Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
If you are a fan of Dr. Spencer Reid of the TV show Criminal Minds, you will love Corbin Friel, one of the MCs of this book. He’s got the same inability to speak normally, and the same need to tell people esoteric trivia. I’m not much of a fan, and it’s one of the reasons I wasn’t able to get into this book.
Corbin was a medical student who had only ever wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps and be a doctor. His beloved sister Malala had osteogenesis imperfecta, or “brittle bone disease”, and Corbin was more than a little overprotective of her because the disease made her incredibly fragile. Perhaps because she had to be so careful in her own life, Lala loved violent sports, and pressured Corbin in to going to an MMA fight. It was everything Corbin abhorred – dirty, bloody, violent, loud, low-class, and that was just the audience. Lala goaded him into a pathetic attempt at trash talking her favorite fighter’s opponent, and that was how Keon first noticed Corbin. When Lala won backstage passes to see Derek, Keon was there too, enjoying how uncomfortable Corbin clearly was. Lala and Derek started dating, and Corbin got drawn unwillingly into the amateur fighting world. Corbin was very attracted to Keon’s body – and who wouldn’t be? Those fighters are ripped! – which turned out to be good for Keon because Corbin noticed minor symptom that he cleverly diagnosed correctly and treated, allowing Keon to continue in his quest to be a professional UFC fighter.
The bone infection might have been what brought Keon and Corbin together, but their passions for their chosen careers – and their mutual admiration of that passion – was what deepened their connection. Having that kind of passion is rare in the first place, so I was very pleased that both men recognized what a precious commodity it was, and chose to support each other for it, despite their initial reservations. I liked Keon from the very beginning, but it took seeing Corbin come down from his high horse and support Keon even though he personally didn’t agree with fighting before I liked him.
I can’t speak for the details of UFC fighting, but those seemed to be fairly well researched to me. Of course, I know literally nothing about it (other than those fighters are ripped!) so I am not hard to impress on that front. Medical details however…. well, let me just say that my medical colleagues and I got a few laughs out of it. Did I subtract stars for that? Oh yes I did. A few minor mistakes I can handle, but there were A LOT. I am sure that I am significantly more critical than the average reader in this area, so others might not be bothered like I was. More than the medical details, however, I was bothered by the stupidity of the villains and their evil plot to take Keon down. And Corbin’s stupidity in not even noticing what was happening WAY before he cottoned on, and his gullibility in almost letting the bad guys get away with it. That part of the plot was a little too scooby doo for me. And finally, the book is written in present tense, which just irritates me. Again, a personal pet peeve that others may not mind.
Cover art by Kanaxa – buff naked torso with chains – definitely fits with the fighting theme.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Take one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret… Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt. A decade later, he’s doing his best to be there for Charlie’s son, but anything more than that just wouldn’t be right… would it? Plus the younger guy who he’s tried to forget… It’s been ten years. Ten long years. Does Shaw Michaelson feel bad about having seduced his dad’s best friend? Umm, maybe? Although he could’ve done things differently, Shaw can’t find it within himself to be sorry for the hottest night of his life with the one man he’s never been able to forget. The man he’s patterned every subsequent relationship after… yeah, Shaw totally has a type. Equals a pair of men who deserve a second chance at a first time. The two men are living in an uneasy peace within the same small town and circle of friends, being careful not to let the other get close enough to open old wounds. All their walls fall when a stalker begins terrorizing Shaw, sending him running to the one man he knows will keep him safe. This is the fourth book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Intended only for 18+ readers, this is an mm romance full of all the fun, fluff, and feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book. Note: Possible trigger warning for the mention of an animal being harmed off-page and the psychological trauma of being stalked.
Wow! As a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I am completely impressed with the quality and pace of this mystery. In my opinion, it’s worthy of sitting on the same shelf as Christie.
Cameron Hayes believed himself to be a dedicated friend and a good son but destined to be alone. Because in his twenty-one years, he’d never fallen for anyone. Dating never appealed to him when he would rather spend a night at home. Despite his friend’s best intentions for Cameron to find a hookup for the night, he stayed at the bar as he nursed a beer. And that’s when Cameron spotted him and everything he knew evaporated with one look.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 