Release Blitz: Seven Minutes: Raquel Riley
Seven minutes isn’t enough for a life. But it’s long enough to remember how much I’m loved.
Eli-
I thought the worst part of losing my husband would be the slow drift apart, the way hospital shifts swallowed our nights, and silence replaced laughter. I never imagined the worst part would be dying in his ER, the flatline screaming while his hands were the last to touch me.
But death isn’t empty. Not at first. In those final seven minutes, my life plays back like a reel, and every frame belongs to him. Our first kiss. Our first night tangled together. The vows we spoke when we promised forever. Even the mornings when we forgot to kiss goodbye.
It’s all him. Always him.
I don’t know if this is the end or a cruel mercy, but I do know one thing—somewhere inside these seven minutes is a choice, a chance, or a goodbye. And if love alone could bring me back, I’d open my eyes to him every time.
This story held my heart in suspended animation the whole time. The flood of images, good and bad. The pain, trauma, heartbreak, guilt, and realizations are very powerful. And also the daring to hope for a positive outcome while facing fears, anxiety, regret, and change. There are hard moments, but also sweet and hopeful ones.
It’s told in both Eli and Adrian's points of view and in multiple parts, some involving flashbacks, helping us understand where the relationship started and where it was during this pivotal moment, and it gives us a chance to see them try to dig out of the situation they found themselves in.
I actually loved these two, and I was rooting for them to get back what they had already lost. One had been focused so much on work that the other one felt left behind. But when it comes down to the idea of it being gone for good, they both face that reality in different ways, and it’s heartbreaking. Seeing one run through all of his mistakes over and over as he tries to do everything perfectly and hope for a positive outcome is hard. And seeing the other try to deal with his anxiety and fears while also healing is also challenging.
It’s a story about a broken marriage, medical crisis, life, love, drifting, hope, healing, and second chances. I was captivated and completely invested in these two guys and their emotional story.
Watching these two try to reconnect, rebuild, learn to trust and feel safe, and find their footing again really touched me. It’s not an easy fix where something big happens, and then everything‘s just okay. These two had to work for their happy ever after, relearn patterns, and try to get on the same path again. And life can be hard, but it can be beautiful, and some of their small victories and joys were such important building blocks. Both of them had issues, fears, and had to face the potential loss of the other in different ways. And to get it back, they will both have to be willing to fight for each other rather than against each other.
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Raquel Riley is a native of South Florida but now calls North Carolina home. She is an avid reader and loves to travel. Most often, she writes gay romance stories with an HEA but characters of all types can be found in her books. Raquel weaves pieces of herself, her family, and her travels into every story she writes.
Stop by her author page on Facebook for the exclusive updates, new releases, and excerpts of her current work in progress. You can also visit Raquel and her characters from Cooper’s Cove in her Facebook reader group Raquel Riley’s Romantics.
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