Title: Ethan, Who Loved Carter
Author: Ryan Loveless
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 17, 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: By twenty-four, Carter Stevenson has stuttered and ticced his way to debilitating shyness. Although his friends accuse him of letting his Tourette’s dictate his life, Carter moves from Los Angeles to a quiet California town. He’ll keep his head down and avoid people. He doesn’t anticipate his new neighbor, Ethan Hart, crashing into his solitude and forcing him to get out and live.
From the beginning, Ethan makes his love for Carter clear. But he fears Carter won’t see past Ethan’s damaged brain, even though it makes Ethan more attuned to his emotions than most people. For Carter, there’s a bigger issue: he’s been burned by so-called “perfect” matches, and he won’t risk his heart again.
One way or another, Ethan’s determined to show Carter they belong together. Then Ethan receives tragic news. Suddenly he must turn to Carter for strength and support. Will Carter come through when Ethan needs him most?
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3221
Reviewer: Madison
Review: In Ethan, Who Loved Carter, Ryan Loveless tells the story of two young men, each with a disability affecting their capacity to interact socially.
Carter has Tourette Syndrome. Because of his stuttering and jerky body movements, he is uncomfortable being out in public. At best, people stare; at worst, they mock or insult him. If it weren’t for his best friend coming around to check on him and pushing him to go out, he’d probably never leave the house. His past relationships have all ended badly, and he’s afraid to put his heart out there again.
Ethan, now in his mid-twenties, suffers from a traumatic brain injury resulting from an accident that occurred nearly ten years earlier. His injury prevents him from living independently, although he can do most things for himself. He lives at home with his parents and his fifteen-year-old brother. He works in a local coffee shop, where his co-workers are friendly, but the customers aren’t always patient or kind. He’s had sexual encounters with men, but has never been in a lasting relationship.
“The stars arranged themselves into symphonies for him. Ethan told his dad how they burst and shone, how he could hear them in his head, sometimes so loud he needed to cover his ears, but that was wrong because the music was in him and if he covered his ears, he trapped it. Dad tried to understand, and Mom did too, but they didn’t hear the music, didn’t see it no matter how often Ethan traced it in the sky.”
When Carter moves in next door, the two men become friends. Ethan wants more, but Carter is skittish. In time, once they’ve gotten to know each other better, and Carter finds acceptance not only from Ethan, but also Ethan’s family, Carter admits his feelings for Ethan. In each other, Carter and Ethan find love, acceptance, and understanding.
These characters had me in tears as I experienced their heartaches and struggles in navigating the world around them. Yet at the same time, it moved me to see how much people truly cared about them. Even Ethan’s angry younger brother, who was often mean to them both, displayed moments of such tenderness and acceptance. It made my heart ache with joy. The way Carter took care of Ethan with patience and kindness when he needed it, never treating him like a child, and the way Ethan then took care of Carter in return, was simply beautiful.
One of best books I’ve read. A must read for anyone who likes their romance sweet and emotional.