Touch the Sky is the first book in the Free Fall series from Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn. I was excited to read this since I have read and enjoyed books from both of these authors before. I liked Lucas and Gabriel a lot, and there was a lot about this story that I liked. I did have some things that kept me from loving this one though.
Both Lucas and Gabriel had tough childhoods for very different reasons. They met online and a friendship formed between them over the fact that they not only had bad home situations, but over the fact that they were both in the closet. They agreed to someday meet and move to LA when they were old enough. But on the day that they agreed to come out to their families, Gabriel disappeared with not even a goodbye. Now five years later, both are living in Hollywood where they run into each other in a bar. Gabriel will do whatever it takes to show Lucas that he had a good reason for losing contact, but Lucas isn't so quick to forgive him. But the connection they once shared is stronger than ever, and both will have to deal with their pasts that continue to affect them if they have any hope at a future together.
I liked both Lucas and Gabriel. They each had so much going on beneath the surface, and I really felt for both of them. They had a lot to deal with as kids that no one should ever have to go through, and I was so glad that they had found one another. They desperately needed someone to connect to, and their bond was so strong. It was clear just how much these two had always meant to one another and neither time nor distance changed that. I loved the heat and chemistry between these two, and they were so hot together! Gabriel and Lucas really were perfect for one another, and I couldn't get enough of them together!
I did think that it would have been nice to see more of them actually together. At times it felt as though their relationship was a bit rushed and that we didn't get to see it fully develop. The connection was always there, but we didn't really see a lot of them actually building a relationship. I also felt like there were times that something felt a bit off here. As though maybe the two writing styles didn't completely mesh or we were missing things. The book was pretty slow for the most part pacing wise, and yet parts of this story just felt rushed to me. These two had a tendency to text one another, and it was confusing at times with the way it was done. Sometimes the texts would be in the middle of paragraphs or sentences with no way to differentiate between their thoughts and the fact that they were speaking. It just didn't always work, and I found myself struggling to figure out what was going on at times when they were texting one another. Overall, I think that this book had so much potential and I really did like the characters. I just wish that the execution of the story was better, since it had so much promise that just didn't quite get there for me. I loved some of the secondary characters as well though and I really hope that they each get stories. Their friends were some of the best parts of this story, so I would love to get to know them more. I am hoping that as Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn write together more that their styles will blend better and that their books will feel more seamless than this one did. It was still a good story though, and if you are a fan of second chance friends to lovers M/M stories, this is one you might want to check out.
**ARC Provided by Authors**
Didn't know about this one and I do enjoy both writers so I'll have to keep it in mind.
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