A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Daisiemae
Secondhand Heart by Scarlett Blackwell is complex story full of angst, sex, grief, romance, lies, love, redemption and forgiveness. Although it primarily tells the story of Christian and Luke; Secondhand Heart is basically a book about a menagerie of characters whose own lives and dramas take the storyline to full circle of love and angst until all is well for all of the characters in the end. When Christian's partner, Conrad, is killed in an unexpected accident, not only does it devastate Christian's life but all of their friends as well. When Conrad's parents' insists on donating his organs, Christian is angered not only because he wasn't considered in the decision, but because he's pretty sure that it wasn't what Conrad wanted to do. Since Conrad's parents' don't accept Christian and the relationship that he and Conrad shared together, he's basically treated with distain and banned from every major decision that was made since Conrad's untimely death. To make matters worse for Christian, he receives a letter from the recipient who received Conrad's heart, and he can't help but feel bitter that someone else has his beloved Conrad's heart. Now its several months later and Christian is still bogged down with grief and is having a terrible time trying to get his life back together. The only person he has to lean on is Eban, Conrad's best friend, who moved in with Christian and has been Christian's shoulder to cry on ever since Conrad's passing. Since Conrad's death, Christian has learned to rely on schedules and basically is just walking through life instead of living it. When a pale and handsome man named Luke approaches him in a coffee shop and offers to buy Christian a cup of coffee, Christian responds by cruelly lashing out at him and effectively pushes Luke away. But, ever since he did this, he's been plagued with guilt from his behavior and the handsome Luke has started haunting Christian's thoughts. To make matters worse, Luke continues to be at the coffee shop at the same time Christian is every morning, so no matter what he does, he can't get the sweet man off of his mind. After a series of mishaps and events, Christian finally decides to give into the budding attraction he feels for Luke and they start to become better acquainted and then decide to go on a date. To Christian's surprise, Luke makes him feel happy, safe and alive again. Even though Christian is still grieving over the loss of Conrad, Luke's sweet understanding and open arms is something that Christian is very attracted too, and he wants to start to build a new relationship with him. But, to do this, Christian believes that if he meets the man who received Conrad's heart, he'll be able to go on with his life. But, when Christian meets the recipient of Conrad's heart; his own life is shattered and believes that he'll never be able to be around Luke again. Will Christian allow himself to heal and love again? Or is he to bogged down with anger, grief and bitterness to do so? Although I loved this story, Secondhand Heart will not be for everyone. This novel is quite gritty and full of angst and often heartbreaking at times. For those who like a light read with well-behaved characters, this book will not be for you. Otherwise, I thought Christian's grief was believable, and even though there were times he definitely became short-sighted and could become irrational and sometimes cruel because of it, I couldn't help but feel extremely sorry for him and I understood why he wasn't on his best behavior most of the time. On the other hand, I loved Luke! His utter sweetness and loveable nature was exactly what Christian needed to heal and love again. I thought they were very well matched together and I rejoiced at the ending that they shared together. Secondhand Heart is a labor of love. My advice is to have some tissues handy when you read this book. For over the first half of the novel, there are many heart wrenching things that happen, and I found myself almost becoming depressed myself from the many twists and often sad turns the plot takes. Thank goodness, Ms. Blackwell allows things to come into a full circle and so when there were happy, passionate, sweet and lighthearted moments I was almost as relieved as all the characters in her book had to feel. As I mentioned before there is an array of other secondary characters whose stories are also told in this book, particularly Eban, which in my opinion makes Secondhand Heart an amazing read from start to finish. I've read several books by Ms. Blackwell, and so far, this is by far my favorite. I'm definitely going to look out for more books written by her and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.
Mar 31, 2011 | 9781615818204
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Secondhand Heart
Conrad Muller's heart is the center of a web of friendships, fights, and love lost and found in a close-knit group of gay men in Orange County, California. Six months ago, Conrad died, and his organs were donated for transplant. A month later, Conrad's lover, Christian, receives a letter from the recipient of Conrad's donated heart. Christian can't stop thinking about the letter, and he's not the only one affected by loss. Conrad's best friend Eban is also broken-hearted, and he's struggling with his lover Damien, who has always resented living in Conrad's shadow. Though Conrad is gone, his friends and his lover will have to cope with their grief to move on and find new love.
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