Title: Moving Forward
Sequel to: Dreams Come True
Author: Lisa Marie Davis
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 21, 2011)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Three years after making their dreams come true, James and Payne are happily committed and living in New York. But just as they’re about to embark on a special weekend, their world turns upside down when Jamie’s mother calls to say that his sister and her husband have been killed in a horrific accident.
Helping Jamie’s mother with funeral plans and adjusting to the reality that they are now the legal guardians of Jamie’s three-month-old niece would be hard enough, but Payne and Jamie must also deal with Jamie’s alcoholic father, Russ. If Payne and Jamie want to move forward as a family, they’ll have to learn to deal with old pain, fresh grief, and new responsibilities.
Reviewer: Astrid
Review: Sequels can be tricky beasts. Can they be read as a standalone? Will the author have to dedicate a third of the book to rehashing the first book so a new reader has a clue what’s going on? And for those of us who did read the previous book…will we remember the finer points? This can be frustrating for a reader. With Moving Forward, Lisa Marie Davis made it as simple as ABC – genius! Whether you’ve read the previous story or not (I recommend you read it – ‘cause it’s wonderful), you are given a concise history that isn’t jarring and are immediately immersed into the present story.
Two beloved characters, Payne & Jamie, are back and its three years later. They are happily married and looking forward to a long weekend when tragedy strikes. Jamie and Payne are grief-stricken but their devotion to one another gives them the strength to face the nightmare, which includes a confrontation with Jamie’s father Russ aka – alcoholic, homophobe extraordinaire.
This novella packed an emotional punch, had a development I didn’t expect but welcomed (I’m not telling), and hopefully (pretty please) is the groundwork for a third i