Series: Chasing Gold
Volume: 1/?Publisher: Independently published
Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance
Length: 68 500 words
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮
Reece had always had two passions - gymnastics and Alex, his boyfriend. Unfortunately, after Alex broke his heart, which also affected his beloved sport, Reece had to put the pieces of his life back together. Four years later, Alex reappears in his life, and brings back pain and memories. However, it turns out that years ago Alex had a very good reason to hurt Reece. Truth brings forgiveness, which revives feelings. But is the young athlete able to cope with everything that is happening in his life and not lose sight of his goal which is competing in the Olympic Games?
"Hold Me Up" begins our adventure with the new Colette Davison's series entitled "Chasing Gold". As in this story the most important place occupies the theme of hurt/comfort, the characters' emotions, their feelings and psyche are of great importance. And this is one of the greatest advantages of this book, as is often the case with this author. Colette Davison has an amazing gift to present everything that happens in the souls and minds of her characters in a real, believable and very vivid way. Thus, we don't only read "Hold Me Up" but also feel it. Thanks to this unique, emotional style of this author, to some extent we are able to imagine what the characters experience, or we even put ourselves in their situation, if their life experiences resemble ours. For it is worth noting that in this novel we don't find a single problem to be falsely exaggerated. Everything is wonderfully possible here.
What I really like about "Hold Me Up" is the topic of innocence. The author really moves her readers as she shows them the youthful innocence, and then truly beautifully outlines its image in the adult life of her characters. For Reece and Alex cease to be children, but they still have much of that innocence, faith in a better day, hope and dreams. Unfortunately, the positive is followed by suffering, fear and sacrifice for the other person. In this context, I also liked the fact that the characters are able to look at the events of the past through the prism of their age at that time and rationally evaluate what happened four years earlier. Reece doesn't care about pain and resentment, and Alex at some point starts to forgive himself for what he was forced to do as a teenager and heals his own wounds. And that's why in all these, we can see both the maturity of the characters and their wonderful innocence.
Another advantage of "Hold Me Up" is undoubtedly the fact that the novel refers to a topic of sport, and more specifically to the gymnastics, which is one of the most important elements of the plot. I admit, gymnastics is not my story, so I know rather little about it, but it was this sport that conquered my heart in this novel. Why? Because the author managed to present it with passion, in a way that arouses interest and does not require any knowledge about it. What's more, thanks to the fact that the author creates this story around the sport that is not particularly close to me, reading "Hold Me Up" I had the opportunity to look at gymnastics a little differently, get to know it from a different angle. To tell the truth, I'm sure that from now on I will always think about this novel and its characters whenever someone mentions gymnastics and the Olympics.
I would also like to write a few words about the characters who are just great. Reece and Alex made a huge impression on me and I immediately loved them. Both are gentle and innocent in their own way, ready to sacrifice themselves for a beloved, they are affectionate, loving, brave. Each of them, however, proves his value and shows us his positive qualities and strengths in a different way. And that's what I really like about their creation. They are similar in some respects, but the most important is that they complement each other in terms of their differences. What's more, thanks to the author, reading "Hold Me Up" we are able to really get to know our two leading characters, we have an insight into their psyche, thoughts, hopes and fears, we really feel their passion, and thus we can share it to some extent. We just love them and we have the impression that they are real.
To sum up, "Hold Me Up" is a really fantastic and beautiful novel, which in the blink of an eye conquers the heart of the reader. In this book we can find passion, love, sadness and tears, joy and happiness. It is a novel about feelings, emotions and life. I highly recommend it to you!
Headcanon: working on it
Fanfiction idea: working on it
AU idea: working on it
Here's some more about:
Book Title: Hold Me Up (Chasing Gold Book 1)
Author: Colette Davison
Cover Artist: Colette Davison
Release Date: January 29, 2020
Trope/s: Second chance, sports, slow burn, hurt/comfort
Themes: Forgiveness, trusting others, dedication, self-care
Heat Rating: 2 - 3 flames
It is a standalone story.
Blurb
Can second chance love survive past trauma?
Reece has one goal: to compete in the Olympic Games. With the gymnastics World Championships looming, his dream is one step closer to becoming a reality.
When his childhood sweetheart, Alex, walks back into his life unexpectedly, Reece’s world is turned upside down. Alex was the boy who inexplicably pushed him away and broke his heart; the boy he still loves.
When the truth behind their break-up is revealed, Reece wants to hold Alex up and give him the strength to heal.
But can Reece be Alex’s rock, and remain focused on his training, or will his Olympic dreams suffer in the process?
Hold Me Up is a MM second chance romance, with a slow-burn relationship and lots of hurt/comfort. It’s the first in a series of books that follows male artistic gymnasts as they chase gold.
Trigger warnings: Hold Me Up features a character who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks due to a past event that is briefly described.
Reece has one goal: to compete in the Olympic Games. With the gymnastics World Championships looming, his dream is one step closer to becoming a reality.
When his childhood sweetheart, Alex, walks back into his life unexpectedly, Reece’s world is turned upside down. Alex was the boy who inexplicably pushed him away and broke his heart; the boy he still loves.
When the truth behind their break-up is revealed, Reece wants to hold Alex up and give him the strength to heal.
But can Reece be Alex’s rock, and remain focused on his training, or will his Olympic dreams suffer in the process?
Hold Me Up is a MM second chance romance, with a slow-burn relationship and lots of hurt/comfort. It’s the first in a series of books that follows male artistic gymnasts as they chase gold.
Trigger warnings: Hold Me Up features a character who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks due to a past event that is briefly described.
Excerpt
“Pizza and beer, as requested.”
Alex’s smiled deepened as he stood back, allowing Reece to enter.
“Are we eating at the table, or are we going to be uncouth?” Reece made eyes at the sofa and then frowned playfully. “How can you be uncouth when you can’t be couth?”
Alex chuckled. “You’re an idiot.”
“It’s true, though,” Reece pointed out, kicking the door shut behind him. “Just like you can be over- or underwhelmed, but you can’t actually be whelmed. The English language is weird.” Raising the hand carrying the beer, he pointed to the table and then the sofa. “Table or sofa?”
Alex considered the question. The sofa would be far more relaxed, but he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. In just a few days, most of his barriers regarding Reece had crashed down. He was enjoying having Reece back in his life, but he felt like it was for all the wrong reasons.
Reece took the decision out of his hands. “The table is occupied by your laptop. Let’s take the sofa.” He put the pizzas and beer on the coffee table before flopping down on one end of the sofa. He looked up at Alex expectantly. “Are you joining me?”
Alex glanced at the table, wondering if he should offer to move the laptop. It would have taken him two seconds to close the lid and prop it against the wall and only slightly longer to take it back through to his bedroom, but he didn’t want to. Instead, he wandered to the kitchen units and grabbed the bottle opener from the drawer.
“Good call,” Reece said as he pulled two bottles out of the cardboard pack. He held them both while Alex flipped the lids off, and then gave one to Alex. “I got us garlic bread,” he declared. “And I seem to remember that you’re not much of a fan of topping on pizza, so I’ve got a margherita for you and pepperoni for me.” He took a swig of beer before opening up the pizza boxes and handing Alex his. Then he reclaimed the bottle. “We should have a toast.”
Alex raised his eyebrows as Reece lifted his bottle.
“To you. Reporter extraordinaire.”
Alex felt heat creep up into his face. “I don’t—”
“I do,” Reece cut him off. “Like I said earlier, your article was amazing.” He glanced around the room. “You should cut it out and frame it.”
The heat swept up to Alex’s hairline and into his ears. “My boss already did.”
“Where is it? I don’t see it up anywhere.”
“At work.”
“On the wall?”
Alex shook his head.
“You need to bring it home. I’ll help you put it up, if you want?”
Alex dipped his chin. “I—”
“It’s your first article. It’s a big deal, Alex and you should be bloody proud of yourself.”
About the Author
Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.
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