Book Title: Meet Me in the Blue
Author: A.M. Johnson
Release Date: March 2, 2023
Genres: Adult, MM Romance, LGBTQ+
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Synopsis:
Meet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.
Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.
Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you.
Meet me there and maybe we’ll remember…
We’ll remember the us we were before them, before miles, before lost hours, and you’ll ask what color the sky is, and I’ll say blue like your eyes.
And you’ll smile, and I’ll forget I ever missed you.
****
Luka and Rook have been best friends since they were nine years old.
Five years ago, Luka threw it all away.
When his dad’s health takes a turn for the worst, Luka must come home to say his goodbyes and mend the bridges he burned all those years ago. But coming home is harder than he imagined, and after reuniting with his family, there’s only one person he needs.
Rook…
His best friend.
The one man he pushed away, the one man, no matter how hard he tried to forget, he can’t stop himself from loving.
Even if loving him means breaking his heart all over again.
My Review:
I’m not sure anything could have prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster ride that was Meet Me in the Blue. From the very first chapters, my heart was completely broken, but slowly, through the rest of the novel, it was put back together again. This was a relatively short book, but regardless, I devoured it in one sitting. As soon as I started, there was no way I could put it back down again.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a sucker for a good friends to lovers story, and oh my god was this a good one. When the tags said this was going to be hurt/comfort, it was not kidding, haha. I don’t usually like a lot of angst, but the way it was balanced between soft and quiet moments, as well as the loud and boisterous ones with their families, was perfect.
Lucha and Rook became fast friends when they were kids, only to grow apart when Lucha went off to college. Now that Lucha’s back in town, though, the two can’t deny their past and the deep connection they’ve always shared. From the moment these two reconnected, I could feel the immense ties between them. Their longing and their hurt was evident, but neither was entirely sure how they could move on from their past and start something new.
The inclusion of flashbacks to their past as kids at the beginning of several chapters really strengthened not only their relationship, but also the story as a whole. I loved that each flashback somehow tied into situations they were facing in the present. It felt very circle of life. I do think even without the flashbacks, Lucha and Rook’s relationship would have still been believable, but with those added glimpses into their past, we were able to understand where all of their feelings were coming from, and why they approached certain situations certain ways.
Additionally, I absolutely loved the demisexual rep we got to see with Rook. Meet Me in the Blue was not only a book about his relationship with Lucha, but also one of self-discovery and healing. All his life, Rook had felt as if things never quite clicked for him the way it did for others in relationships. When he finally realizes the extent of his feelings for Lucha, why he feels the way he does, and what that means for him personally, we get a fantastic look at him coming to terms with his sexuality and realizing that yes, he is normal, and yes, all of his feelings are valid.
Lucha is also completely supportive of Rook’s sexuality, and even though he doesn’t always understand, he’s willing to do whatever he can to make Rook feel more comfortable. The way the two of them complimented each other, not just in that aspect but in everything, was perfect. They are the definition of soulmates.
Meet Me in the Blue has got to be one of my favorite friends to lovers stories ever.
However! Don’t go into this expecting something light and fun. This is not light and it is not fun lol. I absolutely loved it, don’t get me wrong, but it deals with some heavy topics, one of which is a parent dying from cancer and how that affects their loved ones. This part of the story was devastating and hit me in the feelings so many times. It’s been a while since I’ve cried while reading a book, but I definitely cried here.
The book isn’t all doom and gloom though. There are a lot of sweet and tender moments between Rook and Lucha that will have your heart melting. In addition, the family dynamics are wonderful, too.
Overall, Meet Me in the Blue was absolutely wonderful and amazing, and a complete emotional rollercoaster. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Purchase it at: Amazon
Check out my last blog post: Spell Bound (Tour Post & Review)