Book Reviews

To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders

Genre Gay / Contemporary / Romance
Reviewed by Lena Grey on 03-May-2024

Book Blurb

He was my beginning. And my never-ending.

Ellis

There’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless.

Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying. He hears me, even though I rarely speak a word. But I always knew this place wouldn’t be enough for my free-spirited friend. I knew he wasn’t mine to keep.

So why, when I finally try to get over him, does he sweep back into town? Why is he upset? Why is there tension between us for the first time in years?

I never saw a future where Lucky could be mine. But now, unless I want to lose my friend, I might not have a choice but to tell the truth. My heart belongs to him. It has from the start.

If only I knew how to hold onto a creature that’s meant to fly.

 

Book Review

“Maybe, when it comes down to it, love is the act of living. It’s choosing - breathing that person every single day.” ~ ‘To Catch a Firefly’ by Emmy Sanders

 

Lucky and Ellis from Emmy Saunders's book 'To Catch a Firefly' have a special friendship they've never cared to define. For Lucky and Ellis, it has always been them against the world, regardless.

 

Ellis is different, but Lucky has always accepted him just as he is. That's one of the many reasons why they are so close. Ellis wishes that things could be the same forever, but he has always known that Lucky would not to be bound to such a mundane existence and would eventually leave. When offered a job as a photojournalist, Lucky jumps at the opportunity to travel worldwide and Ellis is not surprised.

 

Ellis knows he has been in love with Lucky for a long time but fears losing his friendship if he acts on it. Instead of expressing his feelings directly to Lucky, he writes them in emails he never sends. There is no way he is going to do or say anything to make Lucky feel trapped. He wants his firefly to be free.

 

Lucky expects to miss Ellis, but not with the intensity that he feels. No matter how many men he is with, no one compares to his friend. It takes Lucky a while to realize that his friendship with Ellis goes far deeper than Lucky ever dreamed. When it finally dawns on Lucky that he is in love with Ellis, he drops what he is doing and flies back home to tell him.

 

Ellis is shocked when Lucky appears at work but is happy to see him. Their meeting is emotional and illuminating as they finally declare their feelings for each other. A tornado interrupts their declarations of love, and they must head for cover.

 

Lucky leaves, he knows that he doesn't want to be away from Ellis as much as he has been and arranges to make his home base at home. Unfortunately, Ellis is furious when Lucky arrives with his car packed with suitcases, and instead of welcoming him with open arms, Ellis takes off running. Lucky is confused by his reaction and chases after him. When Lucky catches up with Ellis, Ellis won't talk to him. Unless Lucky can figure out why Ellis is so angry, their budding relationship will end before it begins.

 

'To Catch a Firefly’ is an emotional, angsty, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating story about two men who thought they knew what each other wanted in life without checking to be sure. Emmy portrayed Ellis's neurodivergent behavior and Lucky's compassionate care with such finesse that it made my heart ache. Thank you, Emmy, for the splendid reading experience.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format ebook and print
Length Novel, 313 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date 15-February-2024
Price $5.99 ebook, $15.99 paperback
Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Firefly-Emmy-Sanders-ebook/dp/B0CPT8VLGZ