Center of Gravity: Nook Island Book 1, Neve Wilder

We all wear masks.  For some it's being the life of the party to mask the pain or struggles inside.  For others it's a mask of indifference or pomposity covering the same things.  So it's prudent not to judge solely on those masks.  But also not to judge what we do to cope.  Rob and Alex are at odds in so many ways but they just might be exactly who the other person needs to break through their pain and to shed the masks.

Slow burn...much, much emphasis on the slow.  Well, maybe only in terms of romance.  When it comes down to attraction and sexual situations they've got an awkward club bathroom moment as their foundation and weekend hookups precariously stacked on top of that once they surrender to their chemistry.

I have mixed feelings about their evolution.  On the one hand it's wise to make them resolve so much of their individual angst before they create a life together based on hope, love, and a future rather than grief, fear, and frustration.  On the other, it takes so freaking long for them to wise up, admit who and what they want, and to go for it.  I would have loved something more in the way of getting together earlier to forge something deep based on sharing burdens and complete honesty as well as some grief counseling as individuals to work through the myriad of things felt during the grieving process.  I could definitely have done without the mentions of other partners.  Yes, in reality they weren't truly together when they were with others.  I'm just more the type to enjoy romantic ideals rather than reality most of the time.

So. Much. Angst.  But when they finally get to their "lay it on the table" moment...man, there's so much heart packed into what they say that I'm blown away.  All their heartache, miscommunications, failings, frustrations, vulnerabilities, fears, hopes, yearnings, and tenderness coalesce into two freaking fantastic confessions.  This was a story fraught with reality, sadness, and love.  Despite my mixed feelings about what I typically look for in a romance novel and what I got, there's no denying that this was a moving story about love, loss, and picking up the pieces after it all.

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