Always : Can True Love Stand the Test of Time? Always is a Lifelong Love Story with Strong Male Leads. (Always & Forever Duet Book 1)

Life is something people often take for granted until they see it passing them by, the sand in the hour glass growing heavier on the bottom than on the top, or the face in the mirror happens to be noticeably more wrinkled than smooth.Time is funny that way. It flows on whether one pays attention to it or not, but the moments that we do remember? They're priceless.'Always' is a memoir of all the collected memories of a pair of lives lived synchronously; it is a treasure trove of the most valuable moments in these two men's lives.Throughout the course of this book, Avery Adams goes from being a man who thinks he likes one night stands to being the kind of man who can lead a nation while still being available to his family as a father. He grows into the kind of man I, personally, would vote for if he ran for office and the kind of man that few are lucky enough to even catch a glimpse of in their lives. Avery is the kind of man whose charisma carries him right off the page and into the room while you're reading. I found myself thinking of his nervous habits, imagining him growing a little older, a little bolder, and a lot wiser. I empathized with his desire to try to prove he was still young even though he was celebrating a milestone that set him heading more down the hill than up it. I felt comforted by his certainty that everything would work out no matter how dire the circumstances appeared and I believed in him always.Kane Dalton remains largely the same throughout the course of the work. His growth as an individual is more subtle in some ways yet more profound in others. He's someone I can very deeply relate to as I grew up queer in the South where religion holds more sway than politics. I was moved by his deep desire to be a good Christian while holding true to the reality that he was a gay man. Watching him reconcile his sexuality with his faith was hard to read through at times yet beautiful as well, the journey that he goes on takes him down a road that leads to self-acceptance when he needs it the most.What makes this book so much more than a love story? It's that this story literally spans their entire lives from the most important moment either of them has: the moment they first meet.It's not one of those love-at-first-sight-instantly-happily-ever-after books. These lives are marked with struggles, heartaches, and the pains of every day living. Avery and Kane fight. They disagree on things and they hold differing views on things and they have flaws, but they remain solidly in love throughout it all because that's what marriage is about: always. It's about staying there through the fights. It's about being there in spite of one another's flaws. It's about finding perfection in someone who is not perfect. It's about believing that no matter what this one person is the one person that should be yours eternally.Avery and Kane make me believe in the magic of true love because it's not about magical love brought on by some mysticism.Always is about enduring love which lasts from 33 or 35 in 1975 to the present day some nearly 40 years later.It's about 40 years of loving the same person while that person loves one right back.That's forever there. That's a love story. That's 'Always' to me.I've seen that in my life. I've been blessed that way. That kind of love is rare. It is a priceless treasure which is not perfect, has its flaws just as I'm sure some will say this book does, but there are no truly perfect marriages exactly as there are no truly perfect books.There are only truly perfect stories and this one will stick with me 'Always.'Thank you for sharing your work with me, Kindle Alexander. It is well-deserving of all the stars it can be rated and the tears I cried while reading it weren't of sorrow, but of joy that someone could capture the reality of love so well in fiction.*Note: My review was initially based on a complimentary copy provided to This Redhead LOVES Books Blog in exchange for my honest opinion. I have since purchased it as I wish it to remain a permanent part of my Kindle library.* ~Shandra Torbett, Reviewer for This Redhead LOVES Books

Not what I had been expecting, and I don't mean that in a good way.****THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED****First, I'll start with saying that I did like the opening chapters, and the start of Kane and Avery's romance, even when it bothered me at the same time. And after Avery died, even I felt like crying so much I had a hard time swallowing it that hard to hold them back. I will say the book had that going for it.Other than, there wasn't much else for me, unfortunateIy.I read the summery and was expecting this story of these two to be drawn out over 300+ pages of Kane struggling with being gay clashing with what he's been told all his life and his religious views, and him trying SO HARD to resist Avery. I was expecting Avery having to slowly realize that he didn't want the bachelor life and what he wanted was Kane, and him having to prove to Kane that he was in it for the long haul. I was expecting, honestly, a more realistic, grittier tale.Instead, the moment they meet, Avery has found his "soulmate" and there is no one else for him for the minute he lays eyes on Kane. Now, the soulmate and love at first sight and "meant to be" thing might be your thing, and you might love it, if the religious aspect of it all as well, and if you do love that, I say go for it. Even with what happens at the end with the angst and sadness, maybe you'll enjoy the rest of the story. Don't let me stop you.But this book isn't for those who don't particularly have those kinds of views of the world and the people in it.First, Avery is taken into surgery and then we go into the past to 1975, wondering when we come out of them if Avery will live or not. I wanted him to live, and already I was weary. This, I had seen and read too many times. Because of course someone has to die. Otherwise the story wouldn't be interesting, right?So Avery is immediately found the love of his life in Kane, and within a week, he's ready to marry him. Okay, the only way I would have accepted a couple getting engaged after a week of knowing each other is if they were young kids, or just not thinking it through, they get married, and realized they made such a huge mistake. Or even if they just promise to get married in a years time, the other I would think would be like 'what the helk, you're insane, what is wrong with you?' but Kane just said yes, and that was that. Fast forward a year.*sigh*Honestly, this romance felt too generic and overused, and seemed to follow the formula of a lot of heterosexual romance stories there have been. It was tiring.Avery knew what he wanted, persued it and pushed even when Kane felt uncomfortable with him doing so. He was willing to do whatever it took to get Kane, and even though Kane was attracted and eventually gave in, it still made me uncomfortable how uncomfortable Kane always seemed. But then he gave in to Avery's "charms" really easily.And also, I didn't feel enough of a struggle with Kane and his beliefs. He had second thoughts on his wedding day, but because we skipped a year, that was all we got.Their build up didn't feel organic, as they barely spoke before Avery was ready to marry Kane and Kane was ready to take that huge leap with him, even if he seemed uncertain the whole time. We didn't get to seem them really getting to know each other before they married. And honestly, I never really felt we got enough from Kane's side of things, at least not until the end until after Avery died. We didn't get to see these two falling in love. One week and okay, yeah, we're in love, let's get married in a year, and then flash forward and here we are, we're married. BOOM.Avery felt uncomfortably possessive and manipulative (even if he didn't mean to be) and unrealistic. "Time doesn't matter" it kind of does, when it's only been seven days. Also, showing up at Kane's restaurant univinted would have made me uncomfortable. And after he is invited, he still just comes around day after day to hang out and wait for Kane to be off work. I love a couple who loves to be around each other a lot and can't get enough of each other, I do. But wanted to CONSANTLY be around your partner? That's too much, even for me. Avery, you gotta have your own life, too, instead of seeming to just wait for your day at work to be over so you can be with Kane. It gets better the longer they're married, though. But that doesn't take away how, honestly, Avery felt so clingly at first.Then, we skip forward and Avery wants a baby out of the blue, and he gets angry when Kane has concerns about it and storms out, but then it's resolved in two seconds flat. Then we skip forward some more and they're going to have the baby.We go through a little of that time before the twins are born and then we skip forward nine years.I have to admit during a lot of the story after they got married, I skimmed and skipped a lot of pages. Not only was not a lot of it very interesting, but it didn't flow well and it didn't work very well.We skip over a lot of Avery and Kane's life together and so I barely felt a connection to them. Other characters seemed entirely too one dimensional, even Paulie, who I liked.It felt like we were hurrying through their life to get to the present day again, and so their story wasn't as well fleshed out or thought out as it should have been, and so I didn't feel the connection to them that I wanted to feel.Even their few big problems as a married couple didn't feel all that big. They didn't have to work for anything or fight for anything. It was all just to easy, and we wouldn't have that easy a go of things with our significant other in real life, even if we were to remain together and overall happy. It would be the staying together and still wanting to be there for each other through all the crap life is tossing your way that would really made the love worth it.And finally, the end. Even with my problems with Avery, it made me sad when he died. This is why I think it would have been better for the story to just be their story of how they met, and them going through ups and downs, maybe even really bad downs, before making to a good, happy place, and that being the end of the story. Or even if it did stick to this strategy, it would have been better if Kane was just telling the story, not actually waiting to see if his huband lived or died while he did it. And if they were just going to end up back in "heaven" with that weirdly fluffy ending, what was the point? They get to be forever together in heaven while they're kids are suffering down on earth? And previously, when I never felt enough love from Kane's side, all the sudden he's wasting away, CHOOSING to waste away, while he's children watch on helplessly? It felt unsatisfying.We shouldn't be going through life just waiting to die so we can really live in heaven. We should be living, as much as we can while we can, while we're here on earth. How can you know if there will even be a heaven when you die?This story left a sad, unsatisfactory taste in my mouth when I wish it hadn't. The premise of their love story could have been great, but instead it became a wasted opportunity, spoiled by poorly developed characterizations and plots.

This has been a beautiful love story! I cried like a baby but I'm the end it was just beautiful and we'll written!

What can I say, all of the review's had 5 star's, but I don't agree, maybe it's me! The writing was good, and yes I was in tears by the end of the first chapter, but the book starts in the present time and then goes back in time following the lives of the main characters, this means you pretty much know how it ends, which for me, ruins it. I just couldn't get past the fact it was going to be tragic. Then I did something I've never done before... I read the end (I knew I wasn't going to finish it anyway) it went from tragic to down right unbelievable ( I'm very open minded) SPOILER ALERT! Seriously as if the person left behind would just leave their children behind to greave for both parents instead of one for the chance of hot sex in heaven, which is basically what was being offered, the kids will be fine, I've seen into the future (handy that!!) We can be together for always and forever... Sorry just no, not after all the effort they went through to have children. So not really believable and I ended up not really liking either of the main characters. The two starts are for some good writing and an idea that could have been really great.

I initially stopped reading the book when I realised I would be going back 40 years, however I read the reviews and decided to give Avery / Kane's story a go. I like KA books too.Overall, I thought the story was well written and the characters well developed. Kane made Avery work for his romance. Once the guys were in a committed relationship, the events were too perfect though- marriage, babies, restaurant, politics all happy. Kane's family created the only in-story angst and even that had a weirdly happy ending with Kane's dad getting his punishment. I liked the overall book ending, its what made the book a 4 stars instead of 3 stars for me. It's emotional and I did shed a few tears. Often partner death isn't covered once couples reach their HEA. It was refreshing to have Avery's death and Kane's subsequent swan-song withdrawal, ultimately leading to his death. It's sad, however more true to life than most of the book, which does a good job of romantising MM love in what must be an alternative universe USA. Well worth a read and perserverance to the end.I read via KU.

I actually stopped reading this story half way through. It feels forced, also there are inconsistencies throughout in the story. The story is not believable, placing back the beginning of the story in the mid 70's. Being gay around that time wasn't very advisable, especially not if you were trying to get into politics. Having or catching feelings for one another at first sight is also seems to be too sketchy in this M&M romance.I read another story from the same author and I had high Hope's for this story as I read other ratings. For me this is average, the dialogues felt forced and the whole style of writing felt too strange; too alienated from common language.

When you read this book make sure you have plenty of tissues at the ready. I have never been so gripped by a story as I was by this one, it was on my mind all night, aP.nd still is. Kane was thrown out of home at 18 by his hateful father who is a Baptist pastor with only the shirt on his back when he told them he was gay. He ends up sleeping on the streets and meets Paulie a chef who runs a small restraunt who takes him in and teaches him how to cook and treats him like his own son, even paying for him to train as a chef. They end up opening of fine dining restraunt. Avery a extremely rich lawyer whose family have always been into politics is running for Senate, and also gay. Avery goes into Kane's place as it's THE place to go to be seen by the right people. Kane comes over with his wine order and Avery is totally shell-shocked by him, to the point where he can't utter a single word as Kane makes light conversion with him, but just stares at Kane completely taken. Kane thinks he's really offended such a high profile customer and asks one of his staff to see to the table. The next day Kane sends Avery a bouquet of lillies as an apology and there begins one of the most beautiful love stories I've read. Please do yourself a massive favour and read this book, you are in for such a wonderful ride, as with all Kindle's books you will love it

Review of Always by Kindle Alexander“OMG I have just finished Always! And I'm in bits but that was AMAZING! The ending truly fitted the story and I told you not to worry!!! Don't ever doubt yourself! I'm just off now to have a full on ugly cry for a bit! Congratulations and thank you for being so amazing!!!”This was my reaction to Kindle herself just minutes after finishing Always and now several hours after the feeling is still the same. Kindle has done it again by creating an utterly unique and amazing tale of love. I was pulled into the story of Avery and Kane from the fist page and loved the way in which Kindle has recounted their beautiful story.Without spoiling the experience for anybody reading this for the first time (and it truly is an emotive and stunning experience) I’d like to tell you a little bit of why I was so blown away.Kindle has created two amazing characters that both engage you from the beginning. Avery, a strong willed and ambitious chap who has is sights firmly set on following his family’s legacy of a political career but will not compromise on his sexuality. Then we have Kane, a restaurant owner and the softer and more sensitive son of a preacher who has been ousted from his real family since the moment he came out. I fell instantly in love with both of them!The style and time perspective in which their tale is written made this book an utterly outstanding read for me. I loved the time span of the story that deepened the connection I felt I had with both Avery and Kane. I felt totally invested in their story and by the time I got to the end, they were as good as a part of me.This has been an emotional journey with two genuine characters but also a pretty hot read too. In and amongst the trials and tribulations of the lives Avery and Kane, their physical relationship is nothing other than sizzling! And who doesn’t love a bit of steamy bedroom action too! A lot of books I have read hold too much weight on the physical aspects of the characters relationships but this time it has done nothing more than cement my adoration of this amazing couple.It has also been a real rollercoaster of emotions for me too in sharing this journey with Avery and Kane. I have laughed, cried, recovered and cried some more. And when I say cry, I’m not talking of a lump in my throat, eyes welling up and the odd tear slipping but for the most part, full on chest heaving sobbing. To illicit that kind of response in me it takes something pretty special and Kindle has knocked this one out of the ballpark for me. And the ending for me was just the perfect ending to the perfect story. I’ve utterly loved this book, almost more than words can say. If I could rate this with a thousand stars I would but it gets a full 5 mind blowing and heart aching stars from me!