting of the story being told. That does not mean there aren't intimate moments between William and Ryan. As Ryan is non-verbal, the bulk of his communication is done through body language and facial expressions. A lot can be said with just a look.
"๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ - ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ - ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ข๐, ๐ฎ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ช๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐."
Healing is a big theme throughout the story. Both William and Ryan have pasts that haunt their present. They've both been trapped, albeit in different ways. I liked that there was a focus on therapy and not the use of a relationship being some major fix. Even with their pasts, I think this is probably the "healthiest" relationship that this author has ever written. It took work to get to that point, but both William and Ryan put in that work. In the end I'm glad I was able to finish this book because these two deserved all the good things, even if it destroyed my heart to make it there.
Zakiyya's review:
Some books shake you by the shoulder while others steal your heart. In this book, William and Ryan manage to do both, simultaneously.
This author's writing is often characterized by its depth and sensitivity, examining how individuals cope with their pasts and seek meaning in their lives.
So, if you’re interested in a story that delves into the intricacies of human emotions and relationships, "Only The Small Bones" will be a compelling read.
Only the Small Bones is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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