Title: Blue Velvet
Author: Kim Davis
Publisher: JMS Books
Length: 40 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: Though a solid beginning captured my attention, it didn’t hold through the story. Sadly, this one was not my cup of tea.
Reviewed By: Lindsey
Blurb: When Patrick Holt’s ex-boyfriend Clay Teal asks him to serve as the best man in his wedding to the man he left Patrick for, Patrick initially balks at the request. Even though he and Clay have been on fairly good terms since their breakup, Patrick is still bitter about the way Clay dumped him.
But after Patrick’s new boyfriend convinces him that being a part of Clay’s wedding would help to resolve the years of “issues” between the two men, Patrick reluctantly agrees.
In the weeks leading up to the big day, Patrick discovers he’s having a very hard time dealing with Clay’s upcoming nuptials. He also finds himself thinking more about his failed relationship with Clay and the events that led to their breakup. And, at the center of it all, was one lovely blue velvet jacket.
Will the same problems follow him into his new relationship?
Review: Blue Velvet is a story about moving on and letting go, which, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. Sure, I freely admit I am a sucker for a romantic element, but I am also absolutely not opposed to picking up a book with a different focus. I actually like the concept of focusing on the aftermath of a destroyed relationship where both parties have moved on with other partners, and are trying to let go of the animosity and anger—to get closure, to see the person they are now with is special and worth letting go of the resentment from a past partner. I am all about character driven stories, so I love reading situations like that played out, and that is what I was sort of expecting here.
The story mostly starts when Patrick is blindsided by Clay’s completely outrageous request for Patrick to be in his wedding—as his BEST MAN.
Say what now???
Patrick is bitter—understandably so—and flat out denies him. I was all for Team Patrick at this point, and Clay was already leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I still don’t get Clay, at all. Why on earth would Clay expect anything from Patrick, given the situation, is beyond my ability to fathom.
I was still pretty much full speed ahead, and liking where the story was going, but as I continued, it sort of lost its momentum. And then lost me. There was a lack of any depth and connection between Patrick and Clay, or even Patrick and Eric, by the end. Granted, the story is about Patrick moving on and letting go, but I was expecting the process to have more meat. Instead, it consisted mostly of Patrick’s feelings, revealed via internal dialogue and memories, and there is limited conversations with other characters, which lacked any sort of real substance and never established connections for me. I barely knew Eric or how Patrick really felt about him, because everything was focused on Clay. I only saw Clay in a bad light, and couldn’t understand why Patrick was ever with him, much less remained “friendly”—to some degree—or why Clay even wanted Patrick in his wedding. It. Made. No. Sense.
I wanted to see Eric push Patrick to talk to him about why he was so upset. Or maybe have Patrick truly see Eric and solidify that relationship as the build-up of the wedding happens. I would have been cool with Clay and Patrick hashing it all out and airing all of their feelings, and even, perhaps, Clay admitting what a completely asinine request he’d made. No lie, I would have loved to see Clay validate Patrick’s feelings instead of defending his own appalling actions and putting on guilt trips. But, none of that happened. It was mostly Patrick lost in memories and focused on his ex, working through his feelings and resentment, and then having an “a-ha” moment at the end. Unfortunately, because the majority of the soul-searching and growth was done in Patrick’s head, the closure was lackluster. It’s possible this was done on purpose, as sometimes the big moments do happen in our own heads, quietly. Still, when it was all wrapped up, the story just didn’t work for me.
Though a solid beginning captured my attention, it didn’t hold through the story. Sadly, this one was not my cup of tea.
You can buy Blue Velvet here:
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