Garrett Leigh

Some romance novels have actual plots with a love story overlaid.

But it seems to me that in most romances the relationship is the story, with the setting or some aspect of the MCs lives adding content.

It doesn't really matter - it's the writing that creates the beauty of the novel and that's all I require. This is beautifully written - AND full of empathy for the MCs, which is also a top requirement. I've read 3 novels by Garrett Leigh and all were equally solid.

Angelo and Dylan meet at a club in circumstances which are supposed to be anoymous. But they meet by chance in their regular lives, and then again. And so a friendship begins.… (más)

Narrator Shaun Grindell has an unusual punchy lilt. It's quite annoying but perhaps it did represent the MCs, Portuguese English football player Dom, and apprentice auto mechanic Lucky, well enough.

This is an intense relationship novel, not much let up, and done with skill by Leigh Garrett. Grindell's breathy push-pull reading style adds to this.

The tremendous discrepancy between the wealthy footballer, and the homeless apprentice adds a lot of tension.

Dom lives in loneliness and fear of being outed from the closet. Lucky's fears are more primal - not enough food, or none - and very poor quality lodgings.

It's remarkable how the rich don't have insight, even when it is obvious, into the life of those on the other side of the fence. Also, how buried we get in our own misery - no matter whether it's justified. Our own misery fills the screen and it's real. Both MCs are miserable, weighed down by life circumstances.

Once I would have given this 4 stars without hesitation, on the back of the skilful build in intensity, but I'm more critical these days, more impatient? for a quality product. I need something that's going to give me a hit of something - a special element that I haven't come across before - that's a little transcendent. This almost did.… (más)