RELEASE DAY REVIEW: 'Wish You Were Here' by Asta Idonea
Title: Wish You Were Here
Author: Asta Idonea
Published: February 8, 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Genre: New Adult; Paranormal Romance
Length: 59 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Coming of Age, Angst: Light; Comfort/Hurt; Non-Explicit; Paranormal; Novelette
About Wish You Were Here
The death of Oakley’s sister has left his family broken and buried beneath their grief. In an attempt to get out from underneath their pain, they rent an isolated cottage in the Cotswolds. For Oakley, it’s an exercise in futility. He doesn’t see much hope for things to get back to the way they used to be, and he’s bored and restless as he waits out the time until he can return to the city and university. All of that changes when he meets local boy Bobby, and the connection between them is instant. Within a few days, Oakley is ready to walk away from everything to stay with Bobby. However, Bobby has problems of his own, and they might be more than the budding romance can survive. But they might also give Oakley a new perspective on his own situation.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW:
In her hauntingly beautiful Wish You Were Here, Asta Idonea examines the ways grief affects us, and what it takes to return to life. From the first sentence, we’re sucked into the moods and thoughts of her very flawed, but relatable characters. “Summer passed England by that year, as if it shared his family’s grief and refused to intrude upon such solemn days with unwanted sunshine.”
After losing his beloved sister, Oakley, a university senior, is dragged on a countryside holiday by his grief-stricken parents. He believes he’s their booby prize, that his sister, Mara, was the bright star they all loved most.
She was the only one who understood him, until he meets Bobby, a local boy. The young men immediately connect, as they are both misunderstood and feel rejected. But Bobby’s secrets may create an insurmountable barrier.
In his desire to protect Bobby, Oakley slowly confronts his own self-centered peevishness. He starts off as a spoiled brat who thinks, “If he had to come along on this enforced vacation, was it too much to ask for a hotel with Internet access and a television in every room?”
The relationship gives him a reason to consider others’ pain. “It was as if he needed to shield Bobby from something. A sense that if he kept Bobby safe, he could fix his own problems. It was a selfish kind of protection, he supposed.”
But self-awareness cannot prevent pain. I loved the big confrontation scene. It begins perfectly, an argument over pork cutlets. After all, humans tend towards irrational fear of confronting serious issues.
In Wish You Were Here’s mere 59 pages, Asta’s clear insight into adolescence and grief, her awareness that we all misperceive ourselves, and her unflinching honesty, allows us to love the unlovable, to respect the growth required to reach maturity.
A copy of Wish You Were Here was provided to Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
About the Author
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing. She is never found too far from her much-loved library/music room.
For more works by Asta visit her Nicki J. Markus website.
