The story of two men who should never have had to live apart. I felt so sorry for Justin. He had returned home after being gone for 7-years, after someone had notified him, that his father was dying, (The long absence was not by his choice) ...only to find out that his mother had died several years ago and no one in his family had thought he "deserved" to know. After all being gay is such a horrible crime??? When George and his mother take Justin and his personal assistant, Ethan, into their home...George and Justin have a chance to have some long talks that help them to know that they have never stopped loving one another. But...they know that it could never work with them living 3,000 miles away... and George's Mom needs him. I didn't really see George's Mom being all that needy...but... anyway, the purpose has been served, and you find yourself wanting to gather the entire cast of characters together and give them a big group hug. Just when you think that George and Justin might as well hang it up...you remember...hey, this IS Andrew Grey. He never lets his wonderful characters suffer for very long and he always makes them see reason and find a solution to anything including world peace. That's why I love this author so much. I understand that George and Justin are back in the next book, Never Let You Go...so guess I better pay "Mr. Amazon" a visit. ( )

It’s difficult to explain this one. To a degree it’s about “the one that got away”/“the one left behind”. But it’s also about forgiveness and redemption. It’s about fears and truly letting go of past hurts. It’s about not allowing the past to control your future. Also, I LOVED the assistant!

****TRIGGERS - family drama/disownment, grief, and a physical assault**** ( )

Life at the top of any profession can be lonely, and this is particularly true if you’re a celebrity. Not only is there constant pressure to work hard to stay the best – like for a lawyer or an athlete, but there is also the public’s curiosity about your personal life and, as a consequence, paparazzi haunting you to get the stories for the tabloids. ‘Can’t Live Without You’ is the story of one such celebrity and it felt frighteningly real, is heart-wrenching almost from the get-go, and made me appreciate my privacy all the more. But it is also a beautiful love story, an ode to second chances, and a thoughtful tale that shows how the most important things in life cannot be bought with money.

Justin is a hard-working actor who has come by his success honestly. His best friend, Ethan, organizes his life and helps keep the overly curious away, but Ethan is more than a secretary – he is a true friend. Justin has a very dark and sad past and when his father dies, a lot of the old pain surfaces again once he returns to his hometown. Facing George, the man he had loved before he was kicked out by his father, is one of the most difficult things Justin has had to do – especially since he can’t tell him the truth behind his abrupt departure seven years earlier.

George has not seen or heard from Justin in seven years, and it hurts. He clearly still carries a torch for Justin, and seeing him again brings back even more of the feelings he has been trying to get over. George has never understood why Justin left without a word, why he never got in touch. But even as angry and hurt as he is, he can’t resist the attraction which is still there and grows stronger by the day.

Justin deals with his father’s death in his own way, and it is difficult to find out how much the man changed once Justin was gone. But what is even more difficult is figuring out what his relationship with George is going to be – and if it will ever work. Justin’s life is in LA, or wherever his next movie is being shot, and George’s life is back in their small town in Pennsylvania. These two men almost tear themselves apart before admitting the depth of their feelings and doing something about it. And they made me suffer right along with them. What an emotional roller coaster.

If you like stories about dealing with the past and second chances, if you want to see two men reunited after having been pushed apart by Fate, and if you’re looking for a read that is deeply emotional and is likely to pull you into the less glamorous side of life as an up-and-coming actor in Hollywood, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. Justin and George’s happy ending is hard-earned but very well deserved, as far as I am concerned.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )