"Ash Winters was once the golden boy of the English literary scene, but mental illness has dragged him into a cycle of self-destruction. A chance meeting with brassy Essex-born Darian Taylor may be the first step Ash needs to rebuild his life--if he's able to let go of the class prejudice and dangerous negative self-image that threatens to drown them both"-- Provided by publisher.

"A deeply emotional romance about heartbreak, hope, and learning to love against all the odds. Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and--most of all--himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people's expectations. Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. Flashy and loud, radiant and full of life, Darian couldn't be more different...and yet he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it's like to step beyond the boundaries of his anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can no longer see a way out. Can a man who doesn't trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can someone who doesn't believe in happiness ever fight for his own?"-- Back cover.