Book Talk Review; Rebound

 

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else…

At least that's what Ben is trying to convince himself. Ready to put his ex-boyfriend in the rear view for good, he connects with a handsome older man who's only interested in something quick and casual. Their rules are simple—no strings, no feelings, and absolutely no kissing.

Thomas has never been with a man before, but in the midst of divorcing his estranged wife, he knows it's something he is ready to act on. He's wondered for years if his attraction to men is something real, so hooking up with an experienced and gorgeous younger man seems like a surefire way to find out. Better yet, it’ll kill two birds with one stone: exploring the depths of his midlife awakening and moving forward into a brand kind of new life.

One time together turns into two times, and two turns into something regular, but the rules still apply… until they don't. Late night phone calls lead to early evening dinner dates, and one by one the rules are all out the window.

Ben was supposed to be Thomas's first time, and Thomas was supposed to be Ben's rebound...but what if the best way to get over someone is also the best way to fall in love?

*

Rebound by Kate Hawthorne is one of her best books. Kate has always been an amazing writer. Each book strengthens her writing and her storylines are always real, characters always raw. But this one is special. These two men are so messy and slightly broken, which makes them kind of perfect. 

Ben is coming off a bad relationship. His ex isn’t a nice person and he put Ben through the wringer in the short time they were together. He decides to take the age-old adage of “the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” He does exactly that. What he doesn’t expect from his hook-up is someone like Thomas. 

Thomas is older, newly divorced, and new to men. Thomas spent the past twenty-plus years with someone who didn’t deserve him. He’s months away from finalizing his divorce and finally able to explore his newfound appreciation for the same sex. What he doesn’t expect is Ben, who makes him feel things he hasn’t felt in a long time—or ever.  

This hook-up quickly turns into something neither man is quite ready for. They quickly become friends with benefits and then have to navigate the consequences of that when their hearts get far too involved for comfort. 

This book is messy. It will put your heart through the wringer just like Thomas and Ben’s hearts. It will have you falling in love alongside them as they try to navigate a relationship while also finding out who they are individually and together, as they realize they didn’t know themselves as well as they thought. Or did they? 

Ben and Thomas work hard to stay together but sometimes mutual respect and adoration and orgasms aren’t enough. Not when self-doubt, broken trust and confidence, and exes from hell are dogging your every step. 

What I loved about this book is that it wasn’t perfect. These characters do a lot of growing. They do a lot of soul searching, and while they make choices that made me cry, they did what was best for themselves and didn’t compromise for less than they deserved. 

Kate Hawthorne has always written characters that are real and she’s always shown that life isn’t easy, nor is it perfect. But I never felt her characters on a visceral level like this. She’s been one of my favorite authors for years, her books are always one-click buys for me, but this…this one is special. It’s possibly one of my favorite books of the year because I felt these characters so deeply. 

Rebound will show you that bruised and battered hearts can still love. It will take you on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, and the prospect of messy, perfectly imperfect first love. It’s a book that will poke at your vulnerable parts because you can see yourself in its characters, and it will tug at your heart in the best of ways. 

*Quote- 

“I am enough and I deserve the best.” 

“Thomas was tired of living a life made of other people’s demands and his would-have-beens. He wasn’t going to let anything else pass him by.” 

“He explored the depths of Ben’s mouth, eager to see if he tasted different with the admission of his feelings fresh on his tongue. There was a hint of something new there, something curious and scared all at once, but something vibrant and ready. Something that was theirs for the taking, so Thomas did exactly that.” 

“In the silence, something had moved between them and everything that happened from that moment forward would build on the foundation they’d made in that short, but knowing silence.”