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the_novel_approach's review against another edition
4.0
Indra Vaugh writes so beautifully—Vespertine, her co-authored book with Leta Blake, was one of my absolute favorite books of last year, and we get to see more of that lovely, sentimental style in her newest release, Patchwork Paradise. I definitely went through the gamut of emotions reading this one. I might not have needed the truckload of Kleenex other readers warned of, but there were absolutely some tears and many instances of dealing with a massive lump in my throat. You’ll be glad to know it wasn’t all tears, however—there are some sweet and tender moments, and some cute moments along the way as well.
That being said, you can read the blurb and know that this is going to be somewhat of a rough ride. Grief is so hard. To go through yourself or to help someone else through. Even to read about. The loss of the one nearest and dearest to you is so unfathomable. But, Vaughn does a great job of capturing that loneliness—the just utter emptiness that Ollie feels after the loss of Sam. His pain jumps off the page, and there are times that you will feel it right along with him. Ollie and Sam were young and so in love; in fact, they were due to be married in a month’s time. So, when he is unexpectedly taken from Ollie, the despair that he falls into is completely understandable.
Ollie’s support group is a huge part of this story. His friends, as well as his mom, are there for him every step of the way through his grieving and the rebuilding of his life. They drag him out of bed when he thinks he can’t go on, they help him honor Sam on what would have been their wedding day, and they quietly cheer him on as he dips his toes back into dating. And, all along, through everything, Thomas is there, secretly pining for Ollie.
There were quite a few dramatic turns in the book. There was the tragedy in the beginning, obviously; then some awful, unexpected tension with Sam’s parents (I have two separate notes in my Kindle that both say “what an asshole” about Sam’s dad), which lasted throughout; and finally, the growing pains and stress of the new relationship situation with Thomas. None of the drama felt manufactured. The story and how everything unraveled definitely felt realistic, but… Actually, I don’t know if there even needs to be a ‘but’ here. I think it just depends on what you’re looking for in a story. This one is a slow burn. Getting over someone is a long, difficult process. The “romance” part was sort of broken up into sections: Ollie and Sam; Peter, who Ollie dated briefly, was sweet and romantic, though the timing was obviously not right; and, then Ollie and Thomas. I felt like it dragged a little through the middle, maybe—others may not think so—but, overall it all worked.
Once Thomas’s son entered the picture, even though it still wasn’t completely smooth sailing, the light at the end of Ollie’s tunnel became infinitely brighter. Milo definitely helped bring them together, and opened Oliver’s eyes to things he clearly wanted that maybe wouldn’t have been possible with Sam. I was an absolute sucker for all the baby stuff, and adored this section of the story and watching the guys work through everything. Wonderful.
In the beginning, this book is a story of loss. Poor Ollie loses the love of his life in the first chapter. But ultimately, it’s much more than that. It’s a story of friendship and redemption, of second chances, of family, and, of course, of love. Another great story from Indra Vaugh.
A quick side note: I loved that it was set in the author’s home country. It made me want to google Antwerp to see if the visions in my head match the reality!
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-patchwork-paradise-by-indra-vaughn/
That being said, you can read the blurb and know that this is going to be somewhat of a rough ride. Grief is so hard. To go through yourself or to help someone else through. Even to read about. The loss of the one nearest and dearest to you is so unfathomable. But, Vaughn does a great job of capturing that loneliness—the just utter emptiness that Ollie feels after the loss of Sam. His pain jumps off the page, and there are times that you will feel it right along with him. Ollie and Sam were young and so in love; in fact, they were due to be married in a month’s time. So, when he is unexpectedly taken from Ollie, the despair that he falls into is completely understandable.
Ollie’s support group is a huge part of this story. His friends, as well as his mom, are there for him every step of the way through his grieving and the rebuilding of his life. They drag him out of bed when he thinks he can’t go on, they help him honor Sam on what would have been their wedding day, and they quietly cheer him on as he dips his toes back into dating. And, all along, through everything, Thomas is there, secretly pining for Ollie.
There were quite a few dramatic turns in the book. There was the tragedy in the beginning, obviously; then some awful, unexpected tension with Sam’s parents (I have two separate notes in my Kindle that both say “what an asshole” about Sam’s dad), which lasted throughout; and finally, the growing pains and stress of the new relationship situation with Thomas. None of the drama felt manufactured. The story and how everything unraveled definitely felt realistic, but… Actually, I don’t know if there even needs to be a ‘but’ here. I think it just depends on what you’re looking for in a story. This one is a slow burn. Getting over someone is a long, difficult process. The “romance” part was sort of broken up into sections: Ollie and Sam; Peter, who Ollie dated briefly, was sweet and romantic, though the timing was obviously not right; and, then Ollie and Thomas. I felt like it dragged a little through the middle, maybe—others may not think so—but, overall it all worked.
Once Thomas’s son entered the picture, even though it still wasn’t completely smooth sailing, the light at the end of Ollie’s tunnel became infinitely brighter. Milo definitely helped bring them together, and opened Oliver’s eyes to things he clearly wanted that maybe wouldn’t have been possible with Sam. I was an absolute sucker for all the baby stuff, and adored this section of the story and watching the guys work through everything. Wonderful.
In the beginning, this book is a story of loss. Poor Ollie loses the love of his life in the first chapter. But ultimately, it’s much more than that. It’s a story of friendship and redemption, of second chances, of family, and, of course, of love. Another great story from Indra Vaugh.
A quick side note: I loved that it was set in the author’s home country. It made me want to google Antwerp to see if the visions in my head match the reality!
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-patchwork-paradise-by-indra-vaughn/
glassesgirl79's review against another edition
4.0
In "Patchwork Paradise," Sam and Ollie are a committed gay couple living in Antwerp who are planning to get married and are enjoying a night hanging out with friends at a local bar when tragedy strikes. After Sam is killed during a robbery, Ollie has to find a way to carry on with his life. During the months following Sam's death, Ollie finds himself in a dispute with Sam's parents over ownership of the house Sam and Ollie share. Also Ollie finds himself beginning a deep friendship with his bisexual friend Thomas.
After Ollie has has time to grieve Sam's death, he begins to have romantic feelings for Thomas. Since Thomas doesn't show
a romantic interest in Ollie, he reluctantly begins to date another guy but he feels rushed to get involved in another romantic relationship.
Eventually, Thomas and Ollie admit their mutual attraction to each other. Just as Thomas and Ollie are about to transition their relationship from a friendship to a romantic relationship, Thomas gets shocking news that he is a dad. Thomas now has to accept the role of dad as well as starting a relationship with Ollie.
I liked that the characters are well written and not stereotypical. The author has created a story which tugs at your heart and also has you rooting for Ollie to remember what he had with Sam but also be able to open his heart to Thomas. I was also surprised that although this is a guy romance, the romance scenes were tasteful and not over the top.
After Ollie has has time to grieve Sam's death, he begins to have romantic feelings for Thomas. Since Thomas doesn't show
a romantic interest in Ollie, he reluctantly begins to date another guy but he feels rushed to get involved in another romantic relationship.
Eventually, Thomas and Ollie admit their mutual attraction to each other. Just as Thomas and Ollie are about to transition their relationship from a friendship to a romantic relationship, Thomas gets shocking news that he is a dad. Thomas now has to accept the role of dad as well as starting a relationship with Ollie.
I liked that the characters are well written and not stereotypical. The author has created a story which tugs at your heart and also has you rooting for Ollie to remember what he had with Sam but also be able to open his heart to Thomas. I was also surprised that although this is a guy romance, the romance scenes were tasteful and not over the top.
suzy76's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I didn't hate this but I didn't love it either. I was genuinely moved by the story, especially the first part, but there was something just...off...with the rest.
I didn't hate this but I didn't love it either. I was genuinely moved by the story, especially the first part, but there was something just...off...with the rest.
achillespatroclus's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
cadiva's review against another edition
4.0
3.5*
This book ripped me in half. I'm rating it right in the middle because, for me, it's two stories in one and while I absolutely adored one aspect of it, the other annoyed me.
So, to explain further, the love story and the love after loss element was wonderful. The insight into Sam and Ollie's relationship was perfect.
The pain, the gradual awakening of realisation that you have to move on in whatever way works best, that there can be a new love without betraying the old. This was done brilliantly.
What I didn't need, and what drove me to a point of almost stopping reading, was all the rest of the unmitigating angst. From Sam's parents turning into arseholes, from the angsty of Ollie's best friends Cleo and Imran's relationship exploding into drama, to the unexpected baby drama, it just became too much.
Now, I actually loved baby Milo and how he brought along a new future for Ollie with Thomas but everything else about his appearance was just more drama!
So, as a love after loss romance, wonderful, as a new romance in its own right, just too much dramady!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This book ripped me in half. I'm rating it right in the middle because, for me, it's two stories in one and while I absolutely adored one aspect of it, the other annoyed me.
So, to explain further, the love story and the love after loss element was wonderful. The insight into Sam and Ollie's relationship was perfect.
The pain, the gradual awakening of realisation that you have to move on in whatever way works best, that there can be a new love without betraying the old. This was done brilliantly.
What I didn't need, and what drove me to a point of almost stopping reading, was all the rest of the unmitigating angst. From Sam's parents turning into arseholes, from the angsty of Ollie's best friends Cleo and Imran's relationship exploding into drama, to the unexpected baby drama, it just became too much.
Now, I actually loved baby Milo and how he brought along a new future for Ollie with Thomas but everything else about his appearance was just more drama!
So, as a love after loss romance, wonderful, as a new romance in its own right, just too much dramady!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
ruruxxi's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. I loved that this was messy, complicated and atypical. Its only drawback for me was that I feel like there was more to the story. I think it ended way too soon.
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