Publisher: Stars and Ink Press
Pages: 241
Characters: Echo/Peri
POV: 3rd
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
One lost soul graffiti artist. The sweetest boy ever. Will they save each other or go down in flames?
Echo is a brilliant artist but he’s not a good bet. He’s running from a suspended sentence and trying to pay off a debt that’s about to cripple him, literally. When he gets involved with a drug gang, his life goes from bad to worse. Until he meets Peri.
Peri is like sunshine. He’s innocence and good things—he’s home. Spending time with Peri is saving Echo’s life in so many ways. Peri teaches him sign language, teaches him the important things in life don’t always need words to express them. And more than that, Peri shows him how even the most broken heart can heal.
But Echo is trouble and he wants to save Peri from getting hurt. If only falling in love wasn’t so bloody impossible to stop.
If you like lost boys being found and love redeeming even the most hopeless of situations, you’ll love Sometimes There’s Stars.
Review
I loved this story. I liked how Echo and Peri who are two very different people connected and found friendship and love. Their story is emotional and raw, and feels very real. Echo’s story shows how easy it is to get into so much trouble he’s drowning, yet finds a life raft in a most unexpected place. I loved how Peri is sunlight, and Echo, being in darkness, is drawn to him.
I really liked how, although Peri has physical obstacles he lives with every day, he’s the one who is the rock for Echo, and there for him, and the strong one in their relationship. I also loved how Echo stands up to the bad guys and literally risks his life to protect Peri. Their relationship felt equal right through the story. I loved the description of falling in love, and how it ties into the title of the story.
I thought the author’s prose was very lyrical and I loved the descriptions. I thought how Peri gets caught up in his thoughts came across very well. The supporting cast is great, and I particularly liked Marie and Milly. I thought the role perceptions play in how the other characters, and the reader, see Juliette was nicely done.
The action scenes are well written, and the danger they find themselves isn’t played down. The people they are up against are nasty, and come across as very threatening. I liked how life isn’t portrayed as always sweet, and is often gritty and difficult. I loved how Peri makes a difference in not only Echo’s life but those around him. It says a lot for his strength of character that he’s looking out for others and doing what he can to make their lives better.
I felt for Echo and how he thinks he needs to stay away to protect Peri. This is very much a story of found family and the need to belong.
I thought this was a very satisfying read, and my first thought when I finished was wow. 5 out of 5 stars.
