Broken Silence (Rock Bottom #1)
by Felice Stevens
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: May 15, 2019
Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Buy links:
Kindle Unlimited
Synopsis
Justin Molina has secrets. He’s served his time but remains a prisoner of his past, unable to forgive himself for failing his family when they needed him most. Justin’s grief is overwhelming, but he keeps silent and focuses on his goals. About to graduate college, he tries to keep his head above water—no matter how many times life keeps knocking him down. When he’s forced to register for a poetry-writing class, Justin discovers putting words to his feelings might be exactly what his fractured heart needs to heal. Or is it the older professor with the bow ties and gentle smile who gives him a chance when no one else will?
Professor Foster Faraday Harding is a broken man. His divorce is final, and he’s reverted back to the safety of his books. Even his poetry no longer brings him joy; he’s sleepwalking through life. The raw emotion of Justin’s poetry awakens Foster to desires he thought long buried in the ashes of his marriage. When he discovers Justin is struggling financially, Foster offers him a solution that benefits both of them. Soon it’s Foster who’s struggling with emotions he can’t understand: Justin is his student. And a man. One crazy night years earlier doesn’t mean anything. Foster is straight.
After months of denying the growing attraction between them, an unexpected kiss changes everything. Justin and Foster are no longer only professor and student—they’ve become lovers, but the strain of hiding their relationship increases with each passing day. Words have the power not only to hurt but to heal the greatest pain. If Foster and Justin listen to what their hearts are saying, they might break through their silence and live their own love poems—together.
Carra's Review
Broken Silence has so many of the things I love to read about in contemporary romance—age gap, teacher/student, reformed ex-con who’s actually brilliant, and let’s also not forget class difference/opposites attract. Felice Stevens brings all of these together with a touch of angst (though less than I would have expected given all of those in one story) and just the right dose of heat, and made this my second-favorite book of hers to date (it’s going to be almost impossible to knock The Arrangement out of that top spot for me). All that and I’m not always so patient when it comes to slow burn romances.
I can’t imagine anyone not respecting how Justin has turned his life around, and just how hard he’s had to work to get to the point he’s at when the story begins. As for the poetry he writes for Foster’s class, it’s incredibly emotional and moving—not just when he first starts writing (where it’s heartbreaking), but all throughout the story.
Foster seemed so lonely, and didn’t appear to have much self-worth at the start of the story. As Justin’s professor, he tries to firmly put a wall between them to keep things from developing into more than a professional relationship. Tries. And it lasts long enough to draw things out (at times a bit too much for me), though we all know how these things eventually go.
There are some great secondary characters that are of course crying out for their own stories (Justin’s friend Benny and Foster’s friend Ross), and I also liked Foster’s department head Carolyn, who adds a bit of spirit to things. Justin’s mother and his mother’s friend are great additions as well. There’s some buildup to Justin and Foster being found out, and while the resolution and subsequent denouement of the story felt just a touch anti-climactic, it definitely still had that happy ending the author is known for, still with the emotion and smiles.
4.5 stars for Broken Silence, and a definite recommendation to any M/M romance fan. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
About the Author
Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, Her characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice has written over twenty books in the gay romance genre. Her books been translated into German, French and Italian. Her novel. One Call Away, part of her Soulmates series, was mentioned in Buzzfeed as one of the best “Out for You” gay romances of 2017.
Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. She recently retired from the practice law and now daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
Giveaway!
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card
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