The World As He Sees It is courageous, beautiful, hopeful but it is also playful, sexy and even a little bit raunchy and that makes it pretty damn perfect. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Love knows no limits…but fear could keep them from seeing it.
Gabe lives a double life. As Gabriel Henson, he works multiple jobs to support his remorseless, alcoholic mother. As Tony Ryder, he does internet porn for extra cash and regular safe sex without complications.
Yet when he encounters a scared young man freaking out in a night club, he’s compelled to reach out. Ever since then, the memory of that young man has haunted him.
Tristan Lavelle lives his life thirty minutes at a time. After a traumatic brain injury three years ago, he gets through his day recording his life in spiral notebooks and sticky note reminders.
A month after Tristan’s embarrassingly public meltdown, another chance meeting with Gabe sparks a warm, emotionally fulfilling email relationship. Both men crave more, but fear of the next step stands between them.
Until Tristan gets the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial that could improve his memory—if the side effects don’t kill him. But for Tristan, the possibility of a real life with Gabe is worth any risk…
Warning: Contains two damaged but lovable heroes, secret-keeping friends with good intentions, and an abundance of inappropriate food innuendo.
Review copy provided for an honest review
I’ll admit that while reading the first book in the Perspectives series, I knew that secondary 
character, Tristan, was someone I not only wanted to know better but I wanted him to have his happily ever after, but given that Tristan had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a gay bashing I honestly didn’t know if it could or would happen. The World As He Sees It is Tristan’s story and it is courageous, beautiful, hopeful but it is also playful, sexy and even a little bit raunchy and that is just the way he wants it to be. Tristan has endured a lot but seeing his best friend fall in love triggered a hunger in him; he wants a real life; he wants intimacy, respect, friendship, and love and in this story he finds it and it is simply fantastic.
Tristan’s life is pretty routine he lives in a long term care facility where most of the patients are much older than him, he has post it notes everywhere to remind him of things he needs to do every day and he has his spiral notebooks that he records things he wants to remember. Tristan’s injury prevents him from remembering anything longer than about 30 minutes although he has his long term memory from before the accident 3 years ago. His best friend Noel and Noel’s boyfriend Shane come to see him once a week and take him out of the home something that Tristan looks forward to. A special outing at night to a gay nightclub to celebrate Tristan’s birthday is exciting especially when Tristan meets Gabe a man who helped him when he came to the club alone and had a bad experience.
Gabe’s life is far from perfect; living and taking care of his alcoholic mother, working as a waiter at a restaurant and part time at his gay Dads’ nightclub and as an online porn star keeps him busy and even with the three jobs sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet. He doesn’t have a lot of close friends because of his circumstances but when he runs into Tristan again at his Dads’ club he’s happy to help him celebrate his birthday. He felt something for Tristan that first night they met and while he knows about Tristan’s brain injury he’s intrigued and knows if nothing else he wants to spend more time with him.
I love the bond these two shared and the way their friendship became stronger as they traded emails back and forth about their lives. There was sweetness about these exchanges as they settled into a routine of letting each other into their lives. I appreciated that Gabe understood Tristan’s limitations but also respected that he is a man and while he might not remember everything he knows his mind and is fully capable of making his wants and needs known. I especially loved that Gabe wanted the physical intimacy Tristan asked for but not only made sure Tristan was okay throughout that he emailed him the details so he wouldn’t forget their times together. There was so much that was special about their relationship and with each word, line, and chapter I fell head over heels in love with both of these young men and applauded every step they took to be together.
While there was some drama due to Tristan’s medical condition and Noel’s mothering tendencies it was quite refreshing that Tristan and Gabe made each moment they spent together special and remarkable. A lot can be learned from a relationship like theirs because if more of us would forget those little annoyances and those pockets of bad times and just lived in the present, we’d probably all be better off.
Author A.M. Arthur has offered up another spectacular story and one that impressed me not only with the delicate but honest handling of a lifelong impairment, but in showing that sometimes all it takes in having someone believe in you and your abilities to make a huge difference in the way you see yourself. I once again am floored by this gifted writer and her ability to make me feel so very much for her characters and relish in the happiness they deserve.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Slick