While reading I couldn't put it down, and now I'm still not done with it. I finished it last night and it's still occupying my mind. The musical selections, while generally not fitting the events transpiring, are beautiful choices. This would never be the case if it were a straight couple. So in the throes of passion, the men stop everything to obtain prophylactics. We are to believe that these two are star-crossed lovers soulmates, even. The author goes off the rails with the wildly inappropriate and offensive use of condoms. Sex with this couple is treated as a stop along the way and not as a destination. The descriptions are flat, uninspired, and feel rushed. The virgin sex isn’t questionable it’s ridiculous. “One nightstand” legit had me laughing out loud. The (lack of) editing is abysmal: Countless punctuation errors, missing periods, missing commas, incorrect tense shifts, improper sentence structure, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, lack of needed hyphens, repetitive word usage, incorrect use of possessives (“eyebrow’s” is just one instance). And still wondering what fashionable gay guys actually wear boxer shorts these days. The guys' entire relationship is so all over the place-Hugh instantaneously goes from “OMG I’m here against my will” to “OMG I’m meant to be with him and he’s been right all along.” Meager explanation from Simone regarding why he leaves Hugh alone in Rome. Character development, both primary and peripheral, is nonexistent. A twelve-year time jump comes out of left field. But it’s nowhere near enough to save this story.Īs far as narration, way too little show and way too much tell. The actual premise of this book, when eventually revealed, is quite beautiful.

Dark Sonata by Evelyn Bond