SYNOPSIS
Who would you become if you lost the only person who ever mattered?For twenty-six year old Dylan Hopkins, the answer is easy. He’s become no one. Memories of the happier times are all he has left as he finds himself meandering numbly through his now dull life. Though he cares about his work and family dearly, he’s yet to let himself find love again. Afraid of letting go of what he once had, Dylan chooses to keep his heart buried, where it belongs, having died a long time ago.
Conner Michelson is about to change everything Dylan knows. He’s every bit the bad boy persona - tatted up, ex-MMA fighter, but after an injury leaves him unable to fight, he has to rethink his goals. Having just opened his own gym, Conner can cross his first major life accomplishment off his very short list. Next up: find a man he can settle down with and build a family. Seems simple enough - a dream most people have, but when he meets Dylan, his carefree, easy-going life is thrown into a tailspin.
Determined to keep Dylan in his life, Conner vows to resurrect Dylan's long ago buried heart and let love live once more.
ARC received for an honest review
Let Love Live is the 5th book in this series, but it could be read as a standalone - but why would you want to miss out on the goodness that is the entire series?
Let Love Live is told in two parts - 8 years ago and present. In the previous books we learnt about Reid's brother Shane, but not the ins and outs of his story. And we have only quickly met Dylan in the previous books.
Now we get the full Shane and Dylan story from the past, and Dylan's present story.
And I have to tell you, Dylan's story made my ugly cry on more than one occasion. Shane and Dylan as teenagers was a sad but also joyous story. You could feel the anger, the pain, the sorrow, the angst vibrating off Shane as he dealt with not only his sexuality, but also his family's reaction to it. You can't help but feel for him, cry for him, have your heart break for him. But not just Shane, but Dylan. While their childhoods may have been complete opposites, the hurt and sadness is felt on both sides.
If you have read the earlier books in the series, you will remember what happens with Shane (though I won't say anything much about it for those who haven't read them), and this is the main thing that makes Dylan who he is today. I think I spent nearly the whole first half of the
Fast forward 8 years. Dylan is still hurting from incidents in his past, and they are stopping him from moving on with his future.
OMG the hurt in my heart for him!
I am pretty sure I spent the entire first half of the book ugly crying!
You just know that it is going to take someone extremely special to break down those walls and help him live again, and boy does he find that in Conner.
I couldn't help but love Conner right off the bat. He is funny, sweet, sexy, and completely enamoured with Dylan right from the get go. Oh, did I mention he is an MMA fighter - drools!!
I love the interaction between Dylan and Conner. Both hurting but both ready to move on with life. I loved how Conner gave Dylan that gentle nudge he needed to take that step.
It is no secret that I am a huuuuuge fan of m/m romance, and I have read some great and not so great stories lately. And Let Love Live... Ms Collins has knocked it out of the park. The emotions, the guilt, the fluttering in the stomach with new love. She didn't make it cheesy or camp. In my opinion she needs to write more of it!
I also loved that we got more of the characters from the earlier books in the series, particularly Reid and Maddy. Reid and Dylan's friendship goes back so far, and it just wouldn't have been right if he was not part of Dylan's story. I loved how close they still were after what they had gone through.
Ms Collins has not disappointed me yet with any of her works that I have read, and I hope she keeps them coming!
Read Prologue over at Melissa's Blog (CLICK HERE)
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.
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