Title: Kiss Me Again
Author: Garrett Leigh
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 227 Pages
Category: Contemporary Romance
At a Glance: Kiss Me Again is angsty, but in a really beautiful way, if that’s possible. This book made me feel alllllll the feels… And Aidan and Ludo are absolute perfection together.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Tree surgeon Aidan Drummond is content with his own company. He works alone, and lives alone, and it doesn’t occur to him to want anything else until a life-changing accident lands him in hospital. Then a glimpse of the beautiful boy in the opposite bed changes everything.
Ludo Giordano is trapped on the ward with a bunch of old men. His mind plays tricks on him, keeping him awake. Then late one night, a new face brings a welcome distraction. Their unlikely friendship is addictive. And, like most things in Ludo’s life, temporary.
Back in the real world, Aidan’s monochrome existence is no longer enough. He craves the colour Ludo brought him, and when a chance meeting brings them back together, before long, they’re inseparable again.
But bliss comes with complications. Aidan is on the road to recovery, but Ludo has been unwell his entire life, and that’s not going to change. Aidan can kiss him as much as he likes, but if he can’t help Ludo when he needs him most, they don’t stand a chance.
Review: Every time Garrett Leigh releases a new book, I get super pumped. I always expect a great story, and I know she’s going to deliver. I also have to gird my loins for the angst, though, because I know that’s coming too! Leigh knows how to tug every single one of your heartstrings and to get you to care about fictional characters way more than you thought possible. And Kiss Me Again is angsty, but in a really beautiful way, if that’s possible. I don’t know any other way to put it. The angst is there, no doubt, but it’s not overpowering, and those heavy emotions are balanced perfectly with so much lovely sweetness. This book made me feel alllllll the feels… And Aidan and Ludo are absolute perfection together.
We first met Ludo in Soul to Keep, the second book in Leigh’s Rented Heart series. The meeting is fleeting, but memorable, and I know fans of the author speculated if he would get a book, and if we’d find out what actually happened at the bridge that night when Marc was called out to treat him. I’m so glad that Leigh did decide to write it, and I was once again blown away by her beautifully engaging storytelling, and the care with which she tackles important topics—in this case, bipolar disorder—and treats every one of her characters. I love that she brings things like mental illness, loneliness, family struggles, chemical dependency, etc. to the forefront of her stories, and chips away at the stigma that cloaks so many of these topics.
As the blurb tells us, Ludo and Aidan meet in the hospital and quickly and unexpectedly develop a powerful bond. Neither can explain the pull they feel to the other man, but they find each other’s company is the only thing that makes their respective situations bearable. When Ludo is taken to another ward to recover from a severe manic episode, they lose track of each other, and Aidan doesn’t know how to find him when he’s discharged. Aidan is in a terrible state after his accident, drinking himself into a stupor most nights, and not caring about much at all, but a chance reunion with Ludo makes him want to turn things around.
I love how good these two are for each other. The care and love between them were so powerful and beautiful, I honestly didn’t want the book to end. They each see the other for exactly the person they are, and that person is one hundred percent ok. Flaws, quirks, baggage, illnesses, injuries and all. Aidan doesn’t try to “fix” Ludo, because Ludo doesn’t need fixing. Ludo wants Aidan to get out of his crummy little bedsit, not because he’s trying to save him, but because he can see that he’s not happy there, and he just wants him to be happy and feel good. I loved the way Leigh told this story. The relationship development was so fantastic. It truly felt real, and honest, and pure.
Another thing I love about Leigh’s books, is the way she weaves the worlds together. There are some great Easter eggs in this book (I already mentioned Marc, and the Soul to Keep connection) that make it even more fun. It always makes me wonder what other connections there are out there that will be revealed to us in the future. I’m a huge, huge fan of this author, as all of you know. I adore basically everything she writes, and that long list now includes Kiss Me Again. Ludo and Aidan now occupy a little corner of my heart, and I hope you guys will go pick it up so you can fall in love with them too.
You can buy Kiss Me Again here:
[zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B07SKPZ3CJ?d” style=”blue” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon/Kindle Unlimited [/zilla_button]
