Force Majeure (The Rourke Stories, #2) (2024)

I love the way Sophia Soames writes. Her characters think with an almost brutal level of self-deprecation, to the point where you have to take their opinions of themselves at face value because more than likely no one else sees them that way. Oakley could have been considered an unreliable narrator in the ways that he saw himself and his interactions with other people. He was brimming with assumptions and couldn't look past his own hurt feelings to see that people actually liked and respected him. Including Cem, who he loved and, therefore, pushed away the most. Poor Cem was just trying to figure himself out. Sexual orientation, gender identity, pronouns, labels, labels and more labels...yet finding none that fit him exactly right. I loved how his family and, eventually, Oakley gave him the space and encouragement to flourish, but the epilogue was a reminder that the world can be a scary place for someone perceived as "different" and sometimes you just really need your people to surround you and remind you how special you are.

Here is something interesting I learned about myself while reading this book - my mind tries to gender the characters' voices. Even when I'm told they're non-binary, my brain tries to latch on to whatever crumb it can to attach a gendered tone to their voice. In this book, there was a person who used they/them pronouns and was never described or addressed by name and my mind scrambled to find a voice for them. I was so disappointed in myself for that. This is not the first time a book by this author shoved my own biases in my face and I love her for that. Gives me something to work on.

Also, I love that beautiful Rourke is on the cover with Willi. Rourke's the perfect Cem and I adore this collaboration so much.

Sophia Soames frank, open writing is such a tonic.

In Force Majeure, she clearly and sympathetically portrays two young men, both inexperienced, both emotionally immature, who grow into a relationship with each other while acting their ages.

They aren't 35-year-old men in young bodies. They're messy, and they stumble through their first sexual encounters as one would expect from guys that age. Their story is sweet and sexy, and feels authentic, with all the pining. all the angst and melodrama of young love as they earn their their HEA.

What a glorious story! Be still my heart!

The story is told by Oakley, you’ll love him at first sight, I loved all his characteristics!
He has feelings for Cem, it became uncomfortable at some point.

Oakley’s parents live separated and he’s the only adult, trying to keep everything together, and everyone happy.
The family one floor below is his refugee, they are warm and welcoming. Their oldest son Cem was his best friend, since they were little, nowadays he has cooler friends, nothing like awkward Oakley. If he only knew. I wanted to shake him and yell open your eyes!

Cem is the sweetest thing on earth, when you ask for their pronouns you’ll get a happy: all of them.
And that’s correctly described!

Cem and Oakley love each other dearly, they always have and always will. Just watch them together!

Oakley’s feelings and thoughts are consuming him. He wants love and just gets bits of time. Love almost turns into hate. Whatever the feelings are, it’s overwhelming. His head is running a marathon and he’s so hard on himself. Don’t forget it’s all from his pov.

My heart was all-in with them, from page one, they made me so happy, I could cry. (I did tbh)

I don’t want to spoil this story and their awesome friendship/love, PLEASE read it yourself, you will not regret it! Again, be still my heart!

Sophia Soames’ writing is a mixture of fun, hilarity, and intensity, showing live flaweties with all the very ups and downs, all the ingredients I dearly love! The story is clearly pictured, super emotional, intense, and sweet.
ALL the stars for this beauty!

3,5 stars

I love Sophia Soames's writing. It's sweet where it needs to be, honest and raw when the story asks for it, but it always flows like poetry. This sweet novella was no different.
The reason I did not fully rate 4 stars is that I had a hard time fully connecting to the characters. It's as if we are allowed to get a glimpse into the lives of Cem and Oakley, but never are pulled into it.
It still was a sweet, enjoyable read about two young friends, who are still figuring out who they are and who they love. It's that age of insecurity, of not being mature yet. Of emotionally depending on your peers and being unbalanced when things are not how you expect or want them to be. It's the age of discovery and of clumsy first sex, and Sophia writes it as honest as can be done.
This story is told from Oakley's pov only.

As always, beautifully written and full of emotions, the fun ones as well as the sad and everything in between.

I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest, unbiased review

I'm calling it. I will live through August on Sophia Soames's books.

If you haven't yet got the chance to read Sophia Soames' book, this, right here, is a wonderful way to discover a new author.
What a super intense short story!!! I'm speechless! I really like it! Both the main characters are well represented, especially Oakley and all his quirkiness. Throughout all the book I felt like his issues were mine, and that's something that doesn't happen frequently. I'm very happy I got the chance to read an ARC copy of Cem and Oakley's story.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Beautiful story! As always from this author I get hooked into a world with broken, complexed characters who I just want to hug close.
I love the way Sophia tells a story. Both the writing and pacing, but the plot in this one really do it for me. Finding yourself, trusting yourself, accepting yourself with the support of family and friends.
Even though this is a one POV story, I have no problem getting inside Chen’s head as well. That says something about her way of writing!
Every chapter starts with these small “quotes”, and I like that a lot.
A lovely short story! Highly recommend it!

Force Majeure refers to a clause that is included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupts the expected course of events

Oakley’s parents were disastrous together but deeply in love. Keeping him in the middle. “I am the bearer of gossip, the keeper of secrets, and the justice of the peace.” Not what he wants to be at all. Desperately in love with Cemil who just keeps trodding on his heart every time Oakley gives him another chance. He lets his fears rule his life. Cemil wants to be with Oakley but life keeps getting in the way.

I’ve read other stories by this author and have enjoyed them. With this book I felt that I was on the outside looking in on the characters, never really connecting to them. The story, though short, gave a very concise view of Oakley’s life which is probably why the book felt one dimensional to me. It was funny in places with sex bringing the best moments.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

A coming of age story told from Oakley's perspective, he struggles in understanding the jealousy he feels for his friend Cem who he was also secretly in love with. Both drifted away from each other at one point after being childhood best friends in the beginning.

I fell for Oakley in all his insecurities and hidden strengths and Cem’s magnetic character and fluidity.
I love the side characters too. Cem’s family embraced him for who he is and Oakleys was always there for him despite grappling with their own battles. Both families paint a picture of realness that is undeniable in this day and age.

Oakley and Cem had so many memories between them, their journey as they slowly found their way back to each other was beautiful to see. There were self-realizations, first times, and acceptance.

The emotions Sophia Soames evokes in her writing are tangible and raw, feelings we’ve experienced at one point or another.
This is a novella that speaks to us when we were messy, unsure, and inexperienced ourselves and eventually found that rainbow in the end.

Wonderful, flowing, yet true and gritty, as many of Sophia’s stories.🥰 I was pulled from the start and taken on a journey of discovery, and rediscovery. This friends to lovers novella, based in Berlin gives a great European vibe, as we see the world through the eyes of a young man, Oakley.
The tentative years of finding out who you are are enhanced by connecting with first love and exploration of sexuality. Cem, Oakley's bff brings a fresh picture of a young person on the cusp of grasping how he identifies.

I'll remain a huge fan of Sophia’s writing and this story is a great addition to her fantastic repertoire! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Force Majeure was sooo freakin beautifully written! A adored Oakley and Cem sooo much!! The story is told from Oakley’s POV, he goes through so many emotions. Oakley and Cem have been best friends since they were wee ones. Cem’s family has always welcomed Oakley into their home. They’ve always loved each other but Oakley’s thoughts kind of are consuming him now. Wonderful coming of age story! Overall, wonderful with addicting pacing. I couldn’t put it down!

Really good intense short book about friends to lovers.

Another stunning story by Sophia Soames, she has become an absolute must read author for me!
I loved Oakley and Cem’s story. Two boys, childhood best friends who’ve grown apart. One madly in love with the other, but convinced he’s not good enough. Oakley is jealous of the life Cem lives. He’s cool, popular, charming, and absolutely beautiful. But what Oakley doesn’t know is that Cem’s feelings are not as different as he thought. And if they can just talk to each other, and stop thinking so much, they might just have found their forever love

From the blurb I was under the impression that the MCs were adults. In reality though they are technically grown, they are very much still teens. Oakley is definitely the embodiment of chaos. I enjoyed that we got to see him grow into someone who can embrace his strengths, and take charge in his career and relationships. I would have loved to read Cem's POV as well, as I really adored his character. This was a beautiful friends to lovers novella. The codependence of youth was really well portrayed.

Zupełnie mi się nie podobało 😣

Gosh, so this was rather delightful. As is the spicy cover! Hello, Rourke! Sophia writes beautifully quirky tales and this is one of them, an Adrian Mole for grown-ups. The scene in the bath is absolutely lovely. And so much is packed into 32000 words it feels like a full length story. Oakley is an absolute treasure and I felt entirely inside his head the whole time.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Is it me, or is this just a bunch of rambling sentences? 😂😂😂

I mean, it started off ok. From chapter 2, it goes crazy. Like, wtf? The characters jump into a friendship without showing me anything about HOW, they move onto f*cking with no development to their relationship whatsoever, and it was confusing af in regards to their personality, which seemed to change page after page.
Too much for me 😂😂😂 And too little at the same time.

Two stars because the prose is not terrible (although a little rambling, as said).
bye now

This book has been provided for free by the author. The review below has also been published on Rainbow Book Reviews.

Well, yes, at the risk of repeating myself: novellas are a literay form of their own—you can take them, or you can leave them. I’m more the “let’s leave them (to others)” kind of guy, but there’s one exception: when said novella is written by Sophia Soames. Anyway, as soon as Sophia Soames is written on the cover, I take it, anytime, unquestioningly, and confident that I’ll enjoy myself.

No disappointment here, then. Sophia does messy but endearing characters? I love messy but endearing characters. Take Oakley Hoffman, for instance, the main character of her latest novella Force Majeure. He’s a young German living in Berlin; dropped out of school at a young age and is now finishing an apprenticeship in roofing. Coming from a messy family—parents loved each other but were somehow incapable of living together—he’s not what you could call a happy guy. No, he’s a mess, too. Must be the apple-not-falling-far-from-the-tree thing (or as we would say in French: “dogs don’t beget cats”).

During the lockdown caused by the worldwide pandemic, he’s stuck in his mother’s apartment, and each time he gets stir-crazy he hangs out in the tenement building stairway. There he runs into his former best friend, downstairs neighbor Cemil “Cem” Demirci of the quirky but incredibly loveable Demirci family. Of Turkish origin, they embrace their oldest son’s gender fluidity and not yet fully established sexual identity without a moment’s hesitation. As the flame of Oakley’s and Cem’s friendship is rekindled, they also accept their upstairs neighbor like their third son. There’s just one problem: Oakley doesn’t want to be friends with Cem. Because he’s in love with the handsome neighbor, always has been, and struggles with deep-rooted insecurities, jealousy, and a total lack of self-confidence, which often push him to lash out with no apparent reason. What he doesn’t expect is Cem’s patience, though, and the realization that beneath his cool and confident façade, Cem hides insecurities of his own. So, when they become aware that they’re meant to be together, the obstacles to happiness seem unsurmountable…

But. Sophia Soames is not only their “godmother,” she’s their creator. So, unsurprisingly, and I guess that doesn’t count as a full-blown spoiler, there might be a sweet HEA waiting for the readers at the end, one of those where you go “Aw!” and melt because it’s so well-deserved. The two main characters are what you could call perfect for each other; they are the only ones capable of completing, of healing the other person. Realizing that, accepting it, and finding the willingness and energy to push aside any remaining obstacles is a long process—exactly 114 pages long. Now, that could seem long (for a novella) or short (for a novel). Yet it struck me as the right length. Could the story have been blown to novel-proportions? Of course. But it wouldn’t have had the same compact, intimate impact anymore, so the novella-length suits it really well.

I confess that I started reading it one morning, and 20% percent in, I already felt raw and teary, seriously considering either going to work unshowered or call in sick because I didn’t want to stop there. I couldn’t do either, so I was impatiently waiting for the evening to come and then finished the book in one sitting. It was sweet, sometimes annoying but at the same time annoyingly logical in the sense that I wanted to shake Oakley so that he’d become aware of the precious things he was wasting yet knew that that wouldn’t change anything because no one can force others to see some truths—they need to discover them for themselves. Yes, Oakley is messy, complex, complicated (for reasons one understands when reading the story), but that’s exactly why he felt so real and why he made me want to react by physically jumping into his story. Sophia and her impeccable writing made him become a person rather than a fictional persona.

If this review has turned out just as messy, I apologize. That sometimes happens when a book grabs me by my emotions and rattles me, which was the case here. A read I recommend to all those who love an emotional rollercoaster with loveable if chaotic characters, a story where Love is written with a capital L, and where character development rhymes with… quite some steam, in fact. By the way, this novella is also included in the collection Love Is All—Volume 5, which features eight other stories from bestselling authors (the proceeds from that anthology go to two organizations that support and defend LGBTQIA+ rights).

It took me a while to digest this book; looking back it surprises me that it is, in fact, only a short novella because it reads like Gone with the Wind!

It begins with what felt like teenage angst, a 'mind dump' in word format, verbal diarrhoea as the character's train of thought thundered through his brain. The sweetness of the two main characters, their closeness as humans, could be described as symbiotic as their need for each other was like the need for air. I loved the way SS would drop little bits of personal information about the couple into the narrative; something about wearing make up here, nail varnish there, a favourite food, a random fact. It just made them even more loveable than they already were.

Obviously there is a secondary cast of characters, who have important parts to play but the two main characters are so big in this story that the others fade into the background.

This is one of those rare, beautiful, sublime books that you come across very occasionally and feel privileged to have read. Yes there is all the things that you want to find in a good mm book but they are definitely secondary to the beauty of the writing and storytelling.

I loved this book and totally recommend it to you for your kindle summer reading list today xx

I received a copy of this book via the author and provide my honest review voluntarily

Young Love - First Love

Cemil and Oakley, two young boys live in the same apartment block in Berlin. Cemil lives with his Turkish parents and brother below Oakley’s apartment.

Oakley lives with his mother who is divorced from his father.
At times he feels torn between the two who vey for his time and company. Sometimes he struggles under the stress of it all.

Oakley only wants time with Cemil. They have been friends for ages then they weren’t. Young love and jealousy play a part in the distance that grew between them.

Then an honest conversation on the stairwell changes everything and they are flying again.

I love their partnership. Oakley didn’t know how much others valued him and his ability to get things done. Cemil is an adorable guy who likes makeup and dresses, his family is fantastic and treats Oakley like another son.

I loved how Cemil’s parents accepted him and Oakley’s relationship as a given.

Initially Oakley appeared to be the indecisive, depressed one, but when Cemil is struggling with homesickness away at Uni, it is Oakley who steps up to the rescue.

Sophia Soames is always a go-to author for me, always enjoy her work.

4.5 stars
Another heartwarming story by Sophia Soames.
In this novella, the MCs are two young men, around 18/19 years old, who experience their first love relationship. Both of them are emotionally immature, they don't know how to handle their feelings: Oakley is insanely jealous and fears abandonment, while Cem is trying to deal with his own sexuality and gender orientation.
They've been close their whole life and now they have to learn how to navigate the mutual physical attraction; they're insecure (Oakley more than Cem), messy, awkward and intensity of the sensations, when they're naked together, overwhelms and hit them hard.
The sex scenes are sloppy, uncoordinated and sometimes fast and also sweet, tender and spicy (but very respectful of the two men's young age).

Additionally, Oakley has to deal with a difficult family situation, being the only child of two divorced parents. Cem, instead has a very supportive family (his mother is awesome!).

What prevented me from giving 5 stars:
The ending is more a HFN than a HEA, I wish we could have seen them as adults later in the years.

Absolutely recommended.

This is a new author for me. It’s an interesting, almost stream-of-consciousness type of narrative that fits Oakley perfectly. You get a first row seat to all the crazy things that zip through his head as he tries to figure it all out. You get to watch his relationship with Cem evolve from innocence all the way through to adult partnership.
Cem is a force of nature all his own. Once he wraps his head around his feelings for Oakley, he’s all in. He just blossoms into this ethereal being that is so unique. He’s so comfortable in his own skin and throws other’s expectations out the window. We could use more of that in the world right now.

Sophia Soames always writes so beautifully and warmly about family and relationships, but here she has surpassed herself. This exquisite coming of age story, based in Berlin, is narrated by teenager Oakley, an only child of fractiously divorced parents whose life comes under further pressure when he realises he has fallen in love with his childhood friend and neighbour, Cemil.

The way these two work out their relationship issues while exploring their own identities is touching and real, with all the painfully joyous oversensitivity of first love. Sophia explores delicate issues of sexuality and identity with a sure touch and brings them alive in her loveable characters, with their contrasting but always supportive families. I was cheering Oakley and Cem to find their so-deserved happy ever after. Simply beautiful!

I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.

As grown-ups, we sometimes (often) forget how all-consuming, intense, absolute everything is when you’re in that age between teenager and young adult. Oakley’s emotions are like that, powerful waves, or volcanoes that boil under the surface until, sometimes, they erupt and leave mayhem and destruction in their wake!
Sophia Soames is honest, introspective, absolutely brilliant, and reading her stories, no matter their lengthy, is always emotionally engaging and deeply satisfying!

Thank you for the ARC read,I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Oakley and Cem story is one big coster ride of emotional dependency. Two young people finding their way in the world of the what if and much more importantly the who am I, then to need to slap a label on themselves just to fit in that world.
Oakley is struggle to overcome his shyness around Cem, but all that happens is his feeling erupted all over the two of them, while Cem is really much better in that sharing department.

This was my first Sophia Soames book, but it won't be the last.

I was very fortunate to get an ARC for an honest review. I didn't know what to expect and just let myself be surprised. The biggest surprise was that the book takes place in Berlin - my hometown. The next surprise was that one of the protagonists has Turkish roots. Great! And so Berlin!

This book was adorable. You just have to love Oakley and Cem.

A search for oneself, for a goal. The experience of being allowed to fail in order to learn something new. I will remember this book for a long time.

Everyone, you HAVE to read this book!! Force Majeure is sweet and passionate and, importantly, respectful of love between very young people. If only everyone could have the support Oakley and Cem enjoy. As we’ve come to expect, the prose is deeply honest, as Sophia eschews convoluted plot devices to weave a story of real life. Brava!!!

Another beautifully quirky read from Ms Soames. I loved the characters - they were warm, human and thoroughly believable. By the end of this short story, I felt like I really did know them. The story made me laugh, roll my eyes and wanting to knock the MCs heads together. Sophia has a great style of writing that keeps you engaged from start to finish. 4.5 stars.

The thing about Sophia Soames is that she writes books that you can’t put down!
And this one is no exception
I’m in love with this story, with the characters and their little quirks, it’s like your a part of the story - this is love 💚

This friends to lovers was an fun and emotional read. The two of them pulling and pushing against the other was for me enjoyable to read. I loved seeing them figure things out and being with each other. Sophia always writes with so much emotion and i love it.