The Retreat

finished The Retreat. You know that quiet, full-heart feeling you get when a story pushes you in the deep end and, then sends you off wrapped in a fuzzy warm towel. That's this story.

I picked it up wanting a dark MM romance, and it definitely delivers on that, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this genuinely charming, too. It goes to some heavy places. Mental illness and family rejection to name a couple. Watching two wrecked people inch their way toward each other in these small, painfully human moments ended up being the real magic for me.

Owen is struggling under the weight of his own mind, and Colin hides behind shock value and humor, especially when it comes to a family that seems more interested in controlling him than understanding him. Their situation starts with that frantic, what-have-I-done kind of energy, and I thought it might stay mostly plot-driven, but it doesn’t. This story is a character driven gut punch. These two showing up for each other in ways that leave you reeling. Their slow development of trust is the story's bread and butter, and it delivers.

The authors do a great job balancing the dark stuff with warmth and humor. I laughed more than I expected, and it matters because it makes the difficult scenes feel lived-in instead of theatrical.

The authentic approach to dark topics while adding levity and warmth make this book a must pickup.

Written in the reader's own words and published by the reader.