Blurb:
First love – coming of age – family – acceptance
When Charlie was eight years old, his mum bought him a microscope for his birthday. Since then, he’s known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now – finally – the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace.
Anthony is a red-haired force of nature. He writes poetry about their enemies and eagerly participates in all Charlie’s science experiments without understanding a word. Every morning, he waits at the end of their street so they can get the bus together.
But things are changing.
Families are important, and complex. Charlie’s mum hasn’t been well, and his relationship with Anthony begins to shine like a different star in the sky.
Can everything come together in this explosion of physics and chemicals that Charlie calls life? Will Anthony Pace ever share his poems with the world, and can the Chihuahua, Princess Arabella, ever learn to stop licking?
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WARNING: includes moderately explicit scenes of intimacy between consenting young adult males.
Where To Buy:
Beaten Track eBook || Smashwords || ARe || Amazon
Review:
This was a really sweet story. I loved how Anthony and Charlie grew together over time. The little flash backs to important events of their childhood was lovely and really helped to show how they’ve handled being friends for so long and where they were coming from. I really enjoyed the addition of Anthony’s poetry. They’re equal parts funny and a deep look at his feelings and insecurities. They went hand in hand perfectly with the events of the story as it unfolded.
Charlie is a beautiful person that most people don’t understand. He has Anthony and his mum and doesn’t really need anyone else. He’s also got science which makes all of the shakes and crazy brain go still. He loves with his whole being and seeing him react to Anthony and the change to their relationship was so powerful to read. You can feel his struggle between what he wants and what he thinks he should do throughout the story. My heart broke for how he managed his mum. That trapped feeling came out loudly and almost made me feel that same tightness in my chest and stomach.
Anthony was wonderful. He was shy but stood up for Charlie with a fierceness that was awe inspiring. You could feel his love for Charlie shining through the book even before they admitted it to each other.
The plot line with Charlie’s mum was so well written. You could feel Charlie’s struggle and his fear as he dealt with his mum. I was not expecting the twist at the end. But once it happened it explained so much about Charlie and his interactions with his mum.
My only issue with the story was that I wanted it to be a bit longer. I would have loved to see this expanded and the tension when Charlie gives up last longer. That part of the story felt rushed and needed a bit more. I really hope there’s a sequel in the future because I would love to see Charlie and Anthony a few years down the line happy and together. Plus how Charlie handles his mum being in a home long term. Maybe even how he handles her passing.
Stars:
Four
Interview:
Molly: What music, if any do you listen to when you write?
Al: None. I write so much better if I have quiet, and once I start messing around on youtube I lose concentration and turn to terrible dancing.
Claire: I like to write in café’s where there’s music and noise but I don’t mind what.
Molly: Are you a full time writer, or part time writer?
Al: Part time. I have a full time job and I also help out in a restaurant at weekends. I write whenever I can.
Claire: Part time.
Molly: Do you hope to one day be a full time writer?
Al: I’m not sure. I think if I wrote full time I might shut off from the world and stop going out. Also, I might end up a very self-indulgent, boring person who eats too much and drinks lunchtime port. And wears a shiny waistcoat.
Claire : I’d love to write full time! But I’m not good enough.
Molly: Do you have a word count per day you try to hit?
Al: No. If we’re in the middle of a book, I try to write something every day. If we’re really stuck for time I can do 1,000 words per day, but any more than that and what comes out is rubbish.
Claire: I try to write no words at all but Al makes me.
Molly: When you finish writing a book, how long before you begin writing the next one?
Al: It varies. For some of the free GR events, we’ve been writing several at once but hopefully we’ve now learnt our lesson about that hahaha. I try not to leave a gap of more than a couple of months in case I realize it was all too much like hard work.
Claire : I usually have ideas for the next book very soon after finishing, but I like to leave a gap of a few weeks to party and feed my family.
About The Authors:
Claire & Al write about people who are not perfect. Claire embraces the dark side, and Al the good side of the force. Their work is there for a fusion of both, mixed often with kink and humour.
Author Contact:
Website: http://astewartcdavisbook.wix.com/author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Claire-Davis-and-Al-Stewart-764501920298271/
Molly Lolly 