Book Talk Review; Rediscovered

 

I'm keeping Jack 

Watching his fake fiancé stumble out of a Vegas chapel with a husband who wasn’t him was the best thing that could have ever happened to Harrison Andrews. There’s only one man Harrison wants to be with, and it’s the one man he can’t have. Why can’t Harrison put his heart on the line and go after the one he always wanted? His old friend has thrown caution to the wind and married a stranger. Why can’t he have what he needs?

Jack Marshall is used to Harrison’s cold feet. Raised as step-brothers, their teenage years were little more than Jack pushing and Harrison pulling away. When they tumble into a Vegas hotel bed together, Jack is ready for a repeat of their past.

Instead, Harrison and Jack rediscover the passion that first brought them together. Harrison learns things about Jack he never knew, and Harrison’s acceptance gives Jack hope that a happy ending could exist for them. Still, he worries Harrison may let their families push them apart forever.

*

I loved this book. I loved it on a different level than I expected. I was excited for Harrison and Jack to get a story because Harrison was cagey about what he was up to in Rearranged, but this book hit me in places I didn’t expect. In her usual low-angst, poetic style, EM Denning wrote a book about two people who hid their scars deep inside. It was soft and squishy, but the characters were real and vibrant and the emotional connection I felt to them blew me away. 

Harrison seems calm and steady on the outside, cold almost. But that is far from the truth. In actuality, he’s a mess who eats green beans straight from the can and is hopelessly and helplessly in love with his step brother. He has so many qualities and quirks that reminded me of myself that I was caught off guard. In a lot of places, I could see myself in him and God did that do things to my insides. Harrison’s mental health has been a sticking point for him his entire life, but the way EM Denning handles it is beautiful and soft. She shows Harrison in all his messy glory but there’s so much more to him than that. He’s soft-hearted and he sees Jack. Sees in him ways that Harrison himself wants to be seen. 

Jack. I’m keeping Jack. He’s mine now. He’s soft and sweet and so vulnerable and I absolutely fell in love with him from the beginning. He’s been hurt before, by other people who weren’t worth his time and by Harrison as well. He just wants to be loved for all that he is. He’s the absolute sweetest and I want to keep him safe and warm and loved forever. 

These two are the best. Their love for one another is so soft and pure. They don’t make each other better just by loving one another, but they help each other see the loveable parts of themselves. Harrison helps Jack feel beautiful and cherished in ways he’s never had before. Jack understands Harrison’s quirks and mental illness in a way that no one else was willing to do before. They care for one another and you can feel it pour off the pages. These characters came to life in the sweetest of ways. It’s definitely one of my top EM Denning books. 

Not only do we get the sweetest relationship from Harrison and Jack, but we get to see Rowan and Sid at times too. Rowan shows up for Harrison in big ways, even though their relationship got weird because of their parents’ scheme, they’re learning how to be friends again now that they’re married to the men they were always meant to be with. These two books were wonderfully written and executed, and reading them was a joy. 

*Quote

“He made Harrison feel safe. Not only his body but his mind and his heart. There was nothing he could say or do or feel that would make Jack think less of him. It was a truth he felt down to his bones.” 

“All of you. All the parts of you that you’re scared to show people. I want to know them all. I don’t want to change you, but I want you to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. And whoever he is, I’ll love him as deeply and madly as I love you.” 

“He was just Jack. Invisible to everyone, except Harrison.” 

“Their mouths came together like a wave crashing against the shore. Inevitable and gentle but with the force of nature behind it. It swept them away from reality and to a place where they could exist in a bubble of happy lust.”