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Unbreak Me
Young Englishman, David Hammond, discovers life on a remote farm in South Africa isn’t at all what he was expecting. He expected the change in climate to do him good. To lift his mood. He certainly didn’t expect farmer, Jonathan Rosseau, to be so rugged or handsome. It turns out, it’s more than the warm weather that gets David hot under the collar.
David deals with his emotions the only way he knows how. By keeping a diary. A very detailed diary. A diary you get to read.
Unbreak Me is a story about first love and coming out. It contains a dollop of angst, smatterings of self-deprecating humour, and enough steam to make your hair frizz.
Depression and self-harm are mentioned.
David deals with his emotions the only way he knows how. By keeping a diary. A very detailed diary. A diary you get to read.
Unbreak Me is a story about first love and coming out. It contains a dollop of angst, smatterings of self-deprecating humour, and enough steam to make your hair frizz.
Depression and self-harm are mentioned.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2022
About the author
Jesse H. Reign
13 books655 followersI'm Jesse, and I write contemporary and paranormal MM romance.
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
December 30, 2023
“I wasn’t expecting you, Davey. I didn’t see you coming, and maybe that’s how you got under my skin. Deep under my skin. So deep, you got into my blood. Now you’re like napalm running through my veins and I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
Some bad, but for the most part, it was good.
I struggled with the beginning. Specifically till the ~35% mark. The beginning felt like a chore to get through—very dull, boring, with no excitement about anything or anyone. I was worried the story would be a total miss with how lazily I’d been reading, skimming a little to get to the point. The writing is done like a journal, as we follow David’s narration and point of view through his journal entries. This wasn’t an issue, but it became agonizing with how mechanical it felt at first. Both characters were tedious, with nothing making them stand out. They weren’t exactly one-dimensional, but they both felt unoriginal. The lack of emotion in the writing didn’t help, since the characters weren’t doing much to make their personalities more vibrant.
The pace of this is slow, with both David and Jon starting off as strangers first, roommates second, fuck buddies third, and finally, lovers. Normally, I’d love a slow and gradual pace, but with the dull, mechanical writing feeling robotic, uneasy storyline, monotonous characters, and passivity, it didn’t help strengthen the tone of the story. We see Jon and David engage in daily, mundane tasks, which isn’t a complaint, per se, since I personally love seeing characters doing these boring activities. However, there wasn’t any type of gentle pull the relationship was giving me. I wasn’t invested in the relationship, felt like sexual tension was lacking despite their sexual encounters, and couldn’t point out when, where, and what made both characters see each other differently. I became worried, thinking I was going to need to skim large quantities of this to get to the point. And in a way, I did, but fortunately, I preserved and it was worth it.
The second half felt completely different.
The first quarter of this was possibly the poorest. Then, the build up toward the second quarter offers a little more depth, with the readers learning more about David and Jon, but especially Jon, as he starts off as an enigma. We see Jon and David learning more about each other emotionally and sexually. One of the best things about this is the lack of filler from David and complete honesty from Jon. Both characters are different in personalities and have different knowledge of everything related to sexuality, sex, and relationship, but Jon is ever-so patient to David’s rambling and continuous questions. Honestly, I loved this. I loved that we saw David asking questions we don’t see often. Whether answers are correct or not is not my problem; I’m just glad he knew he didn’t know everything, coming off as an unsure and, quite literally, a virgin. Nothing like a bumbling, stereotypical one, but one full of questions and confusion, showing his eagerness to learn and explore.
As this develops, so does the relationship between Jon and David. Their friendship is a sort of friendship with benefits at this point, but I was here for it, which is unusual for me since it’s not my favorite trope. The story becomes sex heavy, but not the type to overtake the story, offering nothing intimate outside of the bedroom. I mentioned in my pre-review how I think this is the first time I read a romance where one main lead admits it hurts and the other pulls out immediately. Which is sad. It was…refreshing, to say the least. Realistic, of course. This doesn’t happen enough in romances. I’d even go as far as saying it hardly ever happens. I get it, they’re not meant to be realistic, but sometimes I want that realisticness. The awkwardness. The hitting your head against the headboard or laughing about a t-shirt getting stuck. The not knowing what to do because it’s your first time. The uncertainty of being able to take it all in orally or penetratively.
The loud, slapping sound of him slamming into my body reverberated throughout the room. I loved it. I lived for it. It felt so good it hurt. And then, it really did start to hurt. I took a couple of deep breaths, to see if I could breathe through it, but it was still too much.
I remembered words and reached back and pressed my hand against his thigh to slow him. He stopped instantly, pulling all the way out and sinking down on his knees behind me. He spread my cheeks gently, examining me carefully, before sinking his mouth onto me.
This wasn’t even the first sex scene. This was the first time Jon was rough with David because that’s what David wanted. So yeah, even though they had sex before and there was preparation, it goes to show that gentle and rough, are in fact, different. Which you’d think is known and common sense but not in romance books! Virgins tend to take it roughly with no issue whatsoever. Or maybe the person hasn’t had anal sex in a long time yet there’s still hardly any prep or they go in dry. Nice to see a difference.
One thing about me is that I hardly ever comment on the sex in these romances, novels. The only time I do is when the smut feels like it’s too much or if there is a lack of emotional connection and all the characters do is fuck. I’m happy to say though, that for me, a very vanilla reader, this had a lot of sex that worked so well. Each one has a reason to be there and didn’t feel like it was just filler or added for the sake of adding two characters fucking. So much intimacy that grew and helped the relationship develop. The sex is intimate, rough, gentle, sexy, hot, and becomes a big part of the relationship. It’s a way for the two to show their love for each other, but it’s not the only way.
There’s a lot to appreciate about it compared to other novels, especially in MM: lots of preparation, usage of lube, talk about testing and being clear before sex (although I’m confused why they didn’t just use condoms?? Did they not have any where they lived in South Africa???), kink exploration, talk of past relationships, safety words and measures, different positions, feeling embarrassment and apologizing for coming too fast or for being loud (like moaning a lot or making lots of noise), mention of some anatomy like sphincter (this is all I made note of but also when do you ever see this?), David learning to swallow and ride and clench and relax (because he isn’t a wizard and magically knows how to do everything when he was a virgin just because he has sex once). Also, we see David have his butthole cleaned. This is super rare. I wish more romances depicted this because it’s realistic. Like yes, thanks for mentioning that David had his ass cleaned because it’s necessary and hygienic and realistic. Cleaning, douche, enema use—whatever. It’s nice to see a virgin character who doesn’t know what they’re doing, is shocked and confused, has to learn different things, and doesn’t just take it in as if it slides in super easily.
The only thing left was my desire to serve him. To house him. To please him. All I was, was a hole for him to fill.
As the second half approaches, we see more substance from the characters. They become more developed, offering more emotional depth, more reliance for themselves and the reader. We see the two men dive into routines, the same ones full of mundane, daily tasks that become relevant to their day to day chores. Throughout this, we’re filled with many different things to love from them, ranging from the sex, to them spending time together reading or writing, cooking, going out, spending time with other family members of Jon (like Luna), learning even more from each other, exploring each other’s bodies more, having heart to heart conversations on different forms of intimacy and connection, and so much more.
The author does an amazing job of building relationship development till the end of the story, never stopping their connection just because they’ve formed it. This is another uncommon trait I see in other romance novels. I think it shows the strength of an author, to continue building intimacy and connection, showing that just because they are at a stronger point does not mean it is done. The novel is over 350 pages, and while this is normally long for me, the length never felt tiresome. It probably has to do with the fact that no page felt meaningless, and the story never felt like it dragged. I applaud this author for building such a strong, relevant connection without dragging it and adding unnecessary filler and dialogue.
Jon’s character is one of my favorites. Respectful, kind, consensual, loving, patient, gentle, tender, rough, dominating, willing, honest. Jon is the reason my standards keep getting raised. His dedication and willingness to teach and mentor David with no shame is glorious to watch. He hides nothing from David, offering answers to questions without second thought and uncertainty. He’s communicative on what he wants, desires, and loves, but he’s also respectful, setting up boundaries for both men, taking into account the fact that David has never been with a man before.
I loved how Jon was probably bisexual or pansexual yet leans more towards pansexual, admitting the person comes first and then the gender. Although he doesn’t care so much for the label, he embraces this, unashamed of who he is, what he has done, his previous relationships, etc. He talks about his previous encounters, with women and men, to David, but only because it’s necessary. Never does he bring up past encounters for the sake of jealousy, drama, or pettiness. He also asks David if it bothers him if he talks about his previous relationships, which goes to show how secure he is in his sexuality but also respects David’s feelings. Jon is incredibly mature, never acting like anything else.
David grew on me a lot. His personality was equally refreshing. He’s eager, but he never felt overbearing. He’s struggling mentally, and his trip to South Africa was done by his parents so he can be “fixed,” which is an issue I had, but nothing too bothersome. He’s a little contradicting with Jon’s personality. Both are very different in appearance and general life experience, but they balance each other well. David was a mixed bag at first. I struggled with him, not because I found everything and everyone boring, but because he came off as a little prudish. He was the type to develop some sort of “macho persona” to prove himself. Regardless, David has his own character development. We see him go from unsure, unwilling, shy, and physically weak, to accommodating, confident, and much stronger, taking advantage of the physical labor he’s put to do in the farm with Jon. His character is mostly a bundle of joy, with his difficult days challenging him sometimes.
This story has a five year separation, and I’m not putting this under a spoiler because this is something many people don’t like and wish they were warned about before. Personally, they don’t always bother me, but they need to be angsty, and it worked in my favor here. Separations are torturous, showing a different form of miserableness. The separation couldn’t be avoided here, which is why I didn’t mind it at all. It would show how the two would take advantage of the time they had together because they knew it was inevitable to change the future.
We kissed and moved together until we both found our release. I sobbed when I found mine. He stroked me and kissed me until I was hard again and then he did what he could to make me feel good again. We didn’t stop. We couldn’t. We fell asleep intermittently, only to wake and reach for each other. In the early hours of the morning I woke up choking on tears and my hand found him. I coaxed him to life, though I had almost nothing left to give. The pain as he entered me was unreal. Not like that. It wasn’t that kind of pain. That would have been better. This pain was in my psyche. This pain was in my soul. It was the type of pain that can only be caused when both people know deep in their hearts; this is the last time.
One of my only other issues, besides the slow, boring start, is how the mental health felt irrelevant after a while. With David’s journal entries, we see how there are days where he struggles and doesn’t write much, so the day/chapter ends quickly. It’s not to say David was cured, since we know he still struggles with anxiety and his mental health is still something that takes a toll on him. And while I do and can believe David did start doing better, mentally, after his time on the farm, my issue is more with how we don’t exactly know this, since we aren’t told and updated on how he’s doing. In the beginning, David is clearly struggling, but as time passed, it’s as if his depression was not as relevant to himself anymore. I wish there was more depth on this when he and Jon became a thing, because in a way, it can imply that David just needed a partner, or to be fucked into oblivion.
I liked the representation at first, because it went to show that depression is something that can’t always be seen and isn’t obvious. It affects us in different ways, at different times. We see how David struggles the most in the beginning, which is understandable. But then we didn't see it, and I didn’t like that. Even if we don’t see David experiencing it every day, because, again, it is very possible his stay in South Africa is helping him, we aren’t really updated on this. David never really writes down how his mental health is doing. His entry on September 29th, 2016 was really the last time David was “tired.” Every time after that, it’s as if David is doing better because of his relationship with Jon…as if all he needed was Jon. I wish we had more backstory on David and his mental health. His clinal depression, his anxiety, his self-harming, his relationship with his parents. When they reunited, there was even a point where David told Jon he was broken five years ago when they met, but Jon fixed him for good…
All in all, I was a little apprehensive when I started this, mostly because while I have heard a lot about this author and many of my friends have read her books, she tends to lean into a more…smutty side of romance, which is why I’ve avoided her books. I’m glad I read this, and reading the reviews of my mutuals helped a lot because many of them mentioned this was emotional and heart-wrenching. Personally, and surprisingly, it was not as emotional as I was expecting. Maybe the five year separation was supposed to provide those gut-wrenching emotions, but I didn’t really feel them. Still, it’s not like I was bored, and I still enjoyed this despite my skimming. I’m curious about some of this author’s other books, despite them being more high-heat than anything else, which isn’t my favorite because the emotional connection isn’t as prevalent. We’ll see what next year offers.
“I still love you,” I said. “I tried to stop loving you. I tried my best, but I can’t stop. I don’t know how not to love you.”
Some bad, but for the most part, it was good.
I struggled with the beginning. Specifically till the ~35% mark. The beginning felt like a chore to get through—very dull, boring, with no excitement about anything or anyone. I was worried the story would be a total miss with how lazily I’d been reading, skimming a little to get to the point. The writing is done like a journal, as we follow David’s narration and point of view through his journal entries. This wasn’t an issue, but it became agonizing with how mechanical it felt at first. Both characters were tedious, with nothing making them stand out. They weren’t exactly one-dimensional, but they both felt unoriginal. The lack of emotion in the writing didn’t help, since the characters weren’t doing much to make their personalities more vibrant.
The pace of this is slow, with both David and Jon starting off as strangers first, roommates second, fuck buddies third, and finally, lovers. Normally, I’d love a slow and gradual pace, but with the dull, mechanical writing feeling robotic, uneasy storyline, monotonous characters, and passivity, it didn’t help strengthen the tone of the story. We see Jon and David engage in daily, mundane tasks, which isn’t a complaint, per se, since I personally love seeing characters doing these boring activities. However, there wasn’t any type of gentle pull the relationship was giving me. I wasn’t invested in the relationship, felt like sexual tension was lacking despite their sexual encounters, and couldn’t point out when, where, and what made both characters see each other differently. I became worried, thinking I was going to need to skim large quantities of this to get to the point. And in a way, I did, but fortunately, I preserved and it was worth it.
The second half felt completely different.
The first quarter of this was possibly the poorest. Then, the build up toward the second quarter offers a little more depth, with the readers learning more about David and Jon, but especially Jon, as he starts off as an enigma. We see Jon and David learning more about each other emotionally and sexually. One of the best things about this is the lack of filler from David and complete honesty from Jon. Both characters are different in personalities and have different knowledge of everything related to sexuality, sex, and relationship, but Jon is ever-so patient to David’s rambling and continuous questions. Honestly, I loved this. I loved that we saw David asking questions we don’t see often. Whether answers are correct or not is not my problem; I’m just glad he knew he didn’t know everything, coming off as an unsure and, quite literally, a virgin. Nothing like a bumbling, stereotypical one, but one full of questions and confusion, showing his eagerness to learn and explore.
As this develops, so does the relationship between Jon and David. Their friendship is a sort of friendship with benefits at this point, but I was here for it, which is unusual for me since it’s not my favorite trope. The story becomes sex heavy, but not the type to overtake the story, offering nothing intimate outside of the bedroom. I mentioned in my pre-review how I think this is the first time I read a romance where one main lead admits it hurts and the other pulls out immediately. Which is sad. It was…refreshing, to say the least. Realistic, of course. This doesn’t happen enough in romances. I’d even go as far as saying it hardly ever happens. I get it, they’re not meant to be realistic, but sometimes I want that realisticness. The awkwardness. The hitting your head against the headboard or laughing about a t-shirt getting stuck. The not knowing what to do because it’s your first time. The uncertainty of being able to take it all in orally or penetratively.
The loud, slapping sound of him slamming into my body reverberated throughout the room. I loved it. I lived for it. It felt so good it hurt. And then, it really did start to hurt. I took a couple of deep breaths, to see if I could breathe through it, but it was still too much.
I remembered words and reached back and pressed my hand against his thigh to slow him. He stopped instantly, pulling all the way out and sinking down on his knees behind me. He spread my cheeks gently, examining me carefully, before sinking his mouth onto me.
This wasn’t even the first sex scene. This was the first time Jon was rough with David because that’s what David wanted. So yeah, even though they had sex before and there was preparation, it goes to show that gentle and rough, are in fact, different. Which you’d think is known and common sense but not in romance books! Virgins tend to take it roughly with no issue whatsoever. Or maybe the person hasn’t had anal sex in a long time yet there’s still hardly any prep or they go in dry. Nice to see a difference.
One thing about me is that I hardly ever comment on the sex in these romances, novels. The only time I do is when the smut feels like it’s too much or if there is a lack of emotional connection and all the characters do is fuck. I’m happy to say though, that for me, a very vanilla reader, this had a lot of sex that worked so well. Each one has a reason to be there and didn’t feel like it was just filler or added for the sake of adding two characters fucking. So much intimacy that grew and helped the relationship develop. The sex is intimate, rough, gentle, sexy, hot, and becomes a big part of the relationship. It’s a way for the two to show their love for each other, but it’s not the only way.
There’s a lot to appreciate about it compared to other novels, especially in MM: lots of preparation, usage of lube, talk about testing and being clear before sex (although I’m confused why they didn’t just use condoms?? Did they not have any where they lived in South Africa???), kink exploration, talk of past relationships, safety words and measures, different positions, feeling embarrassment and apologizing for coming too fast or for being loud (like moaning a lot or making lots of noise), mention of some anatomy like sphincter (this is all I made note of but also when do you ever see this?), David learning to swallow and ride and clench and relax (because he isn’t a wizard and magically knows how to do everything when he was a virgin just because he has sex once). Also, we see David have his butthole cleaned. This is super rare. I wish more romances depicted this because it’s realistic. Like yes, thanks for mentioning that David had his ass cleaned because it’s necessary and hygienic and realistic. Cleaning, douche, enema use—whatever. It’s nice to see a virgin character who doesn’t know what they’re doing, is shocked and confused, has to learn different things, and doesn’t just take it in as if it slides in super easily.
The only thing left was my desire to serve him. To house him. To please him. All I was, was a hole for him to fill.
As the second half approaches, we see more substance from the characters. They become more developed, offering more emotional depth, more reliance for themselves and the reader. We see the two men dive into routines, the same ones full of mundane, daily tasks that become relevant to their day to day chores. Throughout this, we’re filled with many different things to love from them, ranging from the sex, to them spending time together reading or writing, cooking, going out, spending time with other family members of Jon (like Luna), learning even more from each other, exploring each other’s bodies more, having heart to heart conversations on different forms of intimacy and connection, and so much more.
The author does an amazing job of building relationship development till the end of the story, never stopping their connection just because they’ve formed it. This is another uncommon trait I see in other romance novels. I think it shows the strength of an author, to continue building intimacy and connection, showing that just because they are at a stronger point does not mean it is done. The novel is over 350 pages, and while this is normally long for me, the length never felt tiresome. It probably has to do with the fact that no page felt meaningless, and the story never felt like it dragged. I applaud this author for building such a strong, relevant connection without dragging it and adding unnecessary filler and dialogue.
Jon’s character is one of my favorites. Respectful, kind, consensual, loving, patient, gentle, tender, rough, dominating, willing, honest. Jon is the reason my standards keep getting raised. His dedication and willingness to teach and mentor David with no shame is glorious to watch. He hides nothing from David, offering answers to questions without second thought and uncertainty. He’s communicative on what he wants, desires, and loves, but he’s also respectful, setting up boundaries for both men, taking into account the fact that David has never been with a man before.
I loved how Jon was probably bisexual or pansexual yet leans more towards pansexual, admitting the person comes first and then the gender. Although he doesn’t care so much for the label, he embraces this, unashamed of who he is, what he has done, his previous relationships, etc. He talks about his previous encounters, with women and men, to David, but only because it’s necessary. Never does he bring up past encounters for the sake of jealousy, drama, or pettiness. He also asks David if it bothers him if he talks about his previous relationships, which goes to show how secure he is in his sexuality but also respects David’s feelings. Jon is incredibly mature, never acting like anything else.
David grew on me a lot. His personality was equally refreshing. He’s eager, but he never felt overbearing. He’s struggling mentally, and his trip to South Africa was done by his parents so he can be “fixed,” which is an issue I had, but nothing too bothersome. He’s a little contradicting with Jon’s personality. Both are very different in appearance and general life experience, but they balance each other well. David was a mixed bag at first. I struggled with him, not because I found everything and everyone boring, but because he came off as a little prudish. He was the type to develop some sort of “macho persona” to prove himself. Regardless, David has his own character development. We see him go from unsure, unwilling, shy, and physically weak, to accommodating, confident, and much stronger, taking advantage of the physical labor he’s put to do in the farm with Jon. His character is mostly a bundle of joy, with his difficult days challenging him sometimes.
This story has a five year separation, and I’m not putting this under a spoiler because this is something many people don’t like and wish they were warned about before. Personally, they don’t always bother me, but they need to be angsty, and it worked in my favor here. Separations are torturous, showing a different form of miserableness. The separation couldn’t be avoided here, which is why I didn’t mind it at all. It would show how the two would take advantage of the time they had together because they knew it was inevitable to change the future.
We kissed and moved together until we both found our release. I sobbed when I found mine. He stroked me and kissed me until I was hard again and then he did what he could to make me feel good again. We didn’t stop. We couldn’t. We fell asleep intermittently, only to wake and reach for each other. In the early hours of the morning I woke up choking on tears and my hand found him. I coaxed him to life, though I had almost nothing left to give. The pain as he entered me was unreal. Not like that. It wasn’t that kind of pain. That would have been better. This pain was in my psyche. This pain was in my soul. It was the type of pain that can only be caused when both people know deep in their hearts; this is the last time.
One of my only other issues, besides the slow, boring start, is how the mental health felt irrelevant after a while. With David’s journal entries, we see how there are days where he struggles and doesn’t write much, so the day/chapter ends quickly. It’s not to say David was cured, since we know he still struggles with anxiety and his mental health is still something that takes a toll on him. And while I do and can believe David did start doing better, mentally, after his time on the farm, my issue is more with how we don’t exactly know this, since we aren’t told and updated on how he’s doing. In the beginning, David is clearly struggling, but as time passed, it’s as if his depression was not as relevant to himself anymore. I wish there was more depth on this when he and Jon became a thing, because in a way, it can imply that David just needed a partner, or to be fucked into oblivion.
I liked the representation at first, because it went to show that depression is something that can’t always be seen and isn’t obvious. It affects us in different ways, at different times. We see how David struggles the most in the beginning, which is understandable. But then we didn't see it, and I didn’t like that. Even if we don’t see David experiencing it every day, because, again, it is very possible his stay in South Africa is helping him, we aren’t really updated on this. David never really writes down how his mental health is doing. His entry on September 29th, 2016 was really the last time David was “tired.” Every time after that, it’s as if David is doing better because of his relationship with Jon…as if all he needed was Jon. I wish we had more backstory on David and his mental health. His clinal depression, his anxiety, his self-harming, his relationship with his parents. When they reunited, there was even a point where David told Jon he was broken five years ago when they met, but Jon fixed him for good…
All in all, I was a little apprehensive when I started this, mostly because while I have heard a lot about this author and many of my friends have read her books, she tends to lean into a more…smutty side of romance, which is why I’ve avoided her books. I’m glad I read this, and reading the reviews of my mutuals helped a lot because many of them mentioned this was emotional and heart-wrenching. Personally, and surprisingly, it was not as emotional as I was expecting. Maybe the five year separation was supposed to provide those gut-wrenching emotions, but I didn’t really feel them. Still, it’s not like I was bored, and I still enjoyed this despite my skimming. I’m curious about some of this author’s other books, despite them being more high-heat than anything else, which isn’t my favorite because the emotional connection isn’t as prevalent. We’ll see what next year offers.
“I still love you,” I said. “I tried to stop loving you. I tried my best, but I can’t stop. I don’t know how not to love you.”
August 5, 2022
“Jonathan and Davey forever” stars ⭐️
It feels like ages ago when I read a book that blew my mind right off. This book is exactly what I was looking for. After reading this story, I felt so content. No big dramas, no cheating; this is just two guys who are disgustingly in love with each other.
“I wasn’t expecting you, Davey. I didn’t see you coming, and maybe that’s how you got under my skin. Deep under my skin. So deep, you got into my blood. Now you’re like napalm running through my veins and I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
This story is from David’s journal. You won't feel this as reading a journal, because this is hot AF, and everything is so detailed.
“I’ll never love anyone else the way I love you,” I sobbed.”
I'd like to recommend this book to every one of you, please do read this, you won't regret it! :)
It feels like ages ago when I read a book that blew my mind right off. This book is exactly what I was looking for. After reading this story, I felt so content. No big dramas, no cheating; this is just two guys who are disgustingly in love with each other.
“I wasn’t expecting you, Davey. I didn’t see you coming, and maybe that’s how you got under my skin. Deep under my skin. So deep, you got into my blood. Now you’re like napalm running through my veins and I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
This story is from David’s journal. You won't feel this as reading a journal, because this is hot AF, and everything is so detailed.
“I’ll never love anyone else the way I love you,” I sobbed.”
I'd like to recommend this book to every one of you, please do read this, you won't regret it! :)
February 6, 2024
This was unexpectedly intense, heartbreaking, joyous and towards the end I couldn’t put it down. Beautiful South African setting. I would have loved Jonathon’s POV occasionally. At some points I didn’t overly enjoy reading this but it was impactful and made me feel things.
July 27, 2024
Reread 7/24
My Davey and my Jonathan ❤️ they’re mine🥹
________________________
Reread and… my heart just melted all over again… this is as beautiful as the incredible landscapes of South Africa described here… I love them!
I think I suffered more this time around… cried more… I admit I passed 2 chapters because they were infuriating for me… some choices leave me… idk ready to riot, but maybe that why the end was so satisfying and real.. because people make stupid decisions… people don’t talk and suffer alone… all ends well actually, ends with pure perfection ❤️ this is my favorite book from Jesse and I totally recommend this to anyone who believes in true love and what’s meant to be finds it’s way!
Jonathan and Davey ♾️❤️🫠🔥🥹🥰
________________________
So I read this book and it completely moved to the top of my favorites ever!
I absolutely loved everything about this story… my heart…
Quoting eloquently Davey:
More.more.more ❤️🔥
The story is so epic, intense, beautiful, hot and sexy that I can’t even put in more eloquent words!
Thank so so much for Davey and Jonathan. This was pure perfection and filled my heart with all the emotions an incredible book can give a reader, because you laugh, cry, swoon, blush, scream, suffer and simply fall in love with these characters forever! The story feels so true, raw and real that putting is down to eat or sleep was simply not an option!
Jesse you are so talented and you blow my mind with every book I read from you!
PS: I will Fangirl over you till eternity 🥹❤️🔥🖤 See less
My Davey and my Jonathan ❤️ they’re mine🥹
________________________
Reread and… my heart just melted all over again… this is as beautiful as the incredible landscapes of South Africa described here… I love them!
I think I suffered more this time around… cried more… I admit I passed 2 chapters because they were infuriating for me… some choices leave me… idk ready to riot, but maybe that why the end was so satisfying and real.. because people make stupid decisions… people don’t talk and suffer alone… all ends well actually, ends with pure perfection ❤️ this is my favorite book from Jesse and I totally recommend this to anyone who believes in true love and what’s meant to be finds it’s way!
Jonathan and Davey ♾️❤️🫠🔥🥹🥰
________________________
So I read this book and it completely moved to the top of my favorites ever!
I absolutely loved everything about this story… my heart…
Quoting eloquently Davey:
More.more.more ❤️🔥
The story is so epic, intense, beautiful, hot and sexy that I can’t even put in more eloquent words!
Thank so so much for Davey and Jonathan. This was pure perfection and filled my heart with all the emotions an incredible book can give a reader, because you laugh, cry, swoon, blush, scream, suffer and simply fall in love with these characters forever! The story feels so true, raw and real that putting is down to eat or sleep was simply not an option!
Jesse you are so talented and you blow my mind with every book I read from you!
PS: I will Fangirl over you till eternity 🥹❤️🔥🖤 See less
July 15, 2022
Unbreak Me is the first book I have read from this author and will not be my last. I am always looking for that one author that grips your attention and keeps it. Unbreak me not only held it, but it also took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
Unbreak me is an original, unique, and remarkable story. What a journey the author put us on. I love the writing style and how we got to read Davey’s journal. I felt more of a connection with his character. He is more of a complex nature, which I love.
Jonathon is a handsome farmer. I love reading about his journey, and his character development thought the book. He slowly opens up and shows himself for the man he is. You just can but help but love him.
The chemistry and steam between the two is a scorcher. Just a bonus to the book, to be honest. Overall I am impressed with the author's writing and look forward to more books from this author—a must-read for my MM readers.
December 24, 2023
Exactly my kind of book. The relationship building, the heartbreak, the time apart and the reunion....all perfect! I cried so much 🥹
I could not put this book down until I finished it - it's now 3am and I have to be up early to finish painting my son's bedroom in time for Christmas, but the tiredness will be so worth it!
I just loved Jonathan and David 🥰
I could not put this book down until I finished it - it's now 3am and I have to be up early to finish painting my son's bedroom in time for Christmas, but the tiredness will be so worth it!
I just loved Jonathan and David 🥰
June 13, 2024
4.5 stars
Oh wow, this book was so beautiful. A story about soul mates. Of companionship and healthy love, of healing, growth, and self-acceptance.
Written in a dreamy prose like style with journal entries by Davey about his experience staying on a South African farm with Jon. Jesse allows you to really get to know Davey and understand his situation and his world through his eyes and words.
Davey begins his journey struggling with his mental health and at his parent's behest, goes to the farm to recover through honest, hard work and fresh air. Jon is portrayed as a type of "horse whisperer" but for people with lost or hurt souls.
The story goes into detail about what they do on the farm every day, what time they get up and go to bed, what they eat, etc etc. It's almost monotonous but very effective in creating routine and providing backdrop, as well as building the tension between the MCs brought on by their constant close proximity, stolen glances, and what was 'not' being said between them.
It's a slow burn but with a simmering tension between the MCs, which results in high heat. I like my books steamy, and this was probably one of the most passionately raw and honest books I've ever read. The emotional and physical journey taken together by the MCs is both healing and relevatory. It provides catharsis to the characters and to the reader. To observe how the MCs love and accept one another this much was so bittersweet to witness and created a craving within. I was so here for it!
Tropes -
Hurt/comfort
Forced proximity
Mental health rep
Found family
Self-harm (off page)
Coming Out / first time gay sex
First Love
Hard earned HEA
I would have given this book 5 stars, but... Spoiler below
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There's a third act break-up with a 5 year timeline where the MCs are apart and there's angst+++ that I didn't like. It was necessary for character growth but it made me really sad. But it all ended up ok in the end. So, well played, Jesse H Reign 👏
Oh wow, this book was so beautiful. A story about soul mates. Of companionship and healthy love, of healing, growth, and self-acceptance.
Written in a dreamy prose like style with journal entries by Davey about his experience staying on a South African farm with Jon. Jesse allows you to really get to know Davey and understand his situation and his world through his eyes and words.
Davey begins his journey struggling with his mental health and at his parent's behest, goes to the farm to recover through honest, hard work and fresh air. Jon is portrayed as a type of "horse whisperer" but for people with lost or hurt souls.
The story goes into detail about what they do on the farm every day, what time they get up and go to bed, what they eat, etc etc. It's almost monotonous but very effective in creating routine and providing backdrop, as well as building the tension between the MCs brought on by their constant close proximity, stolen glances, and what was 'not' being said between them.
It's a slow burn but with a simmering tension between the MCs, which results in high heat. I like my books steamy, and this was probably one of the most passionately raw and honest books I've ever read. The emotional and physical journey taken together by the MCs is both healing and relevatory. It provides catharsis to the characters and to the reader. To observe how the MCs love and accept one another this much was so bittersweet to witness and created a craving within. I was so here for it!
Tropes -
Hurt/comfort
Forced proximity
Mental health rep
Found family
Self-harm (off page)
Coming Out / first time gay sex
First Love
Hard earned HEA
I would have given this book 5 stars, but... Spoiler below
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*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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There's a third act break-up with a 5 year timeline where the MCs are apart and there's angst+++ that I didn't like. It was necessary for character growth but it made me really sad. But it all ended up ok in the end. So, well played, Jesse H Reign 👏
April 24, 2023
This was sublime. I want to reread it immediately. But I think I have to declare my bias first because this book is set in South Africa, and I happen to be South African. And I've gotta say - Jesse Reign got the vibe exactly right. It's not often (as in literally never) that I get to read an MM romance so close to home, I was thrilled.
Geographical and cultural accuracy aside, this was gorgeous. We get quite a colonial concept to start with - depressed British boy (David) is shipped off to a farm in the middle of nowhere to get his head straight. But there he meets the world's sexiest farmer (Jonathan) and when I say sparks fly. Like holy shit. This book probably 65% sex, possibly more. And I have zero complaints. It was so raw and intimate and breathless, it had my head spinning. It's written in the form of David's journal, so we only ever get his perspective, but it was so, so lovely and bittersweet in places. David is a mess when he arrives on the farm and he is so relatable, you can't help but like him. Jonathan was too good to be true, and I would pay quite a lot of money to read this exact same book from his POV.
It's a long ass book, but honestly, I wanted it never to end. I kept rereading passages to make it last longer. There's no plot to speak of, just David's internal world. But it was honestly a perfect read for me.
Jesse, if you're reading this, I am wildly curious about and impressed by how good your Afrikaans is.
Geographical and cultural accuracy aside, this was gorgeous. We get quite a colonial concept to start with - depressed British boy (David) is shipped off to a farm in the middle of nowhere to get his head straight. But there he meets the world's sexiest farmer (Jonathan) and when I say sparks fly. Like holy shit. This book probably 65% sex, possibly more. And I have zero complaints. It was so raw and intimate and breathless, it had my head spinning. It's written in the form of David's journal, so we only ever get his perspective, but it was so, so lovely and bittersweet in places. David is a mess when he arrives on the farm and he is so relatable, you can't help but like him. Jonathan was too good to be true, and I would pay quite a lot of money to read this exact same book from his POV.
It's a long ass book, but honestly, I wanted it never to end. I kept rereading passages to make it last longer. There's no plot to speak of, just David's internal world. But it was honestly a perfect read for me.
Jesse, if you're reading this, I am wildly curious about and impressed by how good your Afrikaans is.
December 29, 2023
I am not in the mood to write a long ass review which is why I reserve the right to only say what needs to be said.
This book, this story, was all kinds of beautiful. I liked it a lot.
The time jump in the last third or so of the book wasn’t my favourite but it made a whole lot of sense if you really think about it. The jump just worked. I shouldn’t be complaining.
The characters were perfect. There is really nothing else to be said.
There was a lot of spice in this book which was really rather fun and I loved the realism in a few of those scenes (douching and pain for example). Nice to see that for once.
All in all a pretty damn good book.
This book, this story, was all kinds of beautiful. I liked it a lot.
The time jump in the last third or so of the book wasn’t my favourite but it made a whole lot of sense if you really think about it. The jump just worked. I shouldn’t be complaining.
The characters were perfect. There is really nothing else to be said.
There was a lot of spice in this book which was really rather fun and I loved the realism in a few of those scenes (douching and pain for example). Nice to see that for once.
All in all a pretty damn good book.
September 26, 2022
As a diary person I really appreciated this
February 26, 2023
Per-fucking-fection!! Damnit Jesse! This book wasn’t what I expected at all and I adored every word of it. I laughed. I cried. I came. JK! The purest hurt/comfort ever!! Truly!
So unique in the way the story is told from David’s POV in journal format. There’s this raw vulnerability laced with hesitation and even self loathing that makes for an utterly captivating and heart wrenching romance. But it’s not a sad book at all (well for the most part.) It’s a book about finding self acceptance and then learning to love yourself and allowing others to love you as well. David had so much to give, so much to offer but was terrified of his truth. He needed to believe in himself and own it without compromise.
When I tell you Jonathan is the epitome of book boyfriends, that is not an exaggeration. He was everything!! In every way. Kind, loving, passionate, resolute, loyal, funny, brave, open, dirty, compassionate, generous - shit! I fell madly in love with a character yet again!
So unique in the way the story is told from David’s POV in journal format. There’s this raw vulnerability laced with hesitation and even self loathing that makes for an utterly captivating and heart wrenching romance. But it’s not a sad book at all (well for the most part.) It’s a book about finding self acceptance and then learning to love yourself and allowing others to love you as well. David had so much to give, so much to offer but was terrified of his truth. He needed to believe in himself and own it without compromise.
When I tell you Jonathan is the epitome of book boyfriends, that is not an exaggeration. He was everything!! In every way. Kind, loving, passionate, resolute, loyal, funny, brave, open, dirty, compassionate, generous - shit! I fell madly in love with a character yet again!
October 30, 2022
I always appreciate a good story about falling in love for the first time and discovering things about yourself and this one really worked for me. This book wasn’t a short book, which isn’t my preference when it comes to reading, but I never once felt like this book was dragging because I was so invested in the story, and thats saying a lot of praises coming from me.
The relationship in this book was also very romantic and lovely to read it.
All in all, this was a very good reading experience and I really enjoyed it.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest opinion
The relationship in this book was also very romantic and lovely to read it.
All in all, this was a very good reading experience and I really enjoyed it.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest opinion
July 19, 2024
No part of my soul believes it’s over. It isn’t. I know it. It can’t be. How can it be? How can it possibly be, when there are chapters and chapters and chapters yet to be written?
Ugh THIS BOOK. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get in to, but then it just captivated me and left me in a sobbing heap by the end.
Whilst recuperating from a mental health crisis, David's family encourages him to stay on their friends farm in South Africa, for a change of scenery. There he meets Jonathan, and over the weeks and months that follow they grow closer, irrevocably falling for one another, despite their limited time together.
Since the book is written in the style of a journal, the first 30% or so felt a bit disjointed, and took getting used to. There's some parts that felt a bit dull, and others that felt rushed. There was very little dialogue in the first few chapters too, however, once Davey and Jon got together, I found the journal entries to be much more detailed and 'complete'.
The second half of the story just had me in a chokehold, as by then I was deep into their love story, and the inevitable Jonathan Pain™. The writing was beautiful and intense, and I can already tell that I'm going to be thinking of this couple for a while to come.
Alongside their swoony romance and devastating heartbreak, there's also some great spice in this book. Jonathan and Davey have such incredible chemistry, and it's also refreshing to see so much talk of prep in a MM book (not just the stretching kind!).
Overall, I really loved this story, and it made me feel such a whirlwind of emotions. It has a very different vibe from Jesse's other books that I've read, and I hope that she writes more like this in the future!
4.5★
June 22, 2024
4.5⭐️
Adding this to the list of books that sort of destroyed me (in a good way)
I loved this so much but STOP MAKING ME CRY (don't stop)
It's a coming out/mental health rep/hurt x comfort/second chance-ish romance set on a South African farm and it somehow balances being sickeningly sweet and obscenely dirty all at once. I did not know I had a thing for South African farm boys but you learn something new every day.
Like, wow. On my knees for Jonathan, the man that you are 🧎♀️
Jonathan is like, the creme de la creme of book boyfriends imo. He is so dirty, but so sweet and wholesome and loving. He is so soft but so masculine. The way he puts Davey back together, I just can't even out into words. And Davey... he is SO funny. He is so relatable and considering he's depressed and in the closet idk what that says but the way this is written is just so human.
⚠️⚠️Spoilers⚠️⚠️ but at 73% we got into real tears territory:
“I know you’re doing the right thing by leaving. I know you are, so I really, really need you to ignore this, but also, I just…I need to hear myself say the words.”
“Okay. You can say whatever you want and I’ll ignore you.”
He crushed me to him again and whispered so softly into my ear I almost didn’t hear him say, “Please don’t leave me.”
😭😭😭
He lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my scar. Then he unbuckled the leather strap of his grandfather’s watch and fastened it tightly around my wrist. The strap was wide and almost covered the scar completely.
“Jonathan, no. I can’t take it. It belonged to your…”
“Ag,” he said with a wry smile, “’course you can take it. It’s not a big deal. After all, that watch is broken.”
I smiled as everything went misty. I took one shaky breath and then another and finally said, “What’s so bad about being broken?”
Good god. When I tell you this book had me SOBBING.
It's kind of insane to have something so horny pull at your heartstrings this way.
Jesse Reign says that this is the book of hers she'd most like people to read, and you can tell. This could only have come from the depths of someone's heart, and it's now got a place in mine too.
Adding this to the list of books that sort of destroyed me (in a good way)
I loved this so much but STOP MAKING ME CRY (don't stop)
It's a coming out/mental health rep/hurt x comfort/second chance-ish romance set on a South African farm and it somehow balances being sickeningly sweet and obscenely dirty all at once. I did not know I had a thing for South African farm boys but you learn something new every day.
Like, wow. On my knees for Jonathan, the man that you are 🧎♀️
Jonathan is like, the creme de la creme of book boyfriends imo. He is so dirty, but so sweet and wholesome and loving. He is so soft but so masculine. The way he puts Davey back together, I just can't even out into words. And Davey... he is SO funny. He is so relatable and considering he's depressed and in the closet idk what that says but the way this is written is just so human.
⚠️⚠️Spoilers⚠️⚠️ but at 73% we got into real tears territory:
“I know you’re doing the right thing by leaving. I know you are, so I really, really need you to ignore this, but also, I just…I need to hear myself say the words.”
“Okay. You can say whatever you want and I’ll ignore you.”
He crushed me to him again and whispered so softly into my ear I almost didn’t hear him say, “Please don’t leave me.”
😭😭😭
He lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my scar. Then he unbuckled the leather strap of his grandfather’s watch and fastened it tightly around my wrist. The strap was wide and almost covered the scar completely.
“Jonathan, no. I can’t take it. It belonged to your…”
“Ag,” he said with a wry smile, “’course you can take it. It’s not a big deal. After all, that watch is broken.”
I smiled as everything went misty. I took one shaky breath and then another and finally said, “What’s so bad about being broken?”
Good god. When I tell you this book had me SOBBING.
It's kind of insane to have something so horny pull at your heartstrings this way.
Jesse Reign says that this is the book of hers she'd most like people to read, and you can tell. This could only have come from the depths of someone's heart, and it's now got a place in mine too.
March 31, 2023
This book has such a quiet beauty. The one word I would use to describe it is comfort. It felt quiet, and slow, but also so gorgeous and comforting. It is thoughtful, and introspective. The kind of book that I will definitely come back and reread.
This is told in diary format - and it’s done so well. Davey is on a journey of self-discovery while visiting an isolated farm in South Africa, where he meets Jonathon. Jonathon gently helps him heal and grow and in the process they fall deeply in love with each other.
This book felt so different from anything else I have read by Jesse but in the best way possible. It is so unique and the characters felt so real. I will say Jonathon is now one of my top book boyfriends ever. This man 👌 Dependable, strong, compassionate, confidant, happy (literal sunshine), sweet, and intuitive to others' needs. Not to mention pretty much physical perfection - big with muscles for days.
“No-one dresses sluttier than a South African farm boy.”
Their chemistry was off the charts 🔥🔥 They were all at once tender, respectful, open and honest and absolutely filthy hot. The perfect combination 🥵
They had amazing communication throughout the whole book and they were just so healthy. No wonder they had the kind of love that neither of them could ever get over. They were soulmates.
This is a long book. I’ll admit there was a point where I felt like putting it aside. But I think it’s just a book meant to be savoured and not binged. So I slowed down and enjoyed it. I would’ve absolutely regretted not finishing it. This one will be in my top books of this year hands down.
I wish I could put every quote I highlighted here but then this would become a 200 page novel in itself....
“I wasn’t expecting you, Davey. I didn’t see you coming, and maybe that’s how you got under my skin. Deep under my skin. So deep, you got into my blood. Now you’re like napalm running through my veins and I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
“I knew it was big, this thing with you, Davey."
This is told in diary format - and it’s done so well. Davey is on a journey of self-discovery while visiting an isolated farm in South Africa, where he meets Jonathon. Jonathon gently helps him heal and grow and in the process they fall deeply in love with each other.
This book felt so different from anything else I have read by Jesse but in the best way possible. It is so unique and the characters felt so real. I will say Jonathon is now one of my top book boyfriends ever. This man 👌 Dependable, strong, compassionate, confidant, happy (literal sunshine), sweet, and intuitive to others' needs. Not to mention pretty much physical perfection - big with muscles for days.
“No-one dresses sluttier than a South African farm boy.”
Their chemistry was off the charts 🔥🔥 They were all at once tender, respectful, open and honest and absolutely filthy hot. The perfect combination 🥵
They had amazing communication throughout the whole book and they were just so healthy. No wonder they had the kind of love that neither of them could ever get over. They were soulmates.
This is a long book. I’ll admit there was a point where I felt like putting it aside. But I think it’s just a book meant to be savoured and not binged. So I slowed down and enjoyed it. I would’ve absolutely regretted not finishing it. This one will be in my top books of this year hands down.
I wish I could put every quote I highlighted here but then this would become a 200 page novel in itself....
“I wasn’t expecting you, Davey. I didn’t see you coming, and maybe that’s how you got under my skin. Deep under my skin. So deep, you got into my blood. Now you’re like napalm running through my veins and I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
“I knew it was big, this thing with you, Davey."
October 18, 2023
It took me a long time to get into this just because of my own crap going on but I stuck with this. I honestly just don’t get why they had to be apart at all. The need for each other was amazing it was hot and steamy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2024
This story was heart-meltingly beautiful. The pacing felt a bit slow but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy every second of it, seeing how the two MCs got to fall in love. It wasn't just about their physical intimacy - which I find tiresome in books where they try to convince us that the characters fell in love by banging each other. It was about all their interactions, their chemistry and genuine connection, and all those little moments in between that brought them together. I loved their funny conversations, and especially the hurt/comfort aspect in the story.
We only get David's POV in this where the book is basically his diary. David has dealt with depression and self-loathing (off page), years of not being able to accept himself for who he was, and after an unfortunate incident, his parents send him to a farm in South Africa where he meets Jonathan. Jonathan is one of the sweetest, kindest, most wholesome MCs I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He was everything David deserved.
Also I loved the beautiful, vivid scenes the author created, like the one in the desert where Jonathan dances as the rain comes after the drought, or the intimate aftermath of sleeping together where they stay in that moment and their love solidifies into something real. They felt very cinematic.
Overall it was a lovely, medium to low angst read, fluffy, cozy, and heartbreaking, and had me sobbing and laughing and feeling so... content.
And oh man, I love Jesse's writing so much. Something about it really does it for me.
I will never recover from this.
We only get David's POV in this where the book is basically his diary. David has dealt with depression and self-loathing (off page), years of not being able to accept himself for who he was, and after an unfortunate incident, his parents send him to a farm in South Africa where he meets Jonathan. Jonathan is one of the sweetest, kindest, most wholesome MCs I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He was everything David deserved.
Also I loved the beautiful, vivid scenes the author created, like the one in the desert where Jonathan dances as the rain comes after the drought, or the intimate aftermath of sleeping together where they stay in that moment and their love solidifies into something real. They felt very cinematic.
Overall it was a lovely, medium to low angst read, fluffy, cozy, and heartbreaking, and had me sobbing and laughing and feeling so... content.
And oh man, I love Jesse's writing so much. Something about it really does it for me.
I will never recover from this.
June 8, 2023
😭😭😭 this book... almost gutted me. It all hurt so good. My poor little heart almost wanted to give up.
Oh this was just incredibly beautiful, such a wonderful love story but so much heartbreak. 🤧🤧🤧
Not an easy book even without all the heavy stuff in it, but very exceptional. The narrative in diary style, reads great. Only the way in which David writes is perhaps not for everyone. Here and there it gets a bit poetic. For me, absolutely perfect.
In any case, one dives deep into his world of thoughts even if much remains unsaid. But not in such a way that anything was missing. The questions I had were not all answered, but I felt very satisfied when the book was over.
the silence was deafening. Ear-piercing. I had no idea how much I enjoy the company of others. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if I’m an introvert after all. Perhaps I’m an extrovert who just doesn’t like people? Is that a thing? It’s never good when I descend this deeply into myself. Never once has anything good ever come of it. 🖤🖤🖤
Anyway, you have to have some patience. I was not bored at any second, but the spicy and exciting events start a bit later in the book. But then there are plenty of them. 😉
David and Jonathan's relationship is something all of its own, I've never read anything like it before. The cut that there is then, as I said, almost killed me, but you know it's coming, just by reading the table of contents. So I could prepare myself for it, but still couldn't help but cry a lot.
In terms of triggers, David's depression is portrayed relatively mildly. It's always there and he has his swings, but I think it's okay for the sensitive reader. The condition is sort of always there, but is only really in the foreground at certain points. However, he is not magically cured, thank God.
I wanted to scream so long and so loudly that someone would hear me. The rest of me didn’t want to make a sound. The rest of me wanted to give in. It wanted to let go. It wanted to fall. The rest of me wanted to be flung into the abyss. 🥺🥺🥺
Sex. Babies, that was terrific. Again, unlike anything I've read, just wow ...
“More.”
“Davey, you’re empty. No more,” he murmured.
My head rolled to the side as I dragged my eyes to meet his. My lips felt swollen and thick as I spoke.
“More…more…more…” 🤣🔥🤣
And yes, he gets more ... greedy bastard.
Ok, decided to buy the book now, it's going on the reread list anyway, might as well archive it for anytime.
Oh this was just incredibly beautiful, such a wonderful love story but so much heartbreak. 🤧🤧🤧
Not an easy book even without all the heavy stuff in it, but very exceptional. The narrative in diary style, reads great. Only the way in which David writes is perhaps not for everyone. Here and there it gets a bit poetic. For me, absolutely perfect.
In any case, one dives deep into his world of thoughts even if much remains unsaid. But not in such a way that anything was missing. The questions I had were not all answered, but I felt very satisfied when the book was over.
the silence was deafening. Ear-piercing. I had no idea how much I enjoy the company of others. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if I’m an introvert after all. Perhaps I’m an extrovert who just doesn’t like people? Is that a thing? It’s never good when I descend this deeply into myself. Never once has anything good ever come of it. 🖤🖤🖤
Anyway, you have to have some patience. I was not bored at any second, but the spicy and exciting events start a bit later in the book. But then there are plenty of them. 😉
David and Jonathan's relationship is something all of its own, I've never read anything like it before. The cut that there is then, as I said, almost killed me, but you know it's coming, just by reading the table of contents. So I could prepare myself for it, but still couldn't help but cry a lot.
In terms of triggers, David's depression is portrayed relatively mildly. It's always there and he has his swings, but I think it's okay for the sensitive reader. The condition is sort of always there, but is only really in the foreground at certain points. However, he is not magically cured, thank God.
I wanted to scream so long and so loudly that someone would hear me. The rest of me didn’t want to make a sound. The rest of me wanted to give in. It wanted to let go. It wanted to fall. The rest of me wanted to be flung into the abyss. 🥺🥺🥺
Sex. Babies, that was terrific. Again, unlike anything I've read, just wow ...
“More.”
“Davey, you’re empty. No more,” he murmured.
My head rolled to the side as I dragged my eyes to meet his. My lips felt swollen and thick as I spoke.
“More…more…more…” 🤣🔥🤣
And yes, he gets more ... greedy bastard.
Ok, decided to buy the book now, it's going on the reread list anyway, might as well archive it for anytime.
July 17, 2022
The effortlessness and intricacy of the plot and the appeal of the characters are so deeply thoughtful that there is no way for someone to read right to the end and not feel every bit of emotion this book was meant to portray. You become completely drawn into this story and are kept glued to every word.
We follow the young and beautiful Englishman, David Hammond on his captivating journey to South Africa for a much needed change of scenery and here we experience him overcome his fears and insecurities with accepting who he really is. He is completely and utterly blown away when he meets the gorgeous and rugged farmer, Jonathan Rosseau.
David’s initial awkwardness around Jonathan made him hilarious, lovable and all the more real.
And Jonathan – OMW, he should be labelled [ Too sexy for public transportation ] – he was such a beautifully written character overall. The number on times he made me melt and swoon was unbelievable…😍🥵🔥🥰♨️
Together, they fall deeply and powerfully in love as they begin exploring the tender side of that love and experiencing all of the steamiest moments that just leaves you salivating.
That physical ache in my chest at one particular point in the book further verified how wonderfully written this book is.
David’s character arc was such a beautiful thing to witness... 🥰🥰
I remember thinking of the first 20% as slightly slow while I was reading but when I got to the end, I realized that it was needed to get a thorough understanding of these two amazing characters.
And I have to say, being a South African myself, the little bits of the South African heritage thrown in here and there was wonderful to see.
If you love books with kind and loving characters and deep emotions then this is a book you should definitely read. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended... 💙💙
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We follow the young and beautiful Englishman, David Hammond on his captivating journey to South Africa for a much needed change of scenery and here we experience him overcome his fears and insecurities with accepting who he really is. He is completely and utterly blown away when he meets the gorgeous and rugged farmer, Jonathan Rosseau.
David’s initial awkwardness around Jonathan made him hilarious, lovable and all the more real.
And Jonathan – OMW, he should be labelled [ Too sexy for public transportation ] – he was such a beautifully written character overall. The number on times he made me melt and swoon was unbelievable…😍🥵🔥🥰♨️
Together, they fall deeply and powerfully in love as they begin exploring the tender side of that love and experiencing all of the steamiest moments that just leaves you salivating.
That physical ache in my chest at one particular point in the book further verified how wonderfully written this book is.
David’s character arc was such a beautiful thing to witness... 🥰🥰
I remember thinking of the first 20% as slightly slow while I was reading but when I got to the end, I realized that it was needed to get a thorough understanding of these two amazing characters.
And I have to say, being a South African myself, the little bits of the South African heritage thrown in here and there was wonderful to see.
If you love books with kind and loving characters and deep emotions then this is a book you should definitely read. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended... 💙💙
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Want to read
July 11, 2024I want to read this only because I live in South Africa and this is ''set in'' my country lol
July 15, 2022
I’m a big fan of Jesse’s previous books, in particular Unrequited and Requited and I was looking forward to this book.
The story of Davey and Jonathan is quite a journey. I love the feel of how it’s told in single POV from Davey in a journal writing style. Jesse makes it feel like the character is talking directly to you, telling a story.
It takes a while for things to kick off but it doesn’t feel like a slow burn. I love how it’s set in South Africa on a farm, gives it a great edge to the story and you can see the amount of research that has been done on South Africa, you did feel like you were there.
Around halfway I found myself getting more emotionally involved, and this story certainly got a couple of tears from me at a certain point. It’s was quite refreshing to have both the MCs vulnerable.
Davey for me had a lot of moments where I found I felt the embarrassment on his behalf of how he acts and thinks, whilst very sweet, it was great that you could feel that awkwardness through the writing.
Jonathan was an enigma to me at the beginning but he is such a gorgeous man and soul. His personality slowly reveals itself through the story so you can see the real him. He’s a definite farm stud.
Their story is truly beautiful, the sex and chemistry is very hot in typical Jesse style. I just really enjoyed this book and it hits all the emotions. Highly recommend this for those romance lovers.
The story of Davey and Jonathan is quite a journey. I love the feel of how it’s told in single POV from Davey in a journal writing style. Jesse makes it feel like the character is talking directly to you, telling a story.
It takes a while for things to kick off but it doesn’t feel like a slow burn. I love how it’s set in South Africa on a farm, gives it a great edge to the story and you can see the amount of research that has been done on South Africa, you did feel like you were there.
Around halfway I found myself getting more emotionally involved, and this story certainly got a couple of tears from me at a certain point. It’s was quite refreshing to have both the MCs vulnerable.
Davey for me had a lot of moments where I found I felt the embarrassment on his behalf of how he acts and thinks, whilst very sweet, it was great that you could feel that awkwardness through the writing.
Jonathan was an enigma to me at the beginning but he is such a gorgeous man and soul. His personality slowly reveals itself through the story so you can see the real him. He’s a definite farm stud.
Their story is truly beautiful, the sex and chemistry is very hot in typical Jesse style. I just really enjoyed this book and it hits all the emotions. Highly recommend this for those romance lovers.
August 3, 2022
You know every once in a while you come across an absolute gem of a story that ticks boxes you didn't know you had? Well this one is a perfect example. I ADORED this book. It was like a breath of fresh air and I couldn't put it down, especially towards the end. It deserves 5+ stars.
July 30, 2023
All the stars to this book ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
January 31, 2023
Oh, this book! Because I was on a Jesse H. Reign kick, I didn’t read the blurb – I just downloaded it and dived straight in. So I was a little confused with the format it took as the story is told in the form of David’s diary entries. Initially, I wasn’t sure where things were going, but slowly you get an idea of what has been going on and just why David is in South Africa.
Because you are reading diary entries, a lot of the extraneous details were removed – it was literally how David felt and experienced everything that was happening, and as such it was an intimate, sometimes heart-wrenching, always touching read. We can feel his lack of self-esteem and insecurities, his inner voice making it utterly clear why he was struggling as much as he was. And I fell a little in love with him reading his words – self-deprecating but revealing a caring, sensitive young man, unsure of who he truly was but learning to accept everything that is within him as part of himself. It was beautiful.
Of course, you fall in love with Jonathan as well – just the descriptions of him from David’s perspective were enough to make you need to fan yourself, let alone when he and David become lovers.
The book does cover aspects of self-harm and depression, and everyone’s experience of this differs. I found it realistic and true to life, which is probably why David’s dilemma affected me so much – to find such happiness after experiencing such sorrow only to face the choices needed was heartbreaking.
The sex between David and Jonathan was steamy, sultry and absolutely downright filthy on occasion, and I loved it. It took me back to the days when I was first really discovering sex and they were excellent memories. This book cemented for me that the author is on my auto-buy pile as everything I’ve read has moved me – sometimes infuriated, sometimes made me cry – but always made me feel, and that is special.
Because you are reading diary entries, a lot of the extraneous details were removed – it was literally how David felt and experienced everything that was happening, and as such it was an intimate, sometimes heart-wrenching, always touching read. We can feel his lack of self-esteem and insecurities, his inner voice making it utterly clear why he was struggling as much as he was. And I fell a little in love with him reading his words – self-deprecating but revealing a caring, sensitive young man, unsure of who he truly was but learning to accept everything that is within him as part of himself. It was beautiful.
Of course, you fall in love with Jonathan as well – just the descriptions of him from David’s perspective were enough to make you need to fan yourself, let alone when he and David become lovers.
The book does cover aspects of self-harm and depression, and everyone’s experience of this differs. I found it realistic and true to life, which is probably why David’s dilemma affected me so much – to find such happiness after experiencing such sorrow only to face the choices needed was heartbreaking.
The sex between David and Jonathan was steamy, sultry and absolutely downright filthy on occasion, and I loved it. It took me back to the days when I was first really discovering sex and they were excellent memories. This book cemented for me that the author is on my auto-buy pile as everything I’ve read has moved me – sometimes infuriated, sometimes made me cry – but always made me feel, and that is special.
July 23, 2023
Twenty something David has traveled from London to a sheep farm in South Africa run by thirty year old Jonathan to further heal from an emotional breakdown that included a suicide attempt. He is almost dumbfounded by the masculinity and physical beauty of Jonathan, who also has a beautiful soul. Through the six months that David lives and works at the farm, his psyche heals and his body strengthens. He realizes and accepts his sexuality, which he has been repressing around his family. Jonathan is open to all sexuality and he reveals that he has been quietly taken aback by David’s presence at the farm. Theirs was a beautiful love with a total sharing of their hearts and bodies. I loved how they would talk for hours in and out of bed. Their physical connection was sublime. David becomes a part of life on the farm and comes to like this barren area of South Africa and its inhabitants. The book is a single POV and is told through a daily journal that David begins and keeps while on the farm. The journal entries are more like the narrative of the days and months of falling in love. When it is time for him to return to London he and Jonathan talk about his staying and he is more than welcome to. With the deep physical and soul attachment these two have I was waiting for this. I was not expecting them to decide to part and for David to go back to his job and family and live as a healed person, and that their time together be treated as a happy memory instead of a foundation for the future.
Their parting was agonizing for both.
I was shocked and unhappy that the author had them parting for five years. Five years!! No communication except for Jon’s parents passing, who had liked David, and it was just an awkward phone call. No hugs and comfort for him. Bizarrely, some years in, David calls Jonathan in a drunken stupor and berates him. My dismay had me skimming as David has a relationship with a former friend who has come out. The relationship is unfulfilling for David.
David and Jonathan get back together in England, not in a joyous way, but what seemed tentative.
The direction the author took was horrible.
I am very sorry that I read this beyond disappointing book.
It was a true WTF? reading experience.
Their parting was agonizing for both.
I was shocked and unhappy that the author had them parting for five years. Five years!! No communication except for Jon’s parents passing, who had liked David, and it was just an awkward phone call. No hugs and comfort for him. Bizarrely, some years in, David calls Jonathan in a drunken stupor and berates him. My dismay had me skimming as David has a relationship with a former friend who has come out. The relationship is unfulfilling for David.
David and Jonathan get back together in England, not in a joyous way, but what seemed tentative.
The direction the author took was horrible.
I am very sorry that I read this beyond disappointing book.
It was a true WTF? reading experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2022
From my previous experience with Jesse H. Reign books unrequited and requited. I knew I was in for a good story with lots of emotions and I was not wrong. I love a good journal style narrative and we get it with Davey, who tells his and Jonathan's story from a single POV through his entries. Davey is a very complex character and Jesse did a brilliant job gradually pulling back his layers, giving us a deep connection and understanding to his characteristics. Jonathan's character was like a mystery to be solved! I felt he was very aloof in the beginning but not unfriendly. We see a lot of character depth and progression as he opens up throughout Unbreak Me, My goodness, what a man.
“𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒖, 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏.”
My heart bled for Davey and his inner dialogue, I just wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect him from his demons.
“𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚, 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎”
I absolutely adored Unbreak Me and 100% recommend it. It's a beautiful story of two men's journey finding themselves and eachother and the best bit? A hella lot of steamy goodness!
“𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒖, 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏.”
My heart bled for Davey and his inner dialogue, I just wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect him from his demons.
“𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚, 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎”
I absolutely adored Unbreak Me and 100% recommend it. It's a beautiful story of two men's journey finding themselves and eachother and the best bit? A hella lot of steamy goodness!
January 9, 2023
Oh goodness. This book put my heart through some stuff. It was a first person account of depression and the struggles of trying to tread water to keep afloat while also being one of the sweetest love stories I’ve ever read.
This was told in the form of journal entries from David’s POV exclusively. I’m always so impressed with how distinct this author is able to make her MCs voices. David was overtly aware of his awkwardness, his chaotic emotions and the atmosphere around him, his sense of time with regard to Jonathan was incredibly unique and my heart skipped a beat each and every time. His self awareness and confidence grew slowly and beautifully. I just wanted to wrap him in a big hug and yet also push him to see how he’d fly. But I didn’t have to because Jonathan did exactly that. This marvelous man was everything: soft and hard in all the ways David needed and oh! could he be naughty too. I literally swooned for him.
Without giving anything away, lemme just say the ending was tough because I wanted so much for these two men; they deserved this BIG love that was overwhelming and, yet, just right. But it was such a necessary journey that I couldn’t imagine it any other way. 🥹
This was told in the form of journal entries from David’s POV exclusively. I’m always so impressed with how distinct this author is able to make her MCs voices. David was overtly aware of his awkwardness, his chaotic emotions and the atmosphere around him, his sense of time with regard to Jonathan was incredibly unique and my heart skipped a beat each and every time. His self awareness and confidence grew slowly and beautifully. I just wanted to wrap him in a big hug and yet also push him to see how he’d fly. But I didn’t have to because Jonathan did exactly that. This marvelous man was everything: soft and hard in all the ways David needed and oh! could he be naughty too. I literally swooned for him.
Without giving anything away, lemme just say the ending was tough because I wanted so much for these two men; they deserved this BIG love that was overwhelming and, yet, just right. But it was such a necessary journey that I couldn’t imagine it any other way. 🥹
January 24, 2024
A unique kind of story (at least for me) that starts with a boy named Davey being sent off to a large farm in South Africa to help heal himself (he was sent from England). We know part of his problem is dealing with the knowledge that he is gay but there are other emotional undercurrents we learn as the book progresses.
In South Africa Davey comes under the wing of the farm manager, Jonathan. The description of Jonathan makes this reader (American fangirl) think of every beautiful, tall, muscular cowboy she has ever dreamed of. Davey and Jonathan become friends and then more than friends and then emotionally and sexually involved. The year or so Davey spends in Africa is recorded in a daily diary that Davey keeps and we readers share almost every day (very short entries, not pages and pages of flashbacks).
Davey and Jonathan part after Davey's time ends. Davey returns to England and Jonathan stays in South Africa. They are apart for five years. I've added this knowledge of them being apart because it was in someone else's review and it did make the story more interesting and less tedious for me. The courting first half did get a little boring.
The second half is the reunion and it was 5 stars. Davey and Jonathan have both "grown up," for want of a better description, but who and what they are is rock solid. A really good story.
In South Africa Davey comes under the wing of the farm manager, Jonathan. The description of Jonathan makes this reader (American fangirl) think of every beautiful, tall, muscular cowboy she has ever dreamed of. Davey and Jonathan become friends and then more than friends and then emotionally and sexually involved. The year or so Davey spends in Africa is recorded in a daily diary that Davey keeps and we readers share almost every day (very short entries, not pages and pages of flashbacks).
Davey and Jonathan part after Davey's time ends. Davey returns to England and Jonathan stays in South Africa. They are apart for five years. I've added this knowledge of them being apart because it was in someone else's review and it did make the story more interesting and less tedious for me. The courting first half did get a little boring.
The second half is the reunion and it was 5 stars. Davey and Jonathan have both "grown up," for want of a better description, but who and what they are is rock solid. A really good story.
July 28, 2024
Beautiful love story that is set against the stunning backdrop of South African landscapes, vividly depicting daily life on the farm, the warmth of friends and family, and the rich routines and traditions. I found myself wishing to escape the chaos of city life and go live there.
However, the writing style didn't quite work for me. I often find single pov’s challenging, and in this case, the journal format made the narrative feel biased and lacking important information which affected my perception of the other MC, making it difficult to connect with him. Although this improved as the story progressed, Jonathan remained somewhat enigmatic, which was a little disappointing.
The reason for the breakup felt weak and underexplored, and the time apart seemed overly long, leaving me more angry than sad or anguished. Despite this, the story concluded beautifully, with a romantic and satisfying ending that provided some answers and closure.
However, the writing style didn't quite work for me. I often find single pov’s challenging, and in this case, the journal format made the narrative feel biased and lacking important information which affected my perception of the other MC, making it difficult to connect with him. Although this improved as the story progressed, Jonathan remained somewhat enigmatic, which was a little disappointing.
The reason for the breakup felt weak and underexplored, and the time apart seemed overly long, leaving me more angry than sad or anguished. Despite this, the story concluded beautifully, with a romantic and satisfying ending that provided some answers and closure.
June 5, 2024
This one was good despite the 5 year separation. It’s realistic somehow, so I guess I’m OK with it. And the author didn’t drop it out. The separation was still about their relationship. How inevitably everything led them back together.
Oh Jon… He’s my fave kind of man (despite that he had more sex with other ppl than I would have liked). He’s so sweet and confident and content and sure of himself, he knows who he is and what he wants. That’s the perfect kind of man. And of course it doesn’t hurt that he’s tall, broad and built like a shit brickhouse.
Is the cover model supposed to be him? I guess so. Except I don’t think he looks like that.
The POV of Davey is kind of typical of this author. The MC is always snarky, introverted, sarcastic. Has a thing against the world…
I’m liking this author.
Oh Jon… He’s my fave kind of man (despite that he had more sex with other ppl than I would have liked). He’s so sweet and confident and content and sure of himself, he knows who he is and what he wants. That’s the perfect kind of man. And of course it doesn’t hurt that he’s tall, broad and built like a shit brickhouse.
Is the cover model supposed to be him? I guess so. Except I don’t think he looks like that.
The POV of Davey is kind of typical of this author. The MC is always snarky, introverted, sarcastic. Has a thing against the world…
I’m liking this author.
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