Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Galaxies and Oceans
Author: N.R. Walker
Heroes: Aubrey & Patrick
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 313 pages
Publisher: BlueHeart Press
Release Date: June 23, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather’s telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.
Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He’s content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick’s head.
Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.
Aubrey never expected to be happy.
Between Aubrey’s love of the stars and Patrick’s love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.
Review:
This is easily, so far, my favorite book of 2018. This story had everything I love, and was written so well, that I was torn between wanting to smile or cry. And in between, I kept Googling Kangaroo Island because now I want to visit Hadley Cove and see the lighthouse. But, I’ll make that a summer trip since I was freezing just reading some of those scenes. Seriously people, this story was brilliant and it gave me a little boost of romantic happiness that I had no idea I was missing in my books.
The title, the romance, the stars, and the lighthouse may fool a reader into thinking this was a saccharine and overly sweet story…and you would not be more wrong. There was so much more than I’d ever expected and for the first time in a long time, I did not instantly pick up my next book because I wanted to savor what I’d just read. Yeah, it was that good. This will definitely be on my yearly list of favorites and I will be looking for this in audio, too. Can you tell I liked it? A lot?
So, as fate would have it, as soon as I’d finished reading this book, and with both Aubrey and Patrick still on my mind, I went for a car ride and the first song to come on was I’ll Stand By You by The Pretenders. I could not have chosen a set of lyrics to more accurately describe what I’d read than that song. How the Southern Cross connected Patrick and Aubrey, so too did this song resonate within me. I will never hear this song again without thinking of these guys. So let me me share, just a little bit, and add a few of these lyrics to my review and you decide how perfect they are.
Oh, why you look so sad, the tears are in your eyes,
Come on and come to me now, and don’t be ashamed to cry,
Let me see you through, ’cause I’ve seen the dark side too.
When the night falls on you, you don’t know what to do,
Nothing you confess could make me love you less
That first section reminded me of the secrets that Aubrey was hiding, and the fact that Patrick has a tragic past, as well. How Patrick was compelled, and wanted to be a solid foundation for Aubrey, to show him that there was kindness in the world, and that not all men are abusive.
I’ll stand by you,
I’ll stand by you, won’t let nobody hurt you,
I’ll stand by you
Aubrey was so abused, and Patrick was so completely good, kind, and understanding. Aubrey could not have found another man to be the perfect complement to his need for a normal life. These two were just meant to be, I would say soul mates, but I don’t want to diminish the love that Patrick had, and lost, with Scott. I firmly believe we may have more than one perfect love, and some were just meant to be there for a little while.
I’ll stand by you, won’t let nobody hurt you,
I’ll stand by you, baby even to your darkest hour,
And I’ll never desert you,
I’ll stand by you
The ending seemed to come up and smack you in the face. We know it’s coming and I knew Collin would be somehow involved, but when it occurs your heart just about stops. It was so completely heartbreaking, but it was necessary. You can’t run and hide from your past forever, especially if you have secrets, but knowing that the town, and Patrick will be there for you all the way, it just made such a tragic event into something beautiful. Okay, I need to stop. I tend to ramble on when I love a book, and looking at the word count you can easily guess that I loved this one, and you will, too. Highly recommended…to the stars and back.
Overall Impression: It was amazing!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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