Drawn to You, Jaclyn Quinn

A heart can only pine for so long before the ache takes over.  For Elijah, he feels like he's approached that point over and over but after hearing the callous words from Jake, the man he hoped could be more, he's finally done.  Jake sees what he's doing is hurting Elijah but he just can't stop because he doesn't feel worthy enough to give Elijah what he deserves.  Until a tragedy brings Jake to his knees and Elijah to his side.  Navigating loss, heartache, and the casualties of the devastation bring both men closer together until they think that maybe, just maybe, they might be able to make things work after all; or maybe their closeness is just a product of hurt and comfort and it won't last.  Without courage they might lose it all before they can speak their hearts.

From their first coupling until the end, it's clear Elijah and Jake have serious chemistry.  It's that chemistry and the hope for more that brings Elijah back for more over and over again.  Finally, when he declares he's had enough, Jake begins to show his possessiveness, a possessiveness that has no place in the face of his rejection of Elijah's heart.  I was pretty disgusted with Jake's treatment of Elijah and the things he'd say to their partying coworker.  All the broken pieces of our hearts, mine and Elijah's, are mended by Jake's confession near the end though.  In fact, it's Jake's heart that made me fall in love with this story so hard.

There was so much pain, so much raw honesty over and over here.  From the horrendous grandparents, the grief of so many, the fallout of the grief and recovery, the passion, feeling undeserving, the tenderness and healing, feeling worthy...I was moved all throughout the story and couldn't have predicted just how much I would love the journey.  It's family that can bring us down or lift us up, but it's the chosen family that gives our heart a home, enhances the meaning of who we are, and provides a place to land when life throws us its worst.  From lows to highs, the family Jake and Elijah surround themselves with are some of the best humans and it was a pleasure to read this story.

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