Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – Mending the Rift
Author – Chris T. Kat
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages - 214

Movie Potential – ★★★★★
Ease of reading – very easy to read and follow
Would I read it again – Hell Yes!


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine


This one blew me away. All the m-preg stories I've read before have only ever involved skimming past the pregnancy stage or the birth itself. This story is so completely well rounded that I goggled at some of the negative reviews in astonishment! While a part of me violently wants to argue and find out what is wrong with people who didn't LOVE this book to pieces, I'll refrain and only say my piece.

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To start with, the world that is created here – a divided world between Northern Confederate and the Southern Union, whether the world has taken extreme scientific leeway to create male and female “breeders” to keep the population alive – is so well thought out and accomplished that it was like being transported into another world. However, on the same note, there are such normal things that we're all comfortable with, that the story never feels too foreign or too out of the realm of possibilities. We're well acquainted with the idea of a Norther Confederate and Southern Union idea, as well as a Third World War laying waste to millions of life and causing reactions that severely damage the human population. Sadly, all these things have a basis in real history, so it's not hard to imagine it happening again.

As for the relationship between Marcus and Luca; I've seen complaints in reviews about how they're already a couple and there's no build up of a relationships, but I have to seriously agree here. It doesn't feel like we've missed all the awkward to-and-fro of their get-together, because they're NOT a couple at the beginning of the book. They've developed feelings and only ever acted on it once. A situation which – because of Luca having had other sexual relationships and because male breeders need to be inseminated, not have sex, to have kids – has no real bearing on their future together. Neither does it secure their future or imply they'll ever have one.

That was the really interesting part for me. I love established couples, new couples and such, but we rarely see couples like this, who have hidden feelings, have acted on it but know they can't be together. That's a journey right there and it was one that kept me hooked right from the start, because there was this constant wonder of whether Luca would get his Happily Ever After or not.

The story began with a tight grip, hooking me from the first paragraph, until I couldn't – and literally, didn't – put it down unless I desperately had to. I read it in one day, in one sitting, and my only regret is that it's over and there's not another one in the series to pick up yet.

There is so much detail in every important aspect, that it would be impossible to describe how well formed this world became. From the pregnancy, the world, the mood swings, the action and the entire concept of the breeders, were all thoroughly encapsulated into understandable, relateable ideas and reactions.

When the story progressed and Luca endured everything he did in the Southern Union, I cried my eyes out for the cruelty, the brutality and the lack of respect for human life. Yet, all these things are frighteningly based on real things that will be happening to people in the world today or have happened in the past. Even when the painful parts were over, Luca still encountered flashbacks, problems, nerves, fear and all those natural feelings that come with his experiences.

As for the characters, I loved them all. Luca, Nicholas, Greg, Kyle and Keith were amazing. Marcus was a bit macho for me at times, while I felt weird for actually liking Smith and knowing he had an ulterior motive for what he was doing. I really loved Marcus' nickname for Luca too; kitten. I've never seen that in a book before, but it's adorable.
“A kitten with claws, I see.”

And...that's all. I can't tell you any more about it, except that you HAVE to read it and find out for yourself. There were too many feels in this for me to describe how it made me feel or what I loved most. Nearly all of what I'd want to tell you would be spoilers and I don't want to spoil this for you. It's too good for that. So go read it. Then you'll understand.

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Overall, the story was so adorable that when I wasn't smiling my through pages and pages of drama, I was clutching my Kindle tight, hoping the actions scenes would be resolved quickly.

This one was a little bundle of action packed goodies, with a sweet romance, trouble-making family members and a whole lot of drama thrown into the mix.

I will now be seeking out every other book by this author and purging on them all!

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Favourite Quote

“Marcus. That was Marcus' voice. Luca's lower lip trembled in utter relief. He was safe. He had to be.”