Swimmer by Louis J. Harris

9465c11fc22c99cf434818326d76ed68400ecbc2Title: Swimmer
Author: Louis J. Harris
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (60 pages)
Publisher: Louis J. Harris (July 8th 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: When a man loses the love of his life, he has various options. He can find another, he can find himself, and he can also become reclusive, or he can drown in a cloud of guilt.

Basil chooses the latter. Four years previously, his lover left him without a note, without as much as a telephone call. He decided then that he will pursue his dream of becoming a renowned artist, and to hell with love. He isn’t looking for a man.

And then he meets the Swimmer.

Even though he’s not looking, the Swimmer knows that only one thing can save Basil from himself. True love. Will Basil find it? Will the Swimmer give it? A story of love, loss and above all, hope. He can love himself. Invest in material things that can’t hurt him.

Will is a young Olympian whose soul has been places, a wise person beyond his years. A man who will fill the void Basil left behind four years ago. It won’t be easy, for there is a price to pay, and once paid, will they be able to move on with their lives, together?

Purchase Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/456074

Review: Basil lives a secluded life at his house on the beach, painting and mourning the love he lost when his boyfriend left him. He is alone, but he finds solace in the loneliness, afraid to love again and refusing to give in to desire that would only lead to a one-night stand.Then he sees a man on the beach, swimming, and he watches him every day until he works up the nerve to talk to him.

William is an Olympic swimmer that prefers the fresh water of the beach and sand beneath his feet to the chlorine of the pool, much to his coach’s dismay. The attraction Basil and Will share is undeniable, but Basil will not be just a notch, so he keeps Will at arm’s length. This just gives them the time to really get to know each other and, eventually, the chemistry kicks in and passion ignites. But an ex that won’t go away and an unfortunate accident threatens to break apart their fragile union.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Basil and Will really get to know each other before they jumped into bed, you don’t always get that type of character development and I thought that was refreshing. There were a few typos and the tense bounced back and forth a few times, which was confusing, and there were some things left unfinished in the end.

I wanted to know why Basil’s boyfriend left, what was the purpose of prison being mentioned and the aftermath of the accident threw me, just to name a few. So while I liked the connection between the characters, there were a few hiccups with the story itself.

I can only hope that Harris was dangling carrots and intends to write a sequel and tie up all those pesky loose ends. Still worth the read, especially if you are looking for a short story with great character development.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *