Review: With These Hands

With These Hands by Daryl Banner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 I don't write with words" Stars

I think I'm in the minority when I say that I've loved Sam since Read My Lips. There was just something about her lack of emotion and her deadpan responses that drew me in. When Daryl said she was getting a book I was excited. I couldn't wait to see what he would do with this boring girl with no personality. Because let's be honest, Sam wasn't the most intriguing character. And Dmitri? Well, I wasn't sure what to expect with Dmitri.

Daryl delivered. Let's just say that he surpassed my expectations with this story. He took us back to a time when writing your name on a seating chart could alter your future. He took us to a time when hitting the cute boy in front of you could change the dynamic forever. And the right roommate could mean the difference between going hungry and having a full stomach. It's all about the paths you make, the lives you encounter, and the friends you have.

I love this book. I love the M/M, the M/F, and the M/M/F. It's fantastic. It's wonderfully written and something that not everyone can write. And I didn't see it playing out the way it did. I didn't see the characters coming together the way they did. I didn't know. I just didn't know.

Liking a boy is so stupidly stressful.

Do we remember that time Sam dated a guy who played the bassoon? I remember. I also remember wondering why in the world she would put herself through such torture. But after reading With These Hands, I think it makes more sense. Is it better to have someone around than to be alone? Would you prefer the chaos of your mind to the company of others? So, yes, Sam, liking a boy is stressful, but so is feeling alone.

I can't open my eyes until he says something. Was it that bad? Does it need work? Did I even play anything at all, or are we still here waiting for that right moment?

I feel like the majority of this book, Sam is just waiting for the right moment. Dmitri is just waiting for the right moment. But how do you know when the right moment is here? Does the moment happen naturally or do you make it happen? Dmitri and Sam have been waiting for their moment for years. YEARS. And I never saw Dmitri coming. I didn't imagine he'd be as amazing as he is. I'm not sure why, but he surpassed all of my expectations. And that moment? That moment these two have been waiting for? It's the most beautiful thing.

He is an open soul. He is fearless.

I have never been more satisfied by a character who doesn't fit societal norms as I am with Dmitri. He's bi. He isn't gay, he isn't straight. He's bi. It takes a strong person to admit to liking members of both sexes. It's not greedy, it isn't because the person is wishy-washy, it's just how they work. I think it's a true testament to love is love. Because it's true, love is love. He is both, and he is neither, and it seems as natural to him to be this way as breathing. It's just who he is; nothing more, nothing less. How I wish everyone was completely comfortable within their own skin. Dmitri seems to have this figured out.

"You are more than just poetry to me, Sam."

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