Ten Mile Bottom by Teodora Kostova #LGBT RGR#Giveaway #Review

Dana reviews Ten Mile Bottom by Teodora Kostova (Published March 16, 2018, Kindle Unlimited) A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Why I read this: It was an easy pick for me to review. I have been a fan of the author for a while. Also, reading the blurb made me believe that it would be an emotionally charged story and those are my favorite kind of books.

Blurb: 

Hitting rock bottom is just the beginning…

I’m a son, a brother, a friend. 
A writer.
An addict.
Dead.
Cardiac arrest isn’t enough to keep me dead, though. The doctors brought me back, but for what?

At twenty four I’ve already achieved what most people do in a life time. I’m a successful author, own a flat in the heart of London and drive my dream sports car. 
Or at least that’s what people see.
Once the spotlight fades, I’m left alone with my overactive mind, alcohol and drugs the only way to quiet down the noise.
Until an overdose nearly kills me and drags everyone I love down with me. 
With the help of my best friend, I leave London and its toxic influence behind, moving to a small town in the outskirts of Cambridge to try and put my life back together again.

If only it were that easy.

Buy links: Amazon | Add to Goodreads

Let me start my review by saying that I thought this was a really good book. The authors writing style flows easily and I was easily immersed in the story. The basic plot of this story is the main character taking his life back after a troubled childhood and addiction as an early twenty-something. Finn is the main character. Usually in an m/m romance there are two, but I feel this book is mostly about him.

After overdosing while out clubbing with his best friend, Finn retreats to a small town to straighten out his life. He keeps contact with his best friend mentioned in the blurb, but since Aiden also needed to clean up his own act, he was in his own seclusion. I was a little disappointed that he was not with Finn at first, because I’m a huge friends to lovers fan, but the author knew what she was doing when she wrote this. I don’t think either of them were strong enough to tell the other no, or to keep the other from falling back into bad habits. Instead, Finn meets Ben. As well as a few other people in the small town of Ten Mile Bottom. I love that the title of the book is named after this town, when it feels like it could mean more.

I stand by my previous statement that this story feels mostly about Finn. I love Ben. Something about him makes Finn feel secure and calm. The romance is sweet and at the same time it is some work. Finn needs to get his own feet on the ground, but not just for Ben. He needs to feel like a man that Ben can trust and lean on at times, too. It’s a good love story, but it’s still mainly about Finn. His family plays a big part, too. His dad who he never got to know, his sister who is the only one he likes, and his mother who struggles with her own issues. Those issues have taken their toll on her and the family. On Finn.

It is a little heavy and in the author’s note, the author discusses how personal this book felt to her. I really commend her on writing it and tackling tough issues. As a side note, I learned something while reading this book. The author mentions a few times that one character had a cardiac arrest while another had a heart attack. I had the false idea that they were the same thing and was on the verge of being annoyed until I looked it up and realized I was in the wrong. Just an example of how you can learn something through reading.

To finish up this review, I want to mention again that I really liked this book. It wasn’t as angsty as I thought it might be, but it dealt with depression and mental illness. It had a good love story and great characters. It’s a good story of redemption and finding a healthy way to live your life. I am so glad that the author has also stated her intention to write a book for Aiden. I want him to get the same happy ending as Finn does.

9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars

One lucky winner will win their choice of ebook from the author’s backlist. Comment for your chance to win. 

You need to be 18 years or older to participate in this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Etc.

9 Winners will be randomly drawn from all commenters on this post via random.org

This Giveaway will end on March 31st, 2018 at 11:59 PM CDT

                                                                                               GOOD LUCK!!! ❤

Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband and my son. I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job a few years ago when I decided that everything else I’ve tried bores me to death and I have to do what I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I’ve been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It’s the only time that I’m truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time – my son has a bigger attention span than me.

When I’m procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Nintendo Wii game by a very inventive kid.

Blog: www.teodorakostova.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Teodora_Kostova

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teodorakostovaauthor

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/teodorika1

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