Title: Something Like Autumn
Author: Jay Bell
Length: 404 Pages
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Independent
Heat Level: 2 Flames
Overall Rating: 5 shredded hearts
Synopsis: Love can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friendโs wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-workerโฆ or while being robbed at a convenience store.
For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come. When he meets Victorโa wild soul and fellow outsiderโhis chances of finding love go from bleak to a very uncertain maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire, hoping for a warm hand to hold his tight.
Something Like Autumn tells the story of Jaceโs life before the events of Something Like Summer, while also revisiting his time with Benjamin Bentley.
Review: (While this book could probably be read as a standalone, it is highly recommended to follow the series in order.)
All the stars.
Every once in a while, you find a book that cuts so deep it shocks you. This was that book for me. It broke me. I was ugly crying during this one. I can’t convey how painful this was to read, yet so full of love at the same time. It has earned a permanent place on my all time favorites list, quite possibly as my favorite in recent memory. Jay Bell is a master storyteller and I will gladly follow him anywhere. His characters in this book were so well drawn that not only will I miss them now that I’ve finished reading, but it’s almost like I’ve lost real people. I know I will visit them again someday. An incredibly touching love story involving the lives of four people and how they intertwine throughout the course of their lives.
If you only read one book this year, let it be this one.