The Embrace of Evergreen is a beautiful story about self discovery, finding yourself and your people, grief, and love.
From the blurb:
Ethan
I’ve been in love before. It's a fact that I cling to with frighteningly intense desperation as I try to convince myself that I’m normal. Ok, so I’ve only been in love once, but I know that for at least one brief, shining moment, the world and everything in it felt like magic. I know love exists. I know it does, because when I’m lying in bed alone at night, I can still feel it. I know deep in my soul that I’m capable of love. I have to be.
I don’t know why I continue to subject my broken, hollowed out shell of a heart to the idea of falling in love again, but I don’t have it in me to quit just yet. I’ll give it one more try. One more attempt to build a real life for myself before giving up, because some part of me is still holding on to hope, no matter how dangerous that is.
Blue
Love and romance aren't for me. When I was young and naïve I dreamed of them, just like everyone else I suppose. Then I fell in love, only to end up hurt. I fell in love again, only to get hurt again. Eventually, I learned my lesson. Love, romantic love at least, isn't usually real, and when it is, it never lasts. Every time I’ve fallen it’s been fast and hard, and every time I’ve ended up patching the broken, tattered pieces of my body and soul back together on my own. Love and I just aren’t compatible.
So why can't I stop watching the beautiful auburn-haired man that's recently become a regular at the coffee shop? I know what the result of indulging this hormone induced fascination will be. I’ll end up hurt, and alone, and wondering yet again how something that once seemed so good could have gone so desperately wrong.
The Embrace of Evergreen is a 90000 word, MM, slow burn, contemporary romance filled with loss, found family, longing, forest hikes, glass blowing, sweet road trips with only one bed, friends to lovers, demi-rep, quirky best friends, and of course a HEA. There is also just the tiniest bit of unexplained magic that is deliberately open to reader interpretation.
Unexpected Love
A Trilogy
current estimated release dates are
fall 2024 - spring 2025
This contemporary romance series will consist of three novels. Each book will follow a different couple, but there will be cameos/minor overlapping plots. They are meant to be read as a series rather than as stand alone books.
While each couple will get a hard-earned HEA, there will be plenty of angst and heartbreak along the way.
As each couple is unique, the levels of angst vs. humor will vary with each book.
Angel's review:
Rayne is a new-to-me author, as soon as I started this story I was immediately drawn in by the writing. The intricate details that are describing everything from the characters's appearances, the places the characters visit, the immaculate glass sculptures that Blue creates, all of the details just added extra special elements to the story. Those details made it really easy to envision what was going on and what everything looked like when there were so many details, I loved that Rayne put so many details throughout the story.
Something else I really want to speak on is the beautiful journey that both Blue and Ethan go on, they are both on different journeys but they they lead to each other and that's such a beautiful thing. Both of these men have experienced heartbreak in different ways but by them getting to know each other and by them closer together, they help each other heal those scars that others have caused.
I thought that Ethan's demisexual awakening (of sorts) was written well, it was handled delicately and happened in a realistic way. I too have had that "Aha!" moment after finding different sexualities that finally fit and made me feel less broken as well.... So having said that, it was really, really, greatly written.
The slow burn between these two men is so good! I really loved how they danced around one another for so long, and that they took their time getting to know one another. Their relationship is so beautiful and was written beautifully!
Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book, and I am for sure going to be looking forward to future books from this author.
The Embrace of Evergreen is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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