Back to You

by Chris Scully

Journalist Alex Buchanan has come home to the remote British Columbia town he grew up in, but only because his estranged father is dying. For Alex, the homecoming holds a mix of memories, mostly bad. The only bright spot is reconnecting with Benji Morning, the childhood friend he never truly forgot. As boys, the strength of their bond had frightened Alex. But now that he’s confident in his bisexuality, he’s drawn back to quiet, soft-spoken Ben. Ben isn’t the same boy Alex left behind, though. His life has been overshadowed by the disappearance of his sister two decades earlier, and now a new break in the case threatens to undo the peace he’s worked so hard to attain. As Alex struggles to repair the relationship with his father before it’s too late, he finds himself caught up in a twenty-year-old mystery, a story he never expected, and a shocking truth that could affect his and Ben’s future together.

Genres: M M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Crime

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2017

About the author

CHRIS SCULLY lives in Toronto, Canada. She grew up spinning romantic stories in her head and always dreamed of one day being a writer even though life had other plans. Her characters have accompanied her through career turns as a librarian and an IT professional, until finally, to escape the tedium of a corporate day job, she took a chance and began putting her daydreams down on paper.

Tired of the same old boy-meets-girl stories, she found a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve. She divides her time between a mundane 9-5 cubicle job and a much more interesting fantasy life. When she’s not working or writing (which isn’t often these days) she loves puttering in the garden and traveling. She is an avid reader and tries to bring pieces of other genres and styles to her stories. While her head is crammed full of all the things she’d like to try writing, her focus is always on the characters first. She describes her characters as authentic, ordinary people—the kind of guy you might meet on the street, or the one who might be your best friend.

Although keeping up with social media is still a struggle given her schedule, she does love to hear from readers.

Connect with Chris:
Website: chrisscullyblog.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/chris.scully.author
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6152322.Chr...
Email: cscully@bell.net

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.5~

Back to You is a sleepy mystery with a lyrical quality that made certain passages feel like a dream. The romance is equally quiet. The passion is muted, and the MCs barely talk until the halfway mark.

Alex, the first-person narrator of the story, returns to his hometown to see his dying father. A once Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who's lapsed into obscurity, Alex hopes to get a story out of the trip.

Alex resents his absent, alcoholic father and is estranged from his older sister Janet. But he can't help but be drawn to his childhood best friend Benji, now an artist.

Initially Alex spends as much time flirting with his father's nurse Katy as he does thinking about Ben.

Ben doesn't want Alex to meddle in the investigation surrounding his older sister Misty's disappearance twenty years earlier, the summer the boys were 13, the summer Alex left and forgot all about Ben.

Ben is a gentle, caring man who teaches free art classes to special needs and other kids. While Alex is self-absorbed, Ben thinks about others. Ben's mom has been obsessed with finding Misty for two decades, and Ben wants to move on and live in the present.

I was more invested in Alex's family dynamics than in the romance. Janet was a fascinating character, clearly troubled and grieving her father's demise. Alex's relationship with his sister is nuanced and complex.

Alex comes to understands that what we believe at 13, filtered through idealized adolescent fantasies, is not The Truth, but a diluted version of it.

This book is about the choices we make and the secrets we keep. Scully's writing is evocative and grew on me as the story progressed. Fans of her work are sure to enjoy this book.

I found the pacing a bit slow, and the romance rather lackluster. I think the story would have been stronger had Ben's POV been included.

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5 - 4 Stars***

This reminded me a bit of...

... without the weirdness.

Actually, this was a very quiet book: a slow-burn romance wrapped into a childhood-crush-to-lovers story with a mystery subplot, but without any bangs or thrill, just an underlying tension that kept me guessing what the hell happened twenty years ago. Overall it was very atmospheric and I think that's what pulled me into the story right from the get-go.

Journalist Alex Buchanan finds himself on a journey into his own past when his estranged father is dying and Alex returns to his hometown, a small dump in British Columbia only to find old memories buried deep down and bubbling up to the surface, a possible skeleton in the closet of each resident and... his own self. Oh, an not to forget Benji Morning, his childhood best friend who always has been more than that and who apparently has his own fair share of burdens to bear, with his mother being obsessed with the disappearance of his wayward sister two decades ago which is suddenly more prevailing than ever and which ties Alex's and Benji's past more together than they thought and on the other hand might destroy any chances on a possibly shared future forever.

Slow-burn romance, a mystery and an evocative scenery? Sign me up! I really enjoyed the writing and this book definitely made me think:

The truth is a funny thing. Everyone claims to want it, but most of us spend our lives hiding from it. We see what we want to see, who we want to see, because it's easier. We delude ourselves.

Benji was a great character and I wanted to wrap him into bubble-wrap, to prevent him from being hurt again. Alex was another story. There is only his POV and it took me a bit to warm up to him, but in the end I liked him well enough. At the beginning I had some issues to feel their connection, though. There are some glimpses into their past, and yet so much time passed and so much stood between them that I found it a bit hard to believe that their bond could be revived so easily. A few loose ends needed to be tied in my opinion, but all in all I really enjoyed it.

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quizás más cerca de las 4, pero le pongo 5 porque desde que lo empecé no pude de dejar de leer hasta terminarlo, y qué mejor cosa para un libro?

Después de 20 años ausente, Alex, ahora periodista, vuelve a Canadá a resolver ciertos asuntos de familia y a reencontrarse con la persona que más le ha marcado, su amigo Ben. No quiero decir nada más sobre el plot, es un libro de misterio y lo más interesante es ir averiguando poco a poco qué ha pasado y qué está pasando. La parte de misterio, de relaciones familiares y la historia de amor están íntimamente relacionadas, todo se desarrolla en conjunto, no se puede separar unas de otras por lo que ninguna tiene más peso que otra. Esto puede molestar a algunos lectores, que la relación amorosa no sea el eje, pero es sin embargo cómo todo está unido lo que creo que es la gran baza del libro.

Buenos personajes, una historia de misterio no sorprendente pero que sí mantiene el interés, un análisis profundo de las relaciones familiares y una bonita historia de amor. Un libro muy recomendable, un buen libro, la gran virtud de la autora es ser capaz de construir una atmósfera que nos hace sentir que estamos allí y mantener nuestro interés hasta el final.

[Ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journalist who comes home to his sleepy hometown after two decades. A second-chance romance with the first boy he ever kissed. And an answer to the mystery of a missing teenage girl that might either make or break the possible future between the two of them

This book is (nearly) perfect for me in every way. It is MY kind of read.

From the moment it opens with Alex driving his car towards his hometown of Alton Pop. 3,200 I was bewitched with Chris Scully's atmospheric prose. Alex returns home to visit his estranged dying father, after a call from his older sister. But Alex knows, he also going back to Benji Morning, his former best friend. Once Ben was part of Alex's childhood life, they did everything together. And Ben was also Alex's first kiss with a boy. Unfortunately, after Alex's mother packed up their bags and left their father, Alex ceased to continue communication with Ben...

In hindsight, I suppose I could have Googled him, or found him on Facebook like any other long-lost friend, but I was already in motion, driving the extra hour east purely by instinct, as if Benji were my true north and I the needle on a compass.

However as he arrives in Alton, Alex is involved with a mystery involving Ben's older sister. Twenty years ago, Misty Morning, disappeared without a trace; her case was considered a runaway. But a little over a week before Alex's arrival, Misty's car was found near a lake, and Ben's mother insisted for the police to re-open the case.

The memory of Misty’s white Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme seeped into my brain, coalescing like a slow-developing Polaroid. Calling it a shit-bucket would have been generous.

Back to You is written solely from Alex's perspective. While Ben's POV is missing but I wasn't completely bothered by it. For me, this is basically Alex's journey. He is the one returning home. He is the one that needs to make peace with his father and his decision to 'cut-off' any communication with Ben. In a way that matters Ben's is the solid one -- like Alex said, his true north.

I was as engaged with the answer to the mystery as much as I did with the romance. Scully cleverly throws some red herrings before she reveals what really happened to Misty all those years ago. She skillfully navigates the dysfunctional family dynamic in both Alex and Ben's family the serves a role to the mystery that both heartbreaking and thought-provoking.

At the same time Scully steadily develops the relationship between Alex and Ben, which is appropriate considering when they left things, the two men were only in a brink of their teenage years. Alex and Ben need to work through the years that they have been separated, to untangle what they are meant to each other then and now.

To me, this is a compelling story. It fulfills my (reading) heart's desire for a strong plot and characterizations -- and not simply leaning on sexual content. I did wish the epilogue to be more of a firm happily ever after decorated with sunshine and rainbows.

I have been a fan of Chris Scully since the very beginning -- this is definitely her best yet and my favorite so far.






The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of Back to You is as much a character as the main characters Alex and Ben. Set in a small town in British Columbia on the infamous Canadian Highway of Tears, where dozens of women and girls disappeared over a 40 year period, there's a melancholy and sense of dread around the edges. When Alex and Benji were 13, Benji's 17-yr-old sister Misty Morning disappeared without a trace and shortly thereafter Alex and his sister Janet and mother left town.

20 years later, journalist Alex returns home as his estranged father lays dying of cirrhosis, hoping at best to perhaps get a story out of the experience to pull him out of his writing slump. But when Alex hears - “Didn’t mean to . . .” Dad whispered, his stale breath blowing in my face. “Misty.” - the ground shifts under his feet. Misty's car has just been discovered in a lake outside town, the police are once again investigating the case and it appears everything is coming to a head - Misty's disappearance, Alex's hatred for his father, his unresolved feelings for Ben.

The mystery and suspense of what happened to Misty is what drives the story, with Alex and Ben coming in second. We get Alex's POV throughout the story, but what Ben actually feels is unclear. Ben's mother Angela devoted her life to finding out what happened to Misty and that didn't leave a lot of emotional real estate for Ben to claim. I so wanted to hear Ben's voice and his reactions and he remained very much a mystery.

The answer to Misty's disappearance is heart-rending and the big reveal is truly a surprise. Alex's revelation about his father is poignant as he realizes that the things we think we know as kids aren't necessarily the way things were:

The truth is a funny thing. Everyone claims to want it, but most of us spend our lives hiding from it. We see what we want to see, who we want to see, because it’s easier. We delude ourselves.

As a suspenseful mystery, Back to You succeeds beautifully, however I felt the book needed Ben's POV to fully flesh out the second chance romance. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews

[Aeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha encantado, es una novela muy entretenida que te atrapa desde el primer capítulo, resalto las descripciones del lugar, verdaderamente evocativas, casi deseo conocer los sitios de los que habla el protagonista. Hablando de él, confieso que tengo sentimientos ambivalentes acerca de Sandy, pero al fin y al cabo, esa es una de las razones por las que me ha convencido, no es un hombre perfecto, nada más lejos de la realidad y aunque no he llegado a empatizar de verdad con él, sí que le he comprendido mucho. En la otra punta del espectro en cuanto a perfección tenemos al otro chico, que sí que ha pecado un poco de ser el comprensivo, etc etc (qué queréis, hubiese deseado que hubiese hecho sudar a Sandy un poco más! :P) En realidad, creo que tiene sentido la visión casi idílica de Ben, ya que la novela está contada desde los ojos de un hombre que la he mantenido en un pedestal, lo supiese él o no. En fin, que muy en la linea del autor, del que hasta ahora sólo había leido relatos cortos y alguna novella, deberé ponerme al día con el resto de libros que tengo por el kindle.

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

"The truth is a funny thing. Everyone claims to want it, but most of us spend our lives hiding from it. We see what we want to see, who we want to see, because it’s easier. We delude ourselves."

Back to You isn't exactly a romance. There are romantic elements, but mostly it is the story of Alex finally getting some closure and learning that that past may make us who we are in the present, but it doesn't have to dictate who we are in the future. It is told entirely from Alex's POV.

Alex, who is a journalist living in New York, has come back to his home town because his estranged father is dying. But while that was the catalyst for him going back, the only real reason he agreed was to see Ben again. Ben, his best friend when he was a kid. Ben, who is the missing piece to Alex's puzzle. Ben, the friend Alex feels he abandoned. For twenty years, Alex has keep his emotional distance from everyone and he fears that he's not up for the task of a real relationship, but he's still drawn to the boy he once knew.

Ben is still in that sleepy Canadian town and he's mostly content, but he is shaped by the disappearance of his sister when he was a kid and the fact that his mother pretty much forgot he existed. He teaches art and he lives by himself, while his mother keeps her house a shrine for the daughter that went missing twenty years before. Ben's a quiet guy. Reserved. Observant. Seeing Alex again stirred up feeling that Ben has tried like hell to let go of, but he can't help himself when faced with another chance to know his friend. Even if it breaks his heart all over again.

The focus of the story becomes Ben's missing sister and finding out what happened to her. And interspersed in that story are pieces of an article that Alex is writing about his relationship with his dad. I really enjoyed reading those pieces. They gave insight into Alex and the uncertainty he has had to live with. They show the loneliness he felt.

I enjoyed reading Back to You and I loved how it was written, though I would have loved to have gotten Ben's POV, too. He was a bit of an enigma, since the romance was more muted in the story. Still, I found Back to You to be a very touching story. It was sad and full of regret, but it did end on a note of hope.

-----------------
Review copy of Back to You was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good romance suspense type story. Alex Buchanan and Benji Morning were best friends until their teens. Benji's sister turned up missing and it was an event that disrupted the entire community. Shortly after that Alex's parents started fighting and his mother took them and left. While the boys promised to keep in touch, that didn't happen.

Twenty years later, Alex gets a call that his father is dying and has requested to see him. Alex goes home in hopes of writing a story about his tumultuous relationship with the man.

A part of him has never forgotten Benji so he soon looks him up. They find that they're as attracted to each other as they were before and despite it being a bad idea for many reasons they begin spend time with each other.

Unfortunately the past won't stay buried and the two men find themselves in the middle of secrets and family drama from the past.

The writing in this was so good. It was atmospheric and had an almost dream like quality to it. The setting was done so well I felt like I was right there with Alex and Benji is this small, remote town.

The mystery part is fictional but it is based on real life events. Since the 1970's numerous young girls have gone missing upon an isolated stretch of highway on B.C. Canada. It is called the Highway of Tears. I fell into a hole of Googling about this and I have to say the author did a great job of making the book mystery fictional while keeping all the back story and facts true. I was sucked right into this part.

I also really liked the romance aspect. These two characters were great together. Their scenes were heartfelt and very romantic in places. You could feel their emotions jump off of the page.

I highly recommend this book. It is really well done and I liked every aspect of it. I will also be going back and reading all of this author's other works now.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to You by Chris Scully was an incredibly pleasant discovery that combines an eerie atmosphere with some complex and rather dark human relations.

Alex, a journalist living in New York, goes back to his small hometown in British Columbia to see his dying father from whom he's been pretty much estranged for most of his adult life. His trip will become a way to reconnect with his childhood friend Ben and with the uncomfortable memories of his father's alcoholism and of Ben's sister mysterious disappearance twenty years prior.

On the background of Alex and Ben's private turmoil, the novel evokes the disturbing events connected to the so-called 'Highway of Tears', a stretch of over 700 km on Highway 16 between the locations of Prince George and Prince Rupert along which over twenty women have disappeared or have been murdered in the past forty years.

Being a novel with a thriller element, it'd be wrong to disclose here more details of its plot. It'd be enough to say that, despite not having an incredibly complicated subplot, the mystery element in the story is very well built-up and presented to the readers.

What I've found truly engaging, however, was the way Scully portrayed the weight of growing in highly dysfunctional families and how one's upbringing can mark a person's life regardless of distances, years and rationality.

Back to You is also a book that focuses on reality and appearances and on how they intersect and combine to construct an idea of objective reality that may not correspond to the truth. From this point of view, I've found the novel close to the initial premise of series such as Twin Peaks , with whom it also shares a similar atmosphere of isolation and danger lurking in the midst of incredible natural beauty.

I also loved Scully's writing style, which is terse and profound, with an unhurried pace that fits the story very nicely.

A truly good novel!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

I really loved this book. I honestly can’t think of one single issue that would make me take off even a quarter of a star. It’s got action, mystery, family issues, romance, and sex. Add to that some interesting background characters and a small town that is almost a character unto itself, and Chris Scully has written what, to me, is the perfect read.

Alex broke my heart as the guilt ridden hero who has grown up regretting how he and Ben parted ways. He’s also angst ridden because he has blamed his father for the breakup of their family and now he’s got to face the man and his coming death. Alex didn’t even want to come home. However, his father has actually asked for him and his sister has insisted he come. Alex’s pain really tugged at me and I actually ached for him to get his happily ever after.

Ben…talk about a character that breaks a heart. He lost everything twenty years ago. His sister is gone. His mother virtually ignored him for his entire life, and Alex, his best friend (and very likely, first love), had to leave. Even in the face of all that, he made a life for himself. He’s lonely, though, and sad. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.

I mentioned the great background characters. Every single one of them fulfilled their role completely. Ben’s mother, Alex’s sister and father, and like I said, the town itself were all necessary to tell this story. They were written very well and none of them were there to chew scenery. I never felt overwhelmed by them and they supported the characters of Alex and Ben without overpowering them.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great setting and moody ambience--this was a page turner. I really enjoyed the story, it was very intriguing and the MCs are great together.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex and Ben were childhood friends, but when Alex's parents get separated he moves away with promises to keep in touch. Ben stirred up a lot of confusing feelings in Alex so he decides to cut all ties with him because he thinks a clean break would be easier. Twenty years later, Alex returns home because his father is dying and his sister wants him to see him before he passes away. Alex is now a journalist and is planning to write a story of his father and his relationship, which was never good. While Alex is in town, he decides to take on the mystery of Ben's sister Misty's disappearance. She disappeared right before Alex left town and the case is still unsolved. He also tries to reconnect with Ben because he's never forgotten about him after all those years, and he wants to know if there is still a spark between them.

Alex is the narrator of this story, but I would have loved to have had Ben's perspective too. I feel like it would have made for a bit stronger of a story and I would have maybe gotten a little better feel for their relationship. I just didn't end up feeling much of a connection between the two of them. It doesn't help that I really didn't care for Alex either. I really tried but he just seemed all over the place. When he was first getting to the town he admits that he kind of hopes that Ben has been pining for him all these years because he knows he had a crush on him when they were kids. Uhhh...it's been 20 years! Alex has already been married and divorced but hopes that Ben held a flame for him all these years?? I also didn't understand why he pushed everyone in his life away, including his sister and mother. The father made sense because of the alcohol abuse but we never really learned why he didn't really like his sister either. Alex just came off really self-centered, in my opinion.

I did really like Ben's character a lot. He was such a sweetheart. He took a really bad time in his life and turned it into something really beautiful with his art classes and his artwork. I really felt for him.

As for the mystery aspect of the story, I DID guess what happened but I'm one of those annoying people that usually do. lol! I thought the mystery was handled really well, albeit a little slowly. I don't think it was terribly obvious what had happened.

*I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *

[Anke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I was hesitant to start reading this book, nevertheless I finally did that on Dec. 22, only to then get sidetracked. Well, yesterday I returned and suddenly I couldn't stop reading. This book and I just fit. There was a real story and the way it was told, yes, it didn't let me go. I could totally relate to this, especially as my relationship with my father wasn't the best and that was still the case when he died.
On top of that the case with the missing girl, the storylines were woven together perfectly and the pacing was great. Even the ending was fitting and satisfying.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I delight in a good coming-home set up especially when it involves a second chance romance for childhood buds and a cold case missing persons that gets re-opened. So much to pull me in and I could not wait for it to happen.

Back to You lived up to my eager anticipation. A man who comes home to his small mountain town and after twenty years of running away and anger finally starts to know himself and everyone from his past with more clarity. It was a journey of the soul and I love those types especially when handled well like this author did.

The catalyst to bring Alex home was his dad asking for him on his deathbed. The family was broken for so long with hurt, anger and misunderstanding ruling things. But in the coming home, Alex has a chance to reconnect with his childhood bestfriend and neighbor when he is in a place to deal honestly and truly understand that it had always been something more between them.

The tone of this story is what really captivated me. The author didn't just create a setting and characters, but created feels that struck a chord in me for Alex and everyone else inter-connected by the town and the past. There is a bittersweet taste to this one and it fit beautifully. Alex narrates in the first person and it was engaging to first not really like him to seeing him work through his mistakes and issues to a better place.

The cold case was a good mystery piece. I had an inkling early on. Not sure why and it stuck with me as things kept adding up. It was nothing I could put my finger on other than getting to know the characters' well. I liked what the mystery added to the story.

All in all, Back to You was richly-drawn and touched a deep place in me with its atmosphere and emotions that rang true. I definitely recommend this to m/m romantic suspense and contemporary romance or fiction lovers who want something with a bittersweet flavor and strong character-driven plot.

My thanks to Riptide Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Valeria DePaula · Rating 5 out of 5]

✔ Letto! Siamo in un piccolino paesello di montagna, nella Columbia Britannica in Canada. Un uomo ormai, sta tornando a casa, perché anche dopo aver girato in lungo e in largo, quella era casa sua. Era lì che voleva tornare ogni volta. Era da Benjy che Sandy voleva tornare, tornare da lui.
Più che un viaggio per stare accanto a un padre morente, un padre assente, alcolista, che ha lasciato un vuoto durante la sua crescita. Alexander Colville Buchanan vuole essere li per finalmente comprendere un passato che da bambino non ha potuto farlo. Perché i bambini vivono in un mondo tutto loro. Perché gli adulti non parlano con i bambini di cose serie.
Ci saranno tanti demoni da affrontare in quel ritorno a casa, ci saranno tanti segreti che saranno svelati e che una coscienza in fin di vita vuole liberarsene. C'è il lato investigativo del giornalista che è Alex che vuole arrivare vippfino in fondo anche sapendo che le persone coinvolte sono sangue, sono affetti, sono famiglia.
Una storia dolcissima, straziante, introspettiva. Un ritorno alla città in cui era stato un bambino felice. Un ritorno da adulto in cerca di risposte e conferme. Un ritorno da chi non doveva mai aver lasciato indietro.
Ho totalmente amato questa storia. Ho amato quei due ragazzi. Ben è forza, è superazione, è speranza.
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ e non vedo l'ora di leggere altre storie sui ragazzi di Chris Scully.

[Georgia Callaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really liked this book. This was the perfect combo of mystery and romance. I would definitely read more from this author.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Just Love

4 stars

Compelling and atmospheric, Back To You is the kind of mystery that unfolds slowly but still manages to capture you in and draw you along as it uncovers a decades old disappearance that still haunts the inhabitants of small town in British Columbia, Canada.

After 20 years away, Alex Buchanan is reluctantly returning to his hometown to assist his sister Janet in their father’s dying days. Estranged from his dad and increasingly unsatisfied with the kind of writing he’s been doing at the magazine he works for, Alex is convinced by his editor that this might be a good opportunity to chronicle a father/son reunion. But Alex has more than work and his father’s imminent death on his mind. His thoughts revolve around is former best friend, Benji and what he might be up to these days.

In hindsight, I suppose I could have Googled him, or found him on Facebook like any other long-lost friend, but I was already in motion, driving the extra hour east purely by instinct, as if Benji were my true north and I the needle on the compass.

The relationship between Alex and Ben is deliberately understated in this book, but I feel that’s how it should be. In reality, this is more about coming to terms with the past, whether it be a parent-child relationship that soured over time, or the impact a tragic event can have on people and how they are forced to deal with the fallout.

Back To You not only takes a look at what it takes for two grown men to forgive past transgressions, but how to move forward from a event so dire it impacted two families forever, both of them haunted in different ways about the disappearance of a 17 year old girl and what it might mean for all of them if the mystery is solved.

I loved the somewhat dream-like atmosphere of this book and appreciated the moody weather-driven setting, if only because I have driven through many of the places mentioned. The Highway of Tears is all too real, as are the many unsolved murders and disappearances of too many women that occurred over that particular stretch of road for more than 40 years.

All in all, I thought this was an excellent story by a new-to-me author. I can assure you, this won’t be my last book by Chris Scully and I hope to pick up more of her books in the near future.

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Riina Y.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

► Page-turner-alert! → Highly recommended!

Back To You was a total win for me and came just when I needed it!

The low-key mystery, the tranquil vibe… it fit my mood perfectly. The romance was bittersweet (in my eyes), their connection strong.

For some reason I felt like I was thrown back in time, a setting like out of Bates Motel; some three thousand people town, a dying town as Alex put it, in the middle of nowhere. Lonely highways, dark, scary forests. Foggy days and snowy nights. The ghost of a missing girl lingering for decades.... I loved it.

I’ve always enjoyed Chris Scully’s storytelling and her characters once again felt real– I was intrigued from the beginning– and it was a pleasure getting to know them, learning their stories.

►

Alex Colville and Benjamin Morning grew up as neighbors and did what best friends do: They spent all their free time together, exploring the forests, and picked one another up when one of them felt down. While both boys had corrupted family dynamics and relied on each other, it was Alex who needed Ben’s quiet strength the most.

When they were thirteen, Ben’s older sister Misty Morning disappeared, supposedly ran away to escape the small town and become a model. Twenty years later her car was recovered and the questions once again arise: What really happened to Misty?

The year Misty went missing, Alex, his mother and sister moved to America, leaving their alcoholic, good-for-nothing father behind. Now, twenty years later, Alex returns to see his dying father one last time. Holding on tight to decades of resentment, Alex doesn’t have anything to say to him, but he hopes to at least get a story out of the trip. After all, his writing career is in dire need of something big to get him back on track.

With the familiar scenery of the place he once called home, the memories of his childhood friend come rushing back and soon Alex finds himself on the Morning Family’s doorstep. But, as expected, their reunion doesn’t go so well and when Alex finds out about the reappearance of Misty’s car even he can’t escape the mystery.

Smelling another story, Alex considers helping Mrs. Morning with the investigation of her missing daughter. Trying for decades to escape the drama around his sister, seemingly with no use, Ben wants Alex to stay out of the case. The ghost of Misty just wouldn’t leave him alone….

I thought the mystery and romance and self finding was equally divided and the story well paced. It just worked for me.

►

Alex is the voice of the story and while I didn’t always understand him or his actions I felt for the guy and supported him in his journey. He’s a bit self-centered and bitter where his family is concerned but his heart is in the right place.

Ben was a wonderful character; he’s kindhearted, gentle and teaches free art classes – art therapy for young and old. His relationship with his mother is almost non-existent, definitely on the unhealthy side, and I ached for him. I would have loved Ben’s POV! I think it would have made their story even more powerful.



▽
Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.

[Angie Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC from the publisher

I was hooked on Back to You from the very start. Going home and having past demons come back to haunt you is a premise that gets me every time. When Alex Buchanan returns home to say goodbye to his dying father, there are lot of unresolved issues still waiting for him, and it’s not long before he delves into them. But his boyhood friend, Benji, takes center stage as old feelings begin to flood Alex. Both of these men stole my heart – Ben with his caution and caring, and Alex with his stand-offish personality and unforgiveness towards his father. It was Ben who stole the show for me, which I find interesting since this story is told solely from Alex’s point of view. Despite a past that was more than enough to break anyone, Ben was able to find ways to cope and move on, and he just so kind to people. He was quick to remind Alex that they’d been just boys when they’d been separated, and that there was no blame to be cast at the fact that they’d fallen out of touch. I love the way their story progressed, their memories and the way they came to care for the men they’d become. I found their story to be so emotional, and Alex, especially, had a lot of issues to deal with before they could be together. The entire tone of the story was fairly dark with the town hit hard by the economy. It was a great backdrop, and added a layer of desperation to the story that really made it hit home. The mystery that cloaked the story was a bit predictable, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. I did find the ending to be a bit rushed and would have liked more Ben and Alex time after they’d found their way back to each other, but it was a satisfying story regardless.

If you like a second chance love story about home and healing, I think this will be right up your alley. I really enjoyed Back to You, and I’m excited to read more from this author!

This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite reads of the year

Initially hooked by the cover, Back to You managed to keep me within its grasp cover to cover. This story is the epitome of a slow burn romance. If you're looking for super steamy scenes, you may need to look elsewhere. However, if you're in the mood for a fantastic story, long standing chemistry between childhood friends, or an intriguing mystery with some suspense, I highly recommend this title.

Told entirely from a single point of view in the first person narrative, Back to You follows journalist Alex to his childhood hometown as he reunites with his estranged father. As this was my first experience with the author, I wasn't sure what to expect in regard to writing style. It flows beautifully; not getting too lost in descriptions or purple prose, but managing to capture all the emotions as Alex returns to the small Canadian town of Alton. Similarly, the pacing has a steady thrum to it, keeping me engaged while allowing me time to feel all the emotions whirling around Alex. The dialogue was well written, incorporating inner thoughts, facial expressions, and spoken words to bring the conversations to life. There's also a mystery/suspense subplot that runs the course of the book and closely links Alex to his childhood best friend. It had just the write amount of suspense to keep me guessing.

Although not a coming of age book, Back to You chronicles Alex's journey of momentous growth, as he reevaluates his past beliefs and future goals. There are some brief flashbacks and revisiting of past decisions that shaped Alex and his childhood best friend Benji. I loved the amount of character growth included in the story, it never felt forced and the emotion is written so well that I became very invested in both Alex and Benji's lives. The romance is slow to build, which is realistic given the 20 year lapse of contact and that Alex is in town for a short time. However, I never struggled to care for this couple and want them to work through their painful issues and get a happy ending and I was very happy with how the plot and romance ultimately resolved.

Although I hadn't read this author before, I'll certainly look into her catalog now. The flow, emotion, and character depth is fantastic. I was completely engaged in this book and think it will likely be one of my favorite reads of the year.

*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*

Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club

[Manuela Raimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molto bello prestissimo la recensione sul blog 😍

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was a really fast read for me. Low grade angst in a lost love story. I'm always a little skeptical of romance that have clung to your brain and never been forgotten from a time when the MC's were too young to really know what they wanted so that was a little much for me here. But accepting that I liked Alex and Ben as a couple. I would have liked a little more time with them after everything in the mystery came to light to figure out them as a couple, but it was clear they wouldn't be drifting apart again.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning his estranged father is in the hospital dying from, basically, a life spent drinking, New York journalist Alex returns to his small home town in British Columbia. If nothing else, the experience of reuniting with his father may inspire a story that will land his former Pulitzer Prize winning persona back on the map. The journey will mean interacting with his sister, Janet, who has painful issues of her own. Homecoming will most likely mean running into Alex’s boyhood best friend, Ben, as well. This is an extremely well written, evocative story. The location and the narrator, Alex, shared an unsettled and bleak undercurrent that sucked me in. I needed to know what was happening in Alex’s world: in the past, the present, and possibly – the future.

When Ben and Alex were 13, Ben’s 17 year-old sister, Misty, had disappeared, believed to have run away. Not long after this happened, Alex’s mom had taken he and Janet and left their father, left town, left BC. Alex had never contacted Ben again – a fact Alex was not proud of. Now it is 20 years later, and an out and adult Alex finds himself confronted with the confused emotions he had as a pre-adolescent boy. Unresolved feelings for Ben, hatred for his father, resentment toward his sister and mom.

What ends up being the driving force of the story, is the unsolved disappearance of Misty. Coinciding with Alex’s return to town is the discovery of Misty’s car in a nearby swamp, where it’s apparently been all these years. We discover that Angela, Ben and Misty’s mother, has been completely obsessed with finding out what happened to her. For the whole 20 years. This has left Ben, who has remained in town, to try his best to deal with his mom while also barely registering on her emotional radar. Angela wonders if being a journalist, perhaps Alex can check around for any new leads that have come from locating the car. When Alex hears some barely distinguished words, such as “Didn’t mean to” coming from the lips of his barely lucid father, he’s indeed convinced to ask around. After all, this could also lead to a much more interesting, and possibly notable, piece of journalism. Alex experiences a somewhat stilted reunion with Ben, but as he stays in town and the two men begin investigating what the discovery of Misty’s car may mean, the two of them are able to begin a tentative unraveling and healing of past hurts – shared and otherwise.

As a mystery this is a good one. The remote British Columbia setting sets the stage for some stark, cold, examination into the hearts and souls of the characters. The town is located along the Canadian Highway of Tears, where many women went missing over a period of several decades. There is a doleful and somewhat foreboding undertone to the whole setting and mood, which works well with the mystery aspect and possible answer to what may have happened to Misty.

This book is also a rich examination of the human spirit. How we can tend to live in the past, yet, how as children we may not really see what is happening all around us. As adults, it’s all too easy to let opportunity slide by, to stay in a comfort zone. As Alex reacquaints himself with his father, Janet, Angela, and Ben, he discovers so much about himself. The romance is not the obvious storyline here, but it is definitely palpable, always there, just out of reach at times, but there. In fact, Alex and Ben don’t really have much to say to one another until nearly the halfway mark. Ben has chosen to remain in BC, while Alex had not returned before the present. Their reasons are complex, yet simple. Their journey in this story is remarkable, and their relationship is hard won.

I want to point out that Alex is not a contemptable character - at all! Quite the opposite. I liked him very much and was touched by his (if at first reluctant) care and concern for the people around him. His behavior 20 years earlier was that of a confused and emotionally torn teenage boy. His current situation and reestablished relationships guide him to truly admirable and life-changing actions.

Chris Scully is a new-to-me author and I have happily started reading my way through her backlist.

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[Stella ╰☆╮╰☆╮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little scared to read this new release from Chris Scully, although she is one of my favorite authors, I’m really not a huge fan of mystery stories. I like my readings to be funny, light and sweet. And it’s hard to find a good mystery with these elements in it too. But I couldn’t skip it, so I approached it being a little wary of what I was going to have on my hands. And I was surprised.

Back to You is a beautiful novel, it’s about love, about regrets, about making amends, about deaths, more than one. I found myself in a mystery twenty-years old. A mystery I was sure where it was going on from the start, and I so appreciate the author gave it a little twist and proved me wrong. I so preferred the resolve she chose.

If you already read something else from this author, you know she can write pretty well, she can bring the reader into each new world, new character she creates. Back to You was no exception. I found myself into the characters’ lives and being with them was an amazing journey. Alex and Ben twenty years later should be two strangers and for a lot of things maybe they are, but inside they are the same boys, as the same is the strong connection between them, not just a chemistry but an understanding line that runs deep. A connection that doesn’t turn into sex as soon as they see each other again because there is too much going on around them.

All the characters are real, buried in problems like we are, they are flawed and weak. They suffered and are still hurting.

“I see you, Ben Morning,” I whispered, resisting the urge to fold him in my arms right there in the rotunda of the Community Hall. “I’ve always seen you. All these years. I didn’t know how much I missed you, how much a part of me you still were, until I was here again.” The words were out before I knew they were there, ready to be said. “And I wish I could do everything over, but I can’t. I just . . . I want you to know that.”

I feel to recommend Back to You (and in general ALL the books by this author) to everyone who is looking for a good story, well written, with a great setting and characters well developed. It totally deserves five full stars.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is well done, I especially like the colors and it’s fitting.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past twenty years, Alex has been searching for something whether he realizes it or not. He's tried hookups, a longterm relationship and even a short failed marriage, but he's never been able to recapture the feeling he got from that one innocent kiss shared with his best-friend at the age of 13. Shortly after his parents separate and he's forced to leave Ben, and to move to Seattle with his mom. With his father dying, his sister asks him to come back home to the small town in British Columbia, where he grew up, there he seeks out Ben.

This book is very much Alex's journey and the romance and even the mystery takes a back seat to that. I would have loved to see more of Alex and Ben together as a couple throughout the story. The chemistry they share is explosive, and I wish the author had explored it further.

Ben has suffered greatly from bullies as a young boy and after his sister mysteriously disappears the neglect at home only gets worse. Ben has been broken and went trough therapy and I really would have loved if the author had given him a voice. His story was powerful and I would have loved for the author to have delved deeper into Ben's past from his own point of view.

The mystery portion of the story surrounding Ben's sister was well-written and had enough twists and turns to keep me sitting on the edge of my seat and guessing.

This was a well-written and an easy read. The author's writing flows well and although I found the story a bit slow at times, it was still very entertaining and intriguing. Very recommendable!


*copy provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Emozioni fra le pagine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunshine:

“Ritorni” è uno di quei libri che quando arrivi alla fine sei felice di aver letto.

Quando mi è stato sottoposto per un’eventuale recensione, la quarta di copertina mi ha subito intrigato: un romance m/m con un mistero vecchio di vent’anni da risolvere, il ritorno nel paesino dove il protagonista è cresciuto ma dove non mette piede da anni e anni, il ritrovamento del primo amore. Erano tutti elementi che stuzzicavano la mia curiosità, ma quello che ho trovato è stato molto di più di quello che mi aspettavo.

Non avevo mai letto nulla di Chris Scully e ne sono rimasta decisamente colpita.

Alex è un giornalista di discreto successo che in passato è stato anche candidato al Premio Pulizer. Il padre sta morendo e il suo editore lo manda a casa per scrivere un articolo su di lui, anche se in realtà è in parte una scusa per fare in modo che lo veda prima che muoia. Alex, infatti, non vede il padre da anni.

La prima persona che va a cercare quando arriva è Benji, il suo amico d’infanzia, quello che gli ha smosso qualcosa dentro e che gli ha fatto mettere in dubbio la sua sessualità per la prima volta. Solo che a tredici anni non era abbastanza coraggioso per affrontare questa verità, perciò è sparito dalla sua vita.

Entrambi gli uomini hanno famiglie difficili e complicate. Alex ha passato la sua infanzia con un padre alcolizzato e subendo i continui litigi tra i genitori, Benji è stato cresciuto da una madre single e sua sorella maggiore, appena sedicenne, è scomparsa nel nulla quando era poco più che un ragazzino.

Alex non riesce a perdonare suo padre, Benji vive con il fantasma della sorella.

La storia d’amore tra Alex e Benji s’intreccia in modo indissolubile con le loro famiglie in un groviglio di bugie, cose non dette e segreti inconfessabili.

Il paesaggio, incantevole e allo stesso tempo selvaggio e aspro, accentua le sensazioni provate dai protagonisti.

Rabbia, risentimento, colpa, rimpianto emergono in ogni parola del libro con una potenza dirompente.

La narrazione, che scorre fluida, è dal pov di Alex e ogni personaggio, primario e secondario, è caratterizzato con maestria.

La parte dell’indagine giornalistica alla ricerca della verità sulla scomparsa della sorella di Benji è ben fatta e porta con sé realtà scomode.

Alla fine del libro non avremo solo una storia d’amore, ma ci saremo inoltrati in più di vent’anni di vita dei due protagonisti e delle loro famiglie.

Spero vivamente che arriveranno altri libri di Chris Scully tradotti in italiano perché leggere questo libro è stato un viaggio meraviglioso.

Tfpeel:

Con molto piacere abbiamo letto in anteprima il romanzo di un’autrice che ha deciso di debuttare anche in Italia, Chris Scully.
Alex è un giornalista che torna a casa perché il padre sta morendo. Non c’è un grande rapporto tra i due da oramai tanti anni, lui e la sorella hanno fatto a meno di un padre assente che ha lasciato che la moglie se ne andasse con i figli. Mentre la sorella è comunque tornata a casa e frequenta il padre, lui non si è mai guardato indietro anche se dove viveva ha lasciato parte del suo cuore.
Aveva un rapporto molto stretto con Benji, il vicino di casa che per lui era praticamente tutto il suo mondo. Due ragazzini che si sono sempre fatti forza a vicenda, un legame spezzato che Alex sente il bisogno di ritrovare ora che per lavoro è tornato nei luoghi della sua infanzia. Ma il Benji che ritrova è molto diverso dal ragazzino dolce e sensibile che ricorda Alex, la scomparsa della sorella Misty un ventennio prima e la partenza di Alex poi, l’ha ridotto ad un uomo arrabbiato e deluso, messo da parte da una madre troppo preoccupata per la figlia scomparsa senza pensare che ha un altro figlio che sta soffrendo in silenzio e da un amico che nonostante le promesse è sparito dalla sua vita.
Mentre Alex cerca di ritrovare le sue radici e gli affetti passati, vuole scrivere un articolo proprio sul suo rapporto con il padre. Il suo editore l’ha trovato molto interessante come argomento, chissà che non ritrovi quella magia nello scrivere che è andata persa negli anni, dopo i primi risultati brillanti.

"«Devo andare.»
«Non dimenticarti di me, okay?» mormora.
«Non lo farò.»
«Dillo.»
«Non ti dimenticherò, te lo prometto.»
Prima di capire cosa stia succedendo, Benji si china verso di me e mi bacia. Le sue labbra sono soffici, soffici come quelle di una ragazza, anche se non lo so ancora con certezza, non ho mai baciato una ragazza finora. La sensazione non è affatto male, anzi, è davvero perfetta. Sento le labbra formicolarmi e sono tentato dall’idea di aprire un po’ la bocca, come fanno le persone che si baciano nei film.
Finisce tutto troppo in fretta. Quel clacson impaziente ci fa separare.
La mia faccia è in fiamme e devo uscire da qui prima di scoppiare a piangere, ma è troppo tardi. Mentre corro fuori dalla porta d’ingresso e lungo il vialetto, sento del sale sulle labbra. Le labbra che Benji ha appena baciato.
Mamma non dice nulla quando salto nella cabina del furgone. Janet fa un verso di protesta quando la spingo verso la metà del sedile. Mi giro per l’ultima volta e vedo Benji immobile sul prato con le braccia strette intorno al corpo. E poi partono le campane.
No, non campane. Un telefono. Il telefono di qualcuno che stava squillando.
Aprii gli occhi e mi trovai davanti delle scie di luce che penetravano attraverso le fessure delle tende scozzesi. Mi ci volle un secondo per ricordarmi dove fossi e perché. Fuori dalla porta, la voce di un uomo al telefono passò davanti alla mia stanza.
Il cuscino era umido e quando mi toccai il volto trovai la pelle delle guance dura e vagamente incrostata. Avevo pianto nel sonno? Per uno stupido sogno?
Ma era sembrato così reale."

Nonostante la narrazione sia solo con il punto di vista di Alex, conosciamo presto entrambi i protagonisti. Alex è un uomo che fa fatica a ritrovare l’ispirazione per scrivere dei bei pezzi giornalistici. Un uomo che continua ad avere del rancore verso un padre a sua avviso assente e poco interessato al bene dei figli. Non si spiega la scelta di aver lasciato andare moglie e figli e ancora oggi è in conflitto con la sorella che ha scelto di tornare a casa e di riallacciare i rapporti con il padre.
Benji è un uomo deluso, ferito e amareggiato, non ha mai dimenticato Alex e a differenza sua non ha mai nascosto la sua preferenza per i ragazzi. Perdere Alex per Benji è stato un duro colpo, accentuato dalla scomparsa di una sorella problematica che era tutt’altro che l’amorevole figliola che sua madre si ostina a cercare. Ho amato moltissimo il suo carattere, le sue debolezze e il suo bisogno di voltare pagina, ho un po’ odiato la madre, disposta a fare di tutto per Misty e poco attenta ai bisogni di quel figlio messo da parte che a distanza di un ventennio spera solo di voltare pagina. Ho capito le sue paure e il timore di far rientrare nella sua vita un uomo che lo ha già lasciato una volta, soprattutto perché un rapporto a distanza non sarebbe salutare per nessuno dei due.
Un’ottima partenza per questo debutto, sicuramente molto ben bilanciata la parte gialla con la parte romance che fa da sfondo alla narrazione, senza diventare preponderante. Due personaggi complessi ma ben descritti, una serie di personaggi secondari ben inseriti, non posso che consigliarlo vivamente, per me il massimo dei voti.

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have not read all of this author's books, but from what I have so far Chris Scully somehow managed to play the reader's emotion (as in mine) with troubled characters. Back to You is such a story. A pair of childhood friends that got separated by circumstances and personal doubt. And that's only touching part of the issue in the book.

Back to You is a blend of romance with a bit of mystery and ...general fiction, really. Told from Alex's POV, a character who's far from perfect, I could almost feel their fidgeting leaping off the page. His voice and inner turmoil were genuine, coming from an adult who still harbored childhood's resentment. I especially found his awkward relationship with his father heart-wrenching, not unlike two-sided love/hate of a confused child.

I'm not too fond of blend-in flash back moments as transpired in this book. However, the way the author wielded it somehow make the whole thing work for me. That said, I wish Ben got to tell his side of POV for added wealth to the story. If nothing, it'll be interesting to see Alex from other character's eyes, or - although it'll no doubt causing more tissue emergency - his complicated relationship with his family. And perhaps to show how strong the connection he and Alex always had.

As for the mystery, it might not be such huge revelation as reader could guess what actually had happened from how the characters acted. But the brownie point was the whole not rushing to tie-up all and any loose ends in the story. The undertaking was there - the prosecution process and everything - and in progress.

To summarize, Back to You is a journey to the past to get to the future. It's raw, emotional-ridden, and grounded; an unvarnished story with real people.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never tried this author, in fact never had her on my radar even.  But this cover caught my eye and after seeing a great early review I decided to jump in.

This is a second chance love story about childhood best friends.  I have such a soft spot for these!  Alex and Benji were neighbors growing up and best friends.  Their sisters were also best friends.  Everything changes when Benji's sister goes missing.  Most think she ran away, Benji's mother thinks she's been kidnapped.  That begins the downward spiral in their lives.  Alex's mom divorces her dad shortly after that event due to his alcoholism and moves her kids to another state.  Away from the small town they grew up in, away from their friends.  Alex never looked back.  Even though he promised his best friend that he would keep in touch.

Now a successful journalist, Alex is back in town because his father is on his deathbed.  But this trip stirs up old feelings.  About Misty's disappearance.  About his attraction to Benji.  Alex has been living as a bi-sexual man, having had both relationships with men and women in the past.  But now he's ready to admit to himself that Benji was always the one he loved most from the start.

There are things about this story that I really enjoyed.  The overall feeling that the author manages to convey with the mystery and the setting was excellent.  I wanted to know every detail about Misty's disappearance and I was so focused on the suspense and the overall family dynamics that the romance was taking a back seat for me.

That's not to say that I don't think these two had chemistry.  But it was understated for me.  It's definitely a slow burn type of romance, which is exactly what it needed to be.  But in the end I don't think I managed to get as invested in the couple as I did with everything else going on.  To me, all the rest was the story, while the romance was more in the background.

Still, I enjoyed BACK TO YOU a lot!  It was a really nice small town mystery read and it kept my interest all-throughout.  

*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[1000storie1000vite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quanto struggimento c’è tra le pagine di questo romanzo? Un commovente percorso di accettazione di se stessi e del proprio passato. Un appassionante indagare tra le pieghe del cuore, tra ricordi carichi di sentimenti, tra verità taciute o ignorate per paura.
La voce di Alex pervade tutte le pagine, con sofferenza sussurrata ma potente. L’analisi di sé stesso che si trova a dover affrontare è dolorosa, avvincente, perfettamente comprensibile. Lo spogliarsi della sua anima dai i preconcetti, la rabbia e il risentimento l’ho vissuto come un viaggio intimo, tagliente ma necessario. I suoi rimpianti sono stati così condivisibili da averli sentiti miei.
L’indagine vera e propria, sulla scomparsa di Misty, è complessa, ben strutturata e la svolta finale mi ha sorpresa. Se alcune cose le avevo intuite, altre mi avevano portato totalmente fuori pista.
Ben, il coprotagonista, non diviene ma io narrante, ma nonostante questo lo conosciamo in tutti i suoi dettagli, vedendolo attraverso gli occhi di Alex preadolescente e quelli di Alex adulto. Anche lui mi ha toccato il cuore.
I personaggi secondari sono tutti delineati con maestria ed emergono dalla narrazione con forza.
Il ritmo è placido ma coinvolgente. Lo stile e la resa italiana sono curati e eleganti.
Bellissimo
Hugs&kisses

[Rynn Yumako · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quiet, sort of gloomy story, with some lovely moments here and there. The writing was great and the mystery was okay (although it got predictable for me after the halfway point) and the whole book had that fantastic sleepy atmosphere to it I generally like and here it was no different.

I'd love to say that the romance between the MCs was what made this story memorable, but sadly I just didn't feel that strong connection between them. I'd have loved to see more of them in the past to believe their present relationship, but we only got a couple of flashbacks and those didn't convince me entirely of their present bond. Alex and Ben barely spent a week together after their reunion after 20 years (they were 13 when Alex moved away!) and Alex was ready to give up everything and start a new life with Ben. Maybe it was because we only got Alex's POV and didn't get to see that Ben wanted this just as much as Alex, but this decision on Alex's part felt incredibly rushed.

It might just be me though, so ignore my grouchy ramblings. This was a great book anyway, and it's definitely worth a try!