Illumination by Rowan Speedwell
4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Adam reaches breaking point during the after party of the final concert of the tour for his rock band Black Varen, he jumps in the back of a cab and ends up at a childhood vacation spot. He awakens the next morning on the patio of the closed lake resort to a grumpy artist who wants him gone. Miles is a recluse, he has his art and occasional visits from his sister and two best friends and that is all he wants, but coming across a hungover man on his patio is the beginning of a shake up in his well ordered life. Two men, one private and one in the public eye must both find the courage to grab hold of love and never let go.
Adam and Miles are two different people, ones a famous rock star the other is a reclusive artist but they come together during a near idyllic time, learning each others quirks and discovering the wants and needs of each other... but what happens when the outside world encroaches and Adam has to go back in the limelight? Adam has to go back to playing the game and Miles' insecurities come out to play.
Miles is a complex character, his circumstances unfold throughout the story and we discover the enormous changes to his character from when he was a carefree, confident young man to the grumpy recluse he has become. Adam is more than just a rock star, he first started out in musicals and that's where he wants to return to. While Miles is content with his safe space, Adam has him hoping for more and Miles begins to slowly work on coming out of his safe haven. Adam is locked into his own cycle which includes drinking, drugs and partying and it takes a near brush with death for him to finally get stock of his life.
This is a great story, with interesting characters who entertain and confuse. Miles and Adam make a brilliant easy couple when they are at the lake resort but become frayed quickly when they are apart. Some of Adam's choices was pretty pathetic, falling back into his old routine with no real concern about how it would look to Miles and he was easily convinced to party and do drugs when he at first refused. Miles had good reason for his doubts with the way Adam was acting and I think he made the right choice to distance himself from Adam, forcing Adam to think about what he really wanted. Both men face their own challenges together and alone making them stronger as a couple and on their own.
I recommend this to those who love great stories of opposites attracting, overcoming your own fears, corralling impulses and taking control of addictions, developing love and hot sex and a wonderful ending.
2
