Title: Sins of the Heart
Author: Allison Cassatta
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: contemporary m/m, Bittersweet Dreams
Length: Short Story (28 pdf pages)
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
A Guest Review by Feliz
Summary Review: This is a story like a train wreck, awful to read in its downward vortex into the catastrophe and yet so incredibly well written I couldn’t put it down.
The Blurb: When the spark in his relationship fizzles, Dominic thinks he’s doing the right thing by breaking it off with his lover, Brody, but he never expected his good bye to go so horribly bad. Consumed with guilt, Dom confronts Brody about his self-destructive behavior, only to find himself second-guessing his decision to leave him, and now Dom will have to sort out his feelings for Brody before fate ties his hands.
The Review: Brody and Dom have been together for two years. In the beginning Dom was enticed by Brody’s shyness and pliability. Dom courted Brody faithfully, enjoyed playing cavalier, even gave him an Eye of Horus pendant as a promise to always keep Brody safe and protected. Yet, over the years, Dom grows to find himself annoyed by the very traits and personality which made Brody such a desirable mate for him in the first place, to a point where he can’t even stand being in a room with Brody anymore, loathing even the sound of his voice. Thus Dom walks out on Brody, telling himself it’s for the best of them both, and flees their mutual circle of friends for two weeks.
Returning, Dom finds himself shocked by what has become of Brody. The formerly shy and introverted man has taken to excessive drinking and slutty behavior, taking a different man home every night, even dealing out random blowjobs in bathrooms. Even though Dom has cut Brody loose, he feels worried for his former lover’s self – destructive behaviour and confronts him one evening when they run into each other in the club’s bathroom. Instead of driving him away, Brody’s hurtful accusations intrigue Dom to a point where he can’t help taking Brody home. They have sex, during which Dom feels as if there could be something still between them, a hope for a new beginning. But when he wakes up in the morning, Brody is gone, the changed man Dom’s departure has made of him not caring what Dom wants or needs anymore. Now it’s Dom who’s left wounded, mourning the love he has so casually cast aside.
In romances it’s usually the abandoned one who tells about the end of a relationship. Here, the narrator is the quitter, Dominic, and his voice is fierce, and distinct, and mercilessly open.
I hated this story, and I hated both protags with a vengeance. Dom is such a selfish, uncaring, unmindful asshole, and Brody an overly dramatic, demonstrative, self-pitying martyr type. And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about their ill-fated love, couldn’t get Dom and Brody out of my head. These two men should never have been together in the first place.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all known men like Dom, men who can’t stomach real nearness, men who get cold feet when things become too close; and I think we’ve all been where Brody is after Dom left him, lost and forlorn without the love which was the center of our universe, thinking our lives pointless now. A romance author who knows what he/ she is doing won’t break a sweat taking readers to this place, right into the depths of desperation. But traditionally we, the readers are then delivered from our apprehension some way or other by a miracle which makes the lovers see sense and gets them back together, thus preventing the fictional caracters of having to deal with the consequences of their decisions. Here, no chance. The characters must go until the bitter end, suffer through the fallout of their breakdown, and to no avail at that; although Dom indeed goes through some kind of character growth, I can’t help disbelieving if he’s really learned his lesson despite everything he tells Brody in the end.
There was nothing sweet about this story, it was bitter, as bitter as life itself. Love, the best and most precious thing man can have turned into despair by neglect, self – hate, disgust, and at last, the worst gift out of Pandora’s box, deceived hope. Although Dom was the one who started it, both men had their part in destroying themselves and each other, spiralling down and down towards the catastrophe. Which was all the worse for the fact it could have been avoided, had only one of them paused for a second to look at things from the other one’s point of view.
A while ago Wave asked me what it was with me and these Bittersweet Dreams since I’m obviously always the first to go for them. This story made me think about her question. I do read for entertainment, for escapism, and for happiness like everyone else, but sometimes I want more. Sometimes I can’t settle for being elated but need to feel the tears and the deepest depths of pain of the characters instead. I haven’t cried over a book in decades, but I did over this. How much more real can you get? So forgive me all you out there who don’t share my occasional need for painfully true reality in my reading – I had to rate Sins of the Heart five stars, it was that good.
Dreamspinner Press and Author Allison Cassatta will donate 100% of the FULL RETAIL price from “Sins of the Heart” to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal Fund to help people suffering loss during such a tragic time in Australia.
Hi Feliz,
I can`t read stories with a sad or bad ending
when I know it beforehand.This is not a critique,it`s just how I am.:)
Thanks for your emotional and heartfelt review!
s.
HI Sims,
nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants, or can read sad stuff. Me, on the other hand…Hamlet fangirl here 😉
This story IS unusual and heartbreaking.
wow that looks like an intense reading^^ I´m not very keen on angs but the fact that the full retail price is donated for the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal makes a difference^^
Thank you for your review 🙂
Sorry Feliz
I’m with Simsala on this, I know its pathetic but I did my time on the classic love stories with their Hamlet endings when I studied Eng & American Lit. Hell, these days I cry at catfood adverts!
So even though your review was great, I know I’ll pass on the whole bittersweet series and enjoy my HEA or HFN .
Hi Feliz
I will definitely be reading this book. The fact that you felt so deeply about it says somethng to me and although I like at least a HFN ending I definitely want to get into these characters’ heads.
Also the fact that this book is for such a great cause makes me want to buy it even more, even though I have a review copy.
As I mentioned to you, one of my best friends lives in Queensland and I spent some time with her in Brisbane about 6 years ago, and to see such devastation breaks my heart.
Hi Wave,
despite the heartbreak this story is worth it, in every respect
Seriously all that in 28 pages? Sounds like it will be very difficult to read. I’m going to try it mainly due to the length. A short story I can handle, if this had been a full length novel I don’t think I could. I do like to get emotionally attached to my characters, but as long as it ends on a relatively ok note. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
Sad endings are so not my thing but the blurb for this one kept calling me. Then Allison said the money was going to the flood relief and I couldn’t resist.
I haven’t read your review or the book yet but soon. I’ve got a box of tissues at the ready. 🙂
you better, lily – you’ll need them!
What great review Feliz. I didn’t catch that it was only 28 pages until I read Lisa’s comment, and I have to agree with Lisa – I can’t believe that much was squeezed into 28 pages! I think I’ll have to give this a shot. Thanks Feliz!
You’re right, Lisa and TJ. There was a lot going on in that story for all that it was so short. Not a single superfluous word in my opinion, everything right to the point.
Hi Felize! Great review, sounds like a superbly written book. I however have plenty of drama in my life no extra required 🙂 Your mention of Hamlet however reminded me of a video Ethan D rec. on his new site. Check it out on his blog- fun stuff.
thanks for the rec, reggie I’ll check it out
See? Now I’m torn. Well-written but bitter ending. I’d have to opt out of the book only because I’m not in a bitter ending kind of headspace; which is odd because I can do movies that end “badly.” Gohatto… I LOVE… but as a book it would make me leery.
I might have to purchase just to support the charity though.
You might indeed, Reece , and while you’re at it, you might happen to find yourself reading it, too. Absolutely not for everyday, and certainly not relaxing, but when you’re in a certain kind of mood…
I think I’d really like this one Feliz. Doesn’t that sound sad? I meant that once in a while, I like to read stories like this, depending on my mood. I used to only read stuff like this and then one day I just got fed up of being sad 🙂 Since this is pretty short I think I can handle it 🙂
Thanks for the rec, I would have never found this one if not for your review.
Cole,
I must admit it took me by surprise, too
Feliz – I’ll be reading this based on your review. The two magic words “well written” sealed it for me. Besides, my short story TBR list has dwindled. 😉
Let me know how you liked it, Dianne! At times,I couldn’t help wondering if I was seeing things here
Feliz, they are not dead aren’t they? I vastly prefer HEA or HFN but as long as they are not dead and writing is good, I definitely want to read it. Thanks for the review 🙂
sirius, hmmmm…well…THEY are not dead, not both of them, anyway…
Feliz,
Not to downplay your review because it was very good, I read the neo chat earlier and decided to purchase this ebook based upon the cause alone. You said you havent had a tear jerker in a while, have you read Mick Ashlings “Loving Edits”,yet?
Sins of the Heart is a short one, I’ll read it this weekend.
Loving Edits is pretty high on my TBR, actually. Then again, even I can’t read too many of those kinds of books in a row.
Thanks for the rec!
I might go for this. I’m curious now. Every once in a while I like to get away from sunshine and rainbows and I think it takes real skill to pull something like this story off.
First, let me say thank you for such a stellar review. It absolutely warms my soul to know that people enjoy what pours out of my heart.
On Dominic and Brody, I am all about giving my characters their HEA, but Bittersweet Dreams, being what it is, my boys couldn’t have that here. So, what I did was give them the absolute best closure they could possibly have. Dominic did struggle with the idea of leaving Brody. He didn’t just wake up one day and decide it was over.
It was tough to write. So hard, I had to get up and walk away a few times before I could finish it.
The BETAs who read for me loved the characters so much there is a book in Dom’s future (it’s about half finished) and things will work out rather beautifully for him in the book… after he learns a few life lessons, of course.
If you do read the short story and would like a little more Dom and Brody, or at least the beautiful side of their relationship, they have their own blog. God love the boys, I just couldn’t stop writing for them. http://dominic-and-brody.blogspot.com/
Again, from the very bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the review and thank you for considering my work!
SMOOCHES, Allison!
You’re welcome Allison. ‘t wasn’t any kind of hardship 😉
I bought this book because of your review. Even though I hate unhappy endings. 😉
I did have to read this post twice before making the decision to buy.
What ultimately decided it for me was the fact that it’s a short story AND that that there will be a follow up.
So instead of a HEA or HFN, I’ll be getting a ‘Happy Somewhere In The Future’.
Hi Saf,
I hope you’ll find it as exceptional as I did!
Hopefully, the very near future. As I said before, in the novel (or novella) Dom has some lessons to learn, but he’ll be okay.
We’ll get to see the softer side of Dominic, the side that makes you want to pull him into your arms and hold him tight and tell him, “Baby, everything will be okay.”
If you can’t tell, I love him! He’s bar far my favorite character, and I’ve written quite a few of them. Dom’s my baby, and I can’t leave my baby unhappy… now can I?
I just finished reading this story and I have to say Thank You.
Thank You Ms. Cassatta for writing this story and Thank You Feliz for your review.
It was indeed beautifully written and heartbreaking.
I can recommend this to everyone, even those of you who do not like ‘unhappy’ endings.
This book made me realise how often I’ve read a story where one of the protagonists had had a previous relationship which ended badly for whatever reason. Often the protagonist is so affected by this past relationship that this greatly influences his actions/decisions.
But the past relationship is never explored in great detail. We are only told enough to gain some understanding in what motivates the protagonist in his journey towards and during the new relationship.
This book tells the tale of one such a past relationship.
So all of you who ever wondered about what really happened in the past, I can only say: “Buy this and see for your self.”
I will definitely be buying Dom’s story. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Saf!
You’re very welcome, Saf. I am so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for recommending it.
Allison
I just finished reading this short. Dom needs his ass kicked. Youre right no wasted words. Story moves quickly. Im a reader who is all for happy endings, (escapism). I was really PO’d after reading this story, but it is by far the strongest reaction Ive had to a story to date. So yeah, I’ll be back to see what happens next.
That’s great Hannah, thanks for the feedback