REVIEW: Fill The Empty Spaces- Karenna Colcroft

Title: Fill The Empty Spaces
Author: Karenna Colcroft
Genre: Gay Fiction, Gay Romance, LGBTQ Romance
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: Oct 12, 2023
Format: Kindle
Pages: 276
Source: Amazon

Austin and Del were the love of each other’s life for two decades--until a drunk driver took Austin away. In his grief, Del leaves his job and pushes away most of his friends. Austin would want him to go on living, but how can he when Austin is gone?

In an effort to help, Del's friend Remy books them an afternoon at a local cat cafe. There, Del bonds with Charlie, a senior cat who wears sweaters to cover his lost fur, and Lochlan, a human who volunteers at the cafe. On impulse, Del signs up to volunteer there too. Over time, with the friendship of Lochlan, Charlie, and the rest of the resident cats, Del starts to pick up his pieces and create a life without Austin.

As Del and Lochlan’s friendship deepens and Lochlan shares his deepest secret, Del realizes he's falling for the other man. He's finally living again, but can he let himself love again?

This book has a main character who has lost his life partner and depicts his grieving process. It is not a romance, but has romantic elements and a hopeful ending. The story includes discussions of child abuse and child death, suicide, and homophobia and transphobia. But it also includes an adorable cat who wears sweaters.

Review by Jay Mountney

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

The story is on the surface a simple romance but it takes time to explore stages of grief. Del’s husband Austin died in a car accident and Del finds it hard to get back to any semblance of normal life. He volunteers at a cat café and the plot involves his growing relationship with Lochlan, another volunteer.

Lochlan has his own problems in the form of an ability to communicate with the recently deceased and help them move on into ‘the light’. Del’s friends, a group of drag queens who performed with Austin, are well developed minor characters and add to the interest. The attraction between Del and Lochlan grows slowly and there are problems to surmount but there is a happy ending.

The book is well written and at times it tugs at the heartstrings but there is always hope in the offing. I’m not sure whether I would recommend it to anyone themselves grieving a recent death, but for anyone else, this is an absorbing and ultimately uplifting read.