ARC Review | Back to You by Chris Scully

Back to You by Chris Scully
Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA
Publication Date | June 12th, 2017
ARC from Netgalley

| Review |

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. The entire tone of the story was fairly dark with the town hit hard by the economy. It was a great backdrop, and added a layer of desperation to the story that really made it hit home. The mystery that cloaked the story was a bit predictable, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. I did find 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 about home and healing, I think this will be right up your alley. I really enjoyed Back to You, and I’m excited to read more from this author!

| Rating |