Sol

Learning to Love, Book 2

By: Con Riley

Narrated by: Cornell Collins

Solomon Trebeck's heart broke the night of his bi-awakening.

Fifteen years later, Sol's back in Cornwall where it happened, single, shy, and oh-so lonely. Teaching art to kids wasn't his life plan. Neither is raising a teenage nephew, but with no family left to support him, a live-in job at a boarding school becomes his life raft.

Problem: that life raft is sinking.

Solution: Sol's first love could have the cash to keep it afloat.

Reconnecting with Jace Pascoe might save the school—the one place Sol's nephew is happy. Asking for his help opens old wounds, but Jace helps to heal them, fusing Sol's broken heart back together. However, Jace has his own shadows, no matter how brightly his smile dazzles.

Falling for Jace again could be so easy. It could also be a huge risk when neither of them plans to stay in Cornwall forever . . .

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Con Riley (P)2023 Tantor

Rising to the Occasion

Con Riley’s shared world is a legitimate masterpiece. Her characters’ stories are very individual and personal to them, but also include characters from previous books in the series and her past series also! You get glimpses of what’s going to happen in future books and you don’t even realize it until it hits you later. As for Sol and Jace, they are literally just perfect for each other. They get a second chance after life gets in the way and the issues in the book come from the outside while they are rock solid and only get stronger together. Jace being there for Cameron in all the ways that he needs is super wonderful too. Cameron’s growth is just as impressive and watching Sol rise to the occasion in the ways that he needs to was impressive considering how much he doubted himself so often. Also the chemistry between Sol and Jace was off the charts.

This is a must read book for all fans of Con Riley! You won’t be disappointed at all! Cornell Collins narration brought another level to the story. He’s perfect for this series, and I enjoy listening to him read to me.

I am struggling with this review

I absolutely adored Charles - its beautiful ! I excitedly used a credit to get SOL .. and I am not in love with it. Grrr The struggle was making sure what I don't like is about the book NOT about my personal preferences.

I quickly realized that Sol is the antagonist .. in the lives of his nephew AND with Jace. I was very excited to get this side of the story . Sol is very self absorbed but not arrogantly so .. he's shy , gets overstimulated by other people AND he's been the afterthought to everyone in his life. He is definitely not the bad guy. I loved the opportunity to see him bump around and figure it all out- to see how Jace feels, to see why Cam acts the way that he does...

and here lies the struggle : I am not sure if I didn't like it because he takes WAY too long to figure it out or because he took the amount of time that it takes and I was just frustrated by the narrator.

I think Cornell Collins is a fabulous narrator but he just isn't right for this, IMO. His slow melodic voice and the coasting pauses he puts in are too much when added to the stops and starts of Sol's thoughts. The author truly depicts the way that knowing something and KNOWING something develops... and the hard ways that we make ourselves learn them. Maybe he is perfect depiction BUT it takes too long .. there's TOO much . eg; when Sol is running to Jace on the steps he just stops and paragraphs of internal thoughts later .. when Sol can't find Cam ... it's just brambly thoughts rolling and twisting around in his head (the same thoughts as 5 chapters earlier btw) - he can't drive the car , there's someone honking, he looks behind him and then he remembers something Hugo told him *poof* he makes it to the location - and action STOPS while SOl thinks more thoughts


Its just too much. I didn't like it but that doesn't mean it's a bad book