As a college freshman, Erik Fiskare is drawn to the world of theater but prefers backstage to center stage. The moment he lays eyes on a beautiful, accomplished dancer named Daisy Bianco, his atoms rearrange themselves and he is drawn into a romance both youthfully passionate and maturely soulful. Their love story thrives within a tight-knit circle of friends, all bound by creativity and artistry. A newcomer arrives--a brilliant but erratic dancer with an unquenchable thirst for connection. And when this disturbed friend brings a gun into the theater, the story is forever changed. Daisy is shot and left seriously injured. And Erik finds himself alone in the aisle, looking down the muzzle of a pistol and trying to stop the madness. He succeeds, but with tremendous repercussions to his well-being and that of his loved ones.
Traumatized by the experience, the lovers spiral into depression and drug use until a shocking act of betrayal destroys their relationship. To survive, Erik must leave school and disconnect from all he loves. He buries his heartbreak and puts the past behind. Or so he believes. As he moves into adulthood, Erik comes to grips with his role in the shooting, and slowly heals the most wounded parts of his soul. But the unresolved grief for Daisy continues to shape his dreams at night. Once those dreams were haunted by blood and gunfire. Now they are haunted by the refrain of a Gershwin song and a single question: is leaving always the end of loving? Spanning 15 years, The Man I Love explores themes of love and sexuality, trauma—physical and mental—and its long-lasting effects, the burden of unfinished business and the power of reconciliation. Through Erik’s experience we reflect on what it means to be a man, a son and a leader. A soul mate, a partner and a lover. What it means to live the truth of who you are and what you feel. What it means to fight for what you love.
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I wrote this to Suanne after finishing The Man I Love...and serves as the perfect review. Hi Suanne, Let me first jut say thank you for reaching out to me to read and review The Man I Love. As my blog is very small (and sometimes a little inactive because of my wife/mommy duties) it's always a little thrilling when someone asks you to review something for them. What is even more exciting is when that book turns out to be something so amazing you can't even begin to think of words suitable enough to express how it made you feel. The Man I Love is that kind of book. I'm not sure if I had mentioned this to you earlier but I usually do not read books written in third person. Just as a personal preference, first person usually is more engaging and the characters are easier to connect with. I'm pretty sure you've changed my mind now and will compare any other book written in third person to yours. Every time I opened the book to have a reading session, I was instantly drawn into their world and my attention was held captive until I was forced to stop. One night I fell asleep on the couch (at some ridiculous hour like 8:30) and when I woke up at 12:30am to head up to bed I opened my kindle and told myself "I'm just going to read a little bit until I fall asleep". Consequently, I was up until 4:30am. Four. Thirty. This doesn't happen; at least it hasn't happened in a really, really long time. Yeah, so here I am the next day, sleep deprived, emotional, and anxious to finish it, but it was worth all of it. All of the tears and lost sleep, and numerous cups of coffee. I loved the story. It isn't very often that the conflict is shared between the protagonists. And not only was the conflict shared but their pain is shared as well. Its too bad they couldn't share their healing too. But maybe that is what the both needed in order to find that healing? I loved the characters! God, did I love them. And I felt so much for them. Erik is a character with so many facets and holds such complexities. He is curious, intelligent and self aware. He is confident and self sacrificing yet completely diffident and unassertive as well. Daisy was talented and driven, lovely and beautiful and played the perfect complement in all of her relationships. Erik and Daisy aside, my favorite is Will. Do you get that a lot? I bet you do. His friendship with Erik was so beautiful and I think one of the most significant relationships Erik has. He was funny, thoughtful and kind. The perfect supporting character that I would love to get more of a story from. I wonder about how the events that happened at Lancaster affected him, his relationship with Lucy, how it changed him as a man later and so on. Ultimately, each character played a significant role in Erik's journey and I can appreciate that, even when I really didn't want to (James, David, Mel). My most favorite part was your writing. Beautiful isn't even the appropriate word to use to describe it. And while it is that, it is so much more. It was captivating and lovely. Your prose is incredible and created a world so vivid and memorable. While the book is longer than most of the books I read, it never felt tedious or laborious to read. A lot of readers might describe your writing as "hearts and flowers" but the language used wasn't gratuitous, overindulgent or manufactured. It felt natural, as if the story warranted and was whole heartedly deserving of it. The Man I Love is without a doubt a five star read for me. While I felt like the ending was a little rushed and maybe slightly unfocused - actually, no. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Unsettled maybe? I was so invested in Erik and his journey, and his relationships so I feel equally satisfied and discontented for him in the end. He's worked really hard to overcome his fear so I feel that he could have been given more of a reward at the end. But I hear you have something working in terms of that? Again, thank you so, so much for giving me the opportunity to read this unbelievable story. I am delighted to have been asked to read it and I'm happy to say that The Man I Love is one of my top reads of 2015! Melissa
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ABOUT SUANNE
Suanne Laqueur's debut novel The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards and was a finalist in the 2015 Kindle Book Awards. Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children. With The Man I Love and its companion novel, Give Me Your Answer True, Laqueur has gone from choreographing dancers to choreographing words. Her goal is to create a new kind of emotionally-intelligent romance that appeals to the emotions of all readers, crossing gender, age and genre. Visit her at www.suannelaqueur.com
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