If you want an angsty book, that will make you ugly cry, this is the one. The things these characters go through is hell, but it’s also full of Hope, love and family. But it’s not an easy road. Fears and grief cause damage and fights and it’s tough to get past them to get to the love and the relationship.
Before he lost his mom to cancer, they made a list together of places she would love to visit before she turned 50. Unfortunately, the cancer ravaged her body, and she didn’t make it. So as a tribute to her, he decided to spread a bit of her ashes in each place before her 50th birthday. He just returned from trip 48, worn out and on edge, still recovering from getting sick in the jungle, when he sees the most gorgeous electrician working on the lights in his building. Lyall sees Nick and thinks he’s gorgeous, especially when about 15 minutes later, a shower and shaved Nick emerges. While Lyall is working on the lights in Nick’s apartment, they are shooting the breeze. Nick decides to follow his instincts and asks Lyall out on a date. Lyall was going to accept, until he learned what Nick does for a living. Being a pilot, Lyall knows it can never work now. Lyall will never get on a plane. He’s terrified after the plane crash and death of his brother. They try to make things work anyway. Lyall going to get help with his fears and all. But one bad evening with Lyall’s family meeting Nick’s father and an big blow-up ensues. One they may not recover from. And suddenly both of their hopes and dreams are shattered.
Having a fear of height keeps me from flying myself, so to a point i can imagine what Lyall is going through. You’d have to sedate me to get me in a plane. Much like Lyall has had done. And losing his brother that way, just makes everything that might worse. Having Nick as a pilot. It’s hard. The constant worry if there will be pressure. Walking on eggshells all the time, knowing Nick wants to share his travels and not being able to hear for panic attacks. Being scared and worried the whole time Nick would be gone. The list goes on and on. It puts huge pressure on a relationship.
On Nick’s side, he walks on eggshells himself. Wanting to share his life with Lyall and can’t because of his past. With Lyall having a close knit family, he can’t understand why Nick isn’t close to his father. Which adds even more stress because Lyall wants to meet him and it’s pushing Nick too far. Again, huge pressure. Wanting to share the last part of his mom with Lyall is the vulnerable part of Nick as well. No one knows what he’s been doing on all these trips and that he wants to share with Lyall, digs deep when things aren’t going right.
Both of these men have a ton of things to work through. Their fears, their grief, guilt, all that, is keeping them from moving forward in their lives. Honestly, it takes some tough love from a few loved ones to kick their asses in gear. Sometimes that’s what needs to happen. We let it all overcome us so much that we forget the end goal and focus on the bad.
This book is good, but it will make you cry. Just remember there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. 😉 . I hope you guys love it.

The Author's Note made it sound like this was his first attempt at a fluffy romance, but good lord was this not remotely close to fluffy enough for me. Also, there was zero banter and zero chemistry between the leads, which I think would be the only way to pull off the hackneyed "pilot falls in love with a guy who is afraid to fly" storyline.

Picked this up on a whim and kinda regretted it tbh. Not terrible so two stars, but definitely not my thing.

DNF at 27%

Lyall and his family are one hot mess--and not in an intriguing way that makes me want to continue reading. Had I been on the physical scene as Nick's friend, I would be pointing out red flags left and right. I mean, the dude was slamming his beer down on the table just to avoid answering the question, "Oh, you met someone? Tell us." I mean, the weirdness of the responses was beyond what I could get behind in terms of any sort of character development. Don't get me wrong...people with anger management issues and phobias--and even assholes--deserve love. I just wasn't buying how this came together.

Add to this...the pacing seemed 'off' and the plot seemed to contradict itself. In the end, I had to put it down.

The Love Left Behind is a very heartfelt and tender story. It's a romance that is wrapped around all the pitfalls that one may navigate through our life. Easily relatable and oh so moving, our main characters do what they can to hold onto what they have when life throws you another curveball.

Both Lyall and Nick have lost loved ones. There was no way to know the lasting effects those losses had on them. Sometimes those cruel twists of fate are what propels us to move forward with our best life, rather than to quit living life altogether.

Nick lost his mom to cancer. Her dying wish was for Nick to visit all the places in the world she would never have a chance to see. Being a pilot for a major commercial airline, he is positioned well to take on this challenge. The final destination is her birthplace, Greece. Oh how he would love to share this experience with Lyall.

Lyall lost his brother in a plane crash thus giving him a gut wrenching fear of flying. Whenever he thinks of flying, his anxiety makes him physically sick. Once he meets Nick, he knows he would like to travel with him someday. He decides to take some steps and try to help ease his fear of flying.

There is a lot going on within this book. Both characters have issues they need to sort through. Plus they need to communicate and let the other in. Their relationship is hard work, but both feel it is worth it to try. I was rooting for them to figure it out!

I really enjoyed their journey and how relateable they were. I liked the insight to their jobs as well. It makes them all the more human and real. Definitely a book I recommend!

3.5 stars-

The cover for The Love Left Behind initially caught my eye and the blurb left me excited to read this story by a new-to-ne author. I really enjoyed the premise and generally liked the characters. The writing was smooth and polished with good transitions between the narrative and dialogue, so I definitely will look for more of the author’s work despite this being a bit of a rocky read for me.

As much as I enjoyed The Love Left Behind and was caught up by the story, there were aspects that frustrated me enough to step away at times. From the start, it was clear Nick and Lyall had a spark even though they were quite different. I liked the idea of the pull of their attraction countered by the push of their lifestyles and interests, and was even prepared to overlook how fast both men were thinking about forever after a date and a few conversations. What didn’t sit so well with me was the lack of communication. Even when the secrets were meant to protect or not overwhelm their new partner, they felt like plot points vs natural conflicts and ended up leaving me exasperated. Perhaps if there weren't quite so many hiccups to these two aligning covered in a relatively short book, I would have had more time to enjoy their relationship rather than get caught up in the drama keeping them apart. That said, I did keep picking the book back up and was happy to see these men get their happily ever after. In the end, The Love Left Behind was a bit of a mixed bag but I think readers who don’t mind a bit of drama may enjoy this title.

3.25 stars--THE LOVE LEFT BEHIND by Daniel de Lorne is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, MM romance story line focusing on thirty year old, airline pilot Nick Galanos, and electrician Lyall Turner.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nick and Lyall) THE LOVE LEFT BEHIND follows the building relationship and romance between thirty year old, airline pilot Nick Galanos, and electrician Lyall Turner. Having met when Lyall was hired to check out the wiring in Nick’s apartment building, Lyall would soon discover that the man with whom he would fall in love is a man whose job threatened everything Lyall feared and more. Twenty years earlier Lyall’s older brother lost his life in a horrendous airplane crash, a crash that destroyed the Turner family, and left Lyall with aviophobia -a fear of flying. Unable to move beyond the past, Lyall struggles in the face of Nick’s chosen profession, a profession Lyall fears places Nick in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the back and forth, up and down, building relationship between Nick and Lyall, and the potential fall-out as Nick is unable to come to terms about Lyall’s fear of flying; and Lyall’s inability to understand Nick’s fractured relationship with his father Dimitri.

THE LOVE LEFT BEHIND is a story of family, friendship, phobia, and love; a story of second chances, moving on from the past, and facing your fears one demon at a time. The premise is engaging but the pacing is uneven; the romance is sweet but struggles in the face of secrets, disagreements and miscommunication-our couple spend more time apart then together due in part to Nick’s travel itinerary; the characters are awkward but animated.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Really good book, I loved the characters and they were so good for each other. I won't give away the twist but its fresh and intriguing. This is a nice read for a few hours of escape.

A very moving novel, Daniel de Lorne’s The Love Left Behind will tug at your heartstrings. Yes, it’s a romance, but Mr. de Lorne delves deep into aspects of life, love, and relationships to which most of us can relate. This is an emotional story, and I’ll admit to some tears along the way, so grab a tissue, settle back, and enjoy.

Both of the characters in The Love Left Behind are coping with the death of a loved one. Moving forward is a slow and painful journey, and their new affair is a welcome diversion. Unfortunately, they can’t keep their underlying issues buried for long. If they want to build a lasting relationship, both men need to face up to the past and find some closure.

Losing his beloved mother to cancer was devastating for Nick. Honoring her memory by travelling to each of the fifty countries she’d long to see, Nick is on the final leg of his bittersweet journey. Flying to her birthplace in Greece is the perfect ending, and having his boyfriend join him would be a wonderful way to start a new phase in his life.

The tragic death of Lyall’s brother in an airplane crash has left him with an intense fear of flying. The anxiety he feels when even considering getting on a plane is enough to make him physically ill. It’s going to take some hard work to overcome his phobia, but the thought of accompanying Nick in his travels is the motivation he needs to get started.

Both Lyall and Nick have a ways to go before they can truly come together as a couple. Incorporating honest communication and a bit of empathy into their relationship isn’t easy, but by shifting their perspectives, their future looks bright.

Daniel de Lorne does a marvelous job expressing emotion through his writing. Skillfully inserting terms and phrases which pertain to each man’s career throughout the story, it’s clear he enjoys playing with words. From beautifully written passages to clever metaphors, reading The Love Left Behind is a very enjoyable experience.

3.5⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed this romance, it was interesting to see how they each coped with their issues and how it impacted on the other. I liked the chemistry between Nick and Lyall and how Nick was willing to work with Lyall's fear of flying. I didn't understand why Nick kept his promise to his mother secret from Lyall, I would have preferred it if he'd just told him and seen how things worked out. The ending felt a little rushed, but it was a really nice ending regardless. I loved Lyall's family, but Nick's dad was most definitely unlikeable. Overall I enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more by Daniel De Lorne.

Overall, this was a sweet story, an entertaining read, with endearing characters and interesting details.

I did find the beginning to be oddly paced, with both characters thinking about forever after a single date. I can certainly understand seeing promise or potential after a single date, but these sentiments seemed overly dramatic:

Chapter 5: "'I’ll find someone.’
'But will you?’
He shrugged. ‘I hope so. I thought it might have been Lyall, but—'"
And
Chapter 6: "They'd been on one one date but there’d been enough of an attraction for him to feel that spark of potential. He wanted to be the one Nick came home for."

And the certainty of wanting forever came fast on the heels, with, "He wanted more. He wanted forever," in Chapter 8.

After that, though, the pacing smoothed out and the rest of the story flowed well.

One other distracting oddity. I have always found it bizarre that romance authors portray chemistry between characters as an actual physical spark. This author was completely over the top with this, and what made it more annoying was the fact that one main character was an electrician. For example:
"the electrician had kept him buzzing all day."
"Such a small light touch but electricity zapped his skin."
"... having him so near sent a low-level current buzzing just below the surface of his skin. Anticipation charged the space between them."
"He buckled from the second jolt rippling outward that burst through the ends of his fingers and increased the tingling in his lips."

In general though, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Thank you for the chance to review it.

An advanced reader copy was received in return for an unbiased review.

I found this book to be extremely frustrating. In some places, it moved really slowly and in other areas, it moves so fast that I wasn't sure how we got from one spot to another. I read more than half of the book but wasn't interested in how the characters were fair in the end.

3.5 stars

The blurb caught my interest as I was flicking through Netgalley one day.

I did like the difference in their family dynamics and how they deal with them. They really are both so different, but I think that was what fired their attraction, even when they didn't want it to.

I liked the different ways they dealt with losses from the past, even when they are holding them back from their future.

I liked the way they brought out the best in each other, when they are at their worst.

I did enjoy Lyall and Nick's story, however I did feel everything was a bit rushed - though the start was a little slow, if that makes sense.

I know, I know, I am contradicting myself here. This book just had me all over the place with things.

I loved the Australian setting (yay, more Aussies for me to read), and this was my first Daniel De Lorne read. I will be going back to read more in the future.

DNF at 20%

I requested the ARC because I thought the setting sounded interesting. But unfortunately the writing is very uneven, and I had to struggle to make it as far as I did. And the pacing was off, to - everything felt like it was on fast forward, too: Nick and Lyall's meeting, the way Nick rushes to make himself presentable, how quickly they go on their first date. I felt out of breath reading it, but not in a good way. There was no room or time for the kind of tension that makes romance fun.

I'm sorry to say the writing felt too amateurish for me to continue reading.

The short blurb bit: Nick is a pilot traveling the world with an unusual and touching mission. Lyall is an electrician from a tightly knit over-protective family. The two men meet and are instantly attracted to one another. They are both struggling with loss in their past and as they grow closer, they wrestle with finding the right time to talk about the events in their lives that have made them who they are. They come face to face with the fact that the passion that rules Nick’s life is the one thing that Lyall is terrified of. How do you meet in the middle between the earth and the stars?

The descriptive bit: This was a lovely book. At its core, this novel is a gay romance. Nick and Lyall are instantly attracted to one another when they meet. The problem is that their lives have been affected by loss in ways that are going to become a huge hurdle that they have to overcome. The thing about a loss is that is can alter our perceptions of things and change our lives in ways we hadn’t ever expected. Nick lost his mother and has spent a huge part of his life completing the journeys his mother didn’t get to make. Lyall’s brother was killed in a horrifying plane crash. I’m sure you can see the problem that these two men have.

Lyall is terrified of flying; so terrified, in fact, that just finding out the Nick is a pilot is enough to make him retreat the very first time they meet. Fortunately, his attraction to Nick wins out and the two men begin a relationship.

My thoughts bit: I loved reading about the difference in the family dynamics and how it affected the way each of these men interacted with their partner. The loss of a family member changes the way we see everything and I found de Lorne’s depiction of this to be sensitive and on point. While Nick is finding that the traveling he’s been doing is solitary and lonely and he’s longing to include Lyall in the final trip. But Lyall’s fear of flying is so intense that the idea of having to get on a plane sends him spiraling out of control.

There are some misunderstandings, disagreements, and secret-keeping in the way of these two men getting together. The angst between them isn’t overdone, it’s realistic. The merging of two lives is never an easy thing, and de Lorne does a great job of writing about the uncomfortable family interactions and misinterpreted actions that come hand-in-hand with a new relationship.

The warnings bit: mentions of a horrific plane crash, mentions electrocution, the death of family members in past

This book started out a little slow but got better the more I read. Nick and Lyall meet when Nick needs an electrician, and they are immediately attracted to each other. They go out once and hit it of, but Lyall finds out that Nick is a pilot and feels that they have no future together---his brother died in a plane crash and he is terrified of not only flying but losing another loved one in a plane crash as well. Although this does not bode well for them, Lyall decides to give Nick a chance and they start to see more of each other. They get along well and their relationship progresses. Nick has his own hangups---his mother passed away very young and he is completing a list of traveling to 50 places she wanted to go to before she turned 50 with the date looming along with his terrible relationship with his father who is, well, terrible. Despite all of these obstacles, Lyall and Nick's relationship is really sweet and they do love each other; they just need to figure out how to deal with all the issues they face with their families and Lyall's flying phobia and their losses. Quite a sweet romance down under. Lovable characters with interesting lives and families. Short and adorable.