Love is Found

Title: Love is Found
Series: Only If Series, Book 1
Author: R. Paone
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 16, 2015
Genre(s): M/M, Coming out/Cheating/Coming of Age
Page Count: 183
Reviewed by: JLoves2Read for Gay Book Reviews and Alpha Book Club
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Blurb:

“Love is Found” is the moving story about coming-of-age in suburban New York and discovering the broad concept of sexuality and love.

Based on true events of love, the story’s protagonist, Robert, finds himself thrown into the realization that upon entering graduate school he is beginning a new chapter in his adult life. Comfortable with being gay, he yearns for love but dwells on the ideal of being along while being consumed by the world of academia. Upon starting a new job he meets a coworker, whom he begins an unlikely relationship with considering this man identifies as straight.

When sex is introduced and emotions run amok, the routine of Robert’s life is thrown into chaos with unexpected outcomes. Little does he know if his heart can survive the overwhelming desire and how this man will alter the course of his life just not now, but for the next decade.

The first novel in the debut “Only If…” series by R.Paone introduces the heartbreaking portrait of one young man finding love in all the wrong places while exploring themes of one’s sexual identity, passion, and nostalgia.

Robert is a main character that I was able to relate to as he was seeking the happily ever after and having trouble finding it. However, I just really could not get into this story and I hated the other main character, Mitch. In my opinion Mitch is everything you want to stay away from and he literally used Robert, to explore his desires while still keeping his girlfriend. I don’t do the cheating scene, and no it’s not that I have ever been cheated on as a person – so don’t think that. I just don’t get it. If you are unhappy then move on and find someone to make you happy don’t make a mess out of everyone’s lives – that has always been the way I have felt. I guess I feel that way in books too.

Beyond the cheating, which I could have gotten past. The author adds in another pet peeve of mine – instalove. Yes, I know I am really batting a thousand with this book thus far.. but I kept going. At this point I was invested in the book and I wanted to know, does Robert get his Happily ever after?

Overall, I was unable to fully connect with this story. There was just too much about it that I don’t like in a book, the instalove and the cheating. I kept reading just because I was curious but I was unable to form a strong “like” with the book. I know this book is a series starter and maybe the rest of the books in the series will pick up and catch my attention. How it stands now I really cannot rate this book higher than a 3 Stars.

“I was scared shitless. I wanted to grow up, but I didn’t want anything to really change. I wanted to move on with my life. I wanted to fucking fall in love. I wanted a lot of things.”

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