Title: UNQUIET
Series: Resilient Love, #3
Author: Melanie Hansen
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: 1/22/2016
Genre(s): m/m, Contemporary, Friends-to-lovers
Page Count: 296
Reviewed by: Jaime
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 5+ stars out of 5
Blurb:
Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him. When Eliot’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior culminates in a suicide attempt at seventeen, Loren is devastated.
Upon meeting again by chance nine years later, Loren is enjoying a successful career as a police officer while Eliot’s life has been a constant struggle for stability. In and out of mental hospitals, with a rap sheet a mile long, he continues to be buffeted by the twin storms of mania and depression. Loren’s love and protectiveness for Eliot are deeply ingrained in him, however, and their feelings for each other are quickly rekindled.
Loren has issues of his own he’s dealing with, and trying to understand and cope with Eliot’s bipolar disorder isn’t easy. They believe they’re meant to be, and Eliot brings a fulfillment to Loren’s life that no one else will ever match. But as they both come to realize, love by itself can’t cure all.
5+ Stars — This book is EXCELLENT!! RAW. EMOTIONAL. GRITTY. BRUTAL. HONEST
Melanie Hansen has outdone herself with the third installment in her “Resilient Love” series, Unquiet. This is a story I have been waiting for and to say it blew my fucking mind, would be an understatement. I have to warn you though, if you have depression or Bipolar disorder this book may have some very strong triggers, so please go into it knowing this and prepared.
Our MC Eliot and Loren met each other when they were just kids and they were inseparable. Loren has always loved Eliot even though when they were growing up Eliot seemed a little “strange” at times. As the two get older, Eliot starts drinking excessively and using drugs – Loren is concerned about all these mood changes, the substance abuse, and the alcohol and he talks to Dr. Devlin, Eliot’s Mom relaying these concerns only to be brushed off. Loren continues to love Eliot and the feelings change from brotherly love to romantic love as the two grow up. It is wonderful to watch these two come into their adulthood and realize the perfect match for them is their best friend.
Eliot has always had episodes of elevated mood, he would become extremely excitable, hypersexual, sleep wasn’t needed and he had these episodes of rapid speech where is mouth just couldn’t keep up with his brain. Eliot loved these elevated moods as he felt on top of the world. Eliot didn’t like his “black demon” who kept trying to pull him under into depression, no Eliot wanted to be high – all the time.
A situation at the end of high school causes Eliot and Loren to split apart, and they do not see each other again for years, it isn’t until Loren is on a case in Arizona that he runs across “Angel” an exotic dancer – Angel turns out to be his Eliot. Loren can’t believe what he is seeing and he can’t walk away again.. this is the beginning of their second chance.
Loren has to make a lot of changes in his life and some of these changes are not easy and ones he puts off almost until it is too late. He cannot understand why Eliot stops his medication, why he would want to be unstable – and it isn’t until Eliots Dr and another couple start talking with Loren he understands that what is normal for one person is not normal for another.
“People like me better when I’m manic. And I like how I feel … like I can do anything I want, be anything I want.
Loren has to make a choice, to be all in or to be all out and walk away from Eliot – Eliot deserves someone who is all in. Things will never be easy for this couple but they will and can be together if Loren can learn how to love Eliot the way Eliot needs.
There are excellent supporting characters in this book. In addition we get to see Jeremy and Kai from Book 2 and also Carey and Jase from book 1 – so it is really the perfect ending of a series.
I just cannot emphasize enough how much this book was spot on. Melanie Hansen did some awesome research in this book, she portrayed the life of mental illness excellently. With that being said it is a RAW. EMOTIONAL. GRITTY. BRUTAL. HONEST story. As stated in the opening of my review, this book is so raw that it might very well cause trigger like reactions in those who have Bipolar Disorder or any other mental illness. There is some cheating in this book, however it is not your typical cheating. One is totally inferred and the other is while Eliot is not under the care of a psychiatrist or in treatment for his illness. In my opinion, these types of cheating add to the story as hypersexuality is very much a part of certain mental illnesses and it would have been wrong of the author to pick and choose which part of the illness she included.
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