Review: Moment of Silence by Karen Stivali (Moments in Time #4)
Note: This ARC was provided by InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review.
"My whole life I've been searching--trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, what I want. And all that time, I knew I wasn't sure about any of it. No matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed right. And then I met you."
His voice shook, making tears pinch the backs of my eyes. I swallowed hard and rubbed my thumb against his.
"In my wildest dreams, I never imagined anything I'd ever do or ever find would feel as right as I feel when I'm with you."
When he was nineteen, Jason Stern fell in love for the very first time and told his father about the new milestone in his life. He was summarily disowned, not just by his father but by his mother and sisters as well, taking their cue from the family patriarch. Why? Because the person Jason fell in love with was a man, and having a gay son was something his father refused to accept. And to then be rejected by the very man he thought he would spend forever had Jason spiraling, but he met people who had no problem welcoming him into their lives and making him feel like he belonged. He's learned a lot in the three years since, but the one mistake he seems to have a bad habit of repeating is falling for the wrong guy, because falling for almost Catholic priest and very straight guy that is Quinn Fitzpatrick is all kinds of oh-so-wrong.
I became an instant fan of author Karen Stivali's after reading the first three books in her Moments in Time series and falling in love with the story of Collin Fitzpatrick and Tanner D'Amico. Now, we've got twenty-five-year-0ld Quinn Fitzpatrick, Collin's oldest brother who's been studying and training to be a priest but has decided to take a leave before making that one final decision that will have him officially ordained as a shepherd in the Catholic faith. Here, he's partnered with twenty-two-year-old Jason Stern, who fans of the series will remember from the second book, a recent college graduate working at New Home, a homeless shelter that he once turned to after being disowned and thrown out of the house by his conservative father who happens to be a rabbi. Together, Quinn and Jason learn the true meaning of love.
Both Quinn and Jason were memorable supporting characters in Collin and Tanner's story and to have them be the ones who meet, become best friends, and fall in love was a surprise but seemed more than appropriate. Quinn, who has never been in any sort of meaningful relationship with anyone else, learns how to be intimate from Jason, but Jason, in turn, also learns from Quinn and is surprised by how easily the new man in his life seems to be adapting to being with another man. While Quinn's impending priesthood is the biggest proverbial elephant in the room for these two, there's also the matter of both their families being staunchly conservative and have made it clear just how much they disapprove of the idea of them being gay. Being together comes easily to them, but it's staying together that proves difficult.
I won't even bother comparing Collin and Tanner to Quinn and Jason because both couples and their respective stories are able to stand on their own. I found it truly interesting that while the former's love story was told from the point of view of Collin, who was just beginning his journey as an openly gay young man in a relationship, the latter's love story was told from Jason's perspective, who, while having been out in the open about being gay longer than Quinn, still lived in fear of rejection and having religion being chosen over him yet again. Quinn and Jason's story played out in a way that I may not have been expecting but that's exactly what made it wonderfully different. I've now got a new series to add to my 2015 favorites and a fifth book to look forward to in 2016. I'm highly recommending Moment of Silence. Five-plus stars. ♥
Date Read: 24 December 2015
Learn more about Karen Stivali.
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