Review: Worth the Seeing Through by Lisa M. Owens

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Worth the Seeing Through (Love's Value #2) by Lisa M. Owens
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 260pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Police officer Connor Maclean has been on the job less than two months when a robbery call sends him to the art gallery of Guy Gustavsson, the man he fell in love with during one life-altering week in LA. He moved to Montana for Guy, even after the artist cut off contact. Now he discovers him injured and unconscious, along with a note indicating Guy was to meet someone named Jones about Guy’s painting of a former lover. But that’s hardly likely—for reasons only Connor knows.

Once he sees Guy again, Connor can’t stay away. He brings Guy to his home to recover. The relationship is rekindled. But Guy’s longing for his old love and new fears since the robbery trigger alcohol issues. When Jones makes a dangerous reappearance, Connor and Guy must focus on saving not just Guy’s life but their love and their hopes for a future worth the seeing through.

Review
This book ran the full gambit of emotions. You will feel everything that the characters felt and go on the roller coaster ride with these guys.

Connor Maclean is this police officer whose life was changed months ago when he met artist Guy Gustavsson in LA at a gallery showing his work. They had one week of intense sex and even after Guy left, they kept in contact. Connor felt that Guy was his future, so much so that he moved to Montana. Connor has this wonderful sense of being calm, cool and in control. He’s learned the hard way that being out of control never helps a situation. Connor is kind, generous and so very giving. He’s made some close friends who love and care about him. Connor has this strong sense of family and to Connor; Guy was the only one for him. Guy was the man of his dreams and he wanted the rest of his life to start with Guy and didn’t want to wait anymore.

Guy Gustavsson is this artist who is grew up thinking that he isn’t worthy of someone loving him, especially since his parents didn’t. He’s only had one semi-relationship with his best friend, Josh. When Josh moved on to someone else, Guy started to flounder. He met Connor and found someone that he really liked and connected to. Guy deals with his feelings of self-worth by drinking. Guy is this wonderful guy who gives his time, money and energy to helping kids. Guy is kind, generous and he loves hard. It’s just hard for him to figure out what he needs to do to make his life truly complete.

The secondary characters in this book were people that you’d want in your own life. They were truly just that amazing. Nate and Jenna, who became Connor’s family truly show that they love and care for him not only in word, but deed as well. Josh and Dane were characters from the first book and they make a wonderful return in this book. They both show patience and love not only to Guy, but to Connor as well. They stand together and stand tall for them both when things seemingly fall apart. Kelly is a great character as well; she is a single mother to 15 year old, Alex. She works hard to provide for her child and loves him with abandon. She’s a great mother and friend. Alex, this kid broke my heart. I felt so bad for him. He’s endured so much in such a short time and yet, he’s so lucky to have this family there to catch him and help him as he struggles.

This book had death, grief, alcohol abuse, family issues, love lost and love found. This book was filled with so much happening for our MC’s and those in their lives. It was hard to read about so much hurt in this book. There were times I wanted to put the book down a couple of times and try to make sense of it all, however, I kept going. I wanted to see how the author could bring this back to a happy ending. Lisa has such a beautiful way of interweaving so many threads together and then pulling it off beautifully. I am in such awe of this talent.

I will say that I was really wanted to like the characters of Connor and Guy. I found Connor to be just passive. . He annoyed me for most of this book because I felt that he was more the whiney character and not this strong guy that I had thought he would be. I found that he fell so hard for a guy who really didn’t treat him well at all. I wondered what the hell he saw in Guy because I didn’t see it at all. Connor just didn’t do it for me. I found his whiney, poor me attitude just tiring. Guy wasn’t much better in my opinion. I felt bad for what he went through, but he didn’t come off as likeable to me. His constant secret keeping and general poor attitude just about drove me crazy. I felt that his disregard for Connor was just ridiculous. The push/pull that Guy kept doing to Connor made me really dislike him more.

I really wanted to like the MC’s in this book, I just couldn’t. I really liked the secondary characters more. I empathized more with them then I did with the MC’s and that really bothered me as it wasn’t a story about the MC’s and they are the ones that I am supposed to be connecting with. The story had so many wonderful themes going on and so many wonderful characters, that it truly pains me to find that I really couldn’t care less for our MC’s.

3 Pants Off