I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I have started this title several times and in the end DNF. The romance did not feel real and the characters were irritating.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I couldn't stand Alex, and didn't feel the romantic connection with Ben. I did want to know what happened to Misty, but not enough to read the entire book just to find out.

Back to You has a sad, dreary quality. It reminds me of the TV show, The Killing, in its gray tone and sad goings on.

Alex is a freelance journalist, once up for a Pulitzer, who is finally coming back to the home he knew as a young child. His essentially estranged father is dying and his older sister begged him to visit before he finally passes. But, it's not really his father who brings him back, no, it's Ben, his childhood best friend, the boy who kissed him right before he left, and whom he's never forgotten in the past 20 or so years.

But before he can see Ben, who's apparently now a really good artist, he's caught up in Ben's mom's ranting about her missing daughter, the daughter who's been missing since right before Alex moved to Seattle all those years ago. The mystery of whether or not she ran away, as the cops said, or if she was kidnapped as Ben and Misty's mom said, is really the backbone of this sleepy little story. It's really what is the most interesting, too, the romance between Alex and Ben was almost, I don't know, an afterthought, in the grand scheme of things. The mystery of Misty's disappearance and Alex's dysfunctional relationships with his dying father and his distant sister too take precedence over the romance. So, even though I originally read this because I thought it would be a steamy MM story, I ended up enjoying it for its mystery and its take on family drama.

That's not to say the burgeoning relationship between Alex and Ben isn't important or interesting, because it is. It isn't particularly steamy, though, so don't read this thinking that's what you'll get, as I did. What little steam there is is mostly fade to black, it's the emotions between the two that are fleshed out, rather than anything physical. And there are definitely emotions to be hashed out among them. There's guilt over Alex's leaving and never keeping in contact. Then there's guilt when Alex finds out just how badly Ben handled his leaving. But, there's joy in the reminiscing over their escapades as kids, and the joy, once they get past Ben's aversion to being around him again, in rediscovering each other, first as friends then as lovers.

If you like your mystery with a little bit of romance, a dreamy, sleepy tone and heavy on the family drama, then Back to You might be right up your alley, so check it out!

Back to You by Chris Scully is a male/male contemporary, mystery romance. Alex Buchanan returns to his hometown when his father is on his deathbed. Benji Morning, his former best friend, has been working hard to put his life together and find peace in his small town, but he can never escape the shadow of his sister’s disappearance. After all this time, will the men be able to take a chance on each other?

Back to You is a complex novel that really kept my interest. The mystery of Benji’s sister and all the twists involved in it kept me raptured. The relationship between Alex and Benji was honestly icing on the cake. I loved Benji from the second I met him and the more I learned, the greater my affections for him grew. He’s a talented artist who sacrificed what could have been a promising career to help the kids in his rural town who didn’t have access to art education, all while caring for his mother. Benji and Alex’s romance is truly an example of one partner making the other better, just by being themselves.

Back to You is a sweet, engaging book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre.

~4.5 Stars~

It’s been awhile since a book I was reading kept me up past my bedtime. And that’s exactly what Back to You did. If I didn’t have to go to work the next day, I would have finished this one in one sitting.

First, I want to say that I enjoyed Back to You. It’s well written and has more plot than romance. I felt the mystery was well done, because it kept me guessing until the very end! Alex was easy to connect to since it’s from his POV that one learns about his character and his past relationship with Benji.

It’s always a shame when two children are torn apart as a result of adults who refuse to grow up and work things out. In this case, Alex’s father, and even Benji’s mom, has a lot to answer for. But in the end, you find out that guilt has a way of changing a person, and how it eats away at the soul.

As for the romance part of Back to You, well, let’s just say it’s secondary compared to what’s going on in the story. It’s kind of a refreshing change of scenery for me since I’m one who loves the reconnection stories, and how the characters go about making things work again.

Chris Scully is an auto buy for me, and Back to You is another winner with me! I’m looking forward to it coming out in audio.

This was a perfect blend of thrill and romance.. or happy and sad.. it had twists and turns.. it had love and anger.. it had so many emotions and the characters were wonderful. i am glad i got to review this one.

Over the past twenty years, Alex has been searching for something whether he realizes it or not. He's tried hookups, a longterm relationship and even a short failed marriage, but he's never been able to recapture the feeling he got from that one innocent kiss shared with his best-friend at the age of 13. Shortly after his parents separate and he's forced to leave Ben, and to move to Seattle with his mom. With his father dying, his sister asks him to come back home to the small town in British Columbia, where he grew up, there he seeks out Ben.

This book is very much Alex's journey and the romance and even the mystery takes a back seat to that. I would have loved to see more of Alex and Ben together as a couple throughout the story. The chemistry they share is explosive, and I wish the author had explored it further.

Ben has suffered greatly from bullies as a young boy and after his sister mysteriously disappears the neglect at home only gets worse. Ben has been broken and went trough therapy and I really would have loved if the author had given him a voice. His story was powerful and I would have loved for the author to have delved deeper into Ben's past from his own point of view.

The mystery portion of the story surrounding Ben's sister was well-written and had enough twists and turns to keep me sitting on the edge of my seat and guessing.

This was a well-written and an easy read. The author's writing flows well and although I found the story a bit slow at times, it was still very entertaining and intriguing. Very recommendable!


*copy provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve never tried this author, in fact never had her on my radar even. But this cover caught my eye and after seeing a great early review I decided to jump in.

This is a second chance love story about childhood best friends. I have such a soft spot for these! Alex and Benji were neighbors growing up and best friends. Their sisters were also best friends. Everything changes when Benji’s sister goes missing. Most think she ran away, Benji’s mother thinks she’s been kidnapped. That begins the downward spiral in their lives. Alex’s mom divorces her dad shortly after that event due to his alcoholism and moves her kids to another state. Away from the small town they grew up in, away from their friends. Alex never looked back. Even though he promised his best friend that he would keep in touch.

Now a successful journalist, Alex is back in town because his father is on his deathbed. But this trip stirs up old feelings. About Misty’s disappearance. About his attraction to Benji. Alex has been living as a bi-sexual man, having had both relationships with men and women in the past. But now he’s ready to admit to himself that Benji was always the one he loved most from the start.

There are things about this story that I really enjoyed. The overall feeling that the author manages to convey with the mystery and the setting was excellent. I wanted to know every detail about Misty’s disappearance and I was so focused on the suspense and the overall family dynamics that the romance was taking a back seat for me.

That’s not to say that I don’t think these two had chemistry. But it was understated for me. It’s definitely a slow burn type of romance, which is exactly what it needed to be. But in the end I don’t think I managed to get as invested in the couple as I did with everything else going on. To me, all the rest was the story, while the romance was more in the background.

Still, I enjoyed BACK TO YOU a lot! It was a really nice small town mystery read and it kept my interest all-throughout.

I really had a hard time putting this one down.

I've only read one other book by Chris Scully, but Back to You made it pretty clear that I need to seek out more of her books. Until September wasn't a mystery. It was more of an emotional story. That's not to say that Back to You wasn't emotional, because it was. In fact, the mystery just added another layer to the emotion. A huge layer - one that it was impossible to ignore.

Alex was the last person that Ben expected to have walk back into his life, but Alex couldn't wait to reconnect with Ben. Things didn't go exactly like Alex expected though, especially when Ben found out that Alex had more than one reason to come back. Alex got more than he bargained for and things got complicated fast.

I loved the connection between Alex and Ben and the fact that their initial reunion was strained made the story more realistic. Ben was leery of Alex's intentions, but he was still drawn to him. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Ben's sister had a few twists and turns. The obsession that Ben's mom had with her missing daughter didn't help, especially since Alex's interest seemed to fuel it.

I can honestly say that the mystery had me guessing until close to the very end. The outcome had a tragic impact more than one family, but it helped heal more than one too. The romance was as good as the mystery, which are just a couple of reasons why I'll definitely be looking for more from this author. ;)

Welcome to my stop in the Back to You blog tour. I really love m/m romance, but I also like when there is an added genre on top of it because then you not only get the romance, you get a fully fledged story apart from the two main characters. In Back to You, Alex comes home after receiving a phone call from his sister telling him their father is dying. Alex isn’t on good terms with his dad, but he goes thinking he could write an article about it. Of course, once he’s home again, he has to reach out to his childhood friend, Ben, who kissed him right before Alex’ family moved at the age of 13. He hasn’t seen or spoken to Ben since, but he’s always held a flame for him.

I love friends to lover romances, and it was really nice to see Ben and Alex getting to know each other again after all the years in between. I also appreciated that while Ben is gay, Alex is actually bisexual, and nobody shames him for that and says he can’t be. Bisexuality is valid too and I love when authors have characters that are bi.

As for the other aspect of this book, there is a 20-year mystery of what happened to Ben’s older sister, who disappeared one day. Alex decides to help investigate, unsure if he really wants to know the answers. It was a really good mystery -I was fairly surprised by the outcome, but it’s a good one! It definitely ends on a hopeful note for most people involved. All in all, this was a good one!

I was hooked on Back to You from the very start. Going home and having past demons come back to haunt you is a premise that gets me every time. When Alex Buchanan returns home to say goodbye to his dying father, there are lot of unresolved issues still waiting for him, and it’s not long before he delves into them. But his boyhood friend, Benji, takes center stage as old feelings begin to flood Alex. Both of these men stole my heart - Ben with his caution and caring, and Alex with his stand-offish personality and unforgiveness towards his father. It was Ben who stole the show for me, which I find interesting since this story is told solely from Alex’s point of view. Despite a past that was more than enough to break anyone, Ben was able to find ways to cope and move on, and he just so kind to people. He was quick to remind Alex that they’d been just boys when they’d been separated, and that there was no blame to be cast at the fact that they’d fallen out of touch. I love the way their story progressed, their memories and the way they came to care for the men they’d become. I found their story to be so emotional, and Alex, especially, had a lot of issues to deal with before they could be together.There was a mystery thrown in her that I did find predictable, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. I found the ending to be a bit rushed and would have liked more Ben and Alex time after they’d found their way back to each other, but it was a satisfying story regardless.

If you like a second chance love story and a story about home and healing, I think this story will be right up your alley. I really enjoyed Back to You, and I’m excited to read more from this author!

I delight in a good coming-home set up especially when it involves a second chance romance for childhood buds and a cold case missing persons that gets re-opened. So much to pull me in and I could not wait for it to happen.

Review

Back to You lived up to my eager anticipation. A man who comes home to his small mountain town and after twenty years of running away and anger finally starts to know himself and everyone from his past with more clarity. It was a journey of the soul and I love those types especially when handled well like this author did.

The catalyst to bring Alex home was his dad asking for him on his deathbed. The family was broken for so long with hurt, anger and misunderstanding ruling things. But in the coming home, Alex has a chance to reconnect with his childhood bestfriend and neighbor when he is in a place to deal honestly and truly understand that it had always been something more between them.

The tone of this story is what really captivated me. The author didn’t just create a setting and characters, but created feels that struck a chord in me for Alex and everyone else inter-connected by the town and the past. There is a bittersweet taste to this one and it fit beautifully. Alex narrates in the first person and it was engaging to first not really like him to seeing him work through his mistakes and issues to a better place.

The cold case was a good mystery piece. I had an inkling early on. Not sure why and it stuck with me as things kept adding up. It was nothing I could put my finger on other than getting to know the characters’ well. I liked what the mystery added to the story.

All in all, Back to You was richly-drawn and touched a deep place in me with its atmosphere and emotions that rang true. I definitely recommend this to m/m romantic suspense and contemporary romance or fiction lovers who want something with a bittersweet flavor and strong character-driven plot.

Initially hooked by the cover, Back to You managed to keep me within its grasp cover to cover. This story is the epitome of a slow burn romance. If you're looking for super steamy scenes, you may need to look elsewhere. However, if you're in the mood for a fantastic story, long standing chemistry between childhood friends, or an intriguing mystery with some suspense, I highly recommend this title.

Told entirely from a single point of view in the first person narrative, Back to You follows journalist Alex to his childhood hometown as he reunites with his estranged father. As this was my first experience with the author, I wasn't sure what to expect in regard to writing style. It flows beautifully; not getting too lost in descriptions or purple prose, but managing to capture all the emotions as Alex returns to the small Canadian town of Alton. Similarly, the pacing has a steady thrum to it, keeping me engaged while allowing me time to feel all the emotions whirling around Alex. The dialogue was well written, incorporating inner thoughts, facial expressions, and spoken words to bring the conversations to life. There's also a mystery/suspense subplot that runs the course of the book and closely links Alex to his childhood best friend. It had just the write amount of suspense to keep me guessing.

Although not a coming of age book, Back to You chronicles Alex's journey of momentous growth, as he reevaluates his past beliefs and future goals. There are some brief flashbacks and revisiting of past decisions that shaped Alex and his childhood best friend Benji. I loved the amount of character growth included in the story, it never felt forced and the emotion is written so well that I became very invested in both Alex and Benji's lives. The romance is slow to build, which is realistic given the 20 year lapse of contact and that Alex is in town for a short time. However, I never struggled to care for this couple and want them to work through their painful issues and get a happy ending and I was very happy with how the plot and romance ultimately resolved.

Although I hadn't read this author before, I'll certainly look into her catalog now. The flow, emotion, and character depth is fantastic. I was completely engaged in this book and think it will likely be one of my favorite reads of the year.

I might have not read all of this author's books, but from what I have so far Chris Scully somehow managed to play the reader's emotion (as in mine) with troubled characters. Back to You is such a story. A pair of childhood friends that got separated by circumstances and personal doubt. And that's only touching part of the issue in the book.

Back to You is a blend of romance with a bit of mystery and ...general fiction, really. Told from Alex's POV, a character who's far from perfect, I could almost feel their fidgeting leaping off the page. His voice and inner turmoil were genuine, coming from an adult who still harbored childhood's resentment. I especially found his awkward relationship with his father heart-wrenching, not unlike two-sided love/hate of a confused child.

I'm not too fond of blend-in flash back moments as transpired in this book. However, the way the author wielded it somehow make the whole thing work for me. That said, I wish Ben got to tell his side of POV for added wealth to the story. If nothing, it'll be interesting to see Alex from other character's eyes, or - although it'll no doubt causing more tissue emergency - his complicated relationship with his family. And perhaps to show how strong the connection he and Alex always had.

As for the mystery, it might not be such huge revelation as reader could guess what actually had happened from how the characters acted. But the brownie point was the whole not rushing to tie-up all and any loose ends in the story. The undertaking was there - the prosecution process and everything - and in progress.

To summarize, Back to You is a journey to the past to get to the future. It's raw, emotional-ridden, and grounded; an unvarnished story with real people.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alex hasn't been home in 20 years. After a phone call from his sister telling him that their father is in his final days he decides to go home one last time.

Alex and Benji we best friends growing up. They did everything together including sharing their first kiss right before Alex moved away. Of course promises we made to keep in touch, but that never happened. Alex decided that while home he would look for the boy that stole his first kiss and his heart all those years ago.

Benji’s sister has been missing for 20 years. His mother has been obsessed with finding her and when a man turns up at her doorstep, she assumes he's with the press to help her with the story of her missing daughter. Alex is a journalist with a New York magazine, but he isn't there for a story, he's there to find the one person he really came home for.

Chris did a wonderful job at balancing the second chance love between Alex and Benji and the mystery of Benji’s missing sister. I never felt that either part was overshadowed by the other. I also felt that the area of BC was just as much a character in this story as the people themselves and I actually enjoyed that.


I give this book 4 sweet stars.

Back to you is my first book by author Chris Scully but it won't be the last! The writing was evocative and was one of the best at making the reader visualize and feel the setting. From the opening scene of Alex driving into his hometown I was hooked on the writing style.

Alex is returning to his hometown when he receives a call from his older sister that his dad is dying and wants to see him. Alex agrees to return although he is reluctant and is looking more forward to seeing his childhood best friend Benji then his family. Ben was not only Alex's best friend but also the first boy to ever kiss him. Alex resents his absent, alcoholic father and isn't close to his sister who defends their father. The book's pace is a bit slow in the first part and Alex and Benji don't spend much time together nor do they talk much for the first half of the book. Alex was planning on writing about his homecoming but is quickly caught up in the mystery surrounding Benji's older sister who disappeared shortly before Alex left town. She was considered a runaway but about a week before Alex returned her car was found and the case was reopened. Initially Ben doesn't want Alex looking into the case but eventually gives in when he realizes Alex doesn't want to let it go.

Back to You is written in Alex's POV and is essentially his journey not only home but also to reconcile his childhood, his relationship with his family and where Ben fits into his life. Alex isn't always easy to like and he has let his childhood view of the past color the present. I enjoyed seeing Alex's eyes open that the past wasn't quite all that he thought it was and seeing him navigate the relationship with his sister and his father. (view spoiler)

The dynamics of Alex's family were realistic, heart breaking and complex. Although we didn't get Ben's POV the dynamics between his mother who spent all of her energy wrapped up in the past and trying to find answers about her missing daughter to the detriment of Ben were also realistic and heart breaking. While both men had complicated family relationships they handled them in completely different ways.

The suspense was engaging and there were plenty of red herrings thrown in to lead the reader astray with just enough clues to lead to the possibility of guessing the truth or at least part of it. I wasn't as engaged with the romance as I was the suspense and the family dynamics. However, I was very engaged with the growth of Alex's character and his discovery that the truth he had held to was distorted by his youth and the secrets he was unaware of.

So while I found the pace a bit slow and the romance a bit disappointing the evocative writing and the complex relationships and character growth along with a interesting suspense made up for it.

There's a melancholy undertone to this book, and it permeates everything that happens within. Set in a small town along the Canadian Highway of Tears, a stretch of road where women and young girl mysteriously disappeared over a period of about 40 years, there's a certain kind of dread that sits in the pit of your stomach from the get-go.

Alex/Alexander/Sandy Buchanan, a journalist, returns to the town where he grew up after leaving with his mother 20 years earlier upon his parents divorce. He returns, reluctantly, because his estranged father's drinking has finally caught up with him and the old man is expected to die soon. Alex has no expectations of a happy reunion as he still resents his father, but hopes to get a story out of his visit.

The story is told entirely from Alex's first-person POV, which naturally lets the reader see only what Alex chooses to see. We don't get a whole lot of insight to Ben or what makes him tick, except of what we're allowed to see through Alex somewhat self-absorbed eyes. There's a moment when Ben lays it all out, and Alex finally... well, you read this for yourself.

Alex's older sister Janet lives close by, having returned to be closer to their father some years ago, and their relationship is equally strained, with Janet blaming Alex for never even trying to have a relationship with his father after the divorce, and Alex resenting Janet for continuing to ask him to. Their relationship is complex, and it was clear from the start that Janet was troubled.

The only thing that Alex looks forward to as he drives up to the small town is seeing his childhood friend Ben/Benji Morning, who's now an artist. Back when they were in their early teens, Alex had strong feelings for Benji that confused and scared him, and when Alex and his mom moved away, he quickly forgot all about Benji. In the years since, he's never been able to recapture the feelings from their one innocent kiss, not in the one-night-stands, the failed relationships, or even his relatively short marriage.

Additionally, shortly before Alex's mother left with him and his sister, Benji's older sister Misty mysteriously vanished one day. Alex's father was the last one to talk to her, and Alex and Benji observed her car driving down the highway the day she disappeared. She's never been found, and her and Benji's mother has never stopped looking, obsessed with finding out what happened to her daughter. In all those years, she's never had any emotional energy left for Ben, and he basically had to raise himself after his sister's disappearance. Now living in a small studio above the garage, Benji has worked hard to find a bit of peace while still keeping an eye on his mother, a peace that is threatened by Alex showing up on his doorstep. He's teaching free art classes to special needs kids and others, and has carved out a quiet albeit lonely existence for himself. He longs to move on, but realizes that his mother will continue to stagnate in her quest for finding his sister.

Just about the time Alex arrives in town, Misty's car is found in a nearby lake on the outskirts of town, and the investigation is given a second wind.

The mystery about what happened to Misty is deeply intertwined with Alex's relationship with his father and sister, and basically drives the story. The romance and rekindled feelings between Alex and Ben take second place, really, and theirs is not an easy road.

The book is full of poignant moments, but it's more suspenseful mystery than romance. Alex learns that what he believes to be the truth might not be after all, and that the dying man in the hospital bed has perhaps similar trouble in expressing his feelings, and that Alex is his father's son after all.

The truth about Misty's disappearance does eventually come out, though it wasn't a huge surprise to me. There were hints along the way, in what people said, hints that Alex either didn't understand or was too busy avoiding. Truth is a double-edged sword, as Alex surely finds out.

This isn't an easy read, and with the focus not on the second-chance romance but the mystery and suspense, it's not a book that would appeal to readers who look for fluffy M/M romances. They'd miss out, of course, as this book showcases this author's exquisite ability to set the stage and draw images with her words, transporting the reader into the story and giving him or her a unique experience. The writing is exceptional in creating the perfect atmosphere and evoking just the right emotions while reading. As with Until September, the author also doesn't shy away from making statements about the social issues behind the Highway of Tears.

I was fascinated from the start and couldn't stop reading until the very end. A true page-turner, this book delivered on everything it promised and more.

The setting of Back to You is as much a character as the main characters Alex and Ben. Set in a small town in British Columbia on the infamous Canadian Highway of Tears, where dozens of women and girls disappeared over a 40 year period, there's a melancholy and sense of dread around the edges. When Alex and Benji were 13, Benji's 17-yr-old sister Misty Morning disappeared without a trace and shortly thereafter Alex and his sister Janet and mother left town.

20 years later, journalist Alex returns home as his estranged father lays dying of cirrhosis, hoping at best to perhaps get a story out of the experience to pull him out of his writing slump. But when Alex hears - “Didn’t mean to . . .” Dad whispered, his stale breath blowing in my face. “Misty.” - the ground shifts under his feet. Misty's car has just been discovered in a lake outside town, the police are once again investigating the case and it appears everything is coming to a head - Misty's disappearance, Alex's hatred for his father, his unresolved feelings for Ben.

The mystery and suspense of what happened to Misty is what drives the story, with Alex and Ben coming in second. We get Alex's POV throughout the story, but what Ben actually feels is unclear. Ben's mother Angela devoted her life to finding out what happened to Misty and that didn't leave a lot of emotional real estate for Ben to claim. I so wanted to hear Ben's voice and his reactions and he remained very much a mystery.

The answer to Misty's disappearance is heart-rending and the big reveal is truly a surprise. Alex's revelation about his father is poignant as he realizes that the things we think we know as kids aren't necessarily the way things were:

"The truth is a funny thing. Everyone claims to want it, but most of us spend our lives hiding from it. We see what we want to see, who we want to see, because it’s easier. We delude ourselves."

As a suspenseful mystery, Back to You succeeds beautifully, however I felt the book needed Ben's POV to fully flesh out the second chance romance. 4 stars.