Review: A Year of Awakening by Chris Cheek (Love in a Changing Climate #1)


Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via LesCourt ARC Team.

Steven Frazer is forty-two and runs a relatively successful environmental consultancy with his close friends and business partners. He's not exactly the warmest of people and his reputation for having a quick temper and being rather cold isn't a secret in their office. When the time comes for them to bring in a new consultant, twenty-eight-year-old Joshua Ashcroft is clearly the best candidate, but Steve waffles with making a decision. His reasons, however, are more personal than professional, fearing that the younger man will prove to be the distraction that Steve suspects he could be if they have to work together. When he finally agrees to hire Josh, the two get off on the wrong foot with their first project, leaving Josh rethinking if working for Steve was a good career move and Steve needing to smooth things over as soon as possible. As the two learn to get more comfortable with one another, they form a connection--one that leads them to pursue a more intimate relationship. But both Steve and Josh have pasts that they need to contend with if they even hope to have any sort of happy future with each other.

A Year of Awakening is my first read from author Chris Cheek, and it's the first in his Love in a Changing Climate series. The book is a little over two hundred pages long, and while it did have a compelling story to share, it did feel like a far longer read than I'd like to admit. There's a lot of angst in Steve and Josh's tale, and there were certainly moments that I wish I could have sat these two down and given them some much needed advice so that they could let go of all the baggage that was dragging them and their relationship down. Of course, that's easier said than done in real life, so why should I expect less in fiction, right? While there were times that the story did drag a wee bit, I did like what it did have to tell. Both Steve and Josh were men who were trying to be the most authentic versions of themselves but we're bogged down by fear of rejection. There were a number of notable supporting characters, and I'm curious to see who among those Cheek has in mind in terms of future installments in this series, which is off to a pretty promising start. I'm giving A Year of Awakening 3.5 stars out of a possible five stars. ♥

Date Read: 28 October 2018

Learn more about Chris Cheek.

Purchase A Year of Awakening on Amazon.

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