Title: The River Leith
Author: Leta Blake
Genre: Gay Romance
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase:
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
The River Leith is not for everyone. It touches upon some heavy topics, like the main character losing his memories of the last three years. Leith Wenz suffered a serious injury while fighting as an amateur boxer. Because of that, he lost his memory of the last three years. When he wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t even remember his Dad passing away. When he gets introduced to Zach, his supposed best friend, feelings he can’t explain come stirring up. His friends and family have been hiding that Leith has been gay for the past years, and Zach’s true identity. They thought Leith might be too confused or upset if they told him the truth, but meanwhile Leith is suffering from feelings he can’t explain.
Zach is offered an even tougher deal than Leith. He can’t tell Leith the truth, even if it hurts him more than he’s willing to admit to anyone. Zach was easily my favorite character. He seemed so hurt and lost, I just wanted to comfort him and tell him it would all be all right.
While Leith’s family and friends made a questionable decision to hide the truth from him, they did so because they thought it would be the best thing for him. I liked most of the secondary characters, especially Leith’s brother, but none of them shine as much as the main couple.
The River Leith is about much more than just romance. It’s about finding one’s true self, about overcoming tragedy, about finding love in unexpected places, about never giving up. It’s a well-written, heart wrecking novel that brought me close to tears at times. But for the romance fans, there’s plenty of that too.
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