Fans of m/m reads will find themselves captivated by this emotionally intense ménage that depicts a couple falling apart and the efforts to reignite the closeness they once shared. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Hiatus by L.A. Witt as well as getting an in-depth look at the characters and their emotions. You'll also get my impressions of it before adding it to your bookshelf!
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life? - Sometimes yes, sometimes no. In Hiatus, Cameron’s anxiety/OCD and Theo’s depression are based quite a bit on my own. I write a lot of books based around the military life too because I’ve lived on/near bases for the past fourteen years. In general, I’ll draw from my experience if it works for that story/character, but it’s not unusual at all to write about things I’ve never experienced directly (World War II, gladiators, etc).
Three’s a disaster when things come unraveled.
Rock star Nate Keller is on top of the world, but his headlining tour has one drawback. It keeps him away from his boyfriends, Theo and Cameron, for weeks at a time. Yet after four-and-a-half years—and a lot of hard work—the trio is still going strong.
But then Cam comes to visit with devastating news. After seventeen years together, he and Theo have agreed to a trial separation. Nate tries desperately to fix his lovers' broken relationship, but there's only so much he can do from the road.
Rock star Nate Keller is on top of the world, but his headlining tour has one drawback. It keeps him away from his boyfriends, Theo and Cameron, for weeks at a time. Yet after four-and-a-half years—and a lot of hard work—the trio is still going strong.
But then Cam comes to visit with devastating news. After seventeen years together, he and Theo have agreed to a trial separation. Nate tries desperately to fix his lovers' broken relationship, but there's only so much he can do from the road.
At home, Cam tries to carry on, but feels like his whole life is spiraling out of control. Theo struggles to cope with the split as his depression worsens. They’re both spinning their wheels, quickly losing hope they can keep it together—and keep the man they both still love.
Desperate, Nate drops everything in a last-ditch attempt to pull their trio back together before they hit rock bottom. Except their love could already be shattered beyond repair.
Warning: Contains two men who must face how broken they are before they can fix their failing marriage, and the man who loves them both—but doesn’t know how to save them.
Desperate, Nate drops everything in a last-ditch attempt to pull their trio back together before they hit rock bottom. Except their love could already be shattered beyond repair.
Warning: Contains two men who must face how broken they are before they can fix their failing marriage, and the man who loves them both—but doesn’t know how to save them.
EXCERPT:
“The Riverside Hotel, please."
The cab driver punched it into his GPS, turned on the meter, and pulled away from the fairgrounds. The enormous parking lot had mostly cleared out, but there were still a few people making their way back to their cars, so I kept my baseball cap pulled over my eyes. As much as I adored my fans, and still couldn’t believe they’d recognize me—never mind mob me—I had somewhere else I needed to be tonight.
In my lap, I turned on my phone and texted my boyfriend, Cameron.
Leaving now. Be there in 20.
Then I turned the phone over and grinned in the darkness. Cam and his husband, Theo, had flown in this afternoon. I hadn’t seen them in three weeks—not since they’d met me like this at another hotel in another city—and I’d been climbing the walls every night. Skyping, texting, and e-mailing only did so much to make up for the lack of physical contact while I was out on tour. For the last seven months, I’d been on the road, only occasionally dropping back into LA, and in between, seeing them whenever they could meet me. Seven months down, at least five to go, assuming more dates weren’t added again.
Technically, we had an open relationship. Especially while I was out on the road, they had no problem with me hooking up with other guys. The same went for them. The only rules were we had to use condoms with other people, and with each other if we’d been with anyone else.
In practice, though, they were monogamous except for me, and despite the option being open, I hadn’t touched anyone. My band thought it was hilarious—now that we’d actually made it big and could act like the rock stars we’d always thought we were, I was practically celibate. Go figure.
But I didn’t want anyone else. For the last four and a half years, the only men I’d touched were the two who’d welcomed me into their bed and their marriage. I was one lucky bastard too. They were sweet, generous, and both were dynamite between the sheets.
Didn’t hurt that they were gorgeous too. They were different, and yet somehow complemented each other. Fair-skinned Cam, who never managed to get any color despite living in Los Angeles. Theo, who could tan just looking at a photo of a beach. They both worked out and looked the part, and even though they’d long ago left the world of high-powered investment banking, they still looked that part too. Theo kept his dark hair short and professional. Cam looked studious and serious whether or not he had on his glasses. Small wonder they’d caught my eye that first night, since they’d both been wearing shirts and ties.
I shivered. God, those two were the reason business attire had been invented.
My phone buzzed. I turned it over, and Cam had written back.
Rm 1128. See you soon.
I put the phone down again and rolled my stiff shoulders. I was seriously tempted to ask him for a massage tonight, but damn it, he hadn’t come here to work. He and Theo were here so we could fuck each other senseless, which would tide us over until the next tour stop where they could meet me.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a reader who loves being put through the emotional wringer when it comes to romances, this book grabbed me from the very first page and squeezed my heart until its hard-fought conclusion. Along the way readers are made part of the tug-of-war between a couple who thought they'd always be together and the third part of their triad who never saw their break coming. In a relationship that seemed so solid at first, the break seems to come out of nowhere and seems impossible to heal. Cam and Theo have been together over half their lives and have trouble saying goodbye to one another, but being together is becoming even more painful. Hurt feelings and fear of admitting their own issues is holding them back and it will take hitting bottom before they can rise back up. In the meantime though Nate's feeling like a child of divorce torn between the two men he loves, making them happy, while trying to safeguard his heart. It all makes for a messy and frustrating journey to HEA that will leave readers screaming over Theo and Cam's obstinence while cheering Nate's maturity and bravery in handling the situation.
This is a romance teeming with angst that had me aching with the characters every step of the way. Triad relationships can be difficult to depict believably but Ms. Witt presents readers with a deeply committed couple and the man who turned both of their heads and becomes a solid base in keeping them together. Each man has a unique personality which makes it easy to bond with each one and feel sympathetic to the pain they're going through. It's a pain that leads to desperate encounters, harsh words, and lots of tears. It's also pain that seems easy to address but Theo and Cam refuse to admit their own issues, too close to the situation to see things clearly, and it's their pigheadedness that draws their pain out almost past the point of no return. These emotional and mental issues are handled in a respectful manner though, vividly depicted to pull readers into the character's chaotic and depressive moments to make their situation easier to relate to. It's not all doom and gloom though as there are plenty of steamy encounters along the way. Early on these scenes are tinged with sadness and desperation, but by the end the scenes are cleansing with a feeling of renewal.
This is a thought-provoking story when it comes to the handling of mental illness, vividly depicted and respectfully presented. It's a sexy story at times too with its scorching m/m encounters as well as heartbreaking in seeing a deep love flounder. It's the kind of romance that makes you feel on many different levels and kept me fully immersed from start to finish hoping for a HEA with each page turned. The main characters are immensely appealing with words and deeds that sometimes leave you frustrated (notably Theo and Cam), but still rooting for them to find each other again. Nate's the glue to their relationship and says what readers think, pointing out the obvious and forcing his lovers to deal with things head-on. Surrounding this conflicted triad is a small cast of secondary characters with some being supportive and some being antagonistic, but either way they all have a hand in getting these men to keep working on their relationship in a story that pulls at your heartstrings repeatedly. Ultimately, while the story does go on a bit longer than necessary, it's another satisfying addition to Ms. Witt's bookshelf and a tale that fans of m/m romances with want to experience.
This is a romance teeming with angst that had me aching with the characters every step of the way. Triad relationships can be difficult to depict believably but Ms. Witt presents readers with a deeply committed couple and the man who turned both of their heads and becomes a solid base in keeping them together. Each man has a unique personality which makes it easy to bond with each one and feel sympathetic to the pain they're going through. It's a pain that leads to desperate encounters, harsh words, and lots of tears. It's also pain that seems easy to address but Theo and Cam refuse to admit their own issues, too close to the situation to see things clearly, and it's their pigheadedness that draws their pain out almost past the point of no return. These emotional and mental issues are handled in a respectful manner though, vividly depicted to pull readers into the character's chaotic and depressive moments to make their situation easier to relate to. It's not all doom and gloom though as there are plenty of steamy encounters along the way. Early on these scenes are tinged with sadness and desperation, but by the end the scenes are cleansing with a feeling of renewal.
This is a thought-provoking story when it comes to the handling of mental illness, vividly depicted and respectfully presented. It's a sexy story at times too with its scorching m/m encounters as well as heartbreaking in seeing a deep love flounder. It's the kind of romance that makes you feel on many different levels and kept me fully immersed from start to finish hoping for a HEA with each page turned. The main characters are immensely appealing with words and deeds that sometimes leave you frustrated (notably Theo and Cam), but still rooting for them to find each other again. Nate's the glue to their relationship and says what readers think, pointing out the obvious and forcing his lovers to deal with things head-on. Surrounding this conflicted triad is a small cast of secondary characters with some being supportive and some being antagonistic, but either way they all have a hand in getting these men to keep working on their relationship in a story that pulls at your heartstrings repeatedly. Ultimately, while the story does go on a bit longer than necessary, it's another satisfying addition to Ms. Witt's bookshelf and a tale that fans of m/m romances with want to experience.
My rating for this is a B.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn't lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don't tell Lauren. And definitely don't tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…
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