Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart #LGBT #Audio #Review #MM

Erryn reviews ‘Endless Stretch of Blue’ by Riley Hart. The ebook was published July 21, 2019 and is 360 pages. The audiobook version of this story was narrated by Michael Pauley, released on August 30, 2019 and is 7 hrs and 12 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Why I read this book:  I love Michael Pauley and Riley Hart.

   

 

Lorenzo Moretti and Damon Blackwell have never met, but they’re tied together by the same tragedy. They were both there that night. They each lost someone they loved. They’ve been living as shells of their former selves ever since. Running into each other and realizing their shared pasts? Pure serendipity.

Being together is a tingle at the base of Enzo’s spine, a comfort that settles into Damon’s bones. No one understands what they went through the night the club caught fire – until now. For the first time, they have someone to lean on, someone who knows all the right things to say and when to say nothing at all. Neither of them has been with another man before, but their shared connection grows from friendship and explodes into something more, something raw and desperate and real. Now, they’re dealing not only with their pasts, but their new relationship, the one thing that calms their internal storms.

Enzo and Damon might not know much else, but with every touch, with every word, and every night spent exploring each other’s bodies, they know they’re in love. They keep each other going, show each other what happiness really is.

But love alone can’t get them through. Damon and Enzo must decide if they really have what it takes to work through their trauma and fight for the happily ever after that’s waiting just on the horizon.

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My Review:

What an unexpected book.  When it came out I read the synopsis and thought it would be good, but I didn’t see it coming.  The book centers around two men who live very different lives.  Enzo Moretti is a good Italian boy. He comes home to ‘sauce’ every weekend with his family and does his best.  He’s a successful carpenter who builds beautiful cabinets, but he can never please his family.  His older brother Ricky is the apple of his parents’ eye and Enzo knows he’ll never be good enough.  He tries, but the fact he isn’t settled down with a nice girl and making good Italian babies is a constant cause of strife with his mother.  Enzo’s a good guy, to be sure.  Just not as ‘perfect’ as his brother.

 

Damon Blackwell has a successful career as a hospital administrator.  He is a dutiful brother and son.  His sister Katie is a little on the wild side, but Damon is always there to rescue her from scrapes.  His mother is sick, so he’s always there to ensure she has the best care.  He does his best but it never quite feels good enough because so much of his life is not under his control.

Both men face the worst night of their lives.  They were there when the club caught on fire.  They both lost someone they love.  They both have to continue on, living with the ever-present guilt.  Living with the ‘what if’.  Haven’t we all done that?  Maybe not lost someone so tragically and devastatingly, but done something that had unforeseen consequences where something bad happened.  Then had to live with always wondering if you had just done something different – driven a different route or called someone at the right time – that tragedy might not have struck.

But life’s not like that.  You don’t get a do-over.  You have to learn to live with the pain.

And so, day after day, Enzo and Damon continue on with their lives.  They go to work.  They attend their parents.  And they don’t really deal with what is hurting them the most.  Oh, they put on a good show, but they’re just shadows of their former selves.  Until one night when they meet fortuitously.  They spend some times together before they realize they share something deep and painful.  They part and it seems like there’s an end to it, but fate brings them together again.

This book is very much a gay-for-you story.  Neither man has been in any kind of relationship with another man before – never even looked at a guy.  Certainly never considered dating one.  And a physical relationship?  Would have at least wigged them out to think about it.  Yet something works between the two of them.  And it’s not just the shared grief – although that’s part of it.  It’s that they’ve both been lonely.  Both are seeking someone they can take care of and love.  Sometimes in relationships one person takes on the caregiver role and occasionally it falls to Damon, but Enzo is just as supportive.  As time passes, there is real caring there.  Even love.

This is a special book in so many ways.  It’s a simple story.  Aside from the family and a couple of close friends, the story really centers around the two men.  It’s a very intimate story.  The bulk of the book is just time spent by the two men alone.  Exploring and testing the concept of moving on.  Not forgetting, of course, but of finding a way to live with the grief and guilt.  This is a hopeful story.

I have to take a moment to mention the narrator Michael Pauley.  He’s one of my favorites because he always delivers a solid performance.  I love his style and how he takes a tough story and delivers a powerful performance.  I love that with him I get the comfort of a familiar voice and yet the distinctiveness of each character.  I love that he gives his all for every performance.

This is a great book.  Somehow simple in its execution yet oceans-deep in its emotion.  It’s a story that will stay with me for a long time.

My Rating:

10/10 pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars

Website | Facebook  | Twitter: @RileyHart5| Goodreads

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic. A lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her reading.Riley lives in North Carolina with her awesome family, who she is thankful for everyday.