Advanced Review by Kristie: Hiatus by, L.A. Witt

Hiatus, by L.A. Witt
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: July 19, 2016

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Three’s a disaster when things come unraveled.

Rock star Nate Keller is on top of the world, but his headlining tour has one drawback. It keeps him away from his boyfriends, Theo and Cameron, for weeks at a time. Yet after four-and-a-half years—and a lot of hard work—the trio is still going strong.

But then Cam comes to visit with devastating news. After seventeen years together, he and Theo have agreed to a trial separation. Nate tries desperately to fix his lovers’ broken relationship, but there’s only so much he can do from the road.

At home, Cam tries to carry on, but feels like his whole life is spiraling out of control. Theo struggles to cope with the split as his depression worsens. They’re both spinning their wheels, quickly losing hope they can keep it together—and keep the man they both still love.

Desperate, Nate drops everything in a last-ditch attempt to pull their trio back together before they hit rock bottom. Except their love could already be shattered beyond repair.

M/M/M Pairing
Gay Characters
Menage/Threesome
Musicians
Contemporary Romance
Anxiety
Depression
OCD

I have so much love for this story. First of all, there is an established couple. Not just an established couple, but they are a married couple, and they have a third. I love a good chase, really I do. But stories involving established relationships between two or more people can be even more rewarding. Sometimes people just fall. It can happen slowly, fast, at medium speed (what even is medium speed?), but the fall, that’s where most love stories are written from. The beginning… All of those things are amazing! But I know love. I live love. Every single day, I work at love. It’s not always easy, so getting to read stories about people who know the struggle. That’s something I LOVE to read.

The second thing I loved about this was the alternating POV. All three men have a voice. I think it’s so important that in reading this, all their feelings were right there on the page. If any were missing, it would have felt off somehow.

Third? It’s not easy. Nothing about this is easy to read. I love a hard to read book. I struggled with my emotions so much. Each character had his heart right out there for all to see. No, it was not easy.

Because these men do not have the luxury of having their starting story told, Witt expertly weaved those beginnings within the story of their struggle. While finding their way back to each other, figuring out where and how they can continue to fit, we learn the origins of their love. Not everything, no, but enough. This gives the story more depth and realism. The dynamics became more real, the drive Nate has to keep Theo and Cameron together, even with the risk that he might not be able to be with them anymore, became all the more palpable.

With Cam and Theo each visiting Nate on the road as much as possible, separate from each other, the issues that have driven them apart become more noticeable. But Cam and Theo are nothing if not stubborn men. When the real issues of depression, anxiety, and OCD come to the forefront, when they can admit their fears to each other, communicate openly and honestly, the healing starts.

So this isn’t your typical love story. It’s not your typical romance. Not just because it’s a threesome, but because of everything else. I loved the way Witt was able to bring me in and keep me there. My mind was completely on these men, on their lives, and their love for each other. That love never goes away. It was just hard to keep in the forefront for a while. But when they start to get it back, it’s everything.

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut.

Website
E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter: @GallagherWitt

You can pre-order Hiatus from:
Samhain Publishing
Amazon
Kobo
Google Play
Barnes and Noble
All Romance eBooks

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.