A Mika Review: This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun #4) by John Wiltshire

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Nikolas is the sanest, straightest, person he knows, so can anyone tell him, why he’s on a gay therapy course?

Nikolas Mikkelsen could make a very long list of unpleasant things he’s endured in his life. Then order it from ‘nearly killed me’ to ‘extremely horrific and don’t want to do again’. And what did it say about his forty-five years that being hit by a tsunami would be a considerable way down this list? But nothing, not torture, imprisonment, nor starvation has prepared him for what he now has to endure for Ben Rider’s sake-attendance on a residential, gay therapy course. At least he has a new contender for the top spot on his ‘my awful life’ list.

This Other Country starts off right where The Bridge of Silver Wings ends. Right from the start, I was worried. I mean I wasn’t use to this side of either guys. My heart was beating fast because of all the ideas that were running through my mind based on what I was reading. After a while, I was relieved. No worries from me now on, because I know John Wiltshire would never break my heart like that. I thoroughly enjoyed the circumstances pertaining to Nikolas and Ben ending up in couple’s therapy. Never worry, folks, this is the same vulnerable, difficult, and loving Nik and Ben we are used to. This installment lacked the natural disasters, and attempted assassinations but it never digressed from it’s usual level of emotions and dedicated plot.

I found myself at times sitting back and thinking of all the things that Nikolas has done over the last 8 years and I wouldn’t change a thing. This road that they have found themselves on is their destiny and journey. No matter how things turned out for the better or worst this Ben and Nikolas are the only ones that matter. This book we got a lot of “I’m not gay” responses. I didn’t know how I felt like that, and because I’m not a gay man I can’t say what I should feel like. I can say I liked how each one’s reasoning. Maybe they aren’t gay but for each other. Either way I loved that instead of the action we had to actually deal with “real life” things like how they are perceived. It was a scary reaction for both but I was confident enough that they would come out winning on some accounts.

(Spoiler Links)

I love guiltless Nikolas but damn I wanted cut throat Nikolas out in an instance involving Kate, I can’t talk about the deed but it shows the amount of growth he had by not putting her head on a spike. I was so angry and blood thirsty because of her betrayal that I expected actions to be taken. What do we know; Nikolas has turned over a new leaf.

Wiltshire continues to impress me with his growth of Ben. Just when we think Ben has lost his marbles literally he does the unexpected. I was smiling through tears at that point because it took a lot for him to do that. This goes to show that Ben is still that pure angel in my mind. While this one is somber than the last 3 it might have been the most impactful to me. The message of accepting one’s voice is bright and powerful in itself. I really do enjoy reading these books, and can’t wait to see what John Wiltshire has in store for us next.

Cover Art by Deanna Jamroz. Definitely goes hand in hand with the battling of others and yourself. I truly do like these covers.

Sales Links:  MLR Press       All Romance (ARe)     Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 22nd 2014 by MLR Press (first published November 21st 2014)
edition languageEnglish
seriesMore Heat Than the Sun #

More Heat Than The Sun Series in the order they were written and should be read:

•  Love is a Stranger (More Heat Than the Sun #1)
• Conscious Decisions of the Heart (More Heat Than the Sun, #2)
• The Bridge of Silver Wings (More Heat Than the Sun, #3)
• This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun, #4)
• The Bruise-Black Sky (More Heat Than the Sun, #5)