Synopsis:
“Like it or not, she made you the man you are. And you never got over her. You just left.”
The man is Erik “Fish” Fiskare, a student of technical theatre at a Philadelphia university. At twenty-two, he is the lover and soul mate of Daisy Bianco, a beautiful and talented ballerina. His best friend is William Kaeger, Daisy’s charismatic, free-spirited partner.
Erik is equally confused and fascinated by Will’s bisexuality, yet he finds his bond with Will is nearly as soulful as his love for Daisy. He implicitly trusts Will with his thoughts and fears, and relies on Will to always be between Daisy and a ten-foot drop to the floor.
When Will embarks on a disastrous affair with a dancer named James Dow, it pushes both Erik’s tolerance and trust. But rejection pushes James over the edge of sanity, taking Will and Daisy with him and leaving Erik in the ruins. Erik soon discovers that in the face of heartache, grief and betrayal, love is not always enough to make you stay. And sometimes, it’s the only thing that can bring you back.
Spanning fifteen years and following a man’s thrilling emotional journey back to the truth of himself, this award-winning novel has gripped readers and placed Laqueur as one of the most exciting debut authors of 2015. The Man I Love is an epic tale of love and forgiveness that will linger long after the last page is turned.
My Review:
“Some seek the limelight and some hold the light in place.”
I just knew this book would be mesmerizing and I was right! Completely, utterly, and totally captivating. I can’t even gather my thoughts together to write a coherent review. One of the most heartfelt but smart and honest romances I have ever read! Everyone needs to read this book. It is EPIC.
I will never forget this book. The author stole my heart and I am not sure I will ever get it back again. I don’t think that I have ever read a more beautiful and terrifying description of falling in love. When Erik and Daisy meet, their whole worlds change. BUT there is no “insta-love” here, just a perfect description of love unfolding and growing and binding them together.
“I don’t know where I stop and you begin.”
I didn’t really read this book so much as I EXPERIENCED it. The Man I Love is the epic story of Daisy, Erik, their close friends and their family through the years, starting with college. Daisy is a gifted ballet dancer and Erik is the theater tech who lights her shows. Excuse me, her CONCERTS (inside joke if you have read the book.) Let me just say that the description of music, ballet, dancers, artists and instructors is absolutely magical. There were simply no extraneous words or overblown descriptions. I literally felt as if I was physically present in the theater, or at rehearsals or in the room with Erik and Daisy.
As stunning and magical as the prose is, the story knocked me out and completely left me a wreck. It is messy and beautiful and painful, just like real life.
I absolutely love books that span years. The Man I Love begins with the characters just learning about life and love and loss and spans into adulthood. Every character was meaningful and funny and real and human, even the ones that weren’t so nice. I felt sympathetic to all of the characters.
I won’t repeat the plot here but read this as I did: I knew the synopsis but I never, ever expected this book to get under my skin like it did. There is no unnecessary drama or false notes, just perfect writing. Daisy and Erik’s love was more than love. They could not breathe without each other. Theirs is not a perfect love story, all tied up neatly with a bow. But it was all-consuming.
“And though it wasn’t anything close to true love, or even false love, the encounter seemed to fix the coordinates for Erik’s place in the universe.”
I basically want to just tell everyone to READ THIS BOOK! The Man I Love is without a doubt one of my top favorites of all time, and I have read a lot of books. It has sweet first love, wonderful, fully-realized characters, a thrilling plot plus THE most amazing writing I have encountered in quite some time. Reading this book was more like taking an emotional journey than just simply reading. I am jumping right into the second book in the series, Give Me Your Answer True, which is Daisy’s side of the epic story of this unforgettable couple. I highlighted so many parts of this book that I could literally fill another book with my favorite parts! Here is one of my favorites:
“You think about someday, you prepare mentally for someday. But someday is never today. And now it is.”
I applaud Suanne Laqueur for this astounding and gorgeous story!
(You can read The Man I Love for FREE through the end of September 2016 at Instafreebie HERE)
The Fish Tales Series:
About the Author:
Suanne Laqueur’s first novel, The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. Its other 2015 accolades include a gold medal for Best Debut Author from Feathered Quill Book Awards and being named a finalist with the Kindle Book Awards.
Suanne graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two chil-dren. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010 and now blogs at http://suannelaqueurwrites.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/suannelaqueur
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suannelqr
Instagram: www.instagram.com/swainblqr
courtney says
Bookmarked this review because I’m always game for a captivating coming of age contemporary romance. I’m pretty new to this sub-genre, but after finishing newly published Bascomville on my Kindle I need to find more novels exploring first-time love. If this is one of your faves, I’ll have to download it next because I’m going through withdrawals from uplifting stories of love. I think you’d appreciate Bascomville for all the same reasons I did…it even made me cry. Found it here http://bascomville.myshopify.com after realizing it was time to expand my boring nonfiction horizons!