This book is one of the most wholesome things I have read.

Basically that sentence says it all. It is so full of yearning, tender care and love that I can't help just to feel totally warm inside. There are many components that play into this and together it makes just this wonderful book that makes me feel happy.

To start it is so sweet how this community in this village takes care of each other. People genuinely care and make sure others are doing okay. This comes in the form of Basie wanting to help everyone with their electrical repairs, to the others taking care of kit when he's new (albeit a bit hesitantly because he's a newcomer).
What then even more adds onto this is the fact both Kit and Basie have lovely friends that are there for them. I love healthy friendships in books and they add so much to this one too. Both Kit and Basie tend to need a boink on their head sometimes (figuratively) when they make decisions that aren't in their own best interest. A good friendship means calling the other out and that happens in this book too, their friends ready to call them out and support them moving through that. It was great to see that happening in this book and made it all the better.

Obviously having good friends in the book is nice but the main part of this book is the romance between the two guys. Gosh the yearning! The yearning each of them had for the other was so strong in this book and I couldn't get enough of it. Basie is a complicated character trying to avoid all he feels and this plays a huge part in the book with him not really realizing things. Kit however looks at Basie with love very easily and to see him hold back all his feelings and then all the pain that follows, that hit me incredibly deep. Them both circling around each other while never really getting closer together for a long while was done extremely well in this book. 
As expected for a romance book they do get together and at one point and gosh that moment, it had me bawling so hard.  The moment in the book was so sweet and full of emotion that the tears came flowing out. I read a lot while in digital voice chat with friends and I just sat there bawling mumbling about these sweet sweet men. My friends knew then to just give me some virtual hugs and damn I really needed them. 

Closing off I want to mention that the magical realism parts of this book fit extremely well. Basie being immortal was something felt throughout the whole book. I loved how it was more a source of pain compared to a source of joy or strength which felt very different from a lot of books. It added a lot to how the romance played out and synced together really well.

I have seen many people on instagram recommend this book and now I will join that group because this book was an absolute gem.


I received an eARC and this was my honest review.