It’s hard to recover from a first love. Some people never do.
How hard would you fight to keep your best friend? Marc Lucas and Tomas Santos have been best friends forever, but now their friendship is in a crisis. When they were boys, betrayals ripped their world apart. They thought it was fixed, but some parts remained broken. Ever since he saved him from a humiliation at school, Marc has loved Tomas. The last thing he expects is for Tomas to love him back. To keep his best friend, Marc revisits an abusive past he’s tried to forget.
For Tomas, loving Marc has been anything but easy. His upbringing told him it was wrong, so why did it feel so right? Accepting who he is as an adult, Tomas decides he needs a committed relationship. To his deep sorrow, he can’t seem to find it with Marc.
When the two find themselves alone and in the grip of a hurricane, long-buried feelings emerge. Being “just friends” is no longer an option. They must risk it all on love.
Title: Close to You
Series: Sunshine and Happiness: Book Three
Author: Skylar M. Cates
Release Date: March 28, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 248
I started reading this one not knowing it was part of a series. The story is strictly about Marc and Tomas but there are a vast number of characters from the previous books that I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read those first.
Marc and Tomas met in high school, Tomas new to town and Marc a boy from the wrong side of the tracks with an abusive father. It’s a beautiful first love and they both fall hard but circumstances beyond their control tear them apart. Years later they come back together with Marc stating they must only be friends, even though both of them are still in love. I believe Marc is afraid to lose Tomas all together and to make sure that doesn’t happen he tucks him safely in the friend zone.
Tomas realizes they are stuck in a holding pattern and moves away to try to move on with his life. Marc realizes he needs to make some changes and let down some walls or he may lose Tomas forever.
Aside from not having read the previous two books this was a good read. The POV pulled me out of the story at times and without chapter titles it was hard to know if I was reading about the past or the present.
Skylar Cates has created and interesting cast of characters. I could feel the pull between Marc and Tomas. Definitely an enjoyable read.
