The Other Side (Sparlow Tales Book 1) by Barbara Elsborg

A new series which reunites childhood friends and introduces a supernatural sanctuary. Drum and Osian have survived a lot and can finally be together, but they have to fight to overcome the outside danger that stands in their way.


From the blurb:

Love lost. Love found. Love forever.

After three gruelling months in rehab following a botched undercover operation, police officer Drum is forced to rebuild his shattered life. When he’s offered a quiet reassignment as a Police Community Support Officer in the Derbyshire Peak District, he takes it. But hidden among the windswept hills and sleepy villages is the place where Drum was discovered as a lost child, the memories of his first ten years stolen from him. The only clues to his identity were a silver bracelet and a scrap of paper bearing his name. Two decades later, the mystery remains unsolved.

Across the Veil in Faeryland, Osian pays a painful price for his one month a year spent in the mortal realm. He’s driven by an unyielding longing for the boy who vanished from his life when they were ten years old. He knows the odds of finding Drum are almost impossible, but his heart refuses to let go. Osian is performing in a pub with a local band when Drum walks in. The recognition is instant for Osian, but not for Drum.

Strangers shouldn’t know the secrets buried inside Drum’s forgotten childhood. And they certainly shouldn’t wear a silver bracelet identical to his own. As impossible truths begin to unravel, Drum is forced to question everything he believes about his past, his identity, and the world itself. With danger closing in and time running out, Osian must convince Drum to trust him before the chance to reclaim what was stolen is lost forever.

Warnings
Murder most foul—though we don’t see it happen.
Brutal assault of one of the MCs—before the story starts.
Assault of that same MC - in the story
Torture and sexual assault of the other MC—not shown and never detailed in the book.
Unkind parents but kind ones too.


SNik's review:

First in series (Sparlow Tales). Paranormal urban fantasy. Former childhood friends. Found family. Dual POV. Heed content warnings. 

Drum has been relegated to the countryside for his own protection after his undercover case went horribly wrong, but returning to the place he was found as a child with no memory is not a reward. Osian has spent years searching for his lost friend, and when he finally finds Drum he has to find a way to tell him the truth and protect him as well. 

There is quite a bit going on in this story outside of two childhood friends reuniting and building on a lost innocent love that quickly becomes an intimate one. The introduction to Faeryland, the special town of Sparlow, the murder mystery, the overhanging danger from both Drum and Osian’s lives kept this story intriguing and entertaining. Drum and Osian fall back into a close relationship that turns romantic and I enjoyed the varied secondary characters which made all the different storylines interesting. Overall, a good introduction to a new series that had some dark and lightness to it, with two main characters to root for.


The Other Side is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription