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Gideon's Gratitude (Love in Mission City #5)
Gideon's Gratitude (Love in Mission City #5)
Gabbi Grey | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
GIDEON'S GRATITUDE is the fifth book in the Love in Mission City series, focusing on Gideon and Archer.

Gideon is in daily chronic pain, living alone with his dog, Lucky. He was married and had two children, but after suffering an accident and becoming addicted to painkillers, he was divorced and his children living with his ex, who didn't trust him to be near them.

Archer has bought the plot next to Gideon's home and turns up when he has run away from Vancouver after discharging himself from hospital. He ends up knocking on Gideon's door when a tree crashes on top of his SUV, luckily when he wasn't in it!

This story mainly focuses on Gideon and what he is dealing with - depression and parental alienation are just two things. I can honestly say that both topics are written well. It's nice to lose myself in fiction where these topics are talked about, but have a HEA ending, that unfortunately doesn't always happen in real life.

The relationship between Archer and Gideon takes time, so yes, this is a slow-burn. It wouldn't be right to have it any other way. The moments when they are 'together' together are sweet and sexy, with just enough burn, without taking anything away from either man.

A great addition to the series that can absolutely be read as a standalone, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and have no hesitation in recommending it.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 18, 2025
  
Flashback - Single  by Mathew V
Flashback - Single by Mathew V
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Mathew V is a singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, Canada. Not too long ago, he released a heartfelt music video for his emo-pop ballad, entitled, “Flashback”.

“I’m weak, is that what you make of me when I had to get up on my own. Seventeen, when he put his hands on me, and I had to find my way back home. But I, oh I, I’d never play you for a fool. But now, I’m here with nothing left to lose.” – lyrics

‘Flashback’ tells a bitter tale of Mathew V’s personal experience with sexual violence/rape at the age of seventeen, and how it affects his personal life today.

Five years ago, the above-mentioned incident occurred, and ever since then, the 22-year-old survivor has been trying his best to cope with the recurring flashbacks of him being violated sexually.

‘Flashback’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and piano-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental elements.

“Writing this song was one of the hardest things I‘ve had to do in my life. I wrote this song about my experience with sexual violence/rape at seventeen years old, and how that situation has influenced and affected my life today. It was something that I always knew I had to process and had always avoided. But with every new song I wrote, I still had this in my closet, this weight on my chest.” – Mathew V

After 10 years of classical operatic vocal training, Mathew V moved to London, England at the age of 17 to teach himself how to write pop music.

Since then, he has penned a deal with 604 records and his debut single, “Tell Me Smooth”, went Top 40 on Canadian Radio (Hot AC/AC) for 18 weeks, peaking at #18.

Mathew has written with the likes of Dan Mangan, DiRTY RADiO, and on stage, he’s opened up for the likes of Betty Who, Hanson, Daya, MAGIC! and more.

https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/mathew-v-flashback/
  
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Frustration by The Painted Ship
Frustration by The Painted Ship
1967 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
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"The Painted Ship are a psychedelic garage band from Vancouver. My favourite kind of garage is not so much straight ahead, riff driven garage, but warped and atmospheric garage – that’s what I love to listen to. “Like a complete loser, I’ve made a playlist on my iTunes called ‘Mood Garage.’ They’re the kind of songs that are perfect for when you’re in the car late at night. It was Rhys Webb from The Horrors who first played me this song a couple of years ago, I told him about my ‘Mood Garage’ playlist and this specific sound and he suggested ‘Frustration’ and it was totally right. “Garage is an amazing genre. The name comes from kids at home making music with only the means available, but then you’ve got all these weird records that came out of it and went in another direction. It’s like it becomes more than the sum of its parts, it has something unearthly about it that you can’t pin down. It’s sort of like a darker version of the ‘Setsunai’ bittersweet feeling. It still hits you in the same place, but it brings you down another path. “Artistically, garage music has impacted me because of how instinctive the genre is. When it comes to music that actually inspires me to want to make things, it’s always music that is a little more instinctive and spontaneous. I remember when I read Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds, this whole history of Post-punk that made me want to start like, four different bands. When you read about people who are making music with simple means, it feels spontaneous and it makes you want to play. “When The Horrors first started there wasn’t any discussion or question of anything, we didn’t even know how to be in a band. So it was all instinctive, a raw transmission of emotion and expression. And that’s why I love garage – it’s through this raw expression that a whole movement of kids in parents’ homes and garages made something that sounded, in the best cases, like it wasn’t even from this world."

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