Add to
When everything changes, can renewal bring redemption?
Shane Boyle left Dublin for America, burning most of his bridges, certain his future lay in Florida. When a family crisis forces him back to the city he grew up in, he knows his life will never be the same again. With his sister close to death, his mother and five-year-old nephew Danny need him not just to be around but also to be the rock they can depend on. Torn between panic about his new responsibilities and despair at his impending loss, love and a relationship are the last thing on his mind.
Chris Anderson left Australia for Dublin ten years ago with no intention of ever going back. For reasons he can’t explain, even to himself, he hasn’t been in a relationship for almost as long as he’s been in Ireland. Now thirty-five years old, he wonders what happened to his dream of a lasting bond and a family to call his own.
When Shane and Chris hook up one night in a pub, neither knows that the next day they’ll meet again, this time as colleagues in a tattoo parlour. Chris has no idea about Shane’s dodgy past and Shane can’t figure out the mountain of a man who refuses to take no for an answer. Having to reinvent his whole life is only the start of Shane’s process of renewal. Will Chris turn out to be his savior or his downfall?
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is book three in the Dublin Virtues series. I think you should at least read book one, Patience, before this, to give you the full effect of Shane and what he did.
Jumping straight in here, because I'm left with one word to tell you how I feel about this book.
WOW!!!!
I said Patience was cute, and Equality was nice. Good, positive words for two very good books that didn't quite blow me away.
But this one?? I cried a lot!! I cheered a lot. I cried some more. I was warned, but warnings never quite hit you til you read a book, and this one hits you, fair and square in the heart!!
OH!!!
We met Shane in Patience, he was the one who left Troy high and dry and who had his way with Xander and was done. He has a not so good reputation and I was worried about how Stone could write a story for him without that nastiness coming through.
I need not have worried because the Shane here is NOT the man who went to America. He comes home to help his sister, who is close to death, his 5 year old nephew and his mum. He is, I think, quite broken, by what's happened. Anyone would be, but Shane more so, since he basically flips his personality on it's head. He freely says, in the course of this book, he was a barsteward (yes, I know that's not a proper word, but I can't swear in a review, Mr Amazon doesn't like it!! ) for what he did to Troy and Xander, his apologies are given. But it's Chris who has the most effect on him, I think.
From the time Chris sees Shane, looking so lost, in the pub, something pulls at him. He doesn't know at the point that it's THE Shane, but he finds out. But Chris is keen to point out to Troy and Xander that HIS Shane isn't the same Shane they are talking about, he is a totally different soul, and Chris is old enough to make his own mind up. If the old Shane shows his face, Chris will walk away.
I loved that neither man could fight the pull, that neither man could explain it. It's quite beautiful, watching Chris and Shane come together, after that first rushed time in the pub. Quite early, I think, there is love between the two of them, but neither can see it. And I loved watching it all come together.
I've tagged it darker/grittier because of what Shane is dealing with at home. It may carry some triggers for some readers. Me included. Made me remember going through all that, made for a tearful read.
Bravo, Ms Stone, for saving the best for last. I read this in one sitting, and this was the longest of the three.
5 full stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode. The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world. Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.