2 Kundenrezensionen

Dieses Produkt bewerten

1-2 von 2 Rezensionen werden angezeigt

Derzeit tritt ein Problem beim Filtern der Rezensionen auf. Bitte versuchen Sie es später noch einmal.

24. August 2011

Verifizierter Kauf

Der 17jährige Zach findet am Weihnachtsabend, schutzlos der Kälte und dem Hunger ausgeliefert - beinahe hätte ich gesagt seine letzte Ruhe - Platz auf einer Bank am Friedhof einer Kirche, nachdem ihn sein Vater fast zwei Wochen vorher mit der Pistole im Anschlag aus dem Haus geworfen hatte, weil er schwul ist und sich auch nicht umerziehen lassen will. Zum Glück findet ihn der junge schwule Polizist Ben, der ihn mit nach Hause nimmt, wo er Wärme, Liebe und Geborgenheit einer intakten Familie kennenlernt, er, der immer der häuslichen Gewalt des Vaters und Gefühlskälte der Mutter ausgesetzt war.
Die Autorin stellt ergreifend dar, wie Zach große Probleme hat, anderen Menschen zu trauen und langsam durch die Güte Bens und seiner Familie Vertrauen fasst und den Glauben an sich selbst findet. (Ich gebe zu, öfters mit den Tränen gekämpft zu haben, was mir aber kein bisschen peinlich ist!)
Leider ist die Handlung zu gradlinig, und die handelnden Menschen sind alle gut und völlig selbstlos. Nur Bens Bruder stellt sich anfangs zickig an, borgt aber Zach später sogar seinen Ipod - welch ein Vertrauensbeweis.
Die Handlung wird dadurch vorangetrieben, dass Ben sich nicht traut, Zach seine stetig größer werdende Zuneigung handfest zu zeigen, obwohl dieser anfängt, sich danach zu sehnen. Es ergeben sich aber keine hysterischen Hochs und Tiefs, sondern alle Entwicklungen sind für den Leser gut nachvollziehbar.
Das Buch ist recht dünn; aber trotzdem empfehlenswert.

Lesen Sie weiter

4 Personen fanden diese Informationen hilfreich

Nützlich

Kommentar

Silvia

Heartwarming read with a massive WTF moment

29. Juli 2015

This is a lovely, fluffy, wonderful little story. It takes a tricky subject that could very easily have been twisted into either a massive tearjerker or a sore moralizing yawner, but in the hands of a skilled storyteller it’s been transformed into something beautiful and hopeful. Yes, there’s lots of sugarcoating and no, there’s no in-depth analysis of either character or family background, nor is there a lot of socio-critical issues being touched. A novella labelled romance simply cannot provide the same depth a “proper” novel could, and I didn’t pick it up with high expectations for depth or enlightenment. I picked it up because I wanted a comfort read, something to snuggle up with after a horrible day at work.

And that’s what it really is, a comfort read. It’s set at Christmas time, so expect all kinds of Christmas feels with bells, ribbons and mistletoe. A bit out of place in summer (it’s July as I’m typing this) but like I said, I wanted something fluffy and cozy. There’s loving and misunderstandings, there’s hope and doing the right thing, there’s sorrow and comfort, and there’s giving and accepting. It’s heartwarming to see Zach crawl out of his shell and open up, it’s lovely to see him accepted and welcomed and I wish… well, I wish everybody could have a Christmas like this.

However, I am well aware that this is a bit of a fairytale and that the overwhelming majority of kids and young adults with a similar background will never make it, either for lack of a chance or for fear of what might happen if they accept the help they’re offered, or for many more reasons I can’t even think of. But like every good fairytale, this story teaches the reader something, if only to open one’s eyes to one’s surroundings and not take everything at face value. A little novella cannot change the world or society, but it may help prevent all of us from snapping our hearts shut too tightly.

Yes, this has what it takes to get a five star review for its positive message and excellent storytelling. So why on earth am I giving only three stars? Well, because of its massive WTF injection right before the end.

This might be a SPOILER, so tread carefully.

Of course I was hoping for a HEA while I was reading, and having met the lovely RJ Scott and being fortunate enough to listen to her talk about her storytelling, I expected nothing less. And while I am all for hot and steamy man-on-man sex when picking up an m/m romance – hell yeah!!! – the sex just before the epilogue was so out of place it made me cringe. Well-written and steamy it certainly is, but it just felt so wrong in a fluff story like that one. Yes, I wanted them to kiss and yes, I wanted them to come together – pun not intended but oh well – but not like this. The whole passage reads like it’s been taken from a whole different story and got pasted into this one by mistake. The language is very different, it’s sweaty and dirty, and it’s way too explicit for this Christmas love story. For once, it would have been wise to either close the bedroom door the moment Zach made his intentions clear, or drape a soft veil over the Ben and Zach to make it a nice Christmassy blend. Instead, I was yanked out of my cuddly happy mood and the whole thing ended with a frown instead of a dreamy sigh.

And so I’m subtracting two stars for mood destruction and am seriously considering ripping the offending pages out (yes, you read that right: I am willing to HURT A BOOK) so there’s the upstairs kissing and the epilogue. Because like this, it would have been perfect for me.

Lesen Sie weiter

Nützlich

Kommentar

Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.com

Amazon.com: 112 Rezensionen

Joelle M.

Wonderful, heartwarming, slow burn

31. Dezember 2017 - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Verifizierter Kauf

I've wanted to read this book forever. Just hadn't been able to sit. Yesterday my husband went to take a nap when I was supposed to take our Christmas decorations down. I chose to take advantage of the peace and quiet and read.

I was rewarded with a beautiful story of small town generosity, caring, acceptance and ultimately love. Stories about kids who are thrown away by their parents for being gay break my heart. It sickens me that people can treat their children this way. But I am comforted by the fact that there are so many good people in the world who will take these kids into their homes and hearts.

I loved that Ben was the kind of guy who would try to help Zach instead of just dropping him off somewhere and walking away. Donna is the kind of mom we all wish we could have. She took Zach in as one of her own. She was so protective and caring. I loved the relationship she had with Ben.

What I loved most about this story was how the attraction between Ben and Zach wasn't rushed. You could sense the draw between them but nothing happened until Zach was older and had adjusted to his new life. I loved that. It would have been so easy to toss them into bed together but instead we got to enjoy seeing Zach heal and grow into his own before he started a relationship with Ben. Add in Ben's unwavering friendship and support and there is no doubt that they'll be together forever.

Lesen Sie weiter

D.Hart, RCIS

Beautifully written Christmas tale !!!

4. Dezember 2015 - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Verifizierter Kauf

***** Oh my, what an awesome story ! I read it in one sitting, because it was too good to put down...! You get so emotionally involved with these beautiful characters, that you cherish every word. Well written, interesting and heartwarming, this is wonderful in every way. Zach gets thrown out of his home for being gay. His military minded, brutal father beat him, again, and tossed him away. Ben, a new small town cop, finds Zach asleep on a bench, brings him to his Mom's and helps him. The main and secondary people are amazing. There is a lot to deal with, because Zach was beaten, Ben's sister-in-law doctor treated him, they all guided him in some way, and Zach needed to get his sister away from their mean Dad. Ben and Zach had an attraction, but was not acted on for a long while, until he got settled, made decisions about how to proceed, and finally working and taking classes. When Zach's Mom is beaten and dies, Zach can finally get his sister to safety. Legal actions are taken, a new "family" for Zach and his sister, and new love for Ben and Zach.
Deeply emotional, intensely amazing, and your heart will be happy for a long time remembering this compassionate, touching, heartbreaking,
heartwarming love story.
Very highly recommended... ENJOY !!!

Lesen Sie weiter

Darcy Thornton

What a gorgeous story

24. Oktober 2014 - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Verifizierter Kauf

I absolutely adore the characters in this book. The MCs, Zach and Ben, are made for each other. Their slow burn romance gets stronger amidst Zach's family drama as well as his growth in maturity.

Ben and his loving family and friends provide unconditional love and support for the throw-away 17 year old Zach just days before he turns 18. Although there is attraction from the very beginning, Ben patiently waits for Zach to get a little older as well as to know beyond doubt that Zach wants Ben just as much.

There are heartbreaking moments in this book. Zach's reactions to the little bits of kindnesses extended to him are more telling than what he says. He also has physical proof of abuse. To see this shy kid grow into a confident young man is amazing. Ben is wonderful and it's heartwarming to see both of these men find in each other exactly what the other needs.

The supporting cast of characters couldn't be more perfect. I loved all of them.

I teared up a few times as I read this, but it truly is a feel good book. My only slight grumble: as much as I liked 'The Beginning' at the end, I would have loved an epilogue further out in time to show what's happening in their lives.

Highly recommend.

Lesen Sie weiter

Eine Person fand diese Informationen hilfreich

Alex W

Stars: 2.5/5

19. Januar 2014 - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Verifizierter Kauf

Overall
A sweet sort of holiday tale that I found to be too easy and kind of questionable about certain events. It was enjoyable, but like mindless television.

Review
There was a lot about this story that I wanted to like, but too much was hard for me to swallow. I liked Zach and Ben, and while I found their meeting and the sequence of events a little brow raising, it wasn’t enough to turn me off the story. The Christmas part of the tale worked the best, and while I was glad to see the rest of the story unfold, it made the pacing unbalanced.

The first 75% of the story is the first winter they’re together, then it jumps months at a time. It’s difficult, because it does resolve some plot points that were good/necessary to see through, but it also felt like an excuse to have lots of sex, plus the jumps felt more stilted than the rest of the story.

Along those lines, sometimes the writing felt a little stilted too. There was some adjective abuse. Normally it doesn’t really jump out to me, but one line in particular illustrates that: “Jesus Christ,” he cursed bluntly.

If the character is cursing, it’s probably blunt (especially in the surrounding circumstances), and in the situation, explaining that “JC” was a curse wasn’t needed either, although I could let that slide.

In addition, the characters tended to internal monologue and describe instead of acting. To some degree, hearing the character’s thoughts was necessary, but in other instances it just explained what the reader already knew, or described why a character was doing something (when the action itself made it apparent).

So this is a tough one, because I liked the story that Scott told, but I also had some problems with it as well, mostly in the style and craft elements, which other readers may not find problematic.

Lesen Sie weiter