Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Lucas and Nate enjoyed eight steamy nights of forbidden romance last year at Hanukkah. Now after months of long-distance dating, they're living in their own apartment in Greenwich Village and beginning a new life together. Lucas hates lying to Nate's family about the true nature of their relationship, but being with Nate is worth it.

They revel in having a private place to explore their relationship ~ and every inch of each other ~ but Nate and Lucas soon discover that living together isn't always perfect. When an unexpected betrayal shatters their tentative happiness, they struggle to find their way back together as the holidays approach once more. As their first magical nights together become a distant memory, can Lucas and Nate's relationship survive the break of day?

BOOK REVIEW:
Fans of Keira Andrews will rejoice at the release of "Daybreak," a wonderful story about the joys of youthful love. In a refreshing change of pace, Nathaniel Kramer and Lucas McKenzie are already a couple when the story opens. They're preparing to live together in New York City while they attend college.

Lucas has just lost his father, and last-surviving family member, to cancer. He was lonely until he met Nate, a kindred spirit who "gets" him almost from the moment they met. Nate is Lucas' former college roommate's brother. Nate is living a lie. He's gay, and no shrinking violet, but his parents think he's just shy and studious ~ the exact opposite of his outgoing, athletic brother, Sam. Nate's also conflicted about his chosen profession. His parents are footing the bill for college and they want him to become a lawyer, but he's a gifted photographer. Sadly, they see his love of taking photographs as just a hobby.

Nate's family of supporting characters nicely round out the rest of the cast. I really liked Andrews' depiction of the Kramers as a tight-knit and affectionate Jewish family. Their faith plays a huge role in the story and was beautifully woven throughout the scenes. Indeed, Andrews deserves kudos for demystifying Hanukkah ~ the celebrations were finely rendered with a light touch. I appreciated learning the meaning of the Jewish holiday and the mechanics behind lighting the menorah. This thoughtful aspect of the story enhanced the central conflict and enriched the passages in which the family members appear.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Nate settle into blissful couple-hood until real life intrudes in the form of busy class schedules, nosy family members, needy friends and latent insecurities. Relationships are difficult to maintain in the best of circumstances, but Lucas and Nate's love affair is almost too new to withstand the onslaught of these challenges. The biggest conflict is Nate's unwillingness to tell his family that he's gay, and that he's switched majors (from pre-law to photography). Lucas doesn't like hiding their sexuality when the Kramers drop by unexpectedly, but he loves Nate and his adopted family so he lets it go, but it's an issue that won't go away. Nate, on the other hand, knows that the purse strings might be cut if his parents ever discover his new major.

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story because it illustrates the joys of being young and gay in New York City and the reality of trying to make a relationship work. Outside forces intervene in spite of their best intentions, and Lucas and Nate's relationship is tested when Lucas finds himself the object of someone else's affection. This is a character-driven tale with finely drawn, complex young men. I raced through each chapter to find out what new adventures awaited them. I sighed when they made love, cheered when they were blissfully happy and mourned when they hit rough patches. Keira Andrews is a fine writer and Lucas and Nate's love story comes alive under her extremely talented pen. "Daybreak" offers a unique and welcome perspective in erotic gay fiction.

Note: "Daybreak" picks up where the novella, "Eight Nights," left off (when Nate and Lucas first met) but it can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.

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