A story with serious themes - well realized and brilliantly narrated.
From the blurb:
One heartbroken, lonely man
Another man struggling to find his life again
Ryan Matson dreams of a new life, one with a future where drugs aren’t in control. But lying to himself isn’t helping him achieve that goal. Neither is pretending he’s sober, especially not with Logan Silver, his one-night stand and longtime crush. When Ryan's world implodes and all his hopes for a fresh start vanish, he heads down a familiar, self-destructive path, doing what he does best: running and hiding. Only this time, he’s got Logan Silver searching for him.
And Logan won’t stop until he finds him.
Logan Silver is the man who has everything and yet nothing at all. After losing his brother to drugs years ago, Logan is heartbroken, unable to regain his footing or open himself to others. Except to Ryan, the only one to break through the pain that haunts him each day. He is driven by a need to protect Ryan, to give him all he can—a home, a chance at a fresh start…everything, no strings attached. Then Ryan disappears, taking Logan’s trust with him. And when he returns, insisting on keeping his distance, Logan feels like he’s been used. And nobody uses Logan.
Logan and Ryan are unable to deny their attraction, but this time has to be different: no more lying to themselves and each other. Logan must let go of his heartbreak and fear to support Ryan as he discovers his own way. Because Ryan doesn’t need a savior. He needs to own his truth, believe in himself, and accept that he deserves to be happy. Only then can the two have a future together—one built on a foundation of love and trust—that won’t vanish like clouds in thin air.
From Lambda Literary Award winning author Felice Stevens comes an emotional MM romance full of heartbreak, hope and ultimately love. It's filled with angst, true friendship, and swoony, steamy moments plus an epic happily ever after.
Be advised there is discussion of substance abuse and mental health issues.
Lesetiger's review:
Castles in the Air is not thematically like the author's usual stories, as it deals with very serious issues.
Ryan was thrown out by his parents at the age of 16 when he came out of the closet. Since then, he has struggled with drugs and alcohol. This hasn't changed during his studies and his marriage. But with the loss of his job as a lawyer and the end of his marriage, Ryan falls deep and hard. Ryan is a fighter who doesn't give up. For me, Ryan was the defining character of this story. Logan seemed almost a little pale in comparison.
Logan is also a lawyer and knows Ryan from before. When they meet again, Logan offers Ryan a helping hand. I really liked Logan because he has good reasons to act the way he did. It may not have been the best way to support someone, but it wasn't the worst way either and at least he tried.
When Ryan receives devastating news, he goes into hiding. He realizes that he has to do something to leave his addiction and his previous life behind him. Logan, on the other hand, is not one to give up easily and so he continues to search for Ryan for weeks after his disappearance.
I thought it was great how the author handled the topic. I also really liked both characters and could understand why they acted the way they did.
As I said, the subject of alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse is very serious, but presented in an absolutely understandable way without sugarcoating anything. In addition to the characters, I really liked Ryan's circle of friends and supporters.
This touching story is a slow burn romance and that was a perfect fit here. I was honestly captivated pretty quickly and got sucked into the story. The chemistry between Ryan and Logan is great and I was very pleased with the hard-earned happy ending.
Kale Williams was once again fantastic as the narrator. In particular, he delivered the emotional moments brilliantly and there were many emotional parts in this story. Kale Williams' performance was also convincing in other respects with his apt characterization of the protagonists and an appropriate pace of speech.
Highly recommended!
Castles in the Air is currently available as an audiobook, e-book and paperback
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