Title: The Wilderness
Series: Lavender Shores: Book Eight
Author: Rosalind Abel
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 298 Pages
Category: Contemporary Romance
At a Glance: The Wilderness is different from the other seven books in the series, and took some time for me to get into, but I would venture to say fans of this series will be content with this latest installment.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: Will Epstein had it all—playboy good looks, wealth and prestige, and a gorgeous fiancé to costar with him on a reality television show. But that was years ago, before he was abandoned at the altar on national television. In the aftermath, Will’s world crumbled, leaving him humiliated and lost. Andre Rivera married his first love and lived a dream life until tragedy stepped in. His wife’s sudden death left him devastated and struggling to build a life for his young daughter. Being a pilot offers Andre a sense of freedom from Lavender Shores, but he feels trapped and unable to move forward. A shared sense of loss fosters a surprising friendship between Will and Andre, giving them both the salvation they need. But when feelings cross the lines of friendship and secrets are revealed, Will and Andre have to confront their own fears. Amid the gold of a Lavender Shores autumn, Will and Andre must grasp their chance at love… before it slips away
Review: I must admit the relationship featured in the eighth Lavender Shores novel, The Wilderness, really caught me off-guard. A big heads up—if you haven’t read at least The Glasshouse (book six in the series), then you will be pretty lost because it brings into focus one of the main characters in that novel, namely Will Epstein, who was left at the altar when his fiancé, Harrison, took a running leap and fell into Adrian Rivera’s arms. Yes, that would be the twin brother of the other main character in The Wilderness, Andre. Now that we’ve kind of cleared that up and you are forewarned, let me say again I was rather shocked at who Ms. Abel opted to get together in this latest release, but, as usual, it worked fairly well.
Will Epstein was formerly presented as both condescending and a bit of an ass in the first novel he appeared in. Loving the fame and the camera more than his fiancé at the time, it was no surprise that Harrison left Will in the dust. The cleverest aspect to this novel was turning that image around completely and revealing to us just how hurt and lost Will was after it all fell apart.
Even though the novel begins just a few weeks after the infamous wedding-that-didn’t-happen, we quickly fast forward three years and find that Andre and Will have become close friends after a near fistfight all those years before in the local bar. Since that encounter, Will and Andre have become each other’s sympathetic listening ear, with Will divulging just how horrible his life has been, being the mocked and infamous jilted fiancé, and Andre sharing how he loathes everyone being so sad for him since he lost his wife, the love of his life, so suddenly years before. Now raising their daughter on his own, Andre must endure his meddlesome mother constantly throwing women at him in the hopes he will date and eventually marry again.
What no one, including his friend Will, knows is that Andre has a secret life all his own, and he is terrified it will come out and people will think that he has moved on when he truly hasn’t. His wife meant the world to him, but Andre has needs and while the sex he has clandestinely been having isn’t ever really satisfying, it is still enough…for now. Will, on the other hand, doesn’t date. Not because he is still pining for Harrison but because he has fallen head over heels for his best friend, Andre. Straight, father to Katniss, sad Andre…at least that is what Will sees. But appearances can be deceiving and when the truth is finally revealed, and both men must come to terms with their secrets being drawn into the light, it is anybody’s guess if their friendship, or something more, will survive.
I must be honest here and tell you I initially struggled with this novel, but the more I read, the better it became. One always has to suspend disbelief with these Lavender Shores novels—I mean, almost the entire male population is bi or gay and ruggedly handsome to boot. I happily acknowledge that, and have no qualms leaving reality at the door when I indulge in one of these stories. They are well-written, a bit over the top, and a bit schmaltzy, but still well-done and entertaining. This one pushed that whole reality to a new level by pairing up two guys that I never would have seen coming together. It also seemed to heat up quickly, primarily because, I think, of the fast forwarding three years to the present day, suddenly plunking us down into a close friendship that seemed pretty incongruous, but the author quickly brought me on board.
However, the real dilemma that faced me was the idea of the magnitude of the secret that Andre had hidden from everyone around him. It was huge and, to be honest, given how close he and Will had become, I was surprised he didn’t at least share it with him. I will tell you that the author was wildly successful at taking a smarmy, unlikeable character in Will and making us not only sympathize with him but genuinely want to see him find someone who would love him for who he had become. His metamorphosis was amazing and highly believable and really lovely to read about.
The Wilderness is definitely a solid novel. Is it a sweeping romance, as so many of the others have been? I would have to say no to that idea; instead, it is almost a gradual flow from friendship to lovers. For that reason, I think it felt just a bit off, different from the other seven, and therefore took me a little more time to get into the heart of what the author was trying to communicate. However, it’s still Lavender Shores, and romance will always win there, and a happy ever after is guaranteed. I would venture to say fans of this series will be content with this latest installment.
You can buy The Wilderness here:
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