The Rekindling of Love by Derrick Knight

91gwN-utajL._SL1500_Title: The Rekindling of Love
Series: The Innkeeper Series #1
Author: Derrick Knight
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (350 pages)
Publisher: Derrick Knight (Published April 10th 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Blurb: Dwyer Von Strohm thought his life was perfect. He had a great job as a pharmaceutical sales representative; he lived in Chicago’s premiere gay community, drove an expensive car, and had an unlimited number of hot gay men to pursue. Dwyer thought his was living the life he had always dreamed. Then one day he becomes a causality of a poor economy. In a very short time, Dwyer loses his job, loses his status in the gay community, and is reduced to living a lonely existence.

Dwyer’s situation forces him to move back home and live with his parents in the small town of Glasburg Illinois. Dwyer had left Glasburg many years ago because the love of his life, John Fitzgerald, had broken his heart. Dwyer reunites with gay friends from high school who are facing their own life challenges.

Soon Dwyer and John’s paths collide and it is evident both men still have strong feelings for each other. Will Dwyer find it in his heart to forgive John or will he let the demons from their past prevent them from rekindling the love they once shared?

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Rekindling-Love-Innkeepers-Series-ebook/dp/B00JLL1OBI
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Dwyer and John were best friends turned lovers that broke up after spending a year together as a couple in high school. Not only was the relationship a wash, but their friendship was destroyed as well. They went to separate colleges and haven’t spoken since. Now Dwyer has moved back home after losing his job in Chicago and the last thing he wants, is to run into John.

Dwyer ends up taking a job with an older established gay couple, that happens to be friends of both Dwyer and John. There are actually several different gay couples throughout the book, and each couple knows each other, as they are all part of an extended group of friends. As everyone, they know works to get Dwyer and John back together. Will the person whose opinion matter most feel the same way? Dwyer.

As I said, there were several different couplings in this book and when it was all said and done, they were all in the same circle of friends and acquaintances. But each couple got to share their own unique love story along the way. Mark and Eric, who met on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after Mark was attacked, violated and left HIV positive. Eric’s mother is into AIDS/HIV research so Erick is fully aware of the issues and problems he’d face to be in a relationship with Mark, but it doesn’t stop him.

David and Lance who have an intense attraction but are overwhelmed with inexperience, they get to grow together as a couple and grow into a very strong one. There are a few more couplings, but these two were my favorites, their stories were so intense and realistic that I related to them. I wanted more passion for these characters, but when it came to the sexual aspect of the entire book it seemed like the author was jump roping between YA and Adult and the two lines don’t blur well. At least they didn’t in this instance, and that ruined the story for me.

Overall, the misspellings, typos, and lack of adult passion in a book that was obviously meant to be an adult read left this book lacking, in my opinion. I would love to see what the author could do if he/she went back and either stuck strictly YA or strictly Adult with this story and tried again. Sorry, I didn’t care much for this one, but on the up side, I LOVED this cover.

Portia’s Two Cents: I have to agree, this cover rocks, but I was very disappointed with the story that followed. The writing is not bad at all. And the characters are interesting and believable. This had the makings of a great series. Yes, I mean series…not story. There was just too much going on. Too many characters, too many flashbacks, too many romances. I forgot who the main characters were after a while. In all, I think I counted, at least, 4 stories that could have stood alone, and would have been much more satisfying.