Play It Again, Charlie

by R. Cooper

I loved this book- the writing, the characters, the emotions, Charlie and Will!

First, there's Charlie- he was made the man of the family at a young age when his mom died and his father left. His sisters and grandmother depended on him for everything. He is mature and responsible, a worrier and a caregiver. He struggles with appearing weak and asking for help. But, that is exactly what happens when he is in a terrible car accident that leaves his body and mind forever altered. Surgeries and time in the hospital mean that Charlie has to rely on others to take care of him for a time. He pushes his recovery and insists on telling everyone he is fine, even when he's not. The accident also left him with huge amounts of anxiety about driving and about relationships. His partner at the time of the accident, Mark, can't handle the weakened state Charlie is in and leaves him. This reinforces Charlie's belief that he always has to appear strong and capable.

Then, there's Will- a younger man with a crappy childhood. He's only got his sister for family and she is often taking care of him. He likes to be on the go, party, and have fun. He has no permanent housing, going from friends' houses to his sister's couch. He's never been in a serious relationship. He's initially attracted to Charlie because he appears strong, self-assured, and in control.

When the two meet they struggle with the boundaries and definitions of their relationship. Will knows that Charlie can't do a a casual relationship and Charlie knows that Will can only do casual relationships. Will knows that Charlie is strong and commanding and Charlie knows that Will will run if he sees Charlie's weaknesses. They both know they are attracted to the other but have to remain guarded because they are different people looking for different things. What they come to realize is that all the stuff they thought they knew, might not be true. But because they are both guarded, their openness and honesty with each other is lacking. This leads to upset, misunderstanding, and heartbreak. Will can't tell Charlie that he wants to stay with him because he knows Charlie won't believe him and he feels like he's not good enough for Charlie. Charlie can't tell Will he wants him to stay because he's afraid he'll get his heart broken again with another partner leaving when he sees his weaknesses.

Charlie and Will have a lot to learn about each other and themselves before they can have a chance of making anything work. Their journey is honest, emotional, fun, sexy, and heartbreaking.