A World Apart: Loving Again Book 1, Mel Gough

Ben's life isn't going the way he thought it would.  With a marriage failing, a daughter he doesn't see enough, and a job that's going nowhere the overwhelming feeling above everything is loneliness.  When he encounters a defiant yet vulnerable younger man in his partner's handcuffs he doesn't fully realize just how much change is headed his way.  But Donnie's life is nowhere near ready for the affection and devotion Ben could offer.  If they can't find a way to bridge the gap between their worlds, their loneliness and demons just might swallow them whole.

From start to finish there was so much pain.  For most of the book there wasn't a feeling of when it would end, though small moments of peace were there.  Their journey is traumatic, gritty, and heartbreaking.  Knowing their story will be continued in A New Life doesn't exactly help matters, it only serves to prolong the feeling of angst and apprehension.  But with all the raw emotions and situations they faced, they forged a connection that was tested and came out victorious in the end.

The writing style for these characters was pretty jarring.  Especially Donnie's perspective.  It was stilted and awkward to say the least.  I'm not sure what the overall feeling trying to be achieved was, but it just read awkwardly.  The confessions came a little early for my tastes because it was after emotional and physical chaos, during vulnerability, and without a lot of foundation to support it.  Not that I didn't believe that they could feel it, just that it wasn't exactly revisited in a way that felt grounded and stable.  I also felt that the connection between them was lacking.  With more of a build-up or things shared in common it would have been more genuine.  The ending was pretty nice with a few things wrapped up and reconciliations that spoke of an open hope.  Whether their story stays happy, though, that's the question.  I don't know how much more angst I can handle as they live their new life.

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