Review: Fusion by Posy Roberts

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Fusion (North Star #2) by Posy Roberts
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 300pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
How do you tell your friends and family you've fallen in love with a man when they've only ever known you as straight? How do you explain to your kids that you loved their mother very much, but your new partner is your best friend from high school?

Kevin Magnus must figure it out while trying to build a relationship with Hugo Thorson, whose bigger than life, out-and-proud drag queen persona is simply too big to be contained in a closet—even for the time it takes Kevin to come up with an explanation for his kids and Erin, his soon-to-be ex-wife.

But Erin faces an even bigger obstacle—one that shakes the entire family to the core. When she unexpectedly turns to Hugo, they form a connection that forces Hugo to grow up and offers Kevin the chance to become the kind of father he wants to be. Despite the coming complications, they'll all benefit from a fortunate side effect: it becomes clear that Hugo is very much a part of this unconventional family.


Review
This is the second part of the North Star Trilogy and this book ROCKS!! This is the continuation of Kevin Manus and Hugo Thorson’s Love Story.

This story picks up after Kevin and Hugo have made a commitment to each other and things seem to be moving along pretty well even though Kevin has taken on primary custody of his and Erin’s children. Hugo has made his place in this family. He supports and helps Kevin in the raising of the kids. They plan on spending the rest of their lives together and they have worked and are working on making this reality.

Kevin has taken primary custody of the kids because Erin, his soon to be ex-wife has been suffering migraine headaches and she’s also getting ready to move and start a new job. Kevin and Erin have this wonderful relationship. There is no bitterness or anger over the dissolution of their marriage. They still care for one another and they aren’t letting the divorce dictate how they behave towards each other. It’s really nice to see them acting as two adults and not bickering and fighting.

Things start to unravel the week of Kevin and Erin’s divorce is to be finalized. Hugo and Kevin have a slight disagreement and Kevin leaves Hugo’s apartment and Hugo doesn’t hear from him for days. What Hugo doesn’t know is that Kevin and Erin get the worst news possible. Erin has an inoperable brain tumor. Yep, it’s Cancer. Kevin and Erin are going to doctor appointments and trying to figure out what to do. When Kevin finally sees Hugo again he brings him a puppy. Hugo thinks that Kevin is breaking up with him again and Kevin explains what’s been going on and then he drops the bombshell, he’s not divorcing Erin. He’s staying married to her in order for her to have medical insurance and the final bomb…he’s going to ask Erin to move back in with him and the kids. Hugo tells Kevin that he needs time; time to think things through and to see what he’s going to do next.

Hugo and Kevin come back together and decide that what they have means the world to them both and that they both need to make some concessions. Hugo meets Erin and they begin their own amazing and special friendship. Erin realizes how very important to her family, Hugo has become. That he helped not only the kids, but he’s helped Kevin become a better father and a better man. Even though that makes her kind of sad that she couldn’t do that for him, she is happy that he finally is able to step up and be the man that he’s always needed to be.

Even during this most horrible time, this family bands and bonds together. The kids seem to be able to thrive both in their home life and in school. Erin, although she sometimes better, sometimes worse-still manages to live in the now and makes sure that Kevin and Hugo know that they have her blessing and wants them to be together. The ways in which she shows them that she’s fine with them, are beautiful and so very loving. I teared up a couple of times with her unconditional love and understanding.

Of course, we know that tragedy is coming, however, no matter what, Kevin and Hugo do their very best to keep the family together and moving forward. They do such an amazing job doing and it’s both sad and beautiful to read. The hurt and sadness that everyone goes through is both painful and yet poignant to read.

I must say that I was worried about reading the second part of a trilogy without having read the first one, however, I wasn’t lost at all and I really appreciated the fact that Posey made it that way. That even coming in not having the beginning, I could follow along and fall in love with her characters. She gave enough backstory during the book to help new readers be able to catch up and yet not overload the story with too much backstory that it impeded the flow of the new story.

I truly fell in love with these characters. Not just Kevin and Hugo, but every character that Posy put on the page. As they went along on this painful and yet beautiful journey, I was right there with them riding every emotion that they were feeling. I felt the burden’s that Kevin, Hugo and Erin carried. I carried them as well. I celebrated when they celebrated and I cried at their heartbreak. I was hurt when they hurt and angered when they were angered.

The Secondary characters were AMAZING!! Kevin and Erin’s children were very well written. They acted age appropriate and you couldn’t help but fall for them. Gilbert, Summer and Russell were supportive and honest as the times called for them. They were really what these characters needed to keep them grounded into the realness of life. They stood strong for them when they couldn’t do it for themselves.
However, Erin was my favorite character in all of this. She had such grace and dignity and such integrity throughout everything that happens to her in this story. She was such a Brilliant character and the way she was portrayed was in a way that I’ve not seen a female character portrayed in awhile. Erin is so beautiful and so very kind. There aren’t enough words to describe her to you. Suffice it to say, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HER and I’m sure you will as well. Trust Me.

Kevin and Hugo had so much to handle in this book and yet handle it they did. They had some complications and made some mistakes, but in dealing with life, who doesn’t? There are the ups and downs in their relationship, but the love that these two have for each other is so very undeniable and true. They will break your heart and then find a way to put it back together again.

Read This Book!! I am actually going to read the first one, just so I can see how they meet again and how they fall back in love. I am now waiting so very impatiently for the third and final book and it looks like it’s going to be a doozy. You will laugh, you will cry and you will feel every emotion that these characters feel and you will come on the other side all the better for it!!

5 Pants Off