This was an enjoyable read. The story-line was interesting and the handling of recovery felt authentic and true.

I think I may be the only person, so far who didn't think this was an out of this world book. I liked it. Myles is a troubled child celebrity and his world comes crashing down in such a way he ends up in rehab. The aspect of the story I enjoyed most was kinda the oddity of Myles and Diego's relationship. The brief impression, before you get what the story is about is that you think Diego will also be a patient in rehab, but he's not, it's his kid brother. I think had I read this at some other time I would have been feeling the story a little bit more.

Myles has been a star for the longest time, but he can be so naive sometimes. With what happened with his not-ex boyfriend, Diego seems way too good for him. In a way the story was both too long and too short. 89% of their relationship developed at the rehab center, but I would have liked to see more of Myles and Diego outside of rehab. It's an ongoing thing and I feel like post-rehab is where the testing and strength of their relationship would be, particularly with Deigo's brother staying with them.

It was enjoyable, just not my cup o' tea.

4.5 stars

Synopsis: Myles is an actor in a television show who hasn't been sober since he was a teenager. One day, after pictures of a night of debauchery are posted on gossip sites, Myles is forced by the studio to go to rehab. He is insistent that he's not an addict, and is resentful of the fact that the studio and his costar think that he is.
During his stay at the rehab facility, Myles comes in contact with other residents, and the brother of one of the guests in particular. Diego grew up around addicts, and managed to get his brother in to a facility. Even though he doesn't necessarily trust addicts, he believes in Myles, and that Myles is strong enough to do anything.

What I liked: when I started reading this, I had a hard time reading it. It felt very removed and esoteric. And then I realized that I was thinking about the book in pictures. That each word was a brush stroke building the world the author wanted the reader to see. The stories and the characters are there, but they aren't the point. The point is the imagery. It is beautiful and painstakingly done.

What I didn't like: one of the guests at the rehab facility was bipolar, and Myles is the only one who is working to control her disorder? The rehab facility didn't seem very professional, either, since they left Myles alone his first night to deal with detox. And then they let his boyfriend in with drugs. While Myles was in the facility, his studio couldn't get his apartment cleaned so that there were no bottles of alcohol or bags of drugs around? How serious are they about his sobriety?

Overall impression: lyrical and beautiful. There wasn't a lot of story, but the imagery was very powerful and lingered long after the book was finished. Told in 3rd person POV from Myles' POV only.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh! What a lovely story!

I totally dug Myles, and Diego was just as sweet. I enjoyed their chemistry and how their friendship grew over the months before they had their grand finale.

This wasn’t a dark story for me, despite Myle’s obvious struggles. It was more uplifting and sweet than angsty (in my eyes anyway).

I liked the pace of the romance since it worked so well with the story. I so loved the little moments with Diego and Myles we got every other chapter.

It’s important to me to like the “side” characters in a book that doesn’t focus solely on the MC’s love life. Good thing I also liked the others, like Felipe, Amy etc.
The storytelling was nice, little rocky here and there and the pace very slow but thoroughly enjoyable.

I’m not an editor or have literary background but on a personal level I feel like the book would benefit from a little more work, editing-wise. I’ve been missing details here and there which felt important to me (how long are Myles’ hair exactly? for ex.) and the chapters tended to end abruptly, mid-conversation, disrupting the pace.

Fame and fortune have come at a steep cost. Young actor Myles is a mess. Drugs, alcohol, drugs+alcohol, he doesn't know how to function without them. Everybody does it right?

Maybe everyone does it in Myles' circle. But not everyone has photos leaked to the press about it. The executives give Myles an ultimatum. Rehab or the road.

So begins Myles' self-discovery.

I cannot imagine the power it takes to overcome addiction and the strength required to live in recovery. This story doesn't skimp on reality. Through Myles' POV, we experience the pain and fear of withdrawal. The uncertainty of recovery.

Diego's little brother attends the same rehab as Myles. Diego is an all around good guy. Through him, Myles finds courage and support.

This is a slow romance. There is no 'insta' anything. Diego is aware that Myles needs the time and space to get back on his feet. But it's sweet. Really, really sweet because both guys are good guys. They care about others. They want to do good. Together, they can make real change in the world.

I enjoyed the story even though it wasn't as fast paced as I usually read. There were great secondary characters as friends. The biggest problem I had was that my ARC copy wasn't anywhere near ready for review. It still needs tons of editing. Everything from line-editing, to dialogue to formatting still needs work. Hopefully those things will be addressed for the published copy. I hate to see a good story marred by a lack of care in the delivery.