Book Reviews

Book Blurb

There is always a choice.

Cobalt Winslow lost everything when his ex-boyfriend infected him with HIV, taking his health and his place as principal danseur in their ballet company when Cobalt became too weak. Now dealing with the aftermath as best he can, Cobalt teaches dance and tries not to look too hard at what he’s lost.

The one bright spot in his life is Malory Preston, his brother’s driver and a man who is always there when Cobalt needs him. Kind and attentive, Preston embodies everything his previous boyfriend lacked, but Cobalt can’t let go of his unhealthy relationship with his ex.

When Cobalt gets the opportunity to return to the dance that turned its back on him—just when he’s on the verge of a real and lasting relationship with Preston—he must choose between leaving to dance or staying with Preston.

Preston must show Cobalt that walking away won’t leave him with nothing, and that he has the power to make the life he wants and deserves. His own Heaven on Earth.

 

 

Note: This book contains the short story Choreographing Calvin, previously only available in the print anthology.

First edition published at Dreamspinner Press, August 2016.

 

Book Review

"That was what had taken him off the stage in the end…. Ballet demanded perfection. The moment he had fallen short, it had abandoned him for younger, brighter, and better. For Cal."

I've been eagerly anticipating Cobalt's story ever since the first moment he appeared on the page in Conrad and Dusty's book. It is true that Conrad, Peridot, and Cobalt have shared many of the same life experiences in terms of the dance, but there's always been something about Cobalt that just pulled at my insides. His arrogance that masks so much pain and loneliness, his stubbornness that sometimes is the only thing that gets him out of bed every day, and his broken heart that just made me want to love him even more.

I couldn't for the life of me understand why Cobalt still had an ongoing relationship with Calvin—the man who uses him, humiliates him, manipulates him, and infected him with HIV. This caused the end of Cobalt's career because not knowing he was infected, he left it almost too late to be treated. Cobalt desperately needs order, structure, recognized rules, and someone (or something) to submit to in order to function. Unfortunately, Calvin just uses Colby's needs against him. Cobalt has some serious emotional and anger issues that have been left unresolved for a long time. Understanding this, what drives Cobalt, simply made me ache more for this amazing man.

Malory Preston has worked for the Winslow family since he was a teenager. The bastard son of a highborn woman (the only thing she gave him was his hated first name), Preston has always known his place, regardless that he and Azure, Cobalt's brother, have been friends for over twenty years. Preston is an old-fashioned gentleman in many ways. He's quiet, steady, big, and he makes Cobalt feel safe and grounded. Preston also understands Cobalt in a way that no one else really does, something that confounds Cobalt in the beginning. When Cobalt finally sees Preston, the two of them must both learn to trust in each other and in themselves before they can make this work.

He’d always known no matter what Cobalt decided, Preston would stand by him. Even if Preston didn’t like the decision. It was what Cobalt needed most in the world. Unconditional trust and support.

A beautiful relationship, the like of which I'm not sure I've ever seen before. It came from Preston knowing Cobalt as well as he did and giving him the trust and support that Cobalt needed in order to come to terms with what he truly wanted from his life. An exceptional love story. Thank you, Jaime. It was everything I had hoped for Cobalt and Preston.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The first edition of this book was purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 285 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	09-May-2023
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Like-Heaven-Earth-Dance-Three-ebook/dp/B0C4FWX1GP