e-ARC, NetGalley
Author: Kelly Piazza
In this very original debut novel by Kelly Piazza, Matteo ‘Matty’ Arvali’s life in shambles. The love of his life (his best friend since childhood, Keelie Santiago) has broken up with him, his parents kicked him out, and his brother took him home to detox “or else”. Matt has succumbed to an opioid addiction and it has basically wrecked his life.
After 5 months under the eagle-eyed watch of his brother Cris, and his newly achieved sobriety, He gets invited to his best friend’s wedding. The caveat: he is only welcome if he is sober. This is the opportunity he has to prove himself that he craves his sober life more than he craves pills… and to regain Keeli’s trust. Will Matty be strong enough to overcome the thoughts in his head and take control?
I’m in awe that this is a debut novel! Such an original way to tell a story! Told entirely through Matty’s POV, we go with his on his journey of recovery (though he goes kicking and screaming). The story goes back and forth and we start piecing together Matty and Keelie’s story, his depression, the tragic event in their lives that both of them had to deal with.
It’s an unconventional romance novel, as it’s told exclusively by the “hero”. It’s a second chance romance but focuses more on the journey Matty has to go through to get to his second chance than on the romance. We know they love each other. We just don’t know if they can be together.
I absolutely loved it! The subject of addiction is handled well, though I have no personal knowledge, but it feels real and raw. It’s realistically uplifting.
Possible Triggers: opioid addiction, recovery process, detoxing, depression, mental health issues, suicide, intrusive thought and suicidal ideation
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley, Foxglove Publishing and Kelly Piazza for the ARC.
