Book Review for Kit and Basie by Tess Carletta

I received this book for free. This does not impact the review in any shape or form. 

Kit and Basie, by Tess Carletta, is a sweet, small town romance about an immortal who, after losing his mother, reminds himself of where his family is and where he truly belongs. Basil “Basie” Yeats lives in the town of Long Lily as its only electrician. After his mother decides to end her life, Basie is left reeling. In his grief, he sells his mother’s house to a man named Christopher “Kit” Elliot, whom he is, unfortunately, attracted to, and unwittingly falls in love with. So begins a wholesome romance between two men, both of whom are searching for a comfort they didn’t even know they needed. 

I enjoyed the calm, gentle atmosphere that Long Lily offered. It’s an idyllic setting that almost reads like the Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul series. Everyone knows each other, and while, at least in the books I’ve read, small towns get a bad reputation, in this case I would’ve loved to live here. The people were very friendly; it reminds me of a Southern town where everyone greets you with a smile, excluding the racism, homophobia, and other prejudices. Then again, the people living here were accepting of an immortal woman and her son, so I can’t really say I’m surprised. 

Moreover, Basie and Kits provide a stark reality of the things people will do when they grieve. I liked how Adella didn’t hold anything against Basie’s father when he left, nor did Kit when he and Axe broke up. It’s hard to say goodbye to the people we love, hard when we’re the only ones left. And despite Basie’s admittedly frustrating actions, I can certainly understand them; love isn’t all fun and games, and when Death comes, even for immortals, it can be downright painful. It doesn’t discriminate, no matter how much we love and cry and beg. It’s the reason why I thought Kit honoring Adella by finishing her sunflower mural was so lovely, why Basie, in spite of his original desires to leave, decided to return and settle down. The world is a big enough place, and a lot of people don’t have the luxury of loved ones to stave off the loneliness. What these two have is precious. 

That being said, I did think the ending took away some of the bittersweet beauty just a bit. Even so, I appreciated Carletta’s stark honesty with wanting to confront grief as a whole. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.