In Another Life

Title:  In Another Life

Author:  Cardeno C

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Length:  84 pages

Rating:  A List

Up All Night Satisfaction

Blurb:  At age 18, Shiloh Raben is tired. He no longer has the energy to deal with mean classmates, inner doubt, and fear of familial rejection, so he takes a razor to his wrist. When he wakes up in the hospital, Shiloh meets Travis Kahn, the EMT who saved him and didn’t leave his side.

Travis is handsome, smart, and funny—the type of guy Shiloh would never be brave enough to approach. But his near-death experience has an unusual side effect: the life that flashed before his eyes wasn’t the one he had already lived, but rather the one he could live. With visions of a future by Travis’s side, will Shiloh find the strength to confront his fears and build a life worth fighting for?

Reviews:

Beans:  This novella is spectacular.

Shiloh is a beautiful combination of shy and quirky. He struggles to find his way but Travis’s calm demeanor and strength are a balm to Shiloh. They are both incredible men and there is passion, humor, love, and and a faith in something amazing. The way this novella is written in two parts, two stories, makes it truly unique. Shiloh and Travis fall for each other quickly. I loved that they recognized that this was something different, something special, something to fight for. I enjoyed it from the first word to the last.

Novellas are fickle beasts. Most of the time you wish the author had cut half of it out and made it a true short or spent a few months and made the story into a full novel. But, In Another Life, felt complete. It was the total story for these two men. No more, no less. Perfect.

Brilliantly written and executed, this is my favorite of Cardeno C’s novellas.

Nina:  I’ve read this a couple times now. It keeps getting better. There were so many beautiful, touching moments. I laughed, cried and smiled throughout. There were moments where I had to keep reminding myself that this is a Cardeno C book, that CC won’t leave me without my happy ending. It touched my heart and as always I ended up wanting to know these people outside of the pages of this book.

I was impressed by the smooth and adept writing of the movement through time and the recall of what had happened in the “dream”.

I loved the messages that are clear and resonant throughout. The sweet, tender and sensitive handling of serious and painful issues.

A story of hope, second chances, new beginnings, faith, family, trust and love, so much love. A lot of that love will be yours.

This is a holiday story that you will read again every year. I know I will.