When the Planets Align

by Kate McMurray

Best friends Michael Reeves and Simon Newell always lived within ten minutes of each other, but somehow they’re never in the same place at the same time.

Brash, outgoing Michael’s unwavering confidence that he and Simon are meant to be carries him through some hard times. When Simon moves to New York, Michael dutifully follows. Quiet, practical Simon loves Michael as a dear friend, but he’s not ready for anything romantic.

Several years and several failed relationships later, Simon realizes he’s been in love with Michael all along. Only now Michael has moved on. Though Simon offers everything Michael’s ever dreamed of, the timing is all wrong. Confusion, betrayal, and secrets from the past threaten their friendship until it might be time for them to go their separate ways. Or maybe the planets will finally align, and Michael and Simon will find themselves in the right place at the right time to take the next step.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 2014

About the author

Kate McMurray writes smart romantic fiction. She likes creating stories that are brainy, funny, and of course sexy, with regular guy characters and urban sensibilities. She advocates for romance stories by and for everyone. When she’s not writing, she edits textbooks, watches baseball, plays violin, crafts things out of yarn, and wears a lot of cute dresses. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with a bossy cat and too many books.

Reviews

[Jinx · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abso-freaking-lutely hated this book! I get that relationships aren't perfect but the disrespect Michael bestowed upon Simon because he knew he would always be forgiven was too OTT! I would have preferred Simon to walk barefoot on broken glass that's been thrown over hot coals covered in a flammable substance than to rekindle a relationship with Michael.

Simon walks in on Michael getting a blow job from a stranger after they officially started their new relationship, Michael came out at fourteen and never once was there a mention of bi-curiosity but he "falls in love" with a woman which he throws in Simon's face (all while they were on break after Michael's cheating and Simon sitting at home thinking they'd get back together.) Michael ultimately gets her pregnant and doesn't tell Simon until six months in.

As a reader I'm suppose to read this bullshit and root for a happily ever after. FUCK THAT!!!

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Meh .... for only 200 pages, this felt so much longer. Michael and Simon are best friends from boyhood who seem cursed to always be in the wrong frame of mind at the wrong time regarding their love for each other.

Now this isn't like the Gift of the Magi, where two lovers are at cross purposes while only wanting something wonderful for the other ..... this is more like a cage match where Michael and Simon hurt each other continually without thinking, or understanding what a fragile thing love can be when it isn't reciprocated or nurtured.

I didn't feel the chemistry between the two, or between Michael and Joan, and the ending seemed implausible and insincere. Sorry.

I received a copy of this book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.

Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews

[Veronica WordsAreMyDrinkOfChoice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really did not enjoy this one. Two immature men who cause unnecessary angst. I know Simon is not innocent in the drama, but the real selfish drama creator is Michael. He is so up and down and self absorbed. Simon ended up basing his doormat. Also, I am afraid I do not agree with other reviewers about the authors writing. I found a lot of the writing and scenes stilted and awkward, and interactions robotic. I just did not feel the love here I am afraid.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. I really like Kate's writing style and have enjoyed her previous books that I've read. This another well written example.

That being said, this is not my favorite of her stories and there are a few things that didn't work for me personally. As usual YMMV. There is a lot of flashback - which can be effective - but impacted the rhythm of the story some for me at different points. I'm not sure if that impacted my ability to connect with the characters or not but somehow I just didn't fall in love with these guys. Michael and Simon each have their strengths and weaknesses but I just didn't get that they would treat each other as callously as they do. They seem to take each other for granted and it's sad that they can't get their act together. Simon is definitely much more closed off and controlled. Given his background, it's not surprising that he has difficulty expressing his emotions and feelings and has to grow into that. Michael seems to be a lot more needy that he appears on the surface - whether it's because he feels he has to live up to Simon's expectations or just what, I'm not sure. It was like he spent years waiting for Simon and then when he finally has him, he purposely sabotages everything. The incident that leads to their separation was just cruel and the fact that it's very definitely on purpose did make me a Michael fan. Then Michael's complete 180 really didn't ring true to me but I suppose it could happen. His inability to realize what time it is when he calls Simon - when he "needs" him struck me as selfish. It's like he was so clueless that he was pouring salt in the wound every time he decided he needed Simon.

Still, this is a really well-written book. I just wished I had been able to better connect with and root for the characters. I did like the ending especially after such a long struggle to get there.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I love Kate McMurray. And I adored the magic that was Out in the Field. This one didn't quite give me the same feeling. I never truly connected to the MCs because they were both so careless with each other's feelings in the flashbacks. I can't imagine best friends or boyfriends being so blasé about someone they care about. It just didn't jive, so then my disappointment didn't allow me to really ever get on board after that. I thought it was well-written and intense. I definitely got the Feels a few times. I definitely got invested in the outcome, but......

I hate to say there was such a break from characterization, because only McMurray can say what her characters would do, but it FELT like a break from characterization - the way the MCs hurt each other in the beginning (I'm not spoiling anything - it's pretty soon after the start. It wasn't that they hurt each other, it was the WAY they hurt each other.

I would still recommend this book, because it was well-written and definitely had me on the edge of my seat for the ending.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I stayed up waaaaaay too late reading this and now I have one of those nasty book hangovers we all hate to love. I mean, this isn't a book that I would normally read. For one: it is a contemporary romance. And second: there is no mystery and no one is getting shot at or blown-up. Just a long and complicated friends-to-lovers story with lots of angst and heartbreak. But Michael and Simon's dysfunctional friendship-slash-relationship sucked me in and I HAD to get to their HEA or I never would have been able to sleep!

Michael and Simon have been best friends for almost their entire lives. Even as a teenager, Michael knew that Simon was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But Simon wasn't so sure or even ready for that level of commitment. No, Simon wanted to see the world...and all the gay men it held. It was never the right time and Simon and Michael have never been in the same "place" in their lives...the planets have just never been aligned for them. Now, Simon is ready to move back to New York...and to Michael, but is it too late for their friendship to be repaired? So much has changed. Can they ever have a future together?

The Romance: This really is a beautiful romance, but so much of it had me wanting to just put my Kindle down and walk away. Seriously, I can’t handle that level of angst! I wanted Michael and Simon to be agreeable and easy and to stop being stubborn and selfish…and get on with their Happy Every After! But NO, they had to be like REAL people…with all the mistakes and baggage that REAL people bring to a relationship, especially in a relationship that has spanned for so many years with all the many highs and lows they’ve shared.

The Pace: I don’t want to get into all the specifics of the story, but I loved how it moved from present day back to significant events and experiences from the past…although I did get a little confused keeping the dates straight in my head since they all didn’t occur in chronological order. Anyway, the flow was mostly seamless and worked very well in the overall telling of the story.

The City: I have never been to New York City, but the author did an amazing job bringing me into the life and feel of the city. Yes, there were A LOT of specific locations and descriptions that were completely lost on me, but they solidified the authenticity of the story.

The HEA: Yes, Simon and Michael finally got that happy ending…but it took many years for them to figure it out. I will say that it did get a little predictable there near the end, but I don’t care because I loved how it all worked out! So sweet and hopeful that by that point I didn’t want it to end!

4.5 Stars

Reviewed for The Blogger Girls

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, I like this author and think she's talented. I'll be reading many other things she has written. This book, though...the relationship is toxic, the MCs have issues galore, and the bond between the two wasn't convincing to me. Simon might be a cold fish, but Michael is absolutely loathsome. If these two were my friends, I'd be staging an intervention about their relationship. The back-and-forth, the lack of consideration, the many petty cruelties...just ghastly.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The back and forth, the hot and cold will test your patience. Both guys are real dicks to each other several times at different points of the story. And in the end the way things wrap up seemed almost too easy.

[Diverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to say right off the bat, I don't like time jump stories. HOWEVER, Kate mastered it. I was nervous when I saw the first one. But I ALWAYS give a book a shot! WOW, am I glad I did. Zero confusion. Well organized time flow. The story itself was beautiful. Michael and Simon grow together and we hate to admit it but when it comes or came to finding ourselves as we grew up we acted the same as they did. In that sense it was VERY realistic. I was a jerk as a kid as much as I was sweet. At 17 I didn't know what I wanted but I sure did think I did. And my 20's were scary because I knew I had to know but I wasn't ready and that is where Michael and Simon are throughout this story. We grew WITH them and that was awesome. I wanted to hate Joan, but I didn't. I wasn't fond of her but she played an intricate part in this story as you will see when you read it and yes, you need to read this book!

[GlamLawyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

That book didn't work for me at all. I was annoyed by the MCs and the story was partly too predictable. Plus I couldn't really understand the plot of a gay man falling in love with a woman. That was a big WTF for me. All the back and forward between Simon and Michael was just too much drama for my taste.
I skipped a lot of pages in that book.
I usually don't mind flashbacks but there is something like too much of them. That was the case here.

[Morningstar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get the way Michael and Simon treated each other during their growing up years, I hated it especially Simon's carelessness with Michael's feelings, but I understood it.





The jury is still out for me on the Joan story line. Maybe it was the way it was written but I keep thinking wasn't there another way for the author to take the story without needing her?

[jules0623 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need a Straight-For-You shelf for this story. It was all over the place and the MCs were unlikable and I just didn't give a fuck about either of them.

[Kade Boehme]

Hm. I don't think the Joan thing ever made sense and it didn't work for me at all. But otherwise well written.

[Aj · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the fuck was this??? I tend to like Kate's books. Had put this one off because trusted friends weren't a fan but in a slump I decided to read it since it was on my kindle for a long time. My fuck i wish i hadn't. None of it made sense. I didnt even give a damn if the protags ended up together because they'd treated each other so shittastic over the years. It's weird to say since she wrote the character, but one of them getting involved in a relationship that causes the most drama and provides the convenient baby felt out of character for what she'd created here. Strange, strange choices were made. It felt v straight-for-you with the Joan thing and I'm a little grossed out. I'll still give Kate a read again, but disappointed in this one.

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

This book takes you on the journey of Michael and Simon and their long and painful path to getting the timing right. I really enjoyed this book. It was frustrating and heartbreaking. It kept me up way too late reading because I needed some kind of resolution to their struggle. It was totally worth the lack of sleep.

The book jumps around in time from when the guys were in high school to the present day. I know some people really don’t like this but I think the author did an excellent job of holding my interest while yanking me out of whatever reality she’d so thoroughly placed me. I was consumed by this story so entirely. I seriously think my eyes filled with tears 4-5 times in this book. I could feel the pain and disappoint these guys caused each other. It also explained a lot of the history the guys lived through while helping you get attached to the characters.

Michael and Simon have been best friends since they were four years old so they’re extremely close. Things change when they get older. Michael knows he loves Simon from the time he’s sixteen. He’s out and proud. Simon doesn’t admit he’s gay until later. Simon is the quiet and smart kid who thinks if he gets good grades and flies under the radar he can finally experience life to the fullest when he gets to college in New York. He wants to do it all. Michael does too but he’s under the impression since they’ve been fooling around that they’ll be “together” while they experience freedom for the first times in their lives. Simon sees things differently. He knows Michael is his best friend but he wants to experience everything New York has to offer. Including it’s men.

This book hurt so good. I flip flopped on who I thought hurt whom the worst. Simon hurt and rejected Michael for so long when Simon finally realizes Michael is his one, Michael is so fearful of more heartbreak, he just can’t give his heart up again. He sabotages and escapes. A lot of times in a book this feels contrived. Here is totally made sense because you feel right along with Michael. I loved Michael’s character. He seemed so warm and real to me. Flawed and passionate. Funny and good. Simon is more subdued. He’s neat and focused on his career. Doesn’t show his feelings outwardly. He doesn’t dream big like Michael. He works hard and makes his way. It’s hard to say you love them together because they’re sometimes outright cruel to each other but they undeniably have chemistry. You also REALLY want them together. They have to be together!

Michael also crushed Simon. This part of the book could be questionable to some people but I think it all made sense. Not expected but it worked. Poor Michael just believed he could have it all for so long but it was just too hard to hold on through the heartache and disappointment. He went with what made him feel good and what was easy. Which of course lead to more tear filled moments!

The only reason this book didn’t get 5 stars from me personally is because of the ending. I saw it coming and it seemed a pretty convenient way to tie up the story. It also poured cold water on that smoldering intense flame the entire book felt like to me. It was good but not great like the rest of the story. I still highly recommend this book. It’s full of these things I don’t always love but man I did in this book. It’s consuming, heartbreaking and so beautiful. If you’re in the mood for a book to get lost in, I say give this one a try.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

I’m struggling with this review, because as much as I liked this story, I had a trouble with the telling of it. I’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers story, and Michael and Simon have one hell of a relationship. Friends since they were small, knowing each other inside and out, these two men totally have to work for what they’ve always wanted. My issue came with the fact that it was told in a non-linear fashion, and it really put a damper on things for me.

Here we have two characters who have both made a lot of mistakes. Each man has played a role in the discord in their relationship. Part of it comes down to timing, but it’s also about the choices they make. Simon and Michael were both incredibly well drawn, engaging characters. We spend time with each of them, so we get to understand what they are thinking and what their motivations are. For the most part, things make sense. But I’ll be honest and say that sometimes I couldn’t quite understand what kept them together, except for their history. There were times when it seemed like it would be better for both of them if they just walked away from each other. But there love was deep enough that, in the end, they made sense, and really, there was no other way it could have turned out. I liked that they both took responsibility for the hurt they caused, and that they were both willing and able to make amends. Michael and Simon were meant to be together, and they’ve had a lot of life experience to get them to that point. So despite the hurt they’ve caused each other, and the curve balls life throws them, their relationship at the end was completely and totally satisfying.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.

[angelofthursday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed most of this book. It was angsty, I cried a little, and the back-and-forth between Michael and Simon really tugged at my heartstrings. I thought I had a truly great book on my hands...

Then the end happened.

I'm pretty disappointed in this author for using Joan as a plot device, a vehicle for man pain, and a convenient way for Michael and Simon to end up with a kid in their happily-ever-after. It was cliche (because most m/m authors villainize or somehow aren't able to write women correctly, and with agency) and soured my taste for this otherwise good book.

[Brandilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance

Most novels I read in one sitting or over the course of about one day. However, I was unable to do that with When the Planets Align by Kate McMurray. It wasn't because of time. It wasn't because I was busy. It was because I had to stop about half way through and digest everything that had just happened. For full review see http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...

[Marbea Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about this love story was realistic. Only thing that made me doubt Michael's sincerity is the relationship with Joan. It was just too much of a game for me. I felt like Simon should've never moved back to NY, but this wouldn't be a turn around fate is meant to be romance if that was to happen. With all that drama the main characters got what they really needed in the end. I guess that has to count for something.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great for me. Couldn't understand the whole Joan thing it just made me think what the hell but anyway maybe that's just me! Also the timeline thing going back and forth and all different years was doing my head in a bit. After all that though I'm glad the planets finally aligned for Simon and Michael.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had me tied in knot-- and not in a good way. Michael Reeves and Simon Newell are out of sync for the majority of the book. Their misunderstandings, heartache and differences are so prevalent that by the time they do get together their chemistry is barely believable. The synopsis is promising but the presentation lacks emotion.

[Dionne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped about 65% through. I couldn't stand Simon or the way he treated Michael. He strings him along for ten years and gets pissed when Michael doesn't drop everything to be with him when he finally decides he's ready? Sorry, you had your chance. Well written but not for me.

[Spitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like stories that don't conform completely to the expected narrative. The thing missing for me was a strong sense of the MCs. They were described from a distanced point of view, and it was hard to see how other characters would think of them.

[Nur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Shaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finding this one hard to rate. I suppose it's more a 3.5 star, I just can't justify rounding it up.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, 3 stars. It does drag on in the places and the turning point was been done before. Still, it was a nice sweet read about two best friends who find that yes they do belong together after all.

[MsS · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 *

[Kobie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent most of this book sad that the MCs were not together. but it was a really good story.