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christyduke_5117's review
4.0
Having read this author's ‘Perspectives’ series and loving each book, it stood to reason that I would be curious (extremely nosy) and go perusing (flipping pages faster than the speed of light) her backlist. I wasn't very far into ‘What You Own’ when a phrase, a look… something made me think of ‘Dead Poets Society’ with Robin Williams, where the young man who took such joy in playing Puck was discovered by his father, and the look on that kid’s face. Well, part of me really couldn't wait to find out what really happened three years ago in Adam and Ryan’s lives.
It became apparent very quickly that I was going to empathize with both Adam and Ryan. Adam has spent his entire life, just as his mother did, conforming to his bigoted father's expectations. It's why Adam quit theater group his senior year in high school, one week before the production was set to premiere. It's why Adam allowed his father to place all of the blame on Ryan’s head when Ryan got outed at school, resulting in Adam and Ryan getting bashed and being hospitalized. It's why Adam walked away from his best friend, his other half, the person he might have been in love with, but they never got the chance to find out. Meanwhile, Ryan has never known some of this history, only that he lost his best friend. Wait, scratch that, his best friend, the guy he loved, turned his back on him and walked away.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
It became apparent very quickly that I was going to empathize with both Adam and Ryan. Adam has spent his entire life, just as his mother did, conforming to his bigoted father's expectations. It's why Adam quit theater group his senior year in high school, one week before the production was set to premiere. It's why Adam allowed his father to place all of the blame on Ryan’s head when Ryan got outed at school, resulting in Adam and Ryan getting bashed and being hospitalized. It's why Adam walked away from his best friend, his other half, the person he might have been in love with, but they never got the chance to find out. Meanwhile, Ryan has never known some of this history, only that he lost his best friend. Wait, scratch that, his best friend, the guy he loved, turned his back on him and walked away.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
bitchie's review
4.0
Excellent friends to lovers/second chances story. Ryan and Adam were best friends in high school, and it had just started to turn to more when a terrible gay bashing happened, leaving Adam with a skull fracture and no memory of what happened, and Ryan alone, suffering lingering fear of dark places and PDAs. Cut to three years later, when Ryan and his friend, Ellie, show up out of the blue at Adam's fathers company, needing donations for a benefit they are putting on for a local youth center.
Adam had a plan, and seeing Ryan again wasn't supposed to happen for another 10 months- not until he was finished with college and was out from under his bigoted father's thumb. But plans change, and Adam is NOT letting Ryan get away without Adam at least apologizing for disappearing, and learning that much more happened that night than his father ever told him.
As they once gain grow closer, Adam has to decide what's more important, Ryan's love or his father's approval. This story had a bit of angst, but nothing over the top. I really enjoyed it, but then, I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author, she's a total autobuy for me.
Adam had a plan, and seeing Ryan again wasn't supposed to happen for another 10 months- not until he was finished with college and was out from under his bigoted father's thumb. But plans change, and Adam is NOT letting Ryan get away without Adam at least apologizing for disappearing, and learning that much more happened that night than his father ever told him.
As they once gain grow closer, Adam has to decide what's more important, Ryan's love or his father's approval. This story had a bit of angst, but nothing over the top. I really enjoyed it, but then, I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author, she's a total autobuy for me.
bitchie's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent friends to lovers/second chances story. Ryan and Adam were best friends in high school, and it had just started to turn to more when a terrible gay bashing happened, leaving Adam with a skull fracture and no memory of what happened, and Ryan alone, suffering lingering fear of dark places and PDAs. Cut to three years later, when Ryan and his friend, Ellie, show up out of the blue at Adam's fathers company, needing donations for a benefit they are putting on for a local youth center.
Adam had a plan, and seeing Ryan again wasn't supposed to happen for another 10 months- not until he was finished with college and was out from under his bigoted father's thumb. But plans change, and Adam is NOT letting Ryan get away without Adam at least apologizing for disappearing, and learning that much more happened that night than his father ever told him.
As they once gain grow closer, Adam has to decide what's more important, Ryan's love or his father's approval. This story had a bit of angst, but nothing over the top. I really enjoyed it, but then, I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author, she's a total autobuy for me.
Adam had a plan, and seeing Ryan again wasn't supposed to happen for another 10 months- not until he was finished with college and was out from under his bigoted father's thumb. But plans change, and Adam is NOT letting Ryan get away without Adam at least apologizing for disappearing, and learning that much more happened that night than his father ever told him.
As they once gain grow closer, Adam has to decide what's more important, Ryan's love or his father's approval. This story had a bit of angst, but nothing over the top. I really enjoyed it, but then, I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author, she's a total autobuy for me.
unusablebooklore's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.5
First time
Coming Out
Emotional
Highly emotional coming of age, second chance love story.
The horrible experience the MCs had in their youth impacted their lives and pulled them apart. Finding each other again as young adults starting a new phase of their lives they reconnect and help each other move forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Alcohol
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a big fan a flashbacks in a story. I love to try and figure out what could have happened instead of being told right off. I think the author did an amazing job in giving the reader little tidbits of what happened to Ryan and Adam that night their world was shattered. I won’t give it away here, as I think it will definitely ruin it for those who haven’t read it yet. It’s heartbreaking to say the least.
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2014/01/05/what-you-own-offers-hope-in-second-chances/
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2014/01/05/what-you-own-offers-hope-in-second-chances/
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
3.0
A friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance this is a story well told, that goes back and forth between the POVs of the two MC, Ryan and Adam.
An emotional story, about forgiveness and growing-up; about being able to taking command of your life and face your fears, this is a good story. What lessened my enjoyment is that I never was able to like Adam. I get why he is the way he is, but that doesn't justify any of his actions, so...
But it's engaging and entertaining, and told with the usual skill of A.M. Arthur, so it's well worth your time.
An emotional story, about forgiveness and growing-up; about being able to taking command of your life and face your fears, this is a good story. What lessened my enjoyment is that I never was able to like Adam. I get why he is the way he is, but that doesn't justify any of his actions, so...
But it's engaging and entertaining, and told with the usual skill of A.M. Arthur, so it's well worth your time.