5* Book Review: Patchwork Paradise

Title: Patchwork Paradise   

Author: Indra Vaughn

Publisher/GR Link: GR, Riptide

Genre: MM Contemporary (in Belgium)

Vice: Loss, children

Rating: 5 stars

Lock this book up: 3 keys.  The sex builds off the plot, but isn’t the focus

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: It doesn’t really suit the story, but I can’t imagine one that would

Best Line: “I was always there for you, Ollie.”

Synopsis: Oliver and Samuel’s relationship is fairy-tale perfect. They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.

The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.

When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.

Impressions:  I had to let this book settle before I could attempt to do it justice.  This book was not what I expected, and I couldn’t get it out of my head.

I thought this would be a sweet, low angst read, but in fact it was a complex, sometimes heart breaking read that left me feeling a sense of satisfaction that stayed with me for days.

I knew going into this that Ollie would lose Sam, but I didn’t realize that we would get to see their love, and Ollie’s loss, so completely open for us to experience.  It was heartbreaking, but so realistic.  The author covers a lot of time in Ollie, Sam and Thomas’ life.  About 30% in I wasn’t sure if this would be the book for me, but I was enchanted by Thomas and connected to Ollie (and really their whole friend group) that I kept with it, and I am so happy that I did.

It’s really difficult to put into words why this book works so well, but I hope you will trust me that it does.  The love between Ollie and Thomas is always there, but watching it grow from friendship to love was simply beautiful. 

I really enjoyed this book, and I ended up staying up WAY too late to finish it, and when I did I had a terrible (read: wonderful) book hangover that lasted for days!

Don’t miss this amazing read, and don’t underestimate it they way I almost did!