Title: Vespertine
Author: Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn
Publisher/GR Link: GR, Ledra
Genre: MM Contemporary
Vice: Rock stars, priests, reconciliation
Rating: 5* out of 5 Banned in Boston
Lock this book up: 3
keys. The sex is SO hot and so worth the
slow burn.
Length: Novel
Satisfaction: HEA
Cover Impressions: Gorgeous!
Best Line: “I always loved you. I
can’t even pretend that I loved God more.”
Synopsis: Can a priest and a rock star obey
love's call?
Seventeen years ago, Jasper
Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld's childhood friendship turned into a secret,
blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper's
calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left
floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never
stopped looking back.
Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as
an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He's
determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and
settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.
As Nico Blue, guitarist and
songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and
his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their
music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely
alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it
all started.
Jasper and Nicky's careers have
ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face
again, they must choose between the past's lingering ghosts or the promise of a
new future.
Impressions: There was so much in this book to recommend it, and I know it will be on
my short Banned in Boston list of books that I will reread over and over
again. It is just a very special story
with two very special MCs.
I went to a Jesuit
university, and as a young LGBT leader on campus, I expected to have an
adversarial relationship with the members of the clergy. What surprised me was not only how supportive
they were, but that several of them were gay- and openly so. Like Jasper, they made a commitment to their
beliefs, and they had no problems balancing their own identities with their
calling. As I got to know some of these
men, and even befriended one of them, I found this complexity of identity to be
so interesting. I had left the Catholic
church shortly after arriving on campus, but I have the utmost respect for
people who balanced two important pieces of themselves without compromising
others.
That being said, Jasper is a great character in this complexity that he embodies. I thought I would find any religion challenging to see beyond in this novel, but that was not at all the case. Jasper is sincere in his commitment to God and in his love for Nicky, and I admired that there were no easy answers in this novel that required him to ignore who he was and what he believed.
Nicky is such a broken
young man, and he so desperately wants to be healed. He carries the marks of Jasper in his heart
and on his skin, and sometimes he broke my heart. He is a raw character, and his hurt is right
at the surface, and I found him to be utterly captivating.
Beyond the fascinating look
at religion and attachment issues, this was, at its heart, an amazing and raw
love story. As is only fitting given the
characters, there is a slow build to the sex, but when it hits the page, it was
remarkable. This book kept me up into
the night and it lingers in my mind days after it was done. I feel like Nicky and Jasper are there on
their island, and I can’t help but wait to see the amazing journey their love
is taking.
There is an excellent
collection of secondary characters, and the plot is engaging and well paced.
Don’t miss this excellent
read. Carve out some time on 9/10
because Nicky and Jasper have a lot to share with you.
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