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leelee68's review
5.0
I really enjoyed it. It could have went the depressing route but thank goodness it didn't. A freak medical issue made Kyle blind, this book was about him dealing with it and also falling in love with Seth when they met. I loved them! They were so perfect and so sweet together.
kristinafh's review against another edition
3.0
Every time I see a coming soon next to Kim Fielding's name, I hope on the pre-order train and patiently wait until release day arrives.
Yeah so this book. I was disappointed. I thought that the characters had such potential but it was lost in so much technicality. I think the authors tried to tackle too much about a disability and the romance became secondary.
Yeah so this book. I was disappointed. I thought that the characters had such potential but it was lost in so much technicality. I think the authors tried to tackle too much about a disability and the romance became secondary.
anya_doesntmatter's review
3.0
I liked everything about this story, especially the plot, however, the slow burn and lack of heat made this an average read for me. I also had a bit of an issue with Kyle and Matt's relationship ( Matt was Kyle's love for 10 years before they broke up after Kyle's accident). While I'm happy the overused angle of abandoning someone after a life changing accident was avoided, I didn't like the characterization of their 10-year relationship as one of being a "safety net".
It's very well written but the pace was a bit slower than I like. Despite these setbacks, I still think it's worth the read and it's better than most books published this year. If there was a smidge of heat to compliment the sweet wooing and romance this story would have been a homerun despite the setbacks mentioned above
It's very well written but the pace was a bit slower than I like. Despite these setbacks, I still think it's worth the read and it's better than most books published this year. If there was a smidge of heat to compliment the sweet wooing and romance this story would have been a homerun despite the setbacks mentioned above
suze_1624's review against another edition
3.0
Despite Kyle suddenly loosing his sight, this is a fairly even read, emotionally and pacing. It does engage you, particularly the early part when Kyle and all those around him are having to adjust to his new reality. I would have liked more of the rehab difficulties because it seemed to go quickly from waking up in hospital to walking with the cane, reading braille etc. I did like that the bits we saw were not easy and Kyle had his downs and ups.
Seth and his meet cute was fun and serious all at once as Kyle’s perceived freedom wasn’t all that he’d hoped.
They did move slowly from running buddies to more and I did feel the trust that you would have to do to do this.
The anime and con parts were a bit foreign to me but again could see how all the sounds and smells and volume of people could be very overwhelming.
Enjoyed it. 3.5*
Seth and his meet cute was fun and serious all at once as Kyle’s perceived freedom wasn’t all that he’d hoped.
They did move slowly from running buddies to more and I did feel the trust that you would have to do to do this.
The anime and con parts were a bit foreign to me but again could see how all the sounds and smells and volume of people could be very overwhelming.
Enjoyed it. 3.5*
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars ~ Authors Kim Fielding and Venona Keyes team up to give us a romantic story of second chances that blends a near tragic life event with a new beginning for not one man but two in their novel, Running Blind. Kyle Green is a successful voice character for one of the hottest anime shows around, when a freak stroke leaves him blind. While many professions could weather such a tragedy, when your job is dependent on seeing what you are voicing, being forced into total darkness spells disaster. If that is not enough for Kyle to grapple with, his long-term relationship has gone sour—both he and his partner had fallen into a complacent, comfortable relationship that was not satisfying either of them. Hence, on top of one life-changing event, Kyle opts to release his long-term partner, Matt, and go it alone. But for the help of his sister, Lily, our main character would have silently faded away—never to force himself beyond the safety of his own fears or the comfort of his own limitations.
However, with Lily pushing him, and his own need to somehow support himself, Kyle plunges into the world of audiobooks, and begins to make a new life for himself. Having always loved running, Kyle discovers that if he moves quickly enough, he can actually see images around him and decides to try jogging on his own. Unfortunately, he also realizes that there are hidden dangers all around him and takes a tumble–only to be rescued by a warm and caring voice who reaches into Kyle’s heart and gives it a small tug. This voice belongs to a man who also carries a heavy burden—one that will be a stumbling block for him when it comes to committing to any type of relationship with Kyle. But Kyle really likes Seth, and if he can step beyond his comfort zone to take a chance, then Seth must be willing to do the same. But will the man also be willing to run blindly into love?
This novel has so many positive things going for it. First and foremost was the fact that there was no quick fix to Kyle’s blindness; in fact, there was no fix at all. We watched as he learned to adapt to a whole new life, and it was not always pretty or happy. But, these two authors never let their man fall too far into despair. He had a good support system which included parents who pushed him to be the daring and innovative man he had always been, taking chances when all he wanted to do was curl up and remain safely cocooned in his home. Along with this focus on realistic recovery from a life altering illness, Kyle had to also grapple with the fact that he now was no longer marketable as a voice over star. This was really a crushing blow, and I was keen to see how far the writers would take this setback. The innovative way in which they gave Kyle a second chance at doing something he loved was both believable and an exiting climax to the story; again, just enough fairy tale mixed with science to let us comfortably go along with this handy resolution to a major problem in Kyle’s life.
Then, there was the unmistakable chemistry between Seth and Kyle. Theirs was a slow building relationship that had its definite hitches. I enjoyed reading about these two getting to know each other before they fell into bed together, and the way in which they treated each other with as much honesty as possible gave this novel real grounding. I think the only drawback I saw in the entire story was Seth’s reluctance to begin something with Kyle. I felt his reasoning was a bit weak–using his mother’s illness as a cause for not investing his heart seemed a bit too easy to me, but, in the end, it was revealed that this was just the tip of the problem, that Seth had much more than just his mother’s health on his mind.
In the end, Running Blind is a sweet story about the triumph of the human spirit and the way in which love can make even the darkest moments in our life respond to its light.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
However, with Lily pushing him, and his own need to somehow support himself, Kyle plunges into the world of audiobooks, and begins to make a new life for himself. Having always loved running, Kyle discovers that if he moves quickly enough, he can actually see images around him and decides to try jogging on his own. Unfortunately, he also realizes that there are hidden dangers all around him and takes a tumble–only to be rescued by a warm and caring voice who reaches into Kyle’s heart and gives it a small tug. This voice belongs to a man who also carries a heavy burden—one that will be a stumbling block for him when it comes to committing to any type of relationship with Kyle. But Kyle really likes Seth, and if he can step beyond his comfort zone to take a chance, then Seth must be willing to do the same. But will the man also be willing to run blindly into love?
This novel has so many positive things going for it. First and foremost was the fact that there was no quick fix to Kyle’s blindness; in fact, there was no fix at all. We watched as he learned to adapt to a whole new life, and it was not always pretty or happy. But, these two authors never let their man fall too far into despair. He had a good support system which included parents who pushed him to be the daring and innovative man he had always been, taking chances when all he wanted to do was curl up and remain safely cocooned in his home. Along with this focus on realistic recovery from a life altering illness, Kyle had to also grapple with the fact that he now was no longer marketable as a voice over star. This was really a crushing blow, and I was keen to see how far the writers would take this setback. The innovative way in which they gave Kyle a second chance at doing something he loved was both believable and an exiting climax to the story; again, just enough fairy tale mixed with science to let us comfortably go along with this handy resolution to a major problem in Kyle’s life.
Then, there was the unmistakable chemistry between Seth and Kyle. Theirs was a slow building relationship that had its definite hitches. I enjoyed reading about these two getting to know each other before they fell into bed together, and the way in which they treated each other with as much honesty as possible gave this novel real grounding. I think the only drawback I saw in the entire story was Seth’s reluctance to begin something with Kyle. I felt his reasoning was a bit weak–using his mother’s illness as a cause for not investing his heart seemed a bit too easy to me, but, in the end, it was revealed that this was just the tip of the problem, that Seth had much more than just his mother’s health on his mind.
In the end, Running Blind is a sweet story about the triumph of the human spirit and the way in which love can make even the darkest moments in our life respond to its light.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
spryfrog's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't have the magic and great characters of a typical Kim Fielding book -an effect of it being co-authored, I assume. I wasn't looking for great tragedy or the exploitation of disabilities for a good story line, but it felt like I was hand-waved through Kyle's experiences in an unsatisfying way. The book seemed to want to focus on the romance AND Kyle becoming blind, but the length and depth of the book didn't allow for both to be addressed in a satisfying way. I was left feeling unconnected and disappointed that we time-skipped through Kyle's entire world being upended with a side of boyfriend acquisition. I remember thinking the romance between Kyle and Seth was fine. Seth was a nice supportive guy. Eh.
terriaminute's review
5.0
I had to read this novel, because I've loved many stories by this author, and because I am visually impaired, so characters with vision problems interest me. I learned things. *I* learned things. And not only about vision problems different from mine. I didn't know about tethered running or the ability Kyle discovers, and I knew little about voice acting. The strengths and weaknesses of the characters all played into the plot, and man. That last chapter.
The story's all from Kyle's point of view (so to speak), so the glimpses we get of how others perceive him are telling, and sometimes poignant.
I found zero slip-ups (having the blind man do something as if he could see - you'd be surprised how often a writer messes up disabilities - and very few typos. This is a beautiful work, and I highly recommend it. You'll have to accept that Kyle is very smart, and adaptable.
This story is full of reasonable people. Since I was raised around reasonable people, and live with more reasonable people, I felt right at home. :)
The story's all from Kyle's point of view (so to speak), so the glimpses we get of how others perceive him are telling, and sometimes poignant.
I found zero slip-ups (having the blind man do something as if he could see - you'd be surprised how often a writer messes up disabilities - and very few typos. This is a beautiful work, and I highly recommend it. You'll have to accept that Kyle is very smart, and adaptable.
This story is full of reasonable people. Since I was raised around reasonable people, and live with more reasonable people, I felt right at home. :)
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