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ONCE WE WERE STARLIGHT

by Mia Sheridan

Stephanie’s 5 Blush Review

***Trigger Warning***

“In a sky full of stars, you are my home.”

My mind is overflowing with emotion. I am literally shaking. Once We Were Starlight is packed with punch after punch of emotions, heartbreak, fear, and relief all wrapped up in the eloquent writing that is Mia Sheridan. At times I had to mentally take a break – feeling despair, angst and devastation.

Karys and Zakai have experienced so much in life. From the “desert” oasis to the streets of New York City they both struggle to adapt and fit in. They grieve the loss of the only life they knew. Feeling abandoned and ashamed at times. Karys survived the desert by being sheltered by Zakai. She is the dreamer, the light, the ray of hope. Zakai gave a part of himself so that he could protect Karys. Together they shared an incredible emotional and physical bond that is wrapped up in an insane amount of chemistry.

I knew I was in a better place, but I missed all the things I was familiar with.

Many have compared Once We Were Starlight to Mia’s duet – Becoming Calder & Finding Eden, published in 2014. However, the world was a different place then and so much has changed or come to light thus bringing us a different type of story. I too felt the Calder & Eden vibe until the story began to truly unfold. I must say that there could be triggers for certain readers. Fans of Mia Sheridan will feel the familiarity of past characters who are woven into Karys and Zakai’s story.

Once We Were Starlight will move you and stir your soul. It will stay with you for days….

The sky had a million eyes. It saw everyone’s pain. And it had much more reason to cry.

Blurb

A bed posed on a stage under a dazzling spotlight. An audience of hungry eyes. And him, the other half of my soul, our supple bodies moving as one . . .

Sundara: the lush and forbidden oasis in the desert where men travel to watch acts of sexual deviancy, and the only existence seventeen-year-old Karys has ever known. But despite a life where secrets and sin are in high supply, and freedom remains far beyond their reach, Karys and her partner Zakai find safety in each other, their passionate love the light that helps them both survive the darkness.

Very suddenly, Karys and Zakai find themselves in the bright and confusing world of New York City, navigating separation, school, and relatives who are all but strangers. If they’ve been found, why do they still feel so lost? As their new lives threaten to drive them apart, and Zakai spins out of her grasp, Karys must figure out who and what can be trusted in this strange city, seemingly filled with more venom than the desert they once called home.