Review: Candle on the Water by M.A. Myers

Love manifests itself in many different ways in Candle on the Water, a haunting and evocative LGBT romance by M.A. Myers, written for new adult readers.

High school senior, Stephanie Turner, has a bright future ahead of her. Having scored a swimming scholarship to Purdue, Stephanie has her sights set on becoming a doctor in the navy, but after meeting Sara Austin, Stephanie’s life quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster. Stephanie experiences a profound connection to Sara, and believes that Sara feels the same way, yet she doesn’t understand why Sara treats her so badly. As both go their separate ways through life, they have this visceral need to reconnect with one another – even when each encounter leads to more heartache…

Candle on the Water is an emotional tale that spans many decades, where life and career choices conflict with desire. Myers has crafted a complicated relationship between the two protagonists that is at times difficult to witness, but is always compelling. Stephanie represents all that’s good in life for Sara, yet Sara is at times cruel and destructive towards Stephanie, seemingly trying her hardest to sabotage their tenuous relationship at every turn. This dynamic is somewhat at odds with the premise, where Sara and Stephanie are meant to be soul mates spanning generations. However, in a world where the two women are driven to conform, her discontent is understandable, and sympathetic.

Myers’ story contains a cast of wonderful supporting characters in the form of Angie and Maria who serve to enhance an already emotionally charged story. The most notable of all is Stephanie’s twin brother, Tyler – the brother every sister needs in her life. At the beginning of the story, Tyler is the typical annoying brother, yet he’s also her staunchest supporter when Stephanie does well in her swim meets and even when she doesn’t. Then when the unthinkable happens in adulthood, it’s Tyler who takes charge of the situation – even at the expense of his marriage – becoming Stephanie’s unrelenting champion and the glue that binds everyone together. As such, the novel is as much about family as romance, exploring the notion of love from many angles, and setting the novel apart as a probing character study as much as a love story.

Myers is also eloquent with establishing setting, which becomes as much of a character as her protagonist and supporting roles. The vivid descriptions have the ability to engage all of one’s senses, especially in the descriptions of nature and the sea, where once can feel breeze off the ocean, to baser emotions like lust and self-loathing when Stephanie’s life seems to spiral out of control in a fit of despondency about unrequited love. Myers’ innate ability to use descriptive passages to affect readers’ emotions is a constant throughout the story, and propels the novel along as much as the story itself, for a finely crafted work of literary romance.

A poignant and moving take on overcoming prejudice, Candle on the Water is emotionally provocative to the last page.