Author: Scotty Cade
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 134 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: Read this story with your rose-colored glasses firmly in place. This is a ROMANTIC heartwarming tale, a curl up in a chair with a good book kind of story, and I highly recommend it.
Reviewed By: Carrie
Blurb: Master Captain Theodore Gourdin has always loved the ocean. But his devotion to maritime life left little possibility for a long-term relationship. After two failed marriages, Theo gave up on finding the person who completed him and decided the sea was his soul mate. When offered the opportunity to captain the newly launched megayacht Eternity, Theo jumped at the chance. With Eternity’s maiden voyage looming, Theo focused all his energies on hiring his crew and readying his ship. The last thing he expected was to finally lose his heart in the process.
After twelve years at sea, First Officer Heath Rawlins was restless and in need of a change. A gay seaman’s life could be a lonely one, but to Heath the positives far outweighed the negatives. With excellent recommendations and an impressive résumé, he was quickly offered a position on the private megayacht Eternity. Heath’s heart skipped several beats when he finally met the ship’s captain. He was handsome and charming. And… familiar? Had they met somewhere before? Highly unlikely. But as smitten as Heath was with the gorgeous captain, everything inside him screamed, Abandon ship! Rough seas ahead!
Review: Only Forever is a poignant story of love through the ages, fate and the reuniting of souls. The prologue and the Epilogue are written by SJD Peterson and are the perfect beginning and ending to this touching story.
Cade himself writes the preface, and I highly recommend you read it as it goes into his inspiration for the story which follows. Only Forever was a song born in the 1940s. Joe Louis was boxing, Walt Disney released Pinocchio, and forces were gathering in Europe, with Mussolini joining Hitler—the tides of war were on the horizon, and Only Forever was penned. Sung by several popular entertainers, the version by Bing Crosby hit number one on the charts for nine weeks. The lyrics speak of a love so strong that it will span time and space; that no matter what happens in this life, nothing can keep soulmates from each other, not even death. OK. Whew. Hooked. The romantic in me just ATE THAT UP!
The prologue is set on a naval battleship during the war, in 1942, and will make you cry. If it doesn’t, you have no heart whatsoever. Fast forward to present time, and circumstances have conspired to bring two men together whose love of the sea is only outweighed by the strong feelings of deja vu both experience when they look at each other. Master Captain Theodore Gourdin has accepted the helm of the new mega yacht Eternity. He still doesn’t understand the reason he fired his new first officer, a man he just hired, except the fit just didn’t feel right. On the hunt for a new first officer, he is thrilled to receive an email from First Officer Heath Rawlins. Heath is searching for a new position, having left his previous boat for no better reason than he felt it was time. If you can’t see where the story is going here you are blind. Both men start having strange dreams of another ship, in another place, as well as flashes of memories that aren’t their own. Or are they? How does Theo know just where to kiss Heath to get a reaction? Why does Heath feel so “safe” with Theo, like the man will always catch him if he falls?
There are no cliffhangers, no angst, no twists and turns, and that is what makes this book so good. If the concept is sound and the writing engaging, you don’t need a hook to make it work. Scotty Cade gives us enough glimpses of a time gone by that when he weaves his tale of present day love, it is seamless. The story paces well—yes, it covers a short time span in present day, but does that really matter? No. Read this story with your rose-colored glasses firmly in place. This is a ROMANTIC heartwarming tale, a curl up in a chair with a good book kind of story, and I highly recommend it. Sometimes it only needs to be about two men in love.
You can buy Only Forever here:
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