Thus far I have not ever been disappointed in anything this author has written and this story is certainly not an exception. It speaks about two lost men finding their way in uncharted waters following the stars. Aubrey escapes his past and his abusive ex by pretending to be lost to a bushfire. He follows the stars to a secluded island, to a small town to settle in peace. He just wants a life without pain and maybe a small chance at happiness. Now we have Patrick who lives in that same small town. He's lived there for years now tending to the lighthouse on the shore of the Southern Ocean. His solitary life is lonely and sad...spent grieving a man he has lost forever. But now he starts to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time when a stranger shows up in his town. The two broken men in this story find peace, redemption, and happiness in each other. It is beautifully written how they work through their baggage of past traumas to open up to something rather beautiful and pure. The small gestures, the slow but powerful pace of their falling for each other was simple but all-consuming at once. There is something beautiful in the simplicity of this normalcy. ( )

4.5 ( )

It was a nice story, but the magic somehow eluded me. It arrived somewhere around the middle, but to be honest, I wasn't wowed.

The MC's were so polite to each other, always asking 'if it's alright...", "would you like to...", "are you sure..." etc. And it's great that Patrick was checking in with Aubrey, but there was just so much tiptoeing, he was so careful, even before he suspected about his past. And I get that politeness came from not wanting to pressure each other, and they were hesitant and reluctant and wanted to give each other the option to choose, but it was kind of awkward.

And then around the middle I forgot all about my annoyance when the sweet moments started happening. From then on, it was pretty good and I didn't have any complaints.

There's a bit action at the beginning and at the end, but it's a mellow read. Kind of like the ocean, it's all calm and quiet until a storm hits.
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Read this book as part of the 2019 Members' Choice Awards Challenge.
Categories: Best Audiobook Narration of the Year

This book was classic N.R. Walker - lots of fluff and insta-love. Sometimes her formula works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. This time it was something in between.

I was almost bored by the romance itself. It was mostly the MCs doing the most mundane stuff and making eyes at each other. Had there been some UST before that, or maybe if I was made to love the characters more, I probably wouldn't have been so uninterested in the couple.
What mostly held my attention and kept me listening was the anticipation of seeing Aubrey's past resolved - and when the moment came I wasn't really satisfied as it was mostly off-page.

The audio was actually okay. Joel Leslie isn't my favorite narrator, but there were no non-English accents involved so I managed to enjoy the narration.

Final verdict: 2.5 stars ( )

They say slow and steady will win a race. Well in this case, I'm sure they're right. This is definitely a slow burn. A slow build towards a lasting romance with neither MC racing to any finishing line. While that might sound boring, in fact it's the opposite as far as I'm concerned.

Neither MC is completely sure. Aubrey is keeping secrets which holds him back. Patrick has never finished grieving for his partner lost at sea. Yet both men are constantly drawn to each other and their relationship grows steadily.

It was a beautiful thing to be a part of; watching their romance grow and blossom. And in true N.R. Walker style you are never left wanting or needing more. ( )