THE LAST TEXTby ALICE WINTERS
Happy Birthday, Daniel. I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will.
When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer. It makes me feel like there’s a piece of him still alive, at least in my heart.
I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number.
That is, until someone responds to my text. Jace is charming, sweet, and everything I could ever want. But how can I accept someone new in my life when Daniel’s only been gone two years? Even so, Jace starts to consume my world. It feels like I can finally breathe as he helps me understand that my life doesn’t have to revolve around my grief.
Soon, I find myself laughing again as he pulls me away from the hopeless cycle I’ve been caught in, and I love spending time with him, whether it’s playing video games together or discussing our comic book alter egos. But I still need to let go of this guilt and allow Jace to show me that I can love another without replacing what I’ve lost. Jace rewrites my entire world with every word and smile he gives me, and it’s becoming harder to not give in and hand him my heart. Maybe Daniel did respond after all.
The Last Text is a 37k word novella about overcoming loss, finding hope, and friendship that leads to new love.
REVIEW: 4 STARS
"I'm a very talented man, Merrick, you just don't know it yet."
I love when I add a new to me author to my schedule and am pleasantly surprised by the book I read. Alice Winters is very new to me. She normally writes action and comedy, and even has a paranormal thriller comedy....all centered around MM romance. The Last Text was her first jump into Contemporary MM, and now I am peeping out her other books. She's definitely on my radar now and after reading this one and knowing that she was able to give me a full story wrapped up in a novella sized package, I am most pleasantly surprised.
While it was a an easy read with swift storytelling, watching Merrick figure out his new normal while Jace became a part of it just made me smile. Navigating a world without your person has got to be so difficult, and I cannot even begin to imagine that pain. In comes Jace and who can't love Jace?? I loved Jace! Becoming more than friends and the way they started out truly melted my heart. You truly know you've found your match when your days are brightened and made better by the one trying to hold you up when you need it the most. I feel like with this one, Alice gave me a story that while it was short and to the point, I was still able to fall in love with these characters and still feel the pain and sorrow that Merrick was going through. I was still able to fall in love through Merrick's mental eye and watching it come together made for butterflies and smiles. Seriously, I smiled so much while reading this book.
I love the idea of fate. The paths that cross when all other roads look to be diversions...attempts at dislocating fate. But fate can't be stopped and I loved the ease in which Winters told Merrick's story. Circumstances and fate are strong in this one - well placed. It's like reality is peeking in between the world Merrick was hiding in - his own little bubble, and the world that kept going on around him despite his best efforts. Until Jace. Until fate. Jace was such a breath of fresh air with a soft heart that was so embracing. Their dynamic worked on every level for me too. They weren't alpha or cold. They were real men with real feelings and I love how Winters wrote them.
"No one is replacing him. You are creating new memories to add to your old ones."
What I didn't expect was the amount of laughing I did. But the laughing was with a purity and levity I wasn't too sure was even appropriate. What I mean is, this synopsis read as an emotional introduction to someone trying to come to terms with their new life, so the levity of Jace's handling of not only the bad days, but the good ones too, it made for such a refreshing and crisp read.
All I'm saying is, if you want a quick read guaranteed to make you smile and perk you up, The Last Text is definitely one you should consider. I liked it. I smiled throughout it. I fell in love with two guys that needed nothing more than the love between them to get through their days. So worthy. And it was a damn novella? Sheesh...I could have kept reading their story. I'm so glad I pounced when I saw this over on The Scarlet Siren earlier this month. Thanks for the rec, Mo!!
While it was a an easy read with swift storytelling, watching Merrick figure out his new normal while Jace became a part of it just made me smile. Navigating a world without your person has got to be so difficult, and I cannot even begin to imagine that pain. In comes Jace and who can't love Jace?? I loved Jace! Becoming more than friends and the way they started out truly melted my heart. You truly know you've found your match when your days are brightened and made better by the one trying to hold you up when you need it the most. I feel like with this one, Alice gave me a story that while it was short and to the point, I was still able to fall in love with these characters and still feel the pain and sorrow that Merrick was going through. I was still able to fall in love through Merrick's mental eye and watching it come together made for butterflies and smiles. Seriously, I smiled so much while reading this book.
I love the idea of fate. The paths that cross when all other roads look to be diversions...attempts at dislocating fate. But fate can't be stopped and I loved the ease in which Winters told Merrick's story. Circumstances and fate are strong in this one - well placed. It's like reality is peeking in between the world Merrick was hiding in - his own little bubble, and the world that kept going on around him despite his best efforts. Until Jace. Until fate. Jace was such a breath of fresh air with a soft heart that was so embracing. Their dynamic worked on every level for me too. They weren't alpha or cold. They were real men with real feelings and I love how Winters wrote them.
"No one is replacing him. You are creating new memories to add to your old ones."
What I didn't expect was the amount of laughing I did. But the laughing was with a purity and levity I wasn't too sure was even appropriate. What I mean is, this synopsis read as an emotional introduction to someone trying to come to terms with their new life, so the levity of Jace's handling of not only the bad days, but the good ones too, it made for such a refreshing and crisp read.
All I'm saying is, if you want a quick read guaranteed to make you smile and perk you up, The Last Text is definitely one you should consider. I liked it. I smiled throughout it. I fell in love with two guys that needed nothing more than the love between them to get through their days. So worthy. And it was a damn novella? Sheesh...I could have kept reading their story. I'm so glad I pounced when I saw this over on The Scarlet Siren earlier this month. Thanks for the rec, Mo!!
"Sometimes, the best things are the hardest to acquire."
~BEE
PURCHASE
~MEET ALICE WINTERS~
Alice Winters is a self-proclaimed writer who holds a minor in English. She enjoys reading, writing, and hates writing biographies about herself since no one else will write it.
~CONNECT WITH ALICE~
ARC REVIEW
AFFILIATE LINKS USED
COPY PURCHASED FOR GIVEAWAY
Annnnnnnd now you have me wanting to read this. And it's a novella. I don't do novellas lol
ReplyDeleteYes another MM I wanna try Bee! I LOVE your review! I cantc wait to read rhis 😍😍
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