Vespertine Author: Leta Blake, Indra Vaughn
Pages: 396 (Kindle)
Release Date: September 7, 2015
Source: Borrowed
Purchase: Amazon•TBD (affiliate link)
Can a priest and a rock star obey love's call?
Seventeen years ago, Jasper Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld's childhood friendship turned into a secret, blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper's calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.
Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He's determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.
As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.
Jasper and Nicky's careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past's lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.
A priest and a rockstar walk into a bar….Kidding! Although that was my first thought upon reading the description of Vespertine. But it sounded really interesting so I had to read it! Nicky and Jasper were in love as teenagers, but then Jasper let Nicky know that he was going to become a priest. Seventeen years later, he runs an LGBT youth center for his church and Nicky is a rockstar whom he hasn’t seen since that Summer everything changed. Now, Nicky is back in town after a stay in rehab and it’s almost as if he never left.
Vespertine was really great. I was a bit worried that this was going to become some sleazy tale of a priest gone bad, but it’s not like that at all. Jasper is extremely devout and felt this calling down to his bones. When he and Nicky are first reunited, there’s this distance between them and Jasper is honestly just wanting to be there for him as a friend. He helps Nicky stay sober, he offers a listening ear, and a shoulder to lean on. In turn, Nicky helps with the kids at the shelter. But the more time they spend together, the more old feelings arise.
I really admired Jasper. He’s an out, gay, Catholic priest and he won’t let anyone tell him that that’s wrong. He’s known this is what he wanted to do since he was a kid, and now he’s doing even more good than he ever thought. One of the main plot points revolves around the LGBT center, because the church wants to open it to all kids and refuses more funding until that happens. Jasper works hard for these kids to have a safe, comfortable place to go, and if that means separating from the church to do it? Well, maybe that was his true calling.
Vespertine was just really good. It broke my heart in places, because these men truly love each other but couldn’t be together. Now they’re trying to find a way that doesn’t compromise either of their goals. I also liked how Nicky’s addiction wasn’t shown as miraculously cured by a brief stint in rehab and the power of love. Sure, those things are making it possible for him to get better, but it’s going to take more than that for him to stay sober.
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