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Craving's Creek
For the man he loves, he will fight—body, mind, and soul.
Fourteen years ago, on a sun-drenched summer day on the banks of Craving’s Creek, Ryde swore to his best friend, Alistair, he’d never be alone in the world. Though Alistair was destined for the priesthood, there was something beyond holy about the first kiss they shared. But a fun camping trip went horribly wrong when Alistair was involved in a horrific incident.
Now, at age thirty-one, Ryde’s life is a mess of alcohol and the painful imprint of his last look into Alistair’s desperate eyes. Since the evil they encountered on that shore, his first love has been lost to him—until he learns a friend’s wedding is to be officiated by a priest named Father Alistair Genet. Amid the rush of emotions, one thought crystallizes: Ryde’s love for Alistair not only has never died, it’s stronger than ever. Stronger than God. But it may be no match for the church…and the repressed memories that are slowly tearing Alistair’s mind apart.
Warning: Contains a drunken confessional, a self-destructive clergyman, and a fight to the spiritual death for love.
Fourteen years ago, on a sun-drenched summer day on the banks of Craving’s Creek, Ryde swore to his best friend, Alistair, he’d never be alone in the world. Though Alistair was destined for the priesthood, there was something beyond holy about the first kiss they shared. But a fun camping trip went horribly wrong when Alistair was involved in a horrific incident.
Now, at age thirty-one, Ryde’s life is a mess of alcohol and the painful imprint of his last look into Alistair’s desperate eyes. Since the evil they encountered on that shore, his first love has been lost to him—until he learns a friend’s wedding is to be officiated by a priest named Father Alistair Genet. Amid the rush of emotions, one thought crystallizes: Ryde’s love for Alistair not only has never died, it’s stronger than ever. Stronger than God. But it may be no match for the church…and the repressed memories that are slowly tearing Alistair’s mind apart.
Warning: Contains a drunken confessional, a self-destructive clergyman, and a fight to the spiritual death for love.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2015
2 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
Mel Bossa
31 books219 followersI think I've written and changed my bio on here a hundred times in the last decade. See, that's why I don't have tattoos!
I've been a GR for over ten years and I still use it daily to keep up with my reading and to learn about books, old and new ones, but more importantly, because as I grow older and hopefully wiser, I realize that readers are my favorite type of people. They seem to be a little more empathetic and open-minded, and generally more cultivated.
If you look at my shelves, you'll see that I used to read about 70 books a year but in the last years, I've grown more selective and take my time with my lovers, ahem, books.
Yes, I am also a LGBTQ writer and Francophone Montrealer.
I cherish my readers, and want to take this space here to thank you all personally for reading and reviewing my books. You make reality tolerable like a good class of wine.
May your life be blessed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 5, 2015
3.5 stars. Rating clarification see below. Review posted June 5, 2015
I open my eyes and see him staring right into me. I'm not breathing anymore. I'm locked into his stare, all my doubts vanishing. I kiss him.
"Okay. Good. You can kiss and fondle each other and do all those wonderful things two guys can do to each other, but don't you go and have complete inter--"
"Mom, please." I hold my hand up. Mercy. No more. "I get it. I understand."
"You're only seventeen, Ryde, and there's so much more to sex than penetration and--"
"Okay, that's it." I lie back and throw a pillow over my head. "Please push this very hard against my face," I cry from under the pillow. "Kill me now."
She laughs and leaves.
"I wanna be a journalist and call people out on the crap they do."
"Religious people?"
"Well, if you think about it, most of the crap done on earth is done in the name of God."
She sighs and looks at me like I'm doomed. "Have you ever thought about letting God in? It's very difficult to hold the doors closed on him, and the more you try, the more tired you get. That's what causes depression, anxiety. Even madness sometimes.
I really don't want to talk about this anymore. "I might let God in later. I just have other things on my mind right now."
"Like my son?"
Rating clarification
4.5 stars for the first third
3 stars for the second third
2.5 stars for the final third
Average rating 3.33333 stars
I can't tell you how excited I was when I posted my first update. My marred reader's heart couldn't believe it lucked out so tremendously and I was highlighting rather often because the story seemed to be so overly quotable and the writing so beautiful at times. Those words…they sneaked under my skin and cut through my heart. The author's gentle approach at exploring a first and tentative love between two teenaged boys whose backgrounds couldn't have been more different captivated me from the first page. The story is divided in three parts and the first (and very best) part narrates their past and ends with a tragic 'incident'. Most of that 'incident', however, happens off page.
"What's a libido?" Alistair whispers, looking at me.
I lean in close to his ear. "It's many things," I explain softly. "It's like a cake, you know? It's layers of things. At the bottom you have desire. Then maybe lust. And on top of that, you have energy, and piled on top of all that, there's the brain and the way it processes all those things."
(…)
"What?" I whisper, leaning in closer to him.
He's embarrassed. "Ryde," he says into my ear, "I think I have a libido right now."
"I love you."
His words are a clean blade stabbing quickly and neatly through my heart. I barely feel the injury, but the cut is deep and permanent nonetheless. Whatever comes now, I'll wear those three words he's just spoken to me like a scar.
Apropos, only 17% into the story and I couldn't Though I only suspect it, there's no proof, no confirmation throughout the story. And, again, it's quite convenient that
"(…) You can't have a before and an after, because life is a continuum that allows us no intermissions. Every moment of your time spent here holds a piece of you, and I want you to be whole again, Ryde. I want you to flow again, steady and deep, like the river you once were."
After that tragic incident the story fast-forwards fourteen years. We see a Ryde who fell apart, a man who's been into self-destruction for many years. He has a serious drinking problem and changes his boyfriends as often as his underwear (yes, I'm exaggerating but still). Then, one day, his best friend Sheryl tells him that her cousin is going to get married. As chance would have it, a priest named Alistair Genet is going to marry them. Ryde is stunned. After the initial shock wears off, he decides to see Alistair. Although Ryde might get more than he bargained for because he meets a childlike man with black eyes and a black soul. By the way, Ryde's drinking problem was solved rather conveniently. He
"You found me again," he whispers. "You never gave up on me. After everything I put you through, after all those years, all that time between us, you never gave up. You loved me without expecting anything of me. You loved me like a mother loves her son. Like a brother loves his brother. You loved me in the dark, through the madness and chaos, but not once, not once, did you ask anything of me."
Alistair's personality has been ruled by God and the Bible for his entire life. He has suffered from a severe mental disorder for many, many years and yet while nothing seemed to really help, not even the therapy sessions with a shrink (whose competencies I seriously questioned), Alistair was able to out of the blue...
Seriously? I was smacked dumb with surprise.
And the disorder was being taken care of with a little help from above which really peeved me greatly.
"Lord, allow Your healing hand to heal me."
It's ridiculously implausible because there's no God who'd take care of Alistair's disorder. Baba, you know nothing. God heals anyone and everyone. *eye roll*
I will admit that I'm a heathen but I don't mind spirituality and religion. On the other hand, I really do mind when the "healing hands" and constant prayers are being shoved in my face. Also, the more I think about it the more I'm disappointed because a beautiful beginning has been ruined with this improbable development of the plot and the cheesy and melodramatic passages, especially during the final third of Craving's Creek.
Bottom line, author Mel Bossa came close to writing a little gem. But, to me, it turned out to be a sorely missed chance because somewhere along the way, the story lost its momentum and came off as a bit too preachy for my liking. Though reading is always a very subjective matter, so you might be one of those readers who end up loving it.I'll pray for you. Er…sorry, but I never pray. I'd rather keep my fingers crossed for you.
Recommended with reserve.
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy
**ARC courtesy of Samhain Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I open my eyes and see him staring right into me. I'm not breathing anymore. I'm locked into his stare, all my doubts vanishing. I kiss him.
"Okay. Good. You can kiss and fondle each other and do all those wonderful things two guys can do to each other, but don't you go and have complete inter--"
"Mom, please." I hold my hand up. Mercy. No more. "I get it. I understand."
"You're only seventeen, Ryde, and there's so much more to sex than penetration and--"
"Okay, that's it." I lie back and throw a pillow over my head. "Please push this very hard against my face," I cry from under the pillow. "Kill me now."
She laughs and leaves.
"I wanna be a journalist and call people out on the crap they do."
"Religious people?"
"Well, if you think about it, most of the crap done on earth is done in the name of God."
She sighs and looks at me like I'm doomed. "Have you ever thought about letting God in? It's very difficult to hold the doors closed on him, and the more you try, the more tired you get. That's what causes depression, anxiety. Even madness sometimes.
I really don't want to talk about this anymore. "I might let God in later. I just have other things on my mind right now."
"Like my son?"
Rating clarification
4.5 stars for the first third
3 stars for the second third
2.5 stars for the final third
Average rating 3.33333 stars
I can't tell you how excited I was when I posted my first update. My marred reader's heart couldn't believe it lucked out so tremendously and I was highlighting rather often because the story seemed to be so overly quotable and the writing so beautiful at times. Those words…they sneaked under my skin and cut through my heart. The author's gentle approach at exploring a first and tentative love between two teenaged boys whose backgrounds couldn't have been more different captivated me from the first page. The story is divided in three parts and the first (and very best) part narrates their past and ends with a tragic 'incident'. Most of that 'incident', however, happens off page.
"What's a libido?" Alistair whispers, looking at me.
I lean in close to his ear. "It's many things," I explain softly. "It's like a cake, you know? It's layers of things. At the bottom you have desire. Then maybe lust. And on top of that, you have energy, and piled on top of all that, there's the brain and the way it processes all those things."
(…)
"What?" I whisper, leaning in closer to him.
He's embarrassed. "Ryde," he says into my ear, "I think I have a libido right now."
"I love you."
His words are a clean blade stabbing quickly and neatly through my heart. I barely feel the injury, but the cut is deep and permanent nonetheless. Whatever comes now, I'll wear those three words he's just spoken to me like a scar.
Apropos, only 17% into the story and I couldn't Though I only suspect it, there's no proof, no confirmation throughout the story. And, again, it's quite convenient that
"(…) You can't have a before and an after, because life is a continuum that allows us no intermissions. Every moment of your time spent here holds a piece of you, and I want you to be whole again, Ryde. I want you to flow again, steady and deep, like the river you once were."
After that tragic incident the story fast-forwards fourteen years. We see a Ryde who fell apart, a man who's been into self-destruction for many years. He has a serious drinking problem and changes his boyfriends as often as his underwear (yes, I'm exaggerating but still). Then, one day, his best friend Sheryl tells him that her cousin is going to get married. As chance would have it, a priest named Alistair Genet is going to marry them. Ryde is stunned. After the initial shock wears off, he decides to see Alistair. Although Ryde might get more than he bargained for because he meets a childlike man with black eyes and a black soul. By the way, Ryde's drinking problem was solved rather conveniently. He
"You found me again," he whispers. "You never gave up on me. After everything I put you through, after all those years, all that time between us, you never gave up. You loved me without expecting anything of me. You loved me like a mother loves her son. Like a brother loves his brother. You loved me in the dark, through the madness and chaos, but not once, not once, did you ask anything of me."
Alistair's personality has been ruled by God and the Bible for his entire life. He has suffered from a severe mental disorder for many, many years and yet while nothing seemed to really help, not even the therapy sessions with a shrink (whose competencies I seriously questioned), Alistair was able to out of the blue...
Seriously? I was smacked dumb with surprise.
And the disorder was being taken care of with a little help from above which really peeved me greatly.
"Lord, allow Your healing hand to heal me."
It's ridiculously implausible because there's no God who'd take care of Alistair's disorder. Baba, you know nothing. God heals anyone and everyone. *eye roll*
I will admit that I'm a heathen but I don't mind spirituality and religion. On the other hand, I really do mind when the "healing hands" and constant prayers are being shoved in my face. Also, the more I think about it the more I'm disappointed because a beautiful beginning has been ruined with this improbable development of the plot and the cheesy and melodramatic passages, especially during the final third of Craving's Creek.
Bottom line, author Mel Bossa came close to writing a little gem. But, to me, it turned out to be a sorely missed chance because somewhere along the way, the story lost its momentum and came off as a bit too preachy for my liking. Though reading is always a very subjective matter, so you might be one of those readers who end up loving it.
Recommended with reserve.
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy
**ARC courtesy of Samhain Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
September 15, 2015
*3.5 stars*
Woah... I mean, where to begin? Do you like angst? I mean ANGST? I'm not talking about baby angst, I'm talking about serious, advanced-level angst. Like addiction, mental illness, abuse, rape, neglect, priesthood... the whole angst package.
In a word:
I'm a huge, HUGE fan of Mel Bossa. Mel Bossa can write her ass off, and is, to be frank, above and beyond the skills of most writers out there right now. This story is... just insane, and she makes it so compelling that you won't be able to put it down for a second, I promise you that.
For all of it's brilliance in writing and amazing, crystal-clear characters, it is also probably medically wrong, or at least it felt that way to me. The whole mental illness thing, which was barely touched upon in the blurb, is a HUGE factor in the book. I felt iffy about its treatment, and I'm not sure how I felt about the whole religion thing as well.
I also still can't tell if this book is pro or anti-religion? Maybe both? Either way, religion plays a strong roll in this book, so if that is a turn off for you, be aware.
The part of the story, however, that bumped my rating down is that I found Ryde and Alister's relationship to be so obsessive and insane that it was almost scary. To be fair, the characters know that their relationship is not normal, but it was hard to relate to such a desperate, strange, crazy dynamic. I'm not sure what these two had for each other, but I'm sure it isn't healthy.
Again, this book is extremely hard to rate because it was so beautiful in it's gritty, screwed-up-ness that part of me wants to 5 star it, but another part of me was saying, "NOOOOOO" for a large portion of the story. I think if you are a Mel Bossa fan, like me, you have to at least try this one. It was a unique, special, difficult, interesting read... just throw in some adjectives and pick up the book.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Woah... I mean, where to begin? Do you like angst? I mean ANGST? I'm not talking about baby angst, I'm talking about serious, advanced-level angst. Like addiction, mental illness, abuse, rape, neglect, priesthood... the whole angst package.
In a word:
I'm a huge, HUGE fan of Mel Bossa. Mel Bossa can write her ass off, and is, to be frank, above and beyond the skills of most writers out there right now. This story is... just insane, and she makes it so compelling that you won't be able to put it down for a second, I promise you that.
For all of it's brilliance in writing and amazing, crystal-clear characters, it is also probably medically wrong, or at least it felt that way to me. The whole mental illness thing, which was barely touched upon in the blurb, is a HUGE factor in the book. I felt iffy about its treatment, and I'm not sure how I felt about the whole religion thing as well.
I also still can't tell if this book is pro or anti-religion? Maybe both? Either way, religion plays a strong roll in this book, so if that is a turn off for you, be aware.
The part of the story, however, that bumped my rating down is that I found Ryde and Alister's relationship to be so obsessive and insane that it was almost scary. To be fair, the characters know that their relationship is not normal, but it was hard to relate to such a desperate, strange, crazy dynamic. I'm not sure what these two had for each other, but I'm sure it isn't healthy.
Again, this book is extremely hard to rate because it was so beautiful in it's gritty, screwed-up-ness that part of me wants to 5 star it, but another part of me was saying, "NOOOOOO" for a large portion of the story. I think if you are a Mel Bossa fan, like me, you have to at least try this one. It was a unique, special, difficult, interesting read... just throw in some adjectives and pick up the book.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 5, 2015
~ Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review ~
BEFORE READING:
Best friends-to-lovers theme, one of them is a priest (what???), the curse of first love...
ME: I can not resist!!!
AFTER READING:
This review is posted on Way Too hot Books.
This book was NOTHING I expected it to be and I loved it. You can read the synopsis over and over again and believe me you still won't get the right idea about its content.
The story is a combination of a contemporary romance, psychological drama and at times it even has elements of a thriller. At the beginning we are introduced to its main characters- 17 year old best friends and neighbors Ryde and Alistar who are also secretly in love with each other. At first glance their life seems pretty ordinary with the usual teenage problems, but the more the pages turn the more we see that that's far from truth. The real truth is more ugly and scarier than that.
There is something wrong in Alistar's house and it has to do with his extremely religious and over-protective parents who aren't letting him have a normal teenage life, but instead keep him isolated from the other kids and keep pushing him to become a priest. Add to that his strange migraines and hallucinations he's been having since his 13th birthday and you have a recipe for disaster. Ryde is the only thing in his life that keeps him sane, the only one who can save him from the impending darkness.
Dark, gripping, heartbreaking, thought-provoking and deeply emotional.
To be together the boys will have to fight their parents, the society, the church, time apart, but the biggest battle will be the one against their worse fears and nightmares. Will they be on the winning side? Buy the book and find out.
The author is one of those "sadists" who like to mess with our heads- giving us just enough information to keep us second-guessing everything and leaving some answers to our imagination which might bother some readers, together with religion/faith also being an important element of the story and a HFN ending. There were some loopholes and things which, had they been done a bit differently, could have made this a perfect read, but I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed it nonetheless.
This is not your ordinary mm romance and therefore I don't think it's for everyone. I would recommend it to mm fans of dark reads who want a well-written, unique and thought-provoking story.
Note to myself: Must read more books by this author!
BEFORE READING:
Best friends-to-lovers theme, one of them is a priest (what???), the curse of first love...
ME: I can not resist!!!
AFTER READING:
This review is posted on Way Too hot Books.
This book was NOTHING I expected it to be and I loved it. You can read the synopsis over and over again and believe me you still won't get the right idea about its content.
The story is a combination of a contemporary romance, psychological drama and at times it even has elements of a thriller. At the beginning we are introduced to its main characters- 17 year old best friends and neighbors Ryde and Alistar who are also secretly in love with each other. At first glance their life seems pretty ordinary with the usual teenage problems, but the more the pages turn the more we see that that's far from truth. The real truth is more ugly and scarier than that.
There is something wrong in Alistar's house and it has to do with his extremely religious and over-protective parents who aren't letting him have a normal teenage life, but instead keep him isolated from the other kids and keep pushing him to become a priest. Add to that his strange migraines and hallucinations he's been having since his 13th birthday and you have a recipe for disaster. Ryde is the only thing in his life that keeps him sane, the only one who can save him from the impending darkness.
"Alistar looks at me. There's something in his eyes now. I've seen it before: something huge and ravenous, like a black beast waiting to be unleashed."
Dark, gripping, heartbreaking, thought-provoking and deeply emotional.
To be together the boys will have to fight their parents, the society, the church, time apart, but the biggest battle will be the one against their worse fears and nightmares. Will they be on the winning side? Buy the book and find out.
The author is one of those "sadists" who like to mess with our heads- giving us just enough information to keep us second-guessing everything and leaving some answers to our imagination which might bother some readers, together with religion/faith also being an important element of the story and a HFN ending. There were some loopholes and things which, had they been done a bit differently, could have made this a perfect read, but I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed it nonetheless.
This is not your ordinary mm romance and therefore I don't think it's for everyone. I would recommend it to mm fans of dark reads who want a well-written, unique and thought-provoking story.
"His words are a clean blade stabbing quickly and neatly through my heart. I barely feel the injury, but the cut is deep and permanent nonetheless. Whatever comes now, I'll wear those three words he's just spoken to me like a scar."
Note to myself: Must read more books by this author!
November 6, 2020
*** 3.5 stars ***
May 20, 2015
May contain some spoilers. May.
Thank you Samhain Publishing via Netgalley for a copy of this ebook
Sometimes it isn't about the cover or even the story. Sometimes it's what the written word can do to you. Your soul. Your heart.
Words written over 2000 years ago still have the essence to sooth you or burn you. Wars, love, hate, right, wrong. They all come from sources. No matter who your God is, no matter what your religion, we still to this day go back to this book and pray, cry, scream, yell, laugh. baptize, marry and bury.
A book that has been passed down from generation to generation. That has stayed the same no matter how much the world has changed, evolved, grown.
Cravings Creek gripped me from page 1. I finished this book in 3 hours. This book. This book is Mel Bossa. This book is what I've been craving.
She has a way of intercepting the past and the present. She has a way of exploring family dynamics, right and wrong, feelings that bleed on the pages. You can feel it. She has these 1 liners that speak to my soul.
The story starts with the boys at 17. In lust and a perpetual state of hornyness. Written in 1st person, we enter the mind of Ryde and his obsession with Alistair.
My Lord but did Ryde wear his heart on his sleeve. You wanted to yell at him slow down, relax, breathe. He was so intense. And you felt the intensity on the pages.
Thank you Samhain Publishing via Netgalley for a copy of this ebook
My lover's got humour
She's the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody's disapproval
I should've worshipped her sooner
If the heavens ever did speak
She's the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday's getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
Sometimes it isn't about the cover or even the story. Sometimes it's what the written word can do to you. Your soul. Your heart.
Words written over 2000 years ago still have the essence to sooth you or burn you. Wars, love, hate, right, wrong. They all come from sources. No matter who your God is, no matter what your religion, we still to this day go back to this book and pray, cry, scream, yell, laugh. baptize, marry and bury.
A book that has been passed down from generation to generation. That has stayed the same no matter how much the world has changed, evolved, grown.
"We were born sick," you heard them say it
My church offers no absolutes
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom."
The only heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you
I was born sick
But I love it
Command me to be well
Aaay. Amen. Amen. Amen
Cravings Creek gripped me from page 1. I finished this book in 3 hours. This book. This book is Mel Bossa. This book is what I've been craving.
She has a way of intercepting the past and the present. She has a way of exploring family dynamics, right and wrong, feelings that bleed on the pages. You can feel it. She has these 1 liners that speak to my soul.
"Beauty is like a scent. It clings to you even when its gone."
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
The story starts with the boys at 17. In lust and a perpetual state of hornyness. Written in 1st person, we enter the mind of Ryde and his obsession with Alistair.
My Lord but did Ryde wear his heart on his sleeve. You wanted to yell at him slow down, relax, breathe. He was so intense. And you felt the intensity on the pages.
"Her love is so big, it's like standing in front of the ocean with a straw. No matter how much I try, I'll never be able to take all of my mother's love in."
If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
"I don't really know how to...I mean, how can I compete with God?"
The story takes us through a 14-15 year span with a horrific tragedy and how ultimately these boys have dealt with it. Or rather haven’t.
The fight for love, and obstacles, the essence of your very being, how your past can shape your future.
Mental illness and suppressed memories.
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That's a fine-looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful
Obstacles, the fact that someone's belief can stand in the way of your happiness. The rigid mind frames, the open minds, the zealous, the people helping you fight the good fight. The HFN.
This book. Ugh. This book was so bloody good IMO. It had to of been for me to read it in 1 sitting.
Right, wrong, belief, hope.
In the end, the truth will always set us free.
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
No Masters or Kings
When the Ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Ooh oh. Amen. Amen. Amen
Mare
August 18, 2015
4.5 Stars
Craving's Creek was a hard book to read. I love books that are difficult because of not only content, but making me face feelings. I faced a lot of feelings with this one. I felt like it hit really close to home a few times. It hurts. It's tender. It's a lot of things. Because of everything that it is, I loved it.
My review is here, at Boys In Our Books.
Craving's Creek was a hard book to read. I love books that are difficult because of not only content, but making me face feelings. I faced a lot of feelings with this one. I felt like it hit really close to home a few times. It hurts. It's tender. It's a lot of things. Because of everything that it is, I loved it.
My review is here, at Boys In Our Books.
April 20, 2021
Uuufff, tela...
No sé... Este me ha parecido demasiado. Creo que la autora ha intentado tocar muchos temas y al final no ha sabido resolverlos.
La primera parte del libro me ha encantado, la historia de Ryde y Alistair me tenía atrapada, tiene momentos preciosos y alguna frase que... Ains...
Pero a partir de que pasa lo que pasa y hacemos flashforward... o.O
Se tratan varios temas muy complicados en los que no se profundiza lo suficiente y que se resuelven de una manera tan sencilla que resulta inverosímil.
Además, el romance en el presente ni me ha llegado ni me lo he creído mucho...
Es el tercer libro que leo de esta autora y en los tres me ha pasado lo mismo en mayor o menor medida, sabe meterte de lleno en historia, engancharte con los personajes y crear esa atmósfera que atrapa, pero cuando se trata de finiquitar, la cosa se desinfla... Le falta momentum que le llaman. También es muy de fundido en negro, avisadas estáis.
De todas maneras, voy a seguir a esta autora porque escribe muy, muy bien y sus libros tienen algo.
No sé... Este me ha parecido demasiado. Creo que la autora ha intentado tocar muchos temas y al final no ha sabido resolverlos.
La primera parte del libro me ha encantado, la historia de Ryde y Alistair me tenía atrapada, tiene momentos preciosos y alguna frase que... Ains...
Pero a partir de que pasa lo que pasa y hacemos flashforward... o.O
Se tratan varios temas muy complicados en los que no se profundiza lo suficiente y que se resuelven de una manera tan sencilla que resulta inverosímil.
Además, el romance en el presente ni me ha llegado ni me lo he creído mucho...
Es el tercer libro que leo de esta autora y en los tres me ha pasado lo mismo en mayor o menor medida, sabe meterte de lleno en historia, engancharte con los personajes y crear esa atmósfera que atrapa, pero cuando se trata de finiquitar, la cosa se desinfla... Le falta momentum que le llaman. También es muy de fundido en negro, avisadas estáis.
De todas maneras, voy a seguir a esta autora porque escribe muy, muy bien y sus libros tienen algo.
May 21, 2015
2.5 Stars (can't decide between rounding up or down, but I'll settle on one after a few days)
First let me tell you that I didn't put this book down at all once I started it, except to sleep. But not for the reasons you think. I was afraid that if I put this book down, especially during the second half, I'll never pick this mother fucker up again. It's one of those books that left me with a bad feeling, all unhappy and morose. The blurb doesn't mention mental illness!!! Repressed memories do NOT equal mental fucking illness! I've read many books lately that feature a MC living with a mental illness, but this is nothing like that! Those were books where the MC coped and lived a "normal" life while affected by their illness, here we have a character that can't cope!
I love a good angsty book, because they make me feel, they're intense, and those are usually the books that will stay with me the longest. I think my favorite type of angst is the Amy Lane kind, the one that's breaking your heart and wringing your feelings dry, but throughout the whole experience there's this lightness, the feeling of hopefulness and you KNOW good things will happen. I guess the best way to put it, in the perfect angst-ridden book, you always see the light at the end of that angst-built tunnel. That was not the case here. This book.....angst to the millionth power. No good feelings, no hope, no nothing but this dark mother fucking cloud that follows you around from the first page to the last.
This book is written in the 1st person PRESENT (which I despise) from Ryde's pov, but in this case it was not the writing that bothered me. It was Ryde! I couldn't stand Ryde! He should've been on some kind of treatment for some passive-aggressive behavior because this dude made me want to punch him in the face very often. I know his intensity was written the way it is in order to show how strongly he feels about Alistair, but it came across as overly dramatic. He was a selfish bastard who cared about himself only; that's easier to understand when they were kids because, well, kids are selfish. But he was the same way even as an adult. One selfish prick who seemed obsessed with having sex with Alistair, when that's the last thing Alistair needs. Alistair is going through therapy in order to deal with his mental illness and , he doesn't like to be touched and panics when it comes to having sex; and what does Ryde do after swearing Alistair's well being is his main priority? He throws a hissy-fit because he didn't get laid!!!
“Let it go. Relax,” I whisper, my fingers reaching to touch his belt.
The touch seems to burn him like a hot coal, and he sits up, curling his legs under him. “No, don’t touch me there.”
I shut my eyes, hear the blood in my ears. I need to get a hold of myself. I’m too wired. Too crazed. “Okay,” I hear myself say. With effort, I get up and go to the bathroom. I shut myself in. ----> where he proceeds to throw shit around. Idiot!
And five minutes later after making Alistair feel like shit, he feels complete for the first time in fourteen years because he finally gets his dick sucked by Alistair. Huh! That's all it took, having his dick sucked, who would've thought?
He stops and looks up at me. “Yes, I am…and I want this.” His stare meets mine, and in his eyes, I see doubt and fear, but lust too.
Oh, such lust.
Then I know he’s here with me. “Are you sure?” I ask anyway.
Alistair kisses my inner thigh. “This is our communion,” he whispers. His lips are soft on my skin.
I close my eyes and run my fingers into his pale blond hair, feeling whole for the first time in fourteen years.
At times I felt like I was watching a new version of The Exorcist while reading this book, especially when Alistair had a fit at his home. Ya know, it was all complete with praying and blessing for satan to leave. Dramatic much???
Cornwell stops, his face turning red. I see Alistair’s black eyes peering at me over his shoulder. I’ve seen those eyes before. Lustful. Raging. Seductive. I look down and see Alistair’s hand cupping the priest’s groin. Cornwell blinks and spins around. “Get back in there!” he yells to Alistair.
I glance over at Cornwell. “I’ve seen him like this before,” I tell him, very quietly. “I know him.”
“You know this devil!” Cornwell makes the sign of the cross over Alistair’s mocking face. “Stay back, you heathen!”
“Bless this child, Lord,” Father Masson says, wiping his brow again. “Bless him. Help him. Oh, please, help him.” He bows his head and I see him take Alistair’s limp hand in his. “Don’t let him perish in the fires of hell.”
The way Alistair's treatment for his mental condition was approached was entirely laughable. And when he confronted the part of his past that broke him, with his psychiatrist nowhere near close, and has a big breakdown? Praying helped him! Forget the mental breakdown, 5 minutes of praying, and he's like new! Oh please!!!!
As dark as this book was, I was still hoping for a HEA and a good one, to make up for all the suffering these poor guys went through. But we get a tentative HFN! The ending leaves everything suspended, not a cliff hanger, but nothing is solved either! I'm not a happy reader right now! I advise you to read this only if you love dark dark angst with no light, no hope, no feel-good emotions. It's sunny outside but I feel like I'm stuck in a gray, rainy world, and that's not a good feeling to have.
First let me tell you that I didn't put this book down at all once I started it, except to sleep. But not for the reasons you think. I was afraid that if I put this book down, especially during the second half, I'll never pick this mother fucker up again. It's one of those books that left me with a bad feeling, all unhappy and morose. The blurb doesn't mention mental illness!!! Repressed memories do NOT equal mental fucking illness! I've read many books lately that feature a MC living with a mental illness, but this is nothing like that! Those were books where the MC coped and lived a "normal" life while affected by their illness, here we have a character that can't cope!
I love a good angsty book, because they make me feel, they're intense, and those are usually the books that will stay with me the longest. I think my favorite type of angst is the Amy Lane kind, the one that's breaking your heart and wringing your feelings dry, but throughout the whole experience there's this lightness, the feeling of hopefulness and you KNOW good things will happen. I guess the best way to put it, in the perfect angst-ridden book, you always see the light at the end of that angst-built tunnel. That was not the case here. This book.....angst to the millionth power. No good feelings, no hope, no nothing but this dark mother fucking cloud that follows you around from the first page to the last.
This book is written in the 1st person PRESENT (which I despise) from Ryde's pov, but in this case it was not the writing that bothered me. It was Ryde! I couldn't stand Ryde! He should've been on some kind of treatment for some passive-aggressive behavior because this dude made me want to punch him in the face very often. I know his intensity was written the way it is in order to show how strongly he feels about Alistair, but it came across as overly dramatic. He was a selfish bastard who cared about himself only; that's easier to understand when they were kids because, well, kids are selfish. But he was the same way even as an adult. One selfish prick who seemed obsessed with having sex with Alistair, when that's the last thing Alistair needs. Alistair is going through therapy in order to deal with his mental illness and , he doesn't like to be touched and panics when it comes to having sex; and what does Ryde do after swearing Alistair's well being is his main priority? He throws a hissy-fit because he didn't get laid!!!
“Let it go. Relax,” I whisper, my fingers reaching to touch his belt.
The touch seems to burn him like a hot coal, and he sits up, curling his legs under him. “No, don’t touch me there.”
I shut my eyes, hear the blood in my ears. I need to get a hold of myself. I’m too wired. Too crazed. “Okay,” I hear myself say. With effort, I get up and go to the bathroom. I shut myself in. ----> where he proceeds to throw shit around. Idiot!
And five minutes later after making Alistair feel like shit, he feels complete for the first time in fourteen years because he finally gets his dick sucked by Alistair. Huh! That's all it took, having his dick sucked, who would've thought?
He stops and looks up at me. “Yes, I am…and I want this.” His stare meets mine, and in his eyes, I see doubt and fear, but lust too.
Oh, such lust.
Then I know he’s here with me. “Are you sure?” I ask anyway.
Alistair kisses my inner thigh. “This is our communion,” he whispers. His lips are soft on my skin.
I close my eyes and run my fingers into his pale blond hair, feeling whole for the first time in fourteen years.
At times I felt like I was watching a new version of The Exorcist while reading this book, especially when Alistair had a fit at his home. Ya know, it was all complete with praying and blessing for satan to leave. Dramatic much???
Cornwell stops, his face turning red. I see Alistair’s black eyes peering at me over his shoulder. I’ve seen those eyes before. Lustful. Raging. Seductive. I look down and see Alistair’s hand cupping the priest’s groin. Cornwell blinks and spins around. “Get back in there!” he yells to Alistair.
I glance over at Cornwell. “I’ve seen him like this before,” I tell him, very quietly. “I know him.”
“You know this devil!” Cornwell makes the sign of the cross over Alistair’s mocking face. “Stay back, you heathen!”
“Bless this child, Lord,” Father Masson says, wiping his brow again. “Bless him. Help him. Oh, please, help him.” He bows his head and I see him take Alistair’s limp hand in his. “Don’t let him perish in the fires of hell.”
The way Alistair's treatment for his mental condition was approached was entirely laughable. And when he confronted the part of his past that broke him, with his psychiatrist nowhere near close, and has a big breakdown? Praying helped him! Forget the mental breakdown, 5 minutes of praying, and he's like new! Oh please!!!!
As dark as this book was, I was still hoping for a HEA and a good one, to make up for all the suffering these poor guys went through. But we get a tentative HFN! The ending leaves everything suspended, not a cliff hanger, but nothing is solved either! I'm not a happy reader right now! I advise you to read this only if you love dark dark angst with no light, no hope, no feel-good emotions. It's sunny outside but I feel like I'm stuck in a gray, rainy world, and that's not a good feeling to have.
Want to read
May 18, 2015Oh my god YES! A new Mel Bossa book AND it has a priest MC! I'm so stoked!! *glares at calendar*
July 19, 2015
This was an intense, gritty read. The story starts when the two main characters, Ryde and Alistair are teens. The boys have been best friends for years and Ryde knows he is in love with Alistair but Alistair comes from a deeply religious home and struggles with his feelings for Ryde. The two boys go on a camping trip with Ryde's parents and an event happens that changes all of their lives. The book then jumps 14 years in the future where we find Ryde is a drunken mess who's life is falling apart and Alistair is a priest who has serious problems of his own.
This was my first time reading this author and I have to say I was very pleased. I thought the writing was really good. The first part of the book was so well done that I was on pins and needles because even though everything was moving along fine the sense of foreboding was so strong I just knew something bad was going to happen. The imagery of certains events was also really well done. It's not graphic and we barely get any facts which I think caused me to create all kinds of horrible mental images. As the story goes along the intenseness of my feelings did not lessen much. I was just sick with what these guys were going through. The topic might be a bit controversial but I thought it was handled well and in an interesting manner. The side characters are also really well done. Alistair's parents creeped me out, the priests he works with made me angry and poor Ryde's parents, especially his mother, broke my heart. (As a mom myself I could feel the pain and guilt she was going through and I felt so sorry for her. I can't imagine watching your child go through something like that.)
My only complaint with the book was that the hea (ok actually the book never says there is a hea I just decided that in my mind) doesn't come until the very end of the book and after the emotional angst fest the author put us through I would have liked to see the guys have a little more happiness. Even a short epilogue would have been nice. Just a little, to balance out the trauma that she put me through.
I think the topic of this story may be a little gritty for some but I highly recommend it if you're looking for something outside of the norm. I know I for one will be checking out more of this author's work.
This was my first time reading this author and I have to say I was very pleased. I thought the writing was really good. The first part of the book was so well done that I was on pins and needles because even though everything was moving along fine the sense of foreboding was so strong I just knew something bad was going to happen. The imagery of certains events was also really well done. It's not graphic and we barely get any facts which I think caused me to create all kinds of horrible mental images. As the story goes along the intenseness of my feelings did not lessen much. I was just sick with what these guys were going through. The topic might be a bit controversial but I thought it was handled well and in an interesting manner. The side characters are also really well done. Alistair's parents creeped me out, the priests he works with made me angry and poor Ryde's parents, especially his mother, broke my heart. (As a mom myself I could feel the pain and guilt she was going through and I felt so sorry for her. I can't imagine watching your child go through something like that.)
My only complaint with the book was that the hea (ok actually the book never says there is a hea I just decided that in my mind) doesn't come until the very end of the book and after the emotional angst fest the author put us through I would have liked to see the guys have a little more happiness. Even a short epilogue would have been nice. Just a little, to balance out the trauma that she put me through.
I think the topic of this story may be a little gritty for some but I highly recommend it if you're looking for something outside of the norm. I know I for one will be checking out more of this author's work.
Read
June 29, 2019Second and revised edition.
This is out today! June 29th. Really toned down the drama and having a Catholic Priest friend helped...I changed a lot of things in the way the Church is portrayed... Like, for instance, not believing in psychiatry.
I also made some changes to Alistair's therapy...
I think it's a better book. I do hope so. Anyone want a free copy to review, message me. ;-)
This is out today! June 29th. Really toned down the drama and having a Catholic Priest friend helped...I changed a lot of things in the way the Church is portrayed... Like, for instance, not believing in psychiatry.
I also made some changes to Alistair's therapy...
I think it's a better book. I do hope so. Anyone want a free copy to review, message me. ;-)
October 21, 2017
Сильно. Психологически и эмоционально сложно, как я люблю. Раздирающая книга об отношениях вопреки, а не благодаря.
Не хватило (как ни странно) любви... Муки, терзания, сомнения - на высоте! А вот любовь... она какая-то беспричинная, что ли. Не знаю, не могу обьяснить. 4 звезды ведь тоже хорошая оценка.
Не хватило (как ни странно) любви... Муки, терзания, сомнения - на высоте! А вот любовь... она какая-то беспричинная, что ли. Не знаю, не могу обьяснить. 4 звезды ведь тоже хорошая оценка.
May 23, 2015
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Stars.
I have no idea how to begin a review for this book without creating a book report, which would do a great disservice to the story and the reader. My only option is to express what emotions the journey elicited from me.
I mean this in the literal sense: I read Craving's Creek from word one until the end without moving from the sofa. I spent six hours completely engrossed with my kindle. My emotions ran the gamut, only to start the cycle again. I found myself smiling through the sweet & innocent moments, cringing during the mentally, physically, and emotionally painful moments, and crying at least ten separate times.
Craving's Creek beings with two 17 yo boys. There is a dark, oppressive feel to the entire book, but in the beginning it's an innocence filled with darkness, and you can feel the shadowy hand of something horrific on the horizon.
At the 1/3 point in the book, we (the reader) are thrust nearly fifteen years into the future, where we endure the pieces of their lives being scattered about, and then begin to witness the healing. It's a painful journey, and at the risk of revealing spoilers, I will have to add a Trigger Warning at the bottom of this review.
Craving's Creek is a story about believers and nonbelievers, the Catholic Church, embracing homosexuality while retaining your faith, and gaining faith when you least expect to receive it. It's a dark, gritty, downright painful read. But more so, it's exquisitely agonizing, with a bright undercurrent of innocence and hope.
Craving's Creek was beautifully written, the flow was flawless, and I was so engrossed, I can't tell you if there were any errors in editing or not (but I'd lean more towards the not).
Genre tags/Trigger warnings: YA/NA | Dark | Romance | Taboo (Priest victim/lover) | Religion | Abuse of Religion | Finding Faith | Coming-of-age | Gay | Abuse | Addiction (alcohol) | Abduction/Violence/Rape (none of which are shown, but this does NOT lessen the impact, especially from a survivor. This is my trigger warning. If you are sensitive to this, tread lightly) | Severe Mental Illness | Therapy | Guilt/shame/grief | Sexual Content: mild, non-explicit |
Would I read more by this author? Definitely.
5 Stars.
I have no idea how to begin a review for this book without creating a book report, which would do a great disservice to the story and the reader. My only option is to express what emotions the journey elicited from me.
I mean this in the literal sense: I read Craving's Creek from word one until the end without moving from the sofa. I spent six hours completely engrossed with my kindle. My emotions ran the gamut, only to start the cycle again. I found myself smiling through the sweet & innocent moments, cringing during the mentally, physically, and emotionally painful moments, and crying at least ten separate times.
Craving's Creek beings with two 17 yo boys. There is a dark, oppressive feel to the entire book, but in the beginning it's an innocence filled with darkness, and you can feel the shadowy hand of something horrific on the horizon.
At the 1/3 point in the book, we (the reader) are thrust nearly fifteen years into the future, where we endure the pieces of their lives being scattered about, and then begin to witness the healing. It's a painful journey, and at the risk of revealing spoilers, I will have to add a Trigger Warning at the bottom of this review.
Craving's Creek is a story about believers and nonbelievers, the Catholic Church, embracing homosexuality while retaining your faith, and gaining faith when you least expect to receive it. It's a dark, gritty, downright painful read. But more so, it's exquisitely agonizing, with a bright undercurrent of innocence and hope.
Craving's Creek was beautifully written, the flow was flawless, and I was so engrossed, I can't tell you if there were any errors in editing or not (but I'd lean more towards the not).
Genre tags/Trigger warnings: YA/NA | Dark | Romance | Taboo (Priest victim/lover) | Religion | Abuse of Religion | Finding Faith | Coming-of-age | Gay | Abuse | Addiction (alcohol) | Abduction/Violence/Rape (none of which are shown, but this does NOT lessen the impact, especially from a survivor. This is my trigger warning. If you are sensitive to this, tread lightly) | Severe Mental Illness | Therapy | Guilt/shame/grief | Sexual Content: mild, non-explicit |
Would I read more by this author? Definitely.
August 19, 2015
This review was written for Joyfully Jay Reviews and can be accessed here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2015/08/review...
It’s 1994 and homosexuality is still quite the stigma. Ryde is lucky that his parents seem to be okay with his desperate confession: He loves his best friend Alistair. At age 17, Ryde is convinced that he and Alistair are destined to become lifelong lovers.
Alistair’s a strange sort, an ephemeral beauty, whose devout Catholic parents are suspicious of Ryde’s interest in their son. Alistair’s attracted to Ryde, but he’s an innocent. His protective parents have never allowed him to date anyone, and his only social life consists of church outings, choir, and Ryde. He suffers migraines and often confides in Ryde that he sees vision of angels when in a migraine stupor. Alistair has recently told Ryde that he’s going into the seminary, which Ryde cannot tolerate. He wants Alistair for himself, not for God. His family plans a camping trip to Craving’s Creek, and Alistair is allowed to come along.
The isolation of the campsite works in Ryde’s favor when he’s steadily increasing his physicality with Alistair, but it also makes possible a horrific crime. I don’t want to reveal too much, but there is a kidnapping and assaults of the physical and sexual kind. While Ryde heals from his injuries, Alistair’s family sells their house and disappears.
Fast forward 14 years. In 2008, Ryde is an emotional mess and a bona fide alcoholic. He still has night terrors over his attack at Craving’s Creek, and he has never recovered from losing Alistair. His nearest and dearest friend reveals that her cousin’s wedding is to be officiated by a Father Alistair Genet, and Ryde is immediately drawn to the parish to meet his long-lost love. It’s the scene of his nightmares, spilling 14 years of loss in a drunken confessional rant, and it rattles Alistair to his core.
Then it is Alistair who seeks Ryde out. And, while Ryde senses there is something off about his Alistair, he takes all that he can get from him—all that he’d been denied when their lives were ripped apart all those years ago. And this is crushing, particularly when Alistair runs like a scared gazelle the second they finish.
Throughout his pursuit, Ryde must befriend Alistair’s senior priest and spiritual advisor, both of whom detect severe emotional issues that neither will attribute to their rightful cause: mental illness. Alistair’s recovery from his attack didn’t include actual counseling, and his worldview is fractured. I really appreciated the tenderness with which Ryde handled Alistair. It is clear that Alistair’s illness is not managed, and Ryde cleans himself up, sobers up, in order to help keep Alistair healthy.
There was a lot of separation between the secular and the spiritual here, which was interesting. Ryde is clearly the secular, the atheist who feels that God’s lamb, Alistair, never should have been attacked. Dealing with Alistair’s many emotional issues is a huge burden on top of his fragile grip on sobriety. I appreciated how real that struggle felt on the page. Without a doubt, I admired Ryde’s unshakable faith in his love for Alistair, and Alistair’s unshakeable faith in God. These two have suffered greatly, and yet they have hope. And more fear, because Alistair’s certain his inability to process his attack is related to a complete memory wash of the incident; returning to Craving’s Creek will jar him enough to slide the missing pieces of his memory into a place where they can be accessed and expunged. To me, it felt a little like cutting open an old festering wound to let the vileness bleed clean, and I was chilled watching it all unfold.
This is an excellent read, with characters to root for on page one. The story is well-written with a plot that sucked me in. Ryde tells the story in its entirety, and his pain is palpable. His yearning for Alistair is heart-wrenching. Alistair’s sheltered life is a tragedy in the making, and Ryde’s impetuous love never falters. The book is split in nearly half—the teenaged BEFORE and the adult AFTER, which I was not expecting. Also, I was expecting a torrid, perhaps even lurid, affair between a sexy journalist and a confused priest. Completely wrong on that account! This is emotional read, and the sexiness is always a fade-to-black scenario. The centerpiece of the story is the mental well-being of Ryde and Alistair, how they coped with their young love, their attack, and finding each other again after such a devastating tragedy. The reality of this journey is not terribly romantic, in truth, but the hope remains that they can heal each other’s wounds. Thankfully, they find love before they return to Craving’s Creek, and it’s far stronger when they depart it.
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
It’s 1994 and homosexuality is still quite the stigma. Ryde is lucky that his parents seem to be okay with his desperate confession: He loves his best friend Alistair. At age 17, Ryde is convinced that he and Alistair are destined to become lifelong lovers.
Alistair’s a strange sort, an ephemeral beauty, whose devout Catholic parents are suspicious of Ryde’s interest in their son. Alistair’s attracted to Ryde, but he’s an innocent. His protective parents have never allowed him to date anyone, and his only social life consists of church outings, choir, and Ryde. He suffers migraines and often confides in Ryde that he sees vision of angels when in a migraine stupor. Alistair has recently told Ryde that he’s going into the seminary, which Ryde cannot tolerate. He wants Alistair for himself, not for God. His family plans a camping trip to Craving’s Creek, and Alistair is allowed to come along.
The isolation of the campsite works in Ryde’s favor when he’s steadily increasing his physicality with Alistair, but it also makes possible a horrific crime. I don’t want to reveal too much, but there is a kidnapping and assaults of the physical and sexual kind. While Ryde heals from his injuries, Alistair’s family sells their house and disappears.
Fast forward 14 years. In 2008, Ryde is an emotional mess and a bona fide alcoholic. He still has night terrors over his attack at Craving’s Creek, and he has never recovered from losing Alistair. His nearest and dearest friend reveals that her cousin’s wedding is to be officiated by a Father Alistair Genet, and Ryde is immediately drawn to the parish to meet his long-lost love. It’s the scene of his nightmares, spilling 14 years of loss in a drunken confessional rant, and it rattles Alistair to his core.
Then it is Alistair who seeks Ryde out. And, while Ryde senses there is something off about his Alistair, he takes all that he can get from him—all that he’d been denied when their lives were ripped apart all those years ago. And this is crushing, particularly when Alistair runs like a scared gazelle the second they finish.
Throughout his pursuit, Ryde must befriend Alistair’s senior priest and spiritual advisor, both of whom detect severe emotional issues that neither will attribute to their rightful cause: mental illness. Alistair’s recovery from his attack didn’t include actual counseling, and his worldview is fractured. I really appreciated the tenderness with which Ryde handled Alistair. It is clear that Alistair’s illness is not managed, and Ryde cleans himself up, sobers up, in order to help keep Alistair healthy.
There was a lot of separation between the secular and the spiritual here, which was interesting. Ryde is clearly the secular, the atheist who feels that God’s lamb, Alistair, never should have been attacked. Dealing with Alistair’s many emotional issues is a huge burden on top of his fragile grip on sobriety. I appreciated how real that struggle felt on the page. Without a doubt, I admired Ryde’s unshakable faith in his love for Alistair, and Alistair’s unshakeable faith in God. These two have suffered greatly, and yet they have hope. And more fear, because Alistair’s certain his inability to process his attack is related to a complete memory wash of the incident; returning to Craving’s Creek will jar him enough to slide the missing pieces of his memory into a place where they can be accessed and expunged. To me, it felt a little like cutting open an old festering wound to let the vileness bleed clean, and I was chilled watching it all unfold.
This is an excellent read, with characters to root for on page one. The story is well-written with a plot that sucked me in. Ryde tells the story in its entirety, and his pain is palpable. His yearning for Alistair is heart-wrenching. Alistair’s sheltered life is a tragedy in the making, and Ryde’s impetuous love never falters. The book is split in nearly half—the teenaged BEFORE and the adult AFTER, which I was not expecting. Also, I was expecting a torrid, perhaps even lurid, affair between a sexy journalist and a confused priest. Completely wrong on that account! This is emotional read, and the sexiness is always a fade-to-black scenario. The centerpiece of the story is the mental well-being of Ryde and Alistair, how they coped with their young love, their attack, and finding each other again after such a devastating tragedy. The reality of this journey is not terribly romantic, in truth, but the hope remains that they can heal each other’s wounds. Thankfully, they find love before they return to Craving’s Creek, and it’s far stronger when they depart it.
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
December 18, 2015
Thank you to SAMHAIN PUBLISHING and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Craving’s Creek is one of those books that you just know from the blurb is one that you are going to love. And for the first third of the book, I did love this book. At that point, it went downhill quick.
To start off with the depth of Ryde’s love for Alistair just didn’t feel genuine to me. And maybe that’s because I didn’t think Ryde was in a place where he was able to commit to someone. It felt more like he wanted to possess Alistair to me because things had hindered him from being able to do that in the past. On top of that, Ryde had a lot of personal issues in his life, and his one major issue was overcome way too swiftly. And Alistair…oh, poor Alistair. Everyone wanted something from him. The catholic church wanted him to push down his ‘issues’ (mental illness and homosexuality) for the sake of its reputation, and Ryde wanted Alistair to love him. Now here is my issue with this – Alistair was in absolutely no way, shape or form ready to be in a relationship with anyone, especially with someone as all-consuming as Ryde was. To be honest, I think Alistair needed a state appointed guardian – or someone who had no stake in what happened to him – to help him with his decisions. Too many people were making choices for him. It wasn’t healthy, and he just sort of settled for whatever happened to him instead of making things happen. There were moments of lucidity where he asked for help, but it felt contrived. Another issue was that Alistair’s religion was so important to him, and I didn’t feel like Ryde had any tolerance for that. It’s one thing not to share someone’s faith, but Ryde had no respect for Alistair’s. If his faith was such a huge part of Alistair and it was something Ryde despised, how could he think he was in love with Alistair? Even at the end of the story he wasn’t able to tolerate it, and because Alistair’s faith is such a prominent part of his life, I just don’t see them going the long haul.
I had a lot of issues with the way things played out in this book, but I’m not ready to discount this author. I really enjoyed the first third of Craving’s Creek, and I want to see if that magic can be captured throughout an entire story.
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
Craving’s Creek is one of those books that you just know from the blurb is one that you are going to love. And for the first third of the book, I did love this book. At that point, it went downhill quick.
To start off with the depth of Ryde’s love for Alistair just didn’t feel genuine to me. And maybe that’s because I didn’t think Ryde was in a place where he was able to commit to someone. It felt more like he wanted to possess Alistair to me because things had hindered him from being able to do that in the past. On top of that, Ryde had a lot of personal issues in his life, and his one major issue was overcome way too swiftly. And Alistair…oh, poor Alistair. Everyone wanted something from him. The catholic church wanted him to push down his ‘issues’ (mental illness and homosexuality) for the sake of its reputation, and Ryde wanted Alistair to love him. Now here is my issue with this – Alistair was in absolutely no way, shape or form ready to be in a relationship with anyone, especially with someone as all-consuming as Ryde was. To be honest, I think Alistair needed a state appointed guardian – or someone who had no stake in what happened to him – to help him with his decisions. Too many people were making choices for him. It wasn’t healthy, and he just sort of settled for whatever happened to him instead of making things happen. There were moments of lucidity where he asked for help, but it felt contrived. Another issue was that Alistair’s religion was so important to him, and I didn’t feel like Ryde had any tolerance for that. It’s one thing not to share someone’s faith, but Ryde had no respect for Alistair’s. If his faith was such a huge part of Alistair and it was something Ryde despised, how could he think he was in love with Alistair? Even at the end of the story he wasn’t able to tolerate it, and because Alistair’s faith is such a prominent part of his life, I just don’t see them going the long haul.
I had a lot of issues with the way things played out in this book, but I’m not ready to discount this author. I really enjoyed the first third of Craving’s Creek, and I want to see if that magic can be captured throughout an entire story.
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
May 23, 2015
Copy from netgalley.
This book kinda threw me for a loop! I think I had in my head what was gonna happen....but I was very wrong. This book was less about the m/m side of the story and more about the intense relationship between two people who lost each other, about the fight between what a person wants and needs, about what we are told we should do and what we have to do. It started with a bang and then it missed a lot of years to bring you to the guts of the story. Part of me really enjoyed this book, it was intense and deep and so engrossing, but part of me wishes I hadn't read it. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it as just the way the book made me feel, it tore my soul in two reading about what these boys went through. It wasn't an easy read, there wasn't a lot of happy feelings in it, but it was a good read! Just prepare yourself to read!!
This book kinda threw me for a loop! I think I had in my head what was gonna happen....but I was very wrong. This book was less about the m/m side of the story and more about the intense relationship between two people who lost each other, about the fight between what a person wants and needs, about what we are told we should do and what we have to do. It started with a bang and then it missed a lot of years to bring you to the guts of the story. Part of me really enjoyed this book, it was intense and deep and so engrossing, but part of me wishes I hadn't read it. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it as just the way the book made me feel, it tore my soul in two reading about what these boys went through. It wasn't an easy read, there wasn't a lot of happy feelings in it, but it was a good read! Just prepare yourself to read!!
March 29, 2016
Craving’s Creek is truly a gripping page-turner. I was absolutely enthralled by this story. The blurb only hints at the drama that lies within the book; the story itself is MUCH more intense. I had a few guesses as to “the evil they encountered on the shore,” but having an idea of what might happen didn’t prepare me for the actual fear and sadness that hit me when reading it.
See my full review at: http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
See my full review at: http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
August 29, 2015
DNF at 76% because of the high improbability and extreme WTF-ery of the main character's actions and thoughts. I just can't.
September 3, 2015
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
4.5 Stars
Ever had a book where you are glad you read it but at the same time wish you hadn’t? Craving’s Creek is that book for me. Even though I had an idea where it was going from the blurb, even though the “accident” was mainly off page, this book is violent and crushing and changes the lives of two pretty innocent seventeen year old boys.
It was almost like reading two separate stories. The first half is a slow exploration of two teenagers making a pathway into the world and discovering their sexuality. For Ryde this is not too difficult and he has the support of his family. For Alistair it is one of the most difficult things in the world, his parents are extremely religious and the young man himself has plans to join the priesthood. He clings to his prayers as though they are his life raft but he is also in love with his best friend.
A camping trip with Ryde’s family should have been a last bit of summer fun, there is kissing, touching and lust. There are tentative promises and declarations of love and lazy afternoons in the sun. Then there is terror and fear and the promises mean nothing as life will never be the same.
Roll forward 14 years and the picture isn’t a pretty one.
Ryde never achieved his dreams after that day at the creek. His life has spiralled out of control and left behind a path of broken relationships, nightmares and chaos. His best friend is now the bottom of a bottle as it takes away the pain and keeps the memories at bay. His family walk on eggshells around him with their own memories of the person he once was. He hasn’t seen Alistair, hasn’t heard anything from him or about him since that day at the creek, isn’t even sure if he is still alive and then suddenly he learns he is a priest. After 14 years he knows where his first love is but the demons come back in full force and seeing him again, hearing his voice will be the most difficult hurdle to overcome.
To tell you how Alistair fared would be to give too much away. He still hangs onto his faith but there is something much larger at play. This last part of the book was my least favourite even though the two men find each other. The religion is heavy and in my opinion not working for the best interests of Alistair, it was cloying and heavy and helped to keep him in perpetual confusion.
There is some redemption at the end of the book and certainly some healing but not enough to leave you with the feeling of a HEA but more like a HFN. Perhaps that was the most we could expect after the trauma and the after affects.
4.5 Stars
Ever had a book where you are glad you read it but at the same time wish you hadn’t? Craving’s Creek is that book for me. Even though I had an idea where it was going from the blurb, even though the “accident” was mainly off page, this book is violent and crushing and changes the lives of two pretty innocent seventeen year old boys.
It was almost like reading two separate stories. The first half is a slow exploration of two teenagers making a pathway into the world and discovering their sexuality. For Ryde this is not too difficult and he has the support of his family. For Alistair it is one of the most difficult things in the world, his parents are extremely religious and the young man himself has plans to join the priesthood. He clings to his prayers as though they are his life raft but he is also in love with his best friend.
A camping trip with Ryde’s family should have been a last bit of summer fun, there is kissing, touching and lust. There are tentative promises and declarations of love and lazy afternoons in the sun. Then there is terror and fear and the promises mean nothing as life will never be the same.
Roll forward 14 years and the picture isn’t a pretty one.
Ryde never achieved his dreams after that day at the creek. His life has spiralled out of control and left behind a path of broken relationships, nightmares and chaos. His best friend is now the bottom of a bottle as it takes away the pain and keeps the memories at bay. His family walk on eggshells around him with their own memories of the person he once was. He hasn’t seen Alistair, hasn’t heard anything from him or about him since that day at the creek, isn’t even sure if he is still alive and then suddenly he learns he is a priest. After 14 years he knows where his first love is but the demons come back in full force and seeing him again, hearing his voice will be the most difficult hurdle to overcome.
To tell you how Alistair fared would be to give too much away. He still hangs onto his faith but there is something much larger at play. This last part of the book was my least favourite even though the two men find each other. The religion is heavy and in my opinion not working for the best interests of Alistair, it was cloying and heavy and helped to keep him in perpetual confusion.
There is some redemption at the end of the book and certainly some healing but not enough to leave you with the feeling of a HEA but more like a HFN. Perhaps that was the most we could expect after the trauma and the after affects.
August 15, 2015
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
Can Craving Creek the place of the one tragic event that tore Ryde and Alistair apart, bring them back together?
I thought I knew how this one was going to go, but I was so wrong. I loved the twists and turns. The slow build up of Alistair and Ryde's relationship.
Craving's Creek is dark and twisted and full of angst. It plays on your emotions, messes with what you thought you knew. I sat and read this in one sitting. I couldn't get enough. I couldn't put it down, I had to know if they'd make it back to each other.
It starts when Alistair and Ryde are seventeen, thinking they know how their lives will play out. One summer day all that is thrown out the window. The story jumps fifteen years later and the after effects of that one summer. It's dark, it's gritty. It isn't about the m/m aspect of the story. That sort of plays in the background. It's more about a relationship of love and fighting for it.
Craving's Creek is an unexpected amazing read!
Can Craving Creek the place of the one tragic event that tore Ryde and Alistair apart, bring them back together?
I thought I knew how this one was going to go, but I was so wrong. I loved the twists and turns. The slow build up of Alistair and Ryde's relationship.
Craving's Creek is dark and twisted and full of angst. It plays on your emotions, messes with what you thought you knew. I sat and read this in one sitting. I couldn't get enough. I couldn't put it down, I had to know if they'd make it back to each other.
It starts when Alistair and Ryde are seventeen, thinking they know how their lives will play out. One summer day all that is thrown out the window. The story jumps fifteen years later and the after effects of that one summer. It's dark, it's gritty. It isn't about the m/m aspect of the story. That sort of plays in the background. It's more about a relationship of love and fighting for it.
Craving's Creek is an unexpected amazing read!
August 16, 2015
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads~~
Wow! A very emotional and fulfilling read - but what a journey!
I really don't know what I was expecting, but what I got was so, so much more. This is a rich, intense and incredibly thoughtful read. It deals with some difficult truths, and issues of religion and church, whilst (in my opinion) remaining relatively calm and neutral. Add in the love story which underpins the whole tale and it is a powerful read.
One of those books which will stay in your thoughts and will need to be reread for the nuance, because at times it is more important to get to what happens next than to be looking for subtleties of language.
Wow! A very emotional and fulfilling read - but what a journey!
I really don't know what I was expecting, but what I got was so, so much more. This is a rich, intense and incredibly thoughtful read. It deals with some difficult truths, and issues of religion and church, whilst (in my opinion) remaining relatively calm and neutral. Add in the love story which underpins the whole tale and it is a powerful read.
One of those books which will stay in your thoughts and will need to be reread for the nuance, because at times it is more important to get to what happens next than to be looking for subtleties of language.
September 29, 2015
This is an amazing book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I did. The story will take you on great journeys but you will come out a better person. This is one of the first (if I may say) religious books that I have read and enjoyed. Don't get me wrong I have read Man-Of-God books before but this one had a whole different vibe that I really liked. It is a touching, funny and heartbreaking story that would recommend to any of my GR friends.
Want to read
August 19, 2015I'm so excited I might burst.
Happy (Early) Birthday Gift to Me.
Happy (Early) Birthday Gift to Me.
August 3, 2015
I just finished Craving's Creek, unable to put it down and I'm emotionally exhausted. It is not at all what I expected. Yes, this is a M/M Romance in one aspect but it is so much more than that. It is a passionate human drama about mental illness, religion, faith and finding a way back home.
Craving's Creek is devastatingly beautiful. This is no giddy love story. It grabs you by the throat, hits you hard in the gut and tears at your heart. The writing is so hauntingly real. Mel Bossa explores topics so few writers would attempt-- with no apologies, reverberating with a triumphant execution only a highly skilled writer could accomplish. More than powerful.
I received my ARC through NetGalley.
Craving's Creek is devastatingly beautiful. This is no giddy love story. It grabs you by the throat, hits you hard in the gut and tears at your heart. The writing is so hauntingly real. Mel Bossa explores topics so few writers would attempt-- with no apologies, reverberating with a triumphant execution only a highly skilled writer could accomplish. More than powerful.
I received my ARC through NetGalley.
August 23, 2015
3.5 stars
Review to follow.
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I'm soo excited for this! Another Mel Bossa and a priest MC?! I'm so digging it!
Father Masson puts a hand on my shoulder. “I know the sacrifice is great, but you’ll be rewarded.”
“When? When I die? In heaven? Don’t you see? I don’t care about that. I don’t want absolution or eternal life in God’s little day care. I want Alistair. Please, I want Alistair.”
Review to follow.
***************
I'm soo excited for this! Another Mel Bossa and a priest MC?! I'm so digging it!
March 29, 2016
Hmmm... What to say?! What is there to say?! I gave it 5 shining stars, didn't I?!
It was beautifully written. It had a nice story to share. & I enjoyed every minute of it.
Kudos to Mel for this amazing book.
It was beautifully written. It had a nice story to share. & I enjoyed every minute of it.
Kudos to Mel for this amazing book.
October 24, 2019
OMG the start of the book did not prepare me for the TRAUMA of the horrific incident which tore the two MCs apart (I was still thinking about the horrors of it days after despite it being a relatively small amount of the book). Following a multi-year jump in timeline, the remainder of the book deals with the post-traumatic reactions for both MCs - which proved quite interesting and reduced me to tears twice. 3.5 stars.
November 25, 2017
4.25 stars.
An angsty, but in no way a bleak story. There were depressing moments, but the MCs got through all the hardships (can't believe I'm saying this, but they did it almost too easily).
Really enjoyed this, anyway.
An angsty, but in no way a bleak story. There were depressing moments, but the MCs got through all the hardships (can't believe I'm saying this, but they did it almost too easily).
Really enjoyed this, anyway.
Read
May 10, 2019JMS Books is re-publishing this book in June. I made some changes. Really toned down the drama and having a Catholic Priest friend helped! I changed a lot of things in the way the Church is portrayed... Like, for instance, not believing in psychiatry!
I also made some changes to Alistair's therapy...
I think it's a better book. I hope so.
I also made some changes to Alistair's therapy...
I think it's a better book. I hope so.
September 3, 2015
3.5 stars
Whoa - I got way more than I bargained for with this book. It was VERY intense with lots of trigger warnings, including rape and religion.
I loved the fumbling intensity and confusion of Ryder and Alistair's blossoming relationship in the beginning. Then things go horribly wrong and shit gets real.
This was handled really well (mostly). Alistair is a conflicted and damaged man, dealing with trauma, his faith (he's a priest) and feelings for Ryder. Ryder is trying to get his life together after hitting rock bottom and win back the only man he's ever loved.
This book was so intense and messy and I loved it until it got to the last third.
There was so much to weed through that I think it should have been more focused on Alistair and his conflict with the church or his healing from a very traumatic event - or even have been made into a series. Because, while she makes her characters do the hard work (therapy etc) the ending still felt rushed and left me with more questions than answers.
This was a tough book to read and while I wished for a little more with the ending, I did love the commitment to each other between the two men.
Whoa - I got way more than I bargained for with this book. It was VERY intense with lots of trigger warnings, including rape and religion.
I loved the fumbling intensity and confusion of Ryder and Alistair's blossoming relationship in the beginning. Then things go horribly wrong and shit gets real.
This was handled really well (mostly). Alistair is a conflicted and damaged man, dealing with trauma, his faith (he's a priest) and feelings for Ryder. Ryder is trying to get his life together after hitting rock bottom and win back the only man he's ever loved.
This book was so intense and messy and I loved it until it got to the last third.
There was so much to weed through that I think it should have been more focused on Alistair and his conflict with the church or his healing from a very traumatic event - or even have been made into a series. Because, while she makes her characters do the hard work (therapy etc) the ending still felt rushed and left me with more questions than answers.
This was a tough book to read and while I wished for a little more with the ending, I did love the commitment to each other between the two men.
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