Kiss Me Again by Garrett Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

Oh, this tale is so full of angst, but it's balanced with comfort and love in the way that only Garrett Leigh can write. In a word: Powerful.

Aiden and Ludo meet in the hospital. Ludo is there to fight the bipolar demons from his head and Aiden is there after falling from a tree, a van breaking his fall.

Aiden emerges from surgery in pain. So much pain. He's loopy on painkillers and he can't think straight enough to know if the skinny, beautiful man that keeps him company is real. Ludo spends his days longing to sit with Aiden, to simply touch him. And then one day, Ludo is gone.

Months later they find each other again and try to figure out if they care enough about themselves to try to create a life together. With all of its inherent ups and downs.

Okay, can I just say how much I loved Aiden? He was a right git at times, but he was so invested and caring and simply there for Ludo.

And Ludo, with his love for his dog. And basically everything. And his cousin Angelo. I LOVED that Angelo was mentioned as the dancing cousin. But Ludo was such a real character, and his worry over being too much, too hard, too consuming... it was just the right amount of angst. And Garrett Leigh can write angst perfectly. It's never too much. It's just perfectly done, leaving you both worried for and loving the character.

At the end of Kiss Me Again> I just wanted to hug Ludo and Aiden and tell them how proud I was. Such a great book!

Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. To be cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/ upon publication*

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Crossroads by Garrett Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you’ve read any (or hopefully ALL) of the Skins books, you’ll love this holiday update by Garrett Leigh. It features Angelo and Dylan, but also involves Harry and Joe, and Rhys and Jevon and the community that surrounds Whisper Farm.

Angelo has been staying at Whisper Farm in Cornwall getting his physio with Harry and learning how to manage his illness. With Dylan working in the city and commuting back and forth on odd weekends, they are miserable and missing each other.

When Dylan comes down for Christmas and everyone is together, it’s a great chance to catch up with each of the characters from Skins and get a glimpse into what life is like after the last page.

Garrett Leigh writes love and angst and passion so well, and this short novella is no exception. There is pain, there are jokes, there is an abundance of sexy scenes and, of course, Joe, who I just will never get enough of and will personally love forever. This is a great added bonus book and very much everything you’d expect and just in time for the holidays!

*Arc copied provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/ *

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Garrett Leigh Releases!!

These are two MUST READ books and Garrett Leigh is offering Slide for free right now!

Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back… 

Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand. 

Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down. 

Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.

Release Day!!

These are two MUST READ books and Garrett Leigh is offering Slide for free right now!

Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back… 

Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand. 

Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down. 

Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.

Slide by Garrett Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first time I read this book I was in awe. When I finished it, I immediately started it again.

There is so much grit and angst and love and normalcy that doesn't get written very often like this.

Ash has a past. His mother died when he was young, he was thrown around from home to home and lived on the streets for years. He's gotten over his addiction, he's got people who care about him and he's got a roommate that turns him inside out.

Pete is an EMT with a big heart and the uncanny ability to read Ash's moods, subtle cues and whispers. He's not perfect, but he tries to do the right thing and he cares about the few people in his life.

Ash and Pete have a deep, loving relationship but it is far from perfect. And that is what I loved the most. It's such a real, tangible thing, what they have. The can go days, sometimes weeks passing in the night and they fight. They can be ornery and mad and not communicate, but when they are on the same page, its MAGIC.

The book is written from both Pete and Ash's POV, which I always love. You have the unique ability to get inside the MC's head and it just adds to the dimension of the reader's experience.

Garrett Leigh spares no feelings with her words. She paints the picture of winter in Chicago with skill. The timeline covers two years of Pete and Ash and it's not enough. Her writing has the innate ability to creep into your heart and make you fall in love with the characters. Not only do they feel real, I felt I lived through Pete's anguish over the weeks of Ash being gone and then the months after his return. I love how invested I became in Joe, who is a wonderful friend to both Pete and Ash and becomes very important to both of them.

I would recommend this book to everyone, especially those who love a bit of rough with their romance.

"There's nothing wrong with being at the beginning of something, Ash. Sometimes that's the best bit."

* A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.*

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