Runner by Parker Williams at Dreamspinner Press
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance / Drama |
Reviewed by | Christy Duke on 28-July-2017 |
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance / Drama |
Reviewed by | Christy Duke on 28-July-2017 |
Matt Bowers’s life ended at sixteen, when a vicious betrayal by someone who he should have been able to trust left him a shell of himself, fighting OCD and PTSD, living in constant fear and always running. When he buys a remote tract of land, he thinks he’s found the perfect place to hide from the world and attempt to establish some peace. For ten years he believes he’s found a measure of comfort, until the day a stranger begins to run on Matt’s road.
He returns every day, an unwelcome intrusion into Matt’s carefully structured life. Matt appeals to the local sheriff, who cannot help him since the jogger is doing nothing wrong. Gradually, after tentatively breaking the ice, Matt begins to accept the man’s presence—
But when the runner doesn’t show up one day, it throws Matt’s world into chaos and he must make the hardest decision of his life.
There's a joy I have found in reading a Parker Williams book. I always know I'm in for excellent storytelling with real life issues and complex, strong, but equally vulnerable characters. The description for ‘Runner’ grabbed me right from the start. Mental illness is a serious issue and it's often relegated to the back burner, regardless of how many times society has paid for its disinterest in the loss of lives. I was prepared to care deeply for Matt and I knew I'd be rooting for him all the way.
Matt broke my heart. Something horrible happened to him when he was sixteen and his mind’s way of coping was to ensure everything, his belongings, his environment, etc., are always in their correct place. He suffers from severe panic attacks and lives far enough out of town that he never has to see people. When the runner shows up he throws Matt’s carefully constructed world into a frenzy. As the months go by, however, Matt realizes that Charlie has become a part of his routine and world. Thus begin Matt’s tenuous steps to friendship and actually talking to someone, other than his brother on the phone.
“I’d always thought of myself as strong because I didn’t need anyone. The lies we tell ourselves are the most damning ones of all, because after a time we start to believe them. The truth had always been too terrible to contemplate. My fears controlled me…. I had never been strong, not once since the incident.”
It takes an accident for Matt to realize how very much Charlie makes him feel safe and how much Matt has come to care about him. What progresses is one of the sweetest love stories I have read in a very long time. Seeing Matt rediscover himself and his joy in the world around him is beautifully done. Matt has many issues and Charlie isn't perfect, but the important thing is that they're perfect for each other.
A wonderful book that I'm so glad I got the chance to read. Matt and Charlie left a footprint on my heart that I'll not forget anytime soon.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
Format | ebook, print and audio |
Length | Novel, 200 pages/65503 words |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 28-July-2017 |
Price | $6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook |
Buy Link | https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/runner-by-parker-williams-8706-b |