Novel: The Last Text
Author: Alice Winters
Genres: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Released: 2019
Part of Book Series: Standalone
Summary: Happy Birthday, Daniel. I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will.
When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer. It makes me feel like there’s a piece of him still alive, at least in my heart.
I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number. I apologize for not responding sooner, but I was at work.
That is, until someone responds to my text. Jace is charming, sweet, and everything I could ever want. But how can I accept someone new in my life when Daniel’s only been gone two years? Even so, Jace starts to consume my world. It feels like I can finally breathe as he helps me understand that my life doesn’t have to revolve around my grief.
Soon, I find myself laughing again as he pulls me away from the hopeless cycle I’ve been caught in, and I love spending time with him, whether it’s playing video games together or discussing our comic book alter egos. But I still need to let go of this guilt and allow Jace to show me that I can love another without replacing what I’ve lost. Jace rewrites my entire world with every word and smile he gives me, and it’s becoming harder to not give in and hand him my heart. Maybe Daniel did respond after all.
The Last Text is a 37k word novella about overcoming loss, finding hope, and friendship that leads to new love.
Post’s Author Opinion:
Note: This is a personal opinion, it does not reflect YaoiOtaku’s official position towards the novel.
I adored this book. I thought it was going to be filled with depressing thoughts and denial, but it turned out so much better. It was difficult to move on after losing someone you love, especially when you had been with that person for eight wonderful years – since teenage years – and had him taken away from you so suddenly. I don’t blame Merrick for needing time to grieve. In fact, I would not stop him from sending the text to his dead boyfriend’s phone number. It was only once a year, what harm would it do?
And thankfully because Merrick didn’t listen to the people who told him to stop, he met someone. A friend he didn’t know he needed. I loved how Jace came along without expectation. He was the best person who guided Merrick back from the darkness and despair. His character was so joyful and the interactions between Jace and Merrick made me smile. Their jokes were so funny without even trying too hard. It just felt natural. I liked how interesting the supporting characters are too. If this wasn’t a story about moving on after a loss, I would say it was a rom-com.
Having said that, if you’re looking for conflict or anticipating for something dramatic, you might be disappointed. This book is really about how the main character found a person who helped him recover the joy in his life without forgetting the happiness he already had in the past. It was sweet, comforting and touching and perhaps just the book you’d want to read before bed.
What’s your opinion on The Last Text novel? Please let us know in the comments below.
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