A review by karentje
Have Mercy by Christina Lee

5.0

All the love for this beautiful romance with utterly compelling, sincere and well-rounded MC’s . I especially loved the gentleness and warmth that is such an important part of who Julian and Kerry are together, and as individuals. That is what charmed me most of all. Theirs is a slow-burn romance, and their growing friendship was just heartwarming to read and made a wonderfully strong basis for their relationship. That’s where the true strength of this story lies, and it absolutely seduced me, drawing me into their world effortlessly. This is a very pure love story, can’t really describe it any other way, and one I’ll reread with the greatest pleasure. It’s a story to savored, not rushed. It’s about love and acceptance, but also about granting yourself the right to try and be happy. Kerry had resigned himself to a half-life, accepting that as a price (punishment?) for daring to come out in a not terribly accepting environment and in so doing breaking up his marriage. It was so touching to see him decide to enjoy those stolen moments of happiness with Julian, even if at first he had no hope for more than that. It left me feeling quite giddy and happy myself, I felt so invested! I was also very moved by Julian’s journey with Mercy, by the instant connection between man and horse. It was such an integral part of the story, and felt so genuine and heartfelt. Julian and Kerry don’t live on an island but are surrounded by three-dimensional and intriguing secondary characters that help lift this book even higher. Absolutely recommend it.