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The King's Mate (2013)

by Ashavan Doyon(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1623808332 (ISBN13: 9781623808334)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press

review 1: Beans: First I love that a chess story was in a grouping of sports novellas. Second this is a must read. This story felt new. Beautiful. All of the men in this story made me ache. Sam watching two hurt men that he loves dearly, find their way into a relationship. He is scared for them both, but is so amazing with his love, encouragement, and protectiveness. Russ is wary of loving again. He is still healing, but so is his secret admirer. I was deeply moved and adored this short story.Nina: A beautiful and touching novella. I loved the artistry of the love notes. I loved watching two lonely and broken men come together and help each other heal. I loved the acceptance, fathomless love and wisdom that Sam showed. I loved the patience and tenderness that Russell showed. I lov... moreed the sweet and vulnerable heart and artistic soul of Russell's admirer, who saw beauty where others dismissed. This story moved me, slowly building layer upon subtle layer of emotion and history and pain and the burning ache of betrayal and loss. Of courage and hope and learning to let go. Of grace and friendship and love, so much love, filled the pages. It flowed into my heart and slid gently from my eyes, as I read of the journey into a wonderful new chapter in their lives.
review 2: What a brilliant story! Real, sweet, and with characters that pulled me in from the start, it is built around a friendly chess competition intended to draw more customers into a café. The owner asks his best friend Russell, a formidable chess player, to anonymously play six contestants, with the winner getting a year's coffee for free. Russell reluctantly agrees. Both he and his "pursuer" have been hurt, are scared to death of loving again, yet cannot resist each other. Well, Russell does, initially, put up a bit of a fight, but his secret admirer is relentless in his romantic pursuit, no matter that he's over a decade younger. I admired both of them, rooted for them all the way, and was utterly charmed by the romantic, tender way they approached figuring out if, and how, to relate to each other.Russell feels old, yet he is only in his thirties. Compared to the "bright young things", the college students, he hangs out with in his favorite café, he definitely is "over the hill". But what has really aged him is fixable: without giving away too much, the pain he still feels will only go away once he moves on with his life. Falling in love again may be difficult, but it is tempting! The slow process of him unthawing is perfectly described, and as he opens up, we find out more about what has actually happened. A great combination of suspense and gradual reveal.Russell's secret admirer (whose identity shall remain secret so I don’t spoil the surprise for you), is much younger, enthusiastic, yet he, too, has some hurdles to overcome where love is concerned. His dogged determination to have Russell see him as a potential lover is admirable, and the way he chooses to pursue the older man is adorable. What a guy!The tone of the story is careful, gentle, and tender as the two potential lovebirds court each other. Issues of the past are dealt with carefully and with sensitivity, and even thought things start to move quickly once both men know the other is interested, their courtship did not feel rushed, And yes, the somewhat outdated word "courtship" is, I feel, entirely accurate.If you like sweet stories with a lot of romance and tenderness, both emotional and physical, if you enjoy reading about wounded men finding healing and new hope in each other, and if you're looking for a highly romantic read that is as likely to make you tear up as it is to make you smile, then you will probably like this short story. I loved it, and am already looking forward to reading it again.NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review. less

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