Review: Color Me In by Riley Hart
SYNOPSIS:
Caleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place.
Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities. He’s never fit in and has spent most of his life knowing there’s something missing. Just when he thought he’d found it, his whole world fell apart and he lost everything.
Then comes a sleepless night in a twenty-four-hour café, where Caleb and Ryan forge a connection full of laughs, junk food, and whispered secrets. In the middle of their budding friendship, desire blooms unexpectedly. Ryan has kept his heart protected after having it shattered, and Caleb—no stranger to attraction—finds that what he has with Ryan is on a whole new level from anything he’s experienced before. In a world of black and white, they bring each other color.
But life is never simple. When the past comes knocking, Ryan and Caleb will have to reach through the darkness to find the light they see in each other…or risk slipping into the shadows for good.
REVIEW:
This was another enjoyable read from Riley Hart. The plot line wasn’t too heavy, the characters were adorable, and the ending was stupidly cute. But don’t get me wrong, the story wasn’t without a few faults.
The novel was about so much more than the budding friendship and relationship for Caleb and Ryan. The book was a sort-of self discovery journey for both men. Ryan finding self-acceptance and understanding his sexual identity. I really liked how Riley tackled to subject of self-identification and demisexuality. And Caleb finding a life worth living, purpose, and learning how to be happy.
As both men went on their own journeys, they grew together. I loved their unconventional meet-cute. It was clear from early on these two were kindred spirits. They really lifted each other up and supported one another. Their intimacy was a tantalizing slow burn with plenty of dirty talk and exploration. But again I still have a few issues with the story. Mainly armpit licking and feet linking…WHY IS THIS A THING?!
But another thing is that a lot of times it felt like Ryan was still living in the past. I don’t want to spoil his history and baggage but the man referenced his ex a significant amount and while I understand the need for some of these mentions, at times it felt like too much. It sort of deterred attention away from his relationship with Caleb. There were moments when I truly felt like Caleb was getting the short end of the stick or getting shafted. So the narrative lacked a significant balance in this aspect.
Finally, there were several scenes where group conversations were taking place and even after re-reading the scenes several times, I still don’t know who was talking to who. I just wanted a little more focus on the main relationship and a little more refinement in the story.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
