A Time for Remembering, Memorial Weekend and the Week Ahead in Reviews

The month of May has always been a month of celebrations, from Mother’s Day to birthdays to important anniversaries. For me and mine, May is a time for family, either by choice or blood, and of any configuration. For me, it is a time to celebrate those that I love, whether it is their birth, or mine and my sister’s (for my Mother), and anniversaries which helped bring all of us together. And if the weather cooperates, than even my gardens appear to be celebrating as the azaleas, dogwoods, and all the flowers burst into pastel hues in anticipation of the intense colors of summer.

With all of these emotions and thoughts directed towards celebrating those we love for most of the month, it seems more than fitting to end May with Memorial Day, a day dedicated to remembrance of those who lost their lives keeping us safe and making it possible to celebrate all those birthdays, and anniversaries of people and families we hold so dear. My grandfather is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and this year, we buried my uncle close to him in a ceremony so moving that people were stopped all over the vast landscape as the sounds of the gun salute rang out over the hills and the trumpet played Taps.

Rolling Thunder passes by my parents farm every year on their way into the District and my father, a veteran of the Korean war, goes outside and salutes them as they pass by. Our media here in the metropolitan area is full of pictures and videos marking the solemn day of remembrance as flags are put at every grave at Arlington and the crowds swell at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as well as that of the World War II one nearby. If you have never visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, then you have not experienced the power and overwhelming sense of loss that pervades that site. The Wall itself a marker of the high cost of valor and service to our country in the names of the men and women lost reflected back to us. In that black stone reflection, we see the list of names in chronological order and our own reflections, the recipients of their sacrifice. For me, never has a memorial to our dead felt so alive, awash in grief, and sorrow and gratitude.

For most people, this weekend brings barbecues and picnics, gatherings of families and friends. Take a moment and some quiet if you can, and remember. Remember and pause to thank those who lie buried here and abroad, claimed and unnamed, for their sacrifice. Because ,whether we acknowledge it or not, it is being reflected back to us across the picnic blankets and tables just as much as it is from the black wall itself.

Now for the week ahead in reviews:

Monday, 5/27: Memorial Day

Tuesday, 5/28 Damned If You Do Collection by JL Merrow

Wednesday, 5/29: Moments by R.J. Scott

Thursday, 5/30: Adapting Instincts by SJ Frost

Friday, 5/31: May Summary of Book Reviews

Saturday, 6/1: A Silence Kept by Theo Fenraven

There you have it. Enjoy your Memorial weekend for those of you who live in the US or Americans abroad. Spare some thoughts and prayers for those now gone and for those they left behind.

Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o’er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,
Dream of battled fields no more.
Days of danger, nights of waking.

-Sir Walter Scott

Review: The Unforgiving Minute by Sarah Grainger

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Ryan Betancourt has finally made it, all of his hard work has finally paid off and he is on the World Tour with many of the star players he grew up watching and idolizing. One of those players is Josh Andrews, the star of the tour and current golden boy of tennis. Ryan has had a huge crush on Josh since the first time Ryan saw Josh play a match. So Ryan is eager to meet his idol, and is crushed when his first encounter is with a cold, aloof Josh surrounded by his retinue. Ryan has always approached tennis the same way he has people, with an open heart, and no suspicions about ulterior motives or possible head games.

Josh Andrews can never remember a time when he has not played tennis. He has a obsessive former tennis champ as a father who has directed his childhood and every moment as an adult to one goal, winning tennis games. Sidelined by a knee injury, Josh is now back on track to win, no matter the costs. A life spent on the courts means Josh is well aware of the negative aspects of the game, from court politics to the ways the unwary can be hurt by those around them. Josh is not eager to open himself up to anyone outside his circle, let alone an up and coming unknown.

Ryan’s manner of playing and his attitude has turned him into a crowd favorite and that same attitude has him returning back to the one player who holds him at arms length, the closeted Josh. As Ryan slowly breaks down Josh’s defenses, a true friendship and then more develops. But the sharks are circling on and around the courts, including one who intends to take them both down. As the stresses build, can Ryan and Josh continue to win at tennis and finally at love?

I loved every page of The Unforgiving Minute and it was another book I didn’t stop reading until it was over. Sarah Grainger uses the world of professional tennis to give us a heartwarming and stirring story of love on the courts. Everything you want in a terrific romance is here. We have two tennis players, one who has finally arrived at the top level and one who has been there for years. Grainger also provides both men with backgrounds completely opposite to each other which helps not only to explain their outlook on the game of tennis, but their outlook on life as well. The author’s well rounded characterizations which extends into completely different playing styles and discipline further enrich this romance by pulling the reader throughly into their worlds, involving us in the regimen necessary to continue to play at the top of the professional game.

In the author’s note, it tells us that Sarah Grainger lives in the Cotswolds and loves to ramble about with her lab. Well, honestly, after reading this novel, I was sure she had spent all her time playing tennis because of the familiarity and love of the game that pours forth from every page. The reader learns about the strategy, the different court surfaces, and the rules and regulations the tennis players abide by. By the end of the book and during a stirring, gut wrenching match, we are not merely spectators but feel as though we are sweating on the court along with the ballgirl. I mean there are some wonderful blood pumping, exhaustion inducing descriptions here of the players and their matches. If you have never watched a tennis game before, you will want to after reading this book.

But it’s the characters here that will draw you into the story and keep you there. I am not just talking about Ryan with his “baby giraffe” runs across the court after a ball, or Josh, so disciplined and yet terribly vulnerable. True I adored them both, but there is also Elaine, doubles player, Ryan’s best friend and scary person. I loved her and her attitude. There are the great characters that exist in Josh’s retinue, from the masseuse to the cook. All fully realized people who bring a authentic feel and depth to all the interpersonal relationships that matter to the main characters and the game of tennis.

Here is a little excerpt and window into the life of Ryan after a match:

AFTER beating Michael Kreissig, Ryan was on a high. He was through to the fourth round of the Australian freaking Open. He was grinning as he sat down with a bit of a thump on one of the couches in the treatment room.

Tim, the in-house sports masseur, strolled over, flexing his hands. His wonderful, miracle-working hands. The first time Tim had treated Ryan, Ryan had proposed marriage. It had only been when the words were already out of his mouth that he’d realized he should be more careful; what he thought of as harmless banter might not be taken too well, even though everyone except Elena and Tommy probably assumed he was straight. Thankfully, Tim had been unfazed. He was apparently used to proposals from the players, whether of marriage or full-time employment. He’d also turned Ryan down with unflattering swiftness.

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Betancourt?”

Ryan laid himself down on the couch on his front, resting his head on his folded arms. “You can make it all go away, Tim, then run off to Bali with me.”

“You only want me for my hands.” Ryan couldn’t see Tim’s face from where he was lying, but he sounded suitably lugubrious at the thought.

“Well, yeah. And your knowledge of physiology.”

“Irresistible as you make it sound, I don’t think my wife would agree.”

“She could come too. Hey, does she give massages?”

And for that, he was subjected to a very firm deep tissue massage. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was reward or punishment, but he couldn’t stop the groans that it drew from him as Tim worked his magic.

With even a small excerpt, you get Ryan’s sense of humor and outgoing spirit, his closeted status and easy approach to the people around him. Adorable, immensely likable, and so easy for the reader to connect with. How could you not love him? But Josh will capture your heart with the same ease he wins matches. There are so many levels to this person and Grainger reveals them slowly to us and Ryan over time, until we care for him as deeply as we do Ryan.

As I said I loved The Unforgiving Minute, and it’s a terrific introduction to Sarah Grainger if this is your first book authored by her. It was for me and now I am off to see what else she has written. This book will make you want to do the same. A must read recommendation from me to you!

Cover art by LC Chase works perfectly for the story within, although I have to say I wish one model was grinning away, just as Ryan would.

Book details:

ebook, 236 pages
Published April 26th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 162380518X (ISBN13: 9781623805180)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Review: The Isle of…Where? by Sue Brown

Rating: 4.5 stars

Liam Marshall and Alex Griffin were best friends for most of their lives, they were each other’s support and confidant through each milestone and every trauma life dealt them. For Liam especially because Alex was there for him when he was outed in high school and when his parents kicked him out for being gay. For Liam Marshall, his friend Alex was home, no matter that Alex was straight and Liam gay. When Alex turned 35 he received a diagnosis of colon cancer. Then their positions switched. Liam became his friend’s total support, moving in with him and caring for Alex until his death. But Alex is not through looking after his friend, even when dead. Alex had left specific instructions as to how and where he wanted Liam to bury his ashes and left him the money for Liam to do it.

That’s how Liam found himself on the Isle of Wight, on a train to Ryde to empty Alex’ ashes in the water off the pier at the edge of town, a place Alex had loved. But Liam can’t bring himself to honor Alex’ last request, because then he will be truly alone for the first time in his life. Despairing and in tears, Liam is comforted by a stranger, Sam Owen, who seems to know just what Liam needs.

Sam Owens is on the Isle of Wight visiting his grandmother, Rose, a formidable woman and his best friend growing up. When he spies Liam breaking down on the pier, he comes to Liam rescue and then determines to take care of him for the rest of his stay in Ryde. As the week progresses, Sam takes Liam around the island showing him all the places he grew up and the people who know Sam and his family so well. Soon friendship and even love are replacing the grief in Liam’s heart. But Liam lives in the US and Sam in London and Liam’s time to return is almost here. Can Liam and Sam believe enough in each other to make their future work?

The Isle of…Where?, along with The Sky Is Dead, has quickly cemented Sue Brown’s place in my “must have, must read” list of authors. Brown’s ability to pull a reader quickly and directly into her narrative is striking. The prologue from The Isle of Where? is a perfect example. This is a paragraph midway through the prologue:

Liam was by himself when Alex died, lying on the bed and stroking Alex’s dark-blond hair so that he wasn’t alone. He knew Alex wasn’t really there anymore. His spirit or soul had already gone, leaving behind a shriveled husk of a man. His throat raw, Liam tried hard not to show his grief in front of his best friend. What was left of Alex wasn’t going to slip away to the sound of Liam’s tears.

By now I am bawling like a baby, already heavily invested in Liam and Alex and feeling just as devastated by his death as Liam is. And I haven’t even begun Chapter 1! Liam’s grief is a tangible element here. We not only understand it but grieve with him. And when Liam is unable to let Alex’s ashes go into the water, we get that too. Liam’s grief is all encompassing,not only for the loss of Alex but for himself, now bereft of home, family, and best friend, as Alex was all those things rolled into one.

Sue Brown demonstrates a remarkable ability to get inside her characters minds and hearts. These people live, breath and hurt as realistically as you or I do. And its not just the main characters I am referring to. Its everyone you will meet on the island, from the many Owens that pop up everywhere to one of Sam’s ex boyfriend and his current partner, Nibs and Wig and everyone inbetween. But the heart of this story is Liam and Sam, two characters I came to love and understand over the course of their story. Liam is older than Sam, thirty-five to Sam’s twenty-seven and at first that distance seems not only chronological but emotional.

Liam has had a much tougher time of it than Sam (at least we think so at the beginning). Kicked out of his family because he was gay, Alex was Lian’s only support, in every way possible. Liam moved into Alex’s house and stayed close to Alex even though his marriage and divorce. Liam’s high school experience as being a gay teen consisted of a series of beatings and taunts that humiliated and hurt him. In fact, the only relationship Liam was ever successful at was his friendship with Alex, as Liam finds it hard to open up to others emotionally or to trust people.

Sam, on the other hand, comes from a loud and boisterous loving family, one who accepted his homosexuality with ease along with a box of condoms and a book on gay sex. Sam is open, giving, a nurturer by every definition of the word. But there is a darker more frail side to Sam that is only slowly revealed. Sam has a need to be loved and an almost overwhelming desire for a family of his own that made him vulnerable and naive in some respects. These two men totally complement each other but how much so is only revealed towards the end. Liam’s possesses hidden strengths that will surprise not only Sam but the reader as well. These are complex characters but the layering runs deep and it takes time to get underneath the surface to the core of each man. Time and patience.

The Isle of…Where? builds slowly to a relationship of love at first sight, an odd and seemingly contradictory idea. But it is not only true but it works as well. We meander around the island with Liam and Sam, listening in on their conversations, Sam’s errands, the coincidental meetings of the villagers Sam knows so well, and watching as Liam deals with his pain and grief. There is no drama, no excitement, just two men spending time together while learning about each other. Then as the friendship (and more builds) we meet the rest of the Owens clan, the speed of the romance picks up and declarations of love are made. The momentum is unstoppable, and at that point who would want it too?

Its in the second half of the book that Sam’s deep neediness really makes an appearance, but so does its basis in his personality. To anyone other than Liam it would be overpowering. But remember who was Liam’s foundation prior to Sam and it all becomes clear. Sue Brown never forgets her characters backstory and its affects on the person they are in the present. Some of the strands are subtle but they are there.

The author’s love and familiarity with the Isle of Wight shows in her settings and descriptions that enrich the story with the feel and flavor of a village that depends on tourists and the vacation trade to get by, a seasonal flow tempered by age and habit.

My only issue with the story starts once Liam returns home. The narrative feels rushed, especially considering the pace of the story prior to this section. I wish it had either been expanded or cut short before bringing us to a gratifying resolution. None of this, however, takes away from a truly heartwarming story that moves easily into the realm of the comfort read. This is not the book to read when you are craving excitement, danger or the adrenaline pumping narrative of hardened men, kinky sex (although there is a little of that here), and exotic places. This is the book to pick up when you have that cup of tea or coco, are wrapped snuggly in a beloved blanket and have the time to spend with characters and a place that will earn its way into your heart.

Toward the end of the book, Liam hears Alex in his head and Alex is saying:

“Breathe, Liam. You have Sam and now you have a family. I promised you a vacation with sun, sea, sandy beaches, and hot men. Didn’t I deliver?”

Oh,yes, Alex, you certainly did.

And so did Sue Brown. I loved this book and hope you will find its charms just as endearing.

Cover art by LC Chase is perfect for the men and the story within. Great job.

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published June 29th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1613727089 (ISBN13: 9781613727089)
edition languageEnglish
settingEngland (United Kingdom)
Isle of Wight, England (United Kingdom)

Review: Noah by Ben Ryder

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Callum Walker, rising software designer, is called upon by his boss to supervise the installation of the communication software program he designed for the new Toronto Maple Arena, a new contract won by his firm in London. It meant that Callum was spending the next 16 weeks in Toronto, supervising the work and trouble shooting the installation. It also put him directly into the path of Noah Lukas, the highly popular star player of the Toronto Bobcats professional hockey team. For Callum, his attraction for Noah is instantaneous from the moment they meet in the Arena gym but he is sure the hockey player is straight and settles for Noah’s friendship no matter what Callum’s heart is saying.

Noah Lukas is at a crossroads in his career. Noah’s contract is up shortly, and he is not sure if it will be renewed, if he will be traded or even if he will retire. Noah is gay but deep in the closet as he is sure that would wreck his career on the ice, a profession he loves. But since meeting Callum, he is finding it hard to remain in the closet, especially as his feelings of friendship start to turn into love. When it comes down to a choice between love and career, which will come out the winner?

Again, Ben Ryder is a new author for me and I throughly enjoyed my first story from him. I have to admit I am a sucker for a gay hockey player so this got to me right from the start. Noah Lukas is a star player on the cusp of momentous change, both personal and professional. Noah is playing at the top of his profession but as a star player, his contract is also up for renewal. The chances that he will be traded are as great as his chances to renew his contract or even retire if no one elects him to play for their team. He is also lonely and tired of hiding his true nature. Ryder makes us feel the stress of the situation and the emotions pressing down on Noah time and again. It is a wonderful, compassionate characterization and it certainly helps to connect the reader with Noah.

Callum Walker is Noah’s opposite. He is out and comfortable in his skin. And while he doesn’t quite feel he is in Noah’s league, he feels secure in who he is. I liked the slow build in their relationship, including the fact that they became friends first. It is a realistic touch and nicely done. The only other character that really figures into the story is a grating female one, Amy. She is believable in her ambition and the tactics she uses to get ahead, not merely a witch for witches sake.

Ryder uses a very effective format in which to tell his story. It opens in present time in London with Callum checking his smartphone, clearly waiting for a call. And with each succeeding chapter, the time progresses through the day with Callum getting increasingly nervous as he waits. That is followed by a scene in Toronto and another flashback to their relationship. The author smoothly flows from one time period to the other, progressing both stories neatly while pulling the reader into Callum’s ever deepening anxiety over the phone call that hasn’t come in. So well done, this narrative hooked me in immediately.

My one quibble is a large one however, and that would be the ending. In my opinion, it felt as though we never got one. It just ends and the emotional satisfaction we were expecting from a well deserved resolution never comes, and we are left hanging. I kept thinking that we were missing at least one chapter or just possibly an epilogue. Nope, not there. I don’t know if we can expect a sequel to tidy up all the loose ends that frayed the ending, but I certainly hope so. Both the readers and the characters deserve it. Still, I enjoyed the story enough to recommend Noah and look out for more from this author.

Run over now to Dreamspinner Press where it is being offered up free for the taking. You won’t be sorry.

Cover Photograph by Scott Henrichsen Cover Design by Paul Richmond. Hard to argue with a cover this sexy so I won’t.

ebook, 122 pages

Published April 10th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781623806675
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3749

Buy Link at Dreamspinner Press. Noah is a free book at this moment. Go here to pick it up at Dreamspinner Press.

Review: Shy by John Inman

Rating 4.25 stars out of 5

When Tom Morgan’s ex boyfriend calls up to invite Tom to a party being thrown by the ex and his new lover, the last thing Tom would expect to find at the party would be a new boyfriend and potential love of his life. And that’s because Tom’s life is already full of obstacles and daily stressful situations. Tom Morgan suffers from social anxiety disorder, a social phobia that makes his life almost unbearable. Tom can function fine at his job as an assistant bank manager, but outside of his professional life? Nothing but stress and the trauma of dealing with people at a social level. It has already cost him his last boyfriend and even the thought of trying to date someone new makes him start to panic and hyperventilate. So far the only being to put up with Tom on a long term basis is his Chihuahua, Pedro and on some days that becomes iffy too.

Then Tom meets Frank Wells, the brother of his ex’s new boyfriend and the sparks fly to the amazement of both men. It turns out that Frank Wells is a fellow sufferer of SAD as well. Even a first meeting where neither man can bring himself to talk for over 10 minutes takes away from the instant attraction that they feel for each other. Frank is fresh off of his family’s farm and came to the city expecting to stay with his brother. When circumstances (and a nasty brother) make that impossible, then the improbable happens and he ends up at Tom’s house where attraction burgeons into friendship and finally into love.

When Frank’s father calls him back to the farm because of an emergency, Tom accompanies Frank and what follows is hilarious tale as a phobic city boy tries to adjust to life on the farm and murderous chickens to boot. And there are further adjustments and complications that are pile up, one after the other. Can two men with whopping cases of social anxiety, make their new love affair work when all around them seems to conspire against them, even the pig? Only time and Pedro the Chihuahua will tell.

This is the second book I have read by John Inman and already I have learned several things about this author from his stories. He loves hairy men, writes main characters with a unique, sometimes overpoweringly quirky point of view, and filters serious issues through a humorous lens. One of Loving Hector‘s main characters, Hector in fact, was a victim of domestic violence. In Shy, both of the main characters suffer from social anxiety disorder, a social phobia that effects over 19 million Americans to date and is the third mosts common mental disorder in the US. In Shy, John Inman gives the reader a first hand look, through the eyes of Tom and Frank, on how this phobia affects the sufferers daily lives, their outlook on the people around them, even the depression and OCD that is linked to this mental disorder. But I will let Tom tell you in his words:

But then, out of nowhere, came a tingle of warning. Just a glimmer of trepidation at first, like a warning shot fired across the bow, followed by a distant spark of harsh light, growing brighter by the second. Then there it was, that old familiar lightning bolt. It smashed into my gut and quickly turned all those rosy hopes of having a good time at Jerry’s little get-together into a twisted pile of rubble smoldering at my feet. Mental thunder rumbled in the back of my head like an F5 tornado gathering on the horizon. A sudden fluttering in my upper colon made me blink. A sheen of perspiration gathered at my hairline. One right after the other, all the usual symptomatic suspects converged on me en masse. Nausea. Tingling fingertips. Cold toes. Knocking knees. Thumping heart.

Aw geez, I thought. Here we go again. And the party was still two days away!

Like a trumpeting elephant stomping through the apartment, tossing furniture and smashing everything in its path, the fear was impossible to ignore. In a matter of five seconds, I went from vague unease to sheer, unmitigated terror.

I couldn’t go to this party. I couldn’t. But how the hell was I going to get out of it? Jerry would be hurt. And even worse than that, his lover would be ecstatic. Of course, he would be even more ecstatic if I actually showed up, had a panic attack, went into convulsions in front of everybody, then threw up on the cat. God, I hate people.

Well, no I don’t. I hate me. No, that’s not right either. I just hate me and people thrown together. Yeah, that’s it.

That’s it exactly.

Yes, that is it exactly and John Inman gets it perfectly. You can almost feel Tom’s heartbeat start to race as just the thought of going to his ex boyfriend’s party becomes a destabilizing event. Inman demonstrates his knowledge of the effects of social anxiety disorder on the person affected yet still manages to find the humor in the situation as well. Inman’s treatment of this mental disease is sensitive, accurate, and also very funny. I kept waiting for him to take it over the top but Inman never did, at least with the anxiety disorder portion of the story. I can’t quite say the same about other aspects, more on that later.

The author’s characterizations (and hilariously written situations) are the best reasons to read this story. It’s not just the main characters who are beautifully written, but the surprising gems of secondary characters as well. My favorites? Joe Wells, Frank’s father and Simon Simmons, the undertaker. Both men could have easily slid into caricatures but instead Inman created men of exceptional heart, bravery and depth. Trust me when I say, Simon Simmons is really going to surprise the heck out of you. Everyone you will meet within this book comes across as a complete human being, some lovely, some nasty, and as I said some utterly remarkable.

However, for some readers it might be tough going for the first third of the book. That’s because Tom is also preoccupied with poop. Dog poop primarily as his Chihuahua, Pedro, is not house trained . Pedro urinates and defecates everywhere, and the reader is there for every pile deposited and cleanup required. And that gets tiresome very quickly. There is only so much 9 year old boy humor that I can take and the author almost pushes it too far at the beginning of the story. That is a shame because I am sure some readers put the book down too soon because of this issue. But wade through this section and the reward will be waiting for you. There are some hilarious moments while Tom and Frank are still in the city but the charm really sets in as does the emotional heart of the story once the location switches to the farm and the events that happen thereafter. Yes, there are aspects where high hilarity reign, but more often, it’s the growth of a special relationship, the deep bond between a father and son, and the adjustments that you make when you find the one person to spend the rest of your life with. This is where the book and the author shine. This is part of Shy that will stay with you after you have finished the last sentence and said your goodbyes to Tom, Frank, and Pedro. I really loved this book and thought that the characters of Tom and Frank gave me insight into the lives of those affected with social anxiety disorder.

So pick this book up. If potty humor is not your thing, wade through the beginning sections to the rest of the story. If potty humor is your thing, you are going to love the opening chapters of Shy and then adore the rest. Either way, it’s a wonderful journey. You won’t want to miss out. Go get the book! Go on, and then let me know what you thought.

Cover art by Paul Richmond is hilarious and perfect for the characters and story within.

Book Details:

Paperback, eBook 256 pages

Published November 30th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN13

978162380148

edition language

English

url

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3425

Review: Leaving Home (Home #4) by T.A. Chase

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Peter Skinner is now working full time for Les Hardin and Randy Hersch out at their ranch after the falling out with his family and grandfather over his sexuality. With his family shunning him, Peter is happy to have found a home and new family with Les, Randy and their friends. But when he watches his friends, all couples and deeply in love, Peter feels acutely the lack of the same in his own life. Peter wants someone to love and someone to love him back. And when he does find it, Peter never expects the man to be a drunken mess collapsed in an alley.

Charles ‘Chaz’ O’Brien is in a world of pain and he has made it worse by his dependance upon painkillers and alcohol. A top bullfighter for years, the profession has taken a severe toll on his body, the last injury to his back occurring only weeks ago. Bullfighting is not only his profession, its his only love, and Chas will do anything to keep going on as a bullfighter. While on a break between events, Chas gets lost in a haze of booze and pills and ends strung out in an alley. Only the kindness of a passing stranger named Peter Skinner saves him from the drunk tank or worse.

When Peter takes Chaz home to recover, neither man expects to find themselves falling in love for the first time in their lives. But the path to happy ever after is full of obstacles for this couple, the largest one being Chaz himself. For Chaz and Peter, the choices ahead will be the hardest ones of their lives to make. Sometimes its not enough to find love, but it takes courage to keep hold and have faith. What will Peter and Chaz do?

I started this series with the best book of the group, No Going Home (Home #1). It remains my favorite of the series and I think explains why this book gets a 4 star rating, rather than the 3.5 it probably deserves. I just fell in love with all of the characters and need to follow each to the end of their journey. Leaving Home is the story of Peter Skinner, a young feed clerk in his grandfather’s store when we first meet him in No Going Home. His grandfather’s homophobia cost his grandfather’s store Les and Randy’s substantial feed account , then it cost him his grandson when Peter bravely stood up for Les and Randy, and finally Peter came out as gay himself. Even as a secondary character, there was so much heart to Peter that the readers starting asking for his story and now we finally have it.

Chaz O’Brien is another one of the group of characters in this series that center their lives around the rodeo circuit. T.A. Chase has given us bullriders, cowboys who ride the broncs as well as bulls, and now bullfighters. It is a neat way to tie together events in a series and it works perfectly here. Reoccurring characters from previous books pop up here already familiar with Chaz because they know him from the circuit. Realistic and works well within the framework Chase has set down. The injuries and lifestyle of the bullfighter (as well as bullrider) is authentically related as well. It is a tough life for those who choose to live it. It has its wonderful moments and its aspects of horrifying pain and terror. I think Chase does a terrific job of capturing that as well.

One aspect of the story here is that of addiction, not a spoiler as it is mentioned in the publisher’s blurb. Leaving Home is not a long book but for one of its length, I think again Chase does a realistic job of portraying a man in denial about his addictions and ability to handle it on his own. My only quibble is that we see his addiction but none of the recovery which would have made this story more well rounded and satisfactory.

As it is, my largest issue with this story is the ending. It is far too abrupt for the reader to feel that they received the resolution they were looking for. In fact, I feel that we are missing about a fourth or more of a book here. We are already 87 percent through the story when a traumatic event happens. That’s the penultimate chapter. That leaves only one chapter in which to tie up all the aspects of the story and give the reader a HEA and trust me, that’s just not enough to do the story or the characters justice. It reads and feels rushed, an all too familiar occurrence with this author lately and this series. You only have to look at the series to watch the books shrink as it continues. My favorite, the first story No Going Home clocks in at 296 wonderful pages. Leaving Home? 157 pages. Still, the Home series has my deep affections so I will be staying with it. I still need to know what happens with Yancey and Juan.

If you are new to this author and the Home series, start at the beginning, then wind your way through the rest of the stories. You might find that you only last part of the way or become committed to seeing it through. Let me know what you think. I will be here for the journey and will keep you all apprised.

Here are the Home series in the order they were written and should be read in order to understand the characters and events that occur:

No Going Home (Home #1) 5 stars 296 pages

Home of His Own (Home #2) 131 pages

Wishing For A Home (Home #3) 196 pages

Leaving Home (Home #4) 157 pages

Home Sweet Home (Home #5) 131 pages (Yancey and Juan) to be published May 27th, 2013

Reviewer Note: In the TA Chase horseshifter story The Longest Stride, characters from the Home series make several appearances, which to my thinking was substandard and the use of characters from a favorite contemporary series in a new, different shifter world was dumbfounding. Why would you collide two totally different worlds like that? A huge misstep by this author. Give that book the absolute pass it deserves.

Book Details:

ebook, 157 pages

Published April 2013 by Total E Bound Publishing

ISBN

1781843074 (ISBN13: 9781781843079)

edition language

English

series Home

Book Cover by Posh Gosh has lovely men on it. That torso is far too unscarred to be a bullfighter but the scenery is lovely.

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