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A review by lilyrooke
When we were fire on fire by Elen Chase, Kate Mac
5.0
Francesco is a hard worker and a loyal friend, dedicated to his job and to the people he cares about. Sure, his house might be sparce, his heart empty, his world achingly lonely, but he's ok. He is absolutely ok. That is, until a new team leader arrives on the scene from London - Eric, the ex who walked out on him five years ago and left him shattered. Can Fra let Eric back into his life? Perhaps more importantly, should he?
'When we were fire on fire' has absolutely sealed its place as one of my favourite books of all time. I just cannot cope with sweet, precious Fra. Elen Chase has a wonderful pattern of writing novels that are one thing on the surface, but another entirely once you dive beneath their depths. To all intents and purposes this is a second chance romance - which I love! - but it's so much more than that, too. Fra and Eric are both dealing with so much baggage, and as the weights gradually - very gradually - drop from their shoulders, there's this experience as a reader where you also feel somehow unburdened. Somehow reading this book allowed me to feel like I too was processing so much emotion. How Fra's journey in particular develops, as we come to understand how much he is hiding from himself and his friends, is so painfully real. I love the wonderful group of friends that are developed in the Italian Romance series. Rob and James, Betta, Kim also became one of my favourites and I appreciated him much more on the re-read (I'm so excited that his story will be centred in the next book in the series!)
I genuinely struggle to write a coherent review for this book because it just tears my heart out every time I read it. It's cathartic, heart-warming, a beautiful setting of Milan at Christmas, with characters you just want to hug and protect. I absolutely love it. (update 22/12/22: 3rd time reading, this time for 2022 LGBTQIAP+ Christmas Book Club, it's definitely a personal Christmas staple. Beautiful Christmas romance, cosy and angsty and healing.)
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"He chose me, despite everything. And I chose to let him love me, even though I didn’t feel worthy of him."
Just, achingly pure and a joy to read. Well, this was absolutely beautiful. 'When we were fire on fire' is definitely one of those books that came into my life exactly when I needed it. Much like James in 'When we were sea and stars', Fra is such a beautiful character who I utterly related to. His journey was so moving and powerful, and I really loved how the truth of what happened between him and Eric unfolded during the course of the novel.
'When we were fire on fire' has absolutely sealed its place as one of my favourite books of all time. I just cannot cope with sweet, precious Fra. Elen Chase has a wonderful pattern of writing novels that are one thing on the surface, but another entirely once you dive beneath their depths. To all intents and purposes this is a second chance romance - which I love! - but it's so much more than that, too. Fra and Eric are both dealing with so much baggage, and as the weights gradually - very gradually - drop from their shoulders, there's this experience as a reader where you also feel somehow unburdened. Somehow reading this book allowed me to feel like I too was processing so much emotion. How Fra's journey in particular develops, as we come to understand how much he is hiding from himself and his friends, is so painfully real. I love the wonderful group of friends that are developed in the Italian Romance series. Rob and James, Betta, Kim also became one of my favourites and I appreciated him much more on the re-read (I'm so excited that his story will be centred in the next book in the series!)
I genuinely struggle to write a coherent review for this book because it just tears my heart out every time I read it. It's cathartic, heart-warming, a beautiful setting of Milan at Christmas, with characters you just want to hug and protect. I absolutely love it. (update 22/12/22: 3rd time reading, this time for 2022 LGBTQIAP+ Christmas Book Club, it's definitely a personal Christmas staple. Beautiful Christmas romance, cosy and angsty and healing.)
---
"He chose me, despite everything. And I chose to let him love me, even though I didn’t feel worthy of him."
Just, achingly pure and a joy to read. Well, this was absolutely beautiful. 'When we were fire on fire' is definitely one of those books that came into my life exactly when I needed it. Much like James in 'When we were sea and stars', Fra is such a beautiful character who I utterly related to. His journey was so moving and powerful, and I really loved how the truth of what happened between him and Eric unfolded during the course of the novel.