Detective James “Jim” Shea is a Seattle homicide detective who has never taken his work home with him – until now. A case has gotten under his skin and though it’s “over,” it isn’t for Jim. The emotional toll has left him vulnerable and tied to the victim’s dying father.
Meanwhile, Hollywood comes calling for a hot story, and screenwriter Griffin Drake sees the tragic case as his ticket to more serious fare than his usual action blockbusters. But to get the whole story he needs to win over the stoic and protective Detective Shea.
Neither man has had much luck when it comes to romance or long-term relationships and neither is particularly looking but there’s an attraction from their first meeting that can’t be denied. Their impromptu first date seems to have no end in sight – quickly becomes a barreling freight train of romance.
Looming problems outside threaten their relationship – death, secrets and broken trust – and they’ll have to learn loyalty to save their newfound love.
Review
We met Jim in book one. He’s the guy Matt has the one night “fling” with and with whom he is now friends. He gives Matt “tips” on being gay.
Jim’s been working on a very tough/sad case that is now suddenly being turned into a movie. (You will be surprised at who wants this done and why!)
While working on the film he meets Griff, a Hollywood director, and though he’s everything Jim swears he’s opposed to, the two set off sparks. Suddenly a short fling is looking more and more like something permanent.
**
This is almost a stand-alone in that if you haven’t read book one you wouldn’t miss much (if anything) and it doesn’t really need to be read to move on to book three. (However books 4 & 5 won’t be as impactful if you skip this one… so go on read it!)
Jim and Griff’s story is a lot different from Matt and Evan’s story and that’s a good thing. Their story is not a repeat of Matt and Evan with different names, but instead completely unique to them.
I really love Tere Michael’s characters. She’s taken a side character and made him a MC but he already had such depth that she was able to run with it seamlessly.
Griff is great. I typically don’t like Hollywood type stories but I really loved Griff and all his drama with Daisy. He was a great contrast to the tough cop trio of Matt, Evan and Jim.
Kudos to Tere for also giving us an interesting murder mystery as well. It definitely added to the story and highlighted the romance well.
I think this is another great book full of humor and wit and a sweet but realistic romance.
Audio
The narrator is JP Handler and as I have mentioned in the previous reviews, he is not my favorite. I just don’t get involved in his narrations as much as I’d like and as a result it detracts from the overall experience of listening to this great book in audiobook format.
Matt Sullivan understands labels: law student, athlete, heterosexual. He has goals: graduate and begin his career in law. One fateful night, Matt tags along with his gay roommate to a dance club and everything changes. Matt finds himself attracted to the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. All labels go flying out the window.
Aaron Mendez doesn’t believe in labels, and he’s leery of straight curious men. He makes it clear that he’ll hide his fabulous light for no one. While Aaron can’t deny the attraction between him and Matt, he is reluctant to start anything with someone who is still dealing with what this new label means–especially when that someone has a girlfriend.
Review
Matt is a straight guy (ok, he’s maybe looked a time or two, maybe more…) who meets Aaron at a club one night. He’s immediately hooked. They dance and then … sort of date for awhile, but Aaron is skeptical. He’s been burned by men “experimenting” before and doesn’t want a closet case relationship either.
At first Matt is in agreement with Aaron. He’s straight, Aaron’s gay. What was he thinking? But as they get to know one another the feelings he’s feeling don’t go away, they grow stronger.
After what feels like a long time, they do finally agree to give things a chance and thus starts the beginning of a lovely relationship.
I just love Aaron. He’s a mostly, very self assured person. And, really, so is Matt. Once we get over the rocky start their romance is just so lovely and very tender. The smexy times are hot and them as a couple is great.
I loved the GFY/OFY exploration we get to see and the evolution as Matt identifies himself as gay.
As we get to see the couple evolve over time, they only get better and better!
Audio:
Tyler Stevens is an excellent narrator. I love the emotion and rhythm of his narrations. He does a tremendous job with this and makes the story really come to life.
Sixteen-year-old Anthony Duck-Young Del Vecchio is a nice Catholic boy with a very big problem. It’s not the challenge of fitting in as the lone adopted South Korean in a close-knit family of Italian-Americans. Nor is it being the one introverted son in a family jam-packed with gregarious daughters. Anthony’s problem is far more serious—he is the only gay kid in Our Way, his church’s youth group. As a high school junior, Anthony has finally come to accept his sexual orientation, but he struggles to determine if a gay man can live as a faithful Christian. And as he faces his dilemma, there are complications. After confiding his gayness to his intolerant adult youth group leader, he’s asked to find a new organization with which to worship. He’s beaten up in the church parking lot by a fanatical teen. His former best pal bullies him in the locker room. His Catholic friends even stage an intervention to lead him back to the “right path.” Meanwhile, Anthony develops romantic feelings for David Gandy, an emo, out and proud junior at his high school, who seems to have all the answers about how someone can be gay and Christian, too.
Will Anthony be able to balance his family, friends and new feelings for David with his changing beliefs about his faith so he can live a satisfying life and not risk his soul in the process?
Review
There are a few things to know before you decide if this is the book for you.
First, this book is written as a first person present narration. For some people this is hard to read. (Read a sample before you buy it if you are picky about writing styles.) It’s well done here. It reads sort of like a diary or journal, but in the present tense, sort of like you are just glimpsing into the brain of Anthony as he goes through life.
Second, this is definitely a YA novel. There is almost no intimacy of any kind, a little bit of kissing but even a hand-job is aborted because “it’s not the right time for that”.
Third, this is all about being Catholic and/or devoutly Christian. Not just that Anthony is those things, but this is about his struggle with being gay and a Christian.
Fourth, it is written very well and would do well to be read by any young gay person or parent of a gay child who struggles with merging ideas from the church with being gay.
There were parts I really enjoyed. I loved the progression along the fear axis Anthony takes, from denial, to anger, to regret, to anger again, etcetera. I loved how supportive his family and his (to-be) boyfriend were in this struggle.
I didn’t grow up Catholic, never attended Parochial schools, did not have that vision of God as it was described in the Bible or in this book… so I couldn’t really relate to this story personally. But, I could totally see how it would be wonderful if that was your history.
As for me, I got mired down in the religious stuff and was disappointed the romance wasn’t a bigger part of the story. That’s just my personal preference.
However, knowing that this is a coming of age story about a gay boy dealing with his religion and there is a little romance thrown in, I think if you choose this book based on that information you will be quite pleased with your choice. Note: This story is very respectful of religion and does not bash any religion.
Writing/Editing 5
Romance 3
Storyline 4
World Building/Characterizations 4
I’m almost 14, so I’m probably looking at this book differently than most reviewers (they seem to be mainly adults). There were a lot of things I liked about this book, and there were things I felt irritated about. First off, I am going to admit to being an atheist, so my reaction is probably not the same as a kid who is a Christian.
I was very angry with the kids and youth leader at Anthony’s church. While I don’t understand the need to believe in some invisible god being in the universe, I do firmly in one’s right to do so as long as they a aren’t hurting any with how they express that belief. Telling people they are awful, perverted, and going to hell to suffer an eternal torment? Yeah, that’s seriously uncool. Also, being a kid is hard enough and becoming a teenager and having to deal with crushes and stuff is even harder without people adding more for us kids to have to agonize over.
I felt bad for Anthony’s family too. I could tell his family really loves Anthony, without any strings attached. To find out your kid is gay and you’ve raised him to believe wholeheartedly that to be a Christian means following doctrine so closely because it’s “the way”, only to discover you’ve unwittingly led him to soul deep despair? That had to be hard, especially given that Anthony felt as if he’d be a huge disappointment to them. I really liked how his family rallied around him, knowing that Anthony was the same “perfect” son they’d always had, and that meant he couldn’t be wrong for being born gay. That it wasn’t wrong for him to be made, by their God, to love another male.
The romance in this isn’t the usual sort found in YA books. Anthony is terrified and spends a lot of the book trying to reconcile his faith with his gayness. He’s literally terrified that he’s going to go to Hell. It’s eating him up inside. When he crosses paths with David and finds they have this as a common ground, their relationship grows. It’s based on faith and mutual respect. I quite liked how the boys’ stopped themselves from going too far with their feelings. They recognized they weren’t ready yet for sex, so stopped. I did feel awful that they seemed to feel a bit of shame, because sex shouldn’t come with a shame tag. I guess that religiously, they have issues with sex before marriage though.
The overall message that love is love, and that if God is love, he can’t hate you over love, is something I think more people need to accept. Too much hate is spread around and wars happening because people want to use God as an excuse. I don’t think if God is actually out there, he’d be too happy with that. I may not be a Christian, but I study religion (a school subject here in the UK) and Jesus seems to say a lot about loving one another and not being judgmental. This book is good for pointing out how wrong that is, using the Bible itself to show why Christians who think being gay is a sin are wrong. Every person who is even slightly religious should read it, as well as anyone who is trying to understand what the religious fuss is all about.
From the moment former LAPD detective Bobby Dawson spots Ichiro Tokugawa, he knows the man is trouble. And not just because the much younger Japanese inker is hot, complicated, and pushes every one of Bobby’s buttons. No, Ichi is trouble because he’s Cole McGinnis’s younger brother and off-limits in every possible way. And Bobby knows that even before Cole threatens to kill him for looking Ichi’s way. But despite his gut telling him Ichi is bad news, Bobby can’t stop looking… or wanting.
Ichi was never one to play by the rules. Growing up in Japan as his father’s heir, he’d been bound by every rule imaginable until he had enough and walked away from everything to become his own man. Los Angeles was supposed to be a brief pitstop before he moved on, but after connecting with his American half-brothers, it looks like a good city to call home for a while—if it weren’t for Bobby Dawson.
Bobby is definitely a love-them-and-leave-them type, a philosophy Ichi whole-heartedly agrees with. Family was as much of a relationship as Ichi was looking for, but something about the gruff and handsome Bobby Dawson that makes Ichi want more.
Much, much more.
Review
(Previously posted for the book.)
Bobby’s story! Woot!
Or should I say Ichi’s story? No, it was definitely Bobby’s story!
Woot!
An important first point: let me say that you must have read the other books for this to really mean anything to you. There are snatches of moments taken from the previous books to give you a time line so that the view as seen from a different angle makes more sense, but Ford does not “backfill” too much. She assumes you are an informed reader. (Thank you!)
This is pretty straightforwardly Bobby and Ichi’s love story. There is no mystery (those were Cole’s to solve and we see them through Bobby and Ichi’s lenses only.) We learn what makes Bobby and Ichi tick (mostly Bobby) and then we learn how they can fit together.
It. Was. Wonderful!
I absolutely loved digging deep into Bobby’s psyche. He’s a unique character, with years of experience that Jae and Cole don’t have. His history (being a closeted gay cop) must mirror what so many men of his generation experienced and it serves as a reminder for how far we (as a culture) have come along (hopefully) in our acceptance of “other” in our society. There was even a story thrown in as told by an older man who had similar experiences with his mixed marriage, that is, he was subjected to questions and cruelty as well.
Without reading this book, you may be worried that Bobby couldn’t possibly be seen as someone to trust in a long-term relationship. What Ford did was show us, by slowly peeling back the layers, just why Bobby is EXACTLY the type of guy you should trust in a long-term relationship. It was very elegantly done and felt completely organic.
Ichi’s history surprised me a bit too. There are things we find out that explain some of his personality; information about his mother (Cole’s too) and father and step-mother… fascinating. He’s an old soul and perfectly matched for Bobby.
I found the lack of mystery refreshing, not that the mysteries in Cole’s books aren’t great, but we got a chance to really focus on the characters in this book. Ford spends a lot of time developing these complex, rich characters (main and secondary) and this book show-cases that effort.
The ending was absolutely THE BEST. First, the way Jamie finds out Bobby is gay and then, the last scene at the tattoo shop… (le sigh) grab some tissues, it’s just wonderful. It feels so complete, but is just open enough that it hints at more excitement that we could see in upcoming book(s). I hope that both Bobby and Ichi (and maybe even Jamie?) will continue to play big roles in any future book(s).
Well done Rhys Ford, well done!
I highly recommend this and give it 6 of 5 hearts!
Audio
Greg Tremblay has done this entire series, so we are familiar with his deliciously growly Bobby and the exquisite way he handles all the variety of Asian accents.
I think he does another outstanding job with Down and Dirty. The emotion Bobby shows and the tenderness from Ichi are breathtaking.
I absolutely loved this audiobook and highly recommend it along with the entire series.
Two towns flank the looming Shadow Mountain. A dark myth of the Predator drifts through the dense trees, a tale Police Lieutenant Hart never paid much attention to. When one unresolved death follows another—some people dying without discernible cause while others are clearly, and often brutally, murdered—he can’t ignore it any longer. Truth may lie in myth, but this one is spread to deceive everyone. The Predator exists, but he’s not entirely human. Hart will have to find the connection between the mysterious figure and victims with only one thing in common: a faint tattoo on the backs of their necks, a mark left when someone healed their incurable diseases.
Isaac Lasko has been in love with Hart since he moved in across the street seven years ago. He’s been helping Hart renovate his home, and their friendship grows more intense with the years, but Isaac can’t help wishing for a deeper bond. When he finally breaks through the lieutenant’s armor, the mystery surrounding the Predator threatens them both. Help will come, but at a price.
Review
Hart has come back to town because his father has died. He finds the town in an uproar over a serial killer with some otherworldy elements involved.
Isaac, the neighbor, is too young for Hart (in Hart’s opinion) but Hart can’t stay away.
There is more to the story and way more to the mystery – this is a very complex book, but too much here would spoil the fun.
I found that, for me, the mystery took away from the romance and though there are definitely romantic elements to this story it was shared equally if not overshadowed by the mystery and the development of the characters themselves.
Depending on what you’re looking for this could be the story for you. If you’re interested in a “typical” paranormal romance – probably not. If you like complex story lines and twisting turning plots and a mystery with a paranormal bent – then yes, this is the story for you!
This is book one in a series and I think it’s likely that the romance may build more in book 2… but I can’t say that for certain.
Jason Day, brilliant designer of video games, is not only a confirmed bachelor, but he’s as gay as a maypole. One wouldn’t think being saddled with his precocious four-year-old nephew for four weeks would be enough to throw him off-kilter.
Wrong. Timmy, Jason’s nephew, is a true handful.
But just when Timmy and Uncle Jason begin to bond, and Jason feels he’s getting a grip on this babysitting business once and for all, he’s thrown for a loop by a couple of visitors—one from Tucson, the other from beyond the grave.
I’m sorry. Say what?
Toss a murder, a hot young stud, an unexpected love affair, and a spooky-ass ghost with a weird sense of humor into Jason’s summer plans, and you’ve got the makings for one hell of a ride.
Review
Jason agrees to babysit his 4-year-old nephew (Timmy) for his sister (Sally).
He has no idea what he’s getting into because Timmy is 4 going on 14 going on 40. (He’s hysterical!)
When Paul (Timmy’s missing Dad’s brother) comes into town on business, Jason offers him the house instead of a hotel.
Timmy reports that there is a ghost in the basement and Jason and Sam hear unexplained things and see some strange things, as well.
While the relationship between Jason and Sam comes together fairly easily and quickly, figuring out the man in the basement takes time and effort. Once they find out who he is, they go about solving his murder mystery.
**
This is John Inman humor at it’s best! Both the MCs as well as the myriad of secondary characters are well written and hysterical.
The one-liners really zing in this book!
I think the selling point in this story is the humor. The mystery and the romance are sort of the structure by which the humor can be displayed as they are neither “difficult” nor “angsty” nor “deep”. Which is perfect for this story.
This was a light, enjoyable, funny book with a sweet romance and a quirky/spooky mystery thrown in and… oh yeah! A ghost!
Aaron Costa’s summer was all planned. Despite having to remodel the family lake house, it would be a vacation of sorts, and he had every intention of enjoying it – until the friend who was supposed to help him got injured and left him in a lurch. He decides to take the opportunity to bond with his son and hires Julian and his roommate, Malachi, to assist.
As a broke college student, Malachi could use the money, and spending the summer with Aaron for eye candy sounds like a dream. “Look but don’t touch” becomes his motto. But when Julian starts flaking on his responsibilities and Malachi and Aaron are forced to spend long hours alone together, their mutual attraction is impossible to resist.
Aaron can’t fight the temptation sexy Malachi presents. But more than their age difference stands in their way, not the least of which is Aaron’s semi-closeted status and the fact that he’s never openly discussed his sexuality with his son. He has no idea how Julian will react when he learns his father is not only gay, he’s also dating his best friend.
Review
This is a pretty straight forward May/December story. Aaron is a contractor, fixing up his own house with the help of his son Julian and Julian’s friend, Malachi. Aaron got his high school girlfriend pregnant, so though there is a considerable age gap (16 years), it isn’t too large to overcome. At this point everyone is over 21 and well over the age of consent.
It becomes evident early on that Mal finds Aaron attractive, but Aaron tries to do “the right thing” and abstain. Temptation gets to be too much and a lot of very hot, hot sex ensues.
Meanwhile, Julian acts like an ass, discovers Aaron and Mal’s secret and Aaron breaks up with Mal for the sake of doing “the right thing”, again.
But… Aaron reconsiders and tracks down Mal and a very satisfying HFN/HEA is what we are left with.
**
I really liked the characters, Malachi especially. He was brave and hot and temptation on a stick. Aaron was a little less likable, mostly because I didn’t like how he let his son get away with acting like a douche so much of the time.
The sap in me wanted the story to end on more secure footing, we never really got to see them as an “out” couple, and it’s hard to judge the success of a relationship based on the hotness of the sex, but I got the impression that things looked optimistic for Mal and Aaron to make things work long term. Since this is the first in a series maybe (hopefully!) we will see more of them over time.
Audio:
Paul Morey does a great “growly” voice and he is a perfect choice for Aaron. I always enjoy his narrations and thought that listening to this was even better than reading the book.
At twenty-three, Dr. Liam McGregor is a well-respected astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and geologist. With no family, few friends, and no romantic prospects, he’s used to being alone. Focusing on his various scientific projects and taking care of his decidedly unusual cat help keep the loneliness at bay.
Jareth Manning is starting life over—new town, new job—after the loss of his husband. The last thing he expects is for the most absentminded, and beautiful, man he’s ever seen to take up residence in his heart. Nor did he expect to find himself a willingly humble slave to Her Imperial Highness, Empress the Cat. But Jareth has learned that love doesn’t come around often and to hold on to it when it does. Jareth is willing to be patient if Liam is willing to take a risk after being burned before. They just have to survive Liam’s past returning.
Eight years after Liam and Jareth marry, they want a child. Things don’t go well when they try to adopt, with terrible accusations thrown at Jareth. After recovering, they proceed with a private adoption, bringing home a beautiful little girl, Carinae. Then things get ugly, endangering not only Liam’s life, but Carinae’s.
Review
I want to say first and foremost : This. Is. Fiction.
Ok, now that we set the mood…
Liam is super-brilliant and gets lost in his work, thus he runs into things, knocks things over, misses social cues, breaks things, falls down… he’s a mess. His childhood sucked. His parents are in jail for their abuses of him. His work is mostly wonderful except when the other geniuses get jealous. But… he’s very lonely. He hasn’t had a great romantic history and doesn’t know what to do about that. But… he has an awesome cat and some pretty amazing friends.
Enter Jareth. Jareth is a widower. (Can I get an awwwww?) He lost his husband a couple of years ago and though he loved him dearly, he is ready to move on when he meets Liam who just hits all of his buttons. Jareth is hired as security for Liam after Liam gets attacked at work.
Jareth straight out adores Liam and Liam is entranced by Jareth.
Their romance is a slow build from simple friendship to lovers over time. While their romance is building there are things happening at work that keep Jareth busy protecting Liam and add some spice to our romantic storyline.
The second half of the story is in fact an entire second book (This is really a book one with a couple of cute novellas and then a sequel all wrapped into one novel.)
In the second half we are several years down the line and Jareth and Liam are married and looking to adopt. But… there are lots of road blocks and danger and Liam is still in need of protection.
We end with a glorious HEA and the possibility for expanding the family to four!
**
Like I said at the beginning of the review, this is fiction. There are some ridiculous things that happen to this couple that are just plain … fictional. Jareth is constantly being hauled in on accusations of spousal abuse. Numerous people (including his parents, three times!) come after Liam with guns and knives and brass knuckles. Their little tiny cat has litter after litter of sweetSiamese kittens with no other health concerns. The adopted baby’s mother inherits $263 million but still wants to give up her baby because she doesn’t want to be a single mom.
Ok. It’s a lot. But I gotta tell ya – I still loved this story. I adored Jareth and Liam together as a couple with their “science” arguments. I loved the over the top drama. I loved the ooey gooey love story and the almost super hero like qualities Jareth had. I thought the sex was hot! I loved that Liam had a pudgy belly! I loved that Jareth goes gray!
I just plain loved this book!
If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the geeky magical love fest- this is the book for you!
After three years of waiting for “rabbit” Jeremy to commit to a life in Granby—and a life together—Aiden Rhodes was appalled when Jeremy sustained a nearly fatal beating to keep a friend out of harm’s way. How could Aiden’s bunny put himself in danger like that?
Aiden needs to get over himself, because Jeremy has a long road to recovery, and he’s going to need Aiden’s promise of love every step of the way. Jeremy has new scars on his face and body to deal with, and his heart can’t afford any more wounds.
When their friend’s baby needs some special care, the two men find common ground to firm up their shaky union. With Aiden’s support and his boss’s inspiration, Jeremy comes up with a plan to make sure Ariadne’s little blackbird comes into this world with everything she needs. While Jeremy grows into his new role as protector, Aiden needs to ease back on his protectiveness over his once-timid lover. Aiden may be a wolf in student’s clothing and Jeremy may be a rabbit of a man, but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk the wilds of Granby together.
Review
We start this book with Jeremy in the hospital after having been beaten up by the mob guy who was after Stanley. He’s in and out of surgery and in and out of consciousness, worrying about Aiden, Craw, the animals, Ariadne, and what his future holds now that he’s no longer “pretty”.
Aiden is struggling with his anger at Jeremy for putting himself in danger and his love for him and his desire to coddle and comfort him. He’s worried about what this means for their future.
Ariadne is struggling with her pregnancy and then later with her new baby. So the Granby crew has to deal with Jeremy’s, Ariadne’s and now the new baby’s medical bills.
They decide to throw a fund-raiser and we get to meet a few more of the men of Granby – I’m pretty sure there’s a book in there! – and the whole town shows its support.
Of course by this time you’ve read all the previous books, this won’t make too much sense as a stand-alone. We see a little bit of Ben and Craw, learn a whole lot more about Ariadne and Rory, but most of all this is about Jeremy and Aiden.
I love the analogy of Jeremy as the rabbit and Aiden as the wolf. Though Aiden is the younger man in this relationship he is clearly the growly, possessive and protective wolf watching over and “herding” Jeremy. Jeremy is settling in and learning to accept all the wonderful things in his life as “his” and as “real”. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that we finally get rid of that damn safe!
The angst in this story (come on, it’s an Amy Lane story!) comes from “listening in” on Jeremy’s thoughts – his doubts and self-deprecation. Mostly, however, this is a book that shows the relationship cementing and the Granby family fighting for its own.
I hope there is more to this series (Aiden’s friend needs his own book!) but if there isn’t, this was a lovely wrap up.
Audio
Philip Alces is not my favorite narrator, but he does a nice job. I like him for Jeremy’s voice. I think the deeper, more growly voices are a little out of his range, but he has a great sense of timing and does a nice job overall.
Leo is a lonely workaholic with no time for romance in his life. His job in London takes all his energy and commitment. When he goes to Cornwall to stay with his terminally ill uncle, Edwin, love is the last thing Leo expects to find.
Tris lives in a cottage on Edwin’s land. Gay, but still half in the closet, he and Leo bond over their affection for Edwin, and the pull of attraction between them proves too strong to ignore. In Tris’s arms, in the wilds of Cornwall, Leo finds a peace he’d forgotten existed.
On his return to London, Leo finds himself grieving for more than just the loss of his uncle. When some unexpected news gives Leo the chance to return to Cornwall, he’s afraid it will be too late to rekindle things with Tris. But having learned much from his stay with his uncle, Leo doesn’t want to look back and wish he’d done things differently.
It’s time to seize the day—if it’s not already too late.
Review
Leo temporarily moves to Cornwall to spend time with his dying uncle. While there he meets Tris, a closeted gardener who is renting a house from Edwin, Leo’s uncle.
The premise of this story is simple: boy meets boy, boy kisses boy, boy loves boy, boy leaves boy, boy misses boy, boy returns to boy.
But….
There is way more to this story. Each of the men in this story has a history they need to wrestle with in order to become the happiest they can.
Tris needs to come out of the closet, forgive himself for his divorce and for deceiving himself and his family for so many years.
Leo needs to realize that he is more than his job and that happiness cannot be found working 80 hours a week.
Edwin, probably the most touching story of all, gets to finally tell his story and embrace the life he couldn’t for all these years.
**
On the one hand this story has very little angst for our two MCs. Their love story moves fairly quickly and without a lot of drama.
On the other hand, what I loved about this book was Edwin’s story. It’s both heartbreaking yet romantic and sweet at the same time. I loved how his love story helped Leo and Tris appreciate what they have (or could lose). He was an amazing character.
All in all this was another very well written story by one of my favorite authors, Jay Northcote, who consistently gives us wonderful, three-dimensional characters and a tender and sweet love for them to find.
Writing/Editing 5
Romance 4.5
Sex/Heat 4
Storyline 4.5
World Building/Characterizations 5
4.6 of 5 hearts!
Excerpt:
On the beach they crunched along the shingle to the edge of the rocks, then turned to look out over the sea. It was almost completely dark now, and the moon was rising, casting streaks of bright silver on the oil-black water.
They stood in silence, watching and listening to the crash of the waves. Leo’s heart felt suddenly too large for his chest. He was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place, a place that had barely changed since his childhood. The sea came and went with the tides, the sands shifted, but the rocks were constant. Yet here Leo was, an adult now rather than a boy, and his uncle reduced to an echo of the man Leo remembered—physically, at least. Unexpected tears prickled the backs of Leo’s eyes as a rush of emotion so strong that it made him draw in a sharp breath assaulted him. He swallowed hard, forcing the feelings back down.
Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Tris turn towards him, but Leo carried on gazing out at the gentle, rolling movement of the sea. Tris shifted his feet in the sand, bringing him closer. The warm skin of his arm brushed Leo’s, and Leo ached for more contact. He needed human warmth and touch to chase away the cold emptiness in his heart.
Author Bio:
Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.
She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.
Blurb
