Of Sunlight and Stardust

You know it’s a sign of an incredible book when you wake up still thinking about it and start crying all over again. And you’re crying in the shower as you’re getting ready for work. And you’re crying on the drive into work and cursing the lack of sunlight that would allow you to put your sunglasses on so you could hide your tear filled eyes from all the other commuters. And you’re sitting at work trying to hold it together so you can write a review that even kind of makes sense. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this book was incredible, it was beyond incredible really. It’s unique and breathtaking and it’s going to be right there at the top of my favorite reads at the end of the year.Of Sunlight and Stardust is so beautiful and stunning and heartbreaking and all the best things you want in a book. It had me all up in my feelings from the start and I’m still not over it yet- this is another book that will be staying with me, that I’ll constantly think about. Tanner and Cole stole my heart from the minute I met them. They both have been through so much in their lives, they’re each damaged in their own way and fighting the loneliness that threatens to overtake them. But the moment they first set eyes on each other there was an instantaneous and unexplainable connection between them. A connection that only grew the more time they spent together.And it was just so lovely watching these two men fall in love and heal each other.Ms. Lee and Ms. Hart have written a story that touched me deeply. As I got towards the end I kept putting the book down every few minutes, because I did not want to let these characters go. I wish I could carry Tanner and Cole with me all the time.I really hope no one spoils anything about this story because it’s so special and people need to experience this journey for themselves.

My Review:This was an entertaining and captivating story. It involves two unlikely men in the present who find themselves as friends. Tanner is fulfilling his dead wife's last wish. He bought the farm with the burned out barn that always haunted her when they'd visit this little town when they were married. She always wanted to buy it and rebuild it, but got cancer before she had the chance. Tanner doesn't feel the same connection to the house. In fact, his grief is even more pronounced when he buys it a year after her death because it was HER dream and she never got to live it because he kept telling her someday. He's somewhat frozen and overwhelmed over what to do with the place.Cole went to prison for working in an autobody shop that was actually a chop shop. While he never participated in the illegal activities, he did his job and never questioned the parts even though he had a good idea where they came from. As a result, he served 4 years time and lost his only connection, his grandfather, during that time. Now, he's out, broke, and an ex-con with no way to find a job.Tanner meets Cole where he's camping by Tanner's fishing hole and the two slowly become friends. Eventually Tanner convinces Cole to come help him rebuild the barn, where Cole finds a mysterious journal about two best friends who became lovers during the 1940's. They slowly read sections of the journal as the two become friends and the mystery of what happened to the barn and the two illicit lovers is slowly revealed.It was really a very good story. It was definitely captivating. I liked all the characters and the ties to the past. And the over-arcing message-of-the-story was incredible. So many people in history paid dearly for the rights we have today. It's so easy to overlook how things have changed, even in today's political climate where things seem to be swinging back to those horrific times. So many have sacrificed all and they shouldn't ever be forgotten...It was a GREAT book!

I don't know where to start with this review. The other reviews are so glowing that I knew I wanted to read it and I had such high hopes. I hate leaving negative reviews but this book had absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It was so boring, had no plot, no character development, nothing even remotely interesting about it. I confess the only reason I kept reading was to get it off my damn TBR.I got the feeling with a lot of the scenes that I was supposed to be emotionally invested in them and they were written with the express purpose of making me cry but I felt nothing. I felt nothing for any of the characters and I think that's due to both the lack of character devopment/no plot as well as the authors' too obvious attempt at making a scene feel more impactful than it was because of the lack of depth in the rest of the book.Frankly, I'm surprised that I'm the first (And probably only) 1-star rating for this. To me, it definitely does not deserve more.

Christina Lee’s and Riley Hart’s collaborations are magical. Of Sunlight and Stardust is no exception. This is a beautiful, heart clenching story about Tanner, a bereft widower unable to move past his wife’s death, and Cole, a felon looking to find a place in the world to live as an honest, hard working man. Together they breathe life into each other and Tanner’s property to create a home. The book starts off at a languid pace as their friendship slowly develops into love. The writing is so good you’ll want to savor every word, sentence, paragraph and chapter. As the climax builds, the pace increases. Towards the end, I couldn’t put it down, barely able to see the words through my tears. This is an extraordinary book that I highly recommend. Tanner and Cole will live in a little corner of my heart for a long time.

I've no idea how I've not read more of these authors books but I love it when they get together.....This one although it's beautiful it's also heart-breaking....Tanner getting over losing his wife and Cole trying to get his life back on track after a prison term....They way they get together is beautiful...It's Tanner's first time with a man but he doesn't freak out but just goes with it...I really think that they were meant to be...And the heart of the story...Tom and Charlie....Hearing their story through the journal was heart-breaking....Just to know that they couldn't love openly was truly sad....I love how these two authors work together....A beautiful read and one I'm sure i'll be re-reading x

Oh my goodness I'm so glad I read this story. Charlie and Tommy are past loves who never got the freedom to be accepted for their love. Enter Tanner and Cole. Both have a journey but find a new path in the form of a diary written about the young lovers mentioned above. Their own journey is so closely entwined in Charlie and Tommy's journey it hits you in the feels big time.

Ah! Can you hear my crying all the way from here? There is some seriously ugly sobbing going on right now, this book was beautiful with an unexpected additional bittersweet story at its core. I loved all of our main characters, so sweetly written and definitely a tear jerker.

Wow. This has got to be my favourite of recent years. So beautiful, I was really invested in their story, didn't want to put it down. It'll stay with me for a while! Thank you

This is a wonderful book. Cried through most of the last few chapters. Really touching and emotional story. Highly recommended