C.E. Ricci

Narrated by Michael Dean and Zachary Johnson. Audiobook released 2022.

What a racking experience this novel was! It felt like "Doctor Zhivago" - an epic love story, not set in a war torn 19C Russia, but on a quiet Oregon beach in the 21C.

There's no lack of unrequited love here. Thwarted love. Grinding heartache.

From the time we meet him at 17, I felt heartsick for Easton, and just as much for his one-year-older step brother Cannon. On the outside, Cannon would seem to have everything - a show more high school football star who is dating the head cheerleader. But his father is always on his case...and then there's a horrible interaction between them on Cannon's last day of school.

What a superb job by the two narrators. Zachary Johnson uses his monotone voice for Cannon, matching his repressed persona.

Easton, a surfer, a gorgeous young man who is a free spirit but takes terrifying risks and is a tormented soul...he is nearly hysterical in the psychological sense, in the emotional stress he suffers from his longing for Cannon in his life.

Cannon is an "anchor". It's a suitably maritime metaphor. The reader grinds through 12.5 hours of their own "longing" for Cannon to come to the realisation that this is his purpose, the way out of the shackles he has on his nature.

The only shortcoming is that the book is a little repetitive - is that meant to mimic the tireless nagging of heartache?! Some of this could be edited out. And Easton does seem to be more overwrought and reactive than always seems consistent with his otherwise high functioning demeanour.

Until I saw it written somewhere, I was picturing the name Easton as Eastern. I think that is how it should be spelt for this character. He is a point on a compass, so important in navigating - guiding Cannon to where he should be. The sun rising in the east is birth, growth, resurrection, new beginnings.

Gut wrenching and redemptive.

(Later) I saw that a reader captured the experience of this novel with just one line: "The angst, tension, longing, pain, grief… it was all too much and just perfect at the same time". show less

“I was always yours, Cannon. Even when you didn’t want me, my heart still was in the palm of your hand.”

Ooh boy this was an intense one. They are technically stepbrothers so move along if that isn’t for you.

Cannon never saw Easton as family and they didn’t even get along as kids. After a single olive branch was offered, Easton came with him to a party and things quickly spun out of control. Despite him attempting to keep Easton safe from essentially being beaten for being gay, show more Cannon is thrown out by his father.

After years of no contact, he’s back to deal with a tragedy and only Easton to turn to who is spiraling. He decides to comfort him in the most complicated way possible.

The only thing I didn’t believe at all is that no one in town has anything to say about these stepbrothers hooking up? No one? At all?

The cameo from Don’t You Dare was adorable. show less

4.5

Oh CE Ricci, you never fail to leave me with a book hangover. I didn’t think that I could love another couple in the Leighton U series the way that I love Quinton and Oakley, but you have outdone yourself again.

I adore Hayes and Kason. Their personalities clashing and adjusting to each other as roommates had me LOLing. I see myself in both of them, so it was so easy to fall in love.

Slowly getting to know Hayes had me smiling like a fool. I love how closed off and introverted Hayes is, show more but once you peel back his armor, you find a funny, full-of-life, and emotionally intelligent soul. He’s hilarious but just guarded. He’s the quality-over-quantity type of friend that he looks for in others. I also truly appreciated the genuine friendship that they built before recognizing their emotional attachment to each other.

Oh and do not get me started on Hayes's parents, the ultimate Lint-Lickers! I just knew that if they were friends with Quinton’s parents, then they were gonna suck.

I want to be friends with this entire friend group, and I cannot wait to read more of them as the series continues. Has Quinton always been this funny? He had me dying.

I also think it’s important to share that my nephew just had a popcorn fundraiser right as I started this. Needless to say, it only felt right to eat an obscene amount of popcorn while reading. show less

I’m pretty sure CE Ricci trauma bonded me with this one. These two characters put me through the wringer! I felt every single emotion you could feel and shed MANY MANY tears.. happy tears, angry tears, sad tears, frustrated tears, tears of relief, tears of laughter, just ALL of the tears. I’m certain that I hated both characters at some point throughout the duet, but by the end I was equally and immeasurably in love with both River and Rain. I mourned them for weeks after closing the show more pages and I still think about them daily. show less