Colin Wilcox, a male whore who only takes clients of the same sex, is gang-raped while on the job. Needing medical attention he's taken the local ER and meets Dr. Rivers. Reoccurring flashbacks provide small images of his brutal rape and he’s forced by Detective Keyes to handle the emotional fallout of being victimized.
Detective Keyes, a rape victim himself, is assigned to solve the crime. When a second boy is gang-raped, he needs Colin‘s help to catch the perpetrators. He tries to use his own personal experience and attempts to help Colin understand he’s not to blame. A slow but sure friendship unfolds between the two men that turns into love, stunted by the traumatic event. With the perps in custody and Colin able to move forward, the next battle is underway. He must learn to lower the barrier that will allow him to let another in for mental and physical support. Only then will the two lovers be able to consummate their tender passion.
Born and bred Cleveland, I earned a degree in technical theater, later switched to costuming, and headed to NYC. Finally seeing the futility of trying to become rich and famous in the Big Apple, I joined VISTA—Volunteers in Service to America—ending up in Chicago for three years. Then it was on to Denver, where I put down roots and worked as a costume designer until I retired in 2007.
I began writing a few years ago after joining an online fanfic group. Two friends and I then started a group for writers, where they could post any story they wished, no matter the genre or content. Since then I've been writing for publication. My first book came out in February of 2011. Most, but not all, of my work is M/M, either mildly erotic or purely 'romantic'. More often than not it involves a mystery or action/adventure, and is sometimes paranormal as well.
3.5 stars I'm afraid that the description of this book is slightly misleading. The truth is, Colin's love interest, the detective doesn't enter the picture until almost half of the book (he introduces himself to Colin around 54% in my Kindle). For a novella, at least for me, it doesn't have enough "time" to build that connection that I can emotionally feel. I feel like Colin has more connection to the doctor, Marc, who treats him at the beginning. In fact, Marc (the doctor) and his partner (Bill) seems to play more role in Colin's life -- as they take the boy into their house to protect him. In addition to that, there is also a plot involving Marc and Bill's relationship, and this one has better grip and meaning rather than Colin and Dane.
The story is rather angsty and I do love the tender moment when Dane explains to Colin that rape is always a crime, no matter if Colin works as a whore. That is my favorite scene.
But overall, I wish Colin and Dane are sitting in the front seat of this story (just like the blurb) ...
Ok m/m romance about a rent boy who is brutally gang raped and left to die. The ER doctor who treats him realizes he's not safe in the hospital and takes steps to keep him safe. With better editing, this could've been a very good book... presumably editing would've removed such silliness as being able to reach the prostate with a tongue.
I was looking forward to this one and it having this amazing cover only made me want to read it more. Unfortunately I ended up being more disappointed than anything. I feel the first part of the book was mostly unnecessary. While the rape is the basis of the story, everything else in the beginning could have been shorter or even cut. It was misleading at first, because I kept thinking the MC would end up with the doctor, even that it will be a threesome with the doc's boyfriend joining in, but out came the detective who sympathized enough for them to end up together. The flow of the story didn't work for me, some actions were unbelievable and the ending was just silly. If not for the challenge I probably wouldn't have finished it and it is more a 2 star read for me than 3. But I don't hate the book and there are people who might like it despite it not agreeing with my taste.
It is not something I would recommend to my friends here, but if you, as the reader of this review are intrigued enough, go right ahead, and I do hope you like it more than I did.
I went into this novel thinking it was going to be a sex fest and I was so wrong. I am happy beyond reason that I was wrong. The story is heart wrenching in places and funny in others. The charachers leap from the pages to capture your heart. Colin, a willing prostitute for several years finds himself faced with a john he can't handle and that man has power an decides to go after him. Withe the help of Marc, an ER doctof and Bill, Marc somewhat annoying (at first) lover Colin goes into hiding after a vicious gang rape. Ten Detective Dane comes into the picture after another hustler is raped and Colin's life becomes something new. There is some sex in the book but it is handled with softness for the most part and in a romantic light which Iwan't expecting. I fell in love with the way Kendrick writes and I can't wait to read more of his work.
I really enjoyed this story. IMO this one is really the story of four men and two seperate romantic relationships. At the same time it is also the story of the caring and friendship that develop between them as they struggle their way through traumatic and terrifying circumstances that really impacts them all in different ways.
A quick overview: Colin survives a brutal gang rape, but his attackers are still out there and apparently not finished with him. Befriended by Dr Marc Rivers - a man struggling with a difficult, jealous partner, Bill - the three men manage to not only hide Colin, but begin the first tentative steps towards healing. When there is another attack however, Colin can no longer hide. Enter Detective Dane Keyes, himself a rape surviver,and things really start getting interesting for Colin.
Overall, I think Mr Kendrick did a great job on a really challenging story idea. The writing itself was excellent. I found the dialogue particularly well done. The characters felt very real and jumped right off the page at me in places, leaving me rooting for their HEA all the way. The plot was nicely paced and interesting. Relationship wise I thought Marc and Bill's relationship was very well done and their HEA felt good and strong. I will admit to some problems when it came to the relationship building between Colin and Dane...but I have to say their HEA was always going to be a tough call and in the end I was left quite satisfied. I'd definitely recommended this one to anyone that enjoys a good, solid MM romance...lets face it, you really get two for the price of one and both were lovely reads! :D
The main thing I liked about this story is that it had 2 couples. The book blurb was a little vague so I originally thought Marc's over jealous boyfriend was history. After seeing them work through it, I was happy he and Bill stayed together. Colin and Dane's relationship was a little underdeveloped for me but I think the shared experience of abuse was meant to bridge any gaps. I don't think it did 100%, but I can see their relationship in a good light because of how well they understand each other. Otherwise Colin's actions at the end would have really annoyed me. As it was written, though, I can definitely see his logic and I'm glad Dane followed through.
eta:
I forgot to mention that I really didn't like how the catching of the bad guys was glossed over at the end. Too much tell and no show.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading this book. The description mentioned rape and I’ve usually seen it handled two ways in other books, either the Vengeful Victim or Cured by the Magic Penis. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this book used neither.
Colin is a male prostitute or, to use his own words, a “whore” who has a bad run in with a john who threatens him if he exposes what happened between them. Colin has no intention of telling anyone anything, not even the kind doctor that patches him up after the fight with the john. Unfortunately, the john doesn’t believe him and comes after him to make sure he doesn’t say anything.
The rape is tastefully done, mentioned in small flashbacks that Colin experiences after the attack. The portrayal of Colin’s reaction to the rape and how he deals with it after is believable and a nice change. He uses humor, flirting and sexual advances as a coping mechanism. But when a flashback is triggered, he freezes and freaks out which is a realistic reaction and it takes the people helping him and caring about him patience and time to help him recover and return back to himself.
The doctor, Marc, offers sympathy to Colin and tries to help him process what was done to him and also to try and convince him to leave the profession. I was expecting things to happen between Colin and Marc and when things didn’t go the way I expected, that actually added to my enjoyment of the book. It’s nice when an author throws a twist into a book that you’re not expecting and pulls the story away from the predictable lines you think it will follow.
I wish the story was a little bit longer but that’s me and for its length, it’s well written. You care about the characters and want them to end up happy, it is a romance book after all, and when you do reach the end, you’re glad for the ride. There is little sex in the book and most of what there is isn’t too graphic until the end and that fits with the story also.
Overall, this was a good read with good characters. I’d give it a 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading more from this author.
This book was an easy, light read for me. Nice casual story of a whore and a cop, but hadn't started out that way which led me think it would be the whore and the doc at first but takes quite the turn and twist later on in the story. The whole idea on the plot as it thickens and how it pans out is brilliant and well written even though I'm one to like action and drama and a little more added would have be a bonus feature. A few more pages is all I would have been contented with.
The author for those who are sensitive to reading certain material contained in a story handled this to perfection. We basically got the vivid picture of what happened to Colin without get the full Monty word for word of what events actually took place leading up to the traumatizing rape. I can highly appreciate that.
Throughout the story I had come to really feeling the connection between Marc the doc and Colin and thought Bill was going to get the boot, but it turned out he settled with Dane the cop in the aftermath. I wish I could have felt the connection between both men and I believe I would have had they had more time in each others company and not just a few days. What I'd like to see is another book in order that i may establish just that between them and finally connect both men as a great couple that was meant to be.
All in all good story and I enjoyed it.
So... let's hope for a second book shall we? :winks:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I think this book had a lot of potential, and I would like to give it 2.5 stars because I kind of liked it, but not enough to give it the full three stars.
I felt like all of the pieces/characters were thrown together and everything got quickly and perfectly resolved. It was weird to me how Marc and Bill were fighting all of the time at the beginning, but Marc thought it was ok to bring Colin into their home. And Bill just suddenly realizing he was being an ass and apologizing and everything was pretty much hunky dory between them after that was just too quick and perfect. Also, I did feel a connection between Dane and Colin, but it felt too rushed, and I wasn't sure if they were together because they had both been raped and knew how the other felt or if they truly cared about each other. And the sex thing was far too fast for me as well... Dane kept telling Colin he wasn't ready emotionally, but a couple of weeks later he finds him and tricks him into having sex with him?! I have never been raped, so I don't know how long it takes to get over that physically or emotionally, but Colin's recovery both physically and emotionally seemed kind of quick to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Colin Wilcox has survived the unimaginable. In an act of compassion, he is taken in by Dr. Marc Rivers and his reluctant partner Bill. When another victim shows up, this time dead, Detective Dane Keyes works with Colin to catch this ring of sadistic men before they can kill again.
This was a well-crafted suspense with tragic elements. I enjoyed Marc and Bill’s interaction will Colin building a circle of friends that he didn’t originally have. Colin was unapologetic about what he did for a living which neither Marc nor Bill held against him. I did expect some lecturing on the danger of the occupation but it never happened giving this a positive flare to offset Colin’s experience and condition.
I do not feel the relationship between Dane and Colin was rushed or forced. They identified with each other which created the common link between them.
The first time I read this book I rated it 5 stars but it didn't hold up well during a re-read. I found Marc's character too Pollyanna-ish; Bill was an arse who turned his character around too quickly for credability; then there was Dane...he was sort of a non-starter in this one. Part of my frustration with this story was the improbability factor...would a doctor bring a patient home? Probably not (ignoring all the ethical issues in that decision too). Would the police allow the victim to stay in their own home? Probably not. Would a rape victim be as overtly sexual as Colin? Probably not. I just wasn't invested in the characters enough to be able to suspend belief so I found myself 'noticing' all the medical & police procedure errors.
Having said that, I did enjoy this one when I read it the first time...it just didn't hold up under the closer scrutiny of a second reading.
Ok, I love a good rent boy story so I really wanted to read this one. It was a nice read, and I wasn't too bothered that the MC's don't meet till about 1/2 way through. Although I am glad it wasn't the doctor, I'm glad he and Bill worked it out. That said, I sort of missed the part where Collin and Dane developed a real sort of relationship, I understood Collin feelings for Dane, especially in his situation, but I just wanted more 'quality' time with them together. There was more of that with Collin, MRc and Bill than with Dane. And I'm not sure how I feel about the resolution, rushed for sure, a HFN, I guess. But I still stayed up past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting and liked it.
I enjoyed this story, but like someone else said, thought it was a bit too short for me. Also, I thought I had misread the summary and Colin's love interest was Marc at first, since the detective came into the picture so late in the book. And even though this is a small quibble, sometimes Dane was called Dane and other times he was called Keyes, and the first time his name switched, it did throw me off for a second.
Anyway, I especially liked the supporting characters, Bill and Marc, and I enjoyed reading about their problems and how they dealt with them in their relationship. I would definitely read more from this author!
I don't know if I'm able to write a review without giving away too much, therefore I'll just say that there were twist I didn't see coming and, while I'm still not sure if I like the way it ended, kudos to the author for being bold and, despite the painful subject matter, providing a great reading experience.
P.S. The detailed blurb reveals way too many plot points. If I would have read it shortly before diving into the book, it could have significantly diminished my overall enjoyment of the story.
This book was good, but it could have been great. It seemed to me that to much time was spent developing the dynamic between Marc & Bill. By the time a relationship blooms between Colin & Dane, it felt rushed. There were also a few points that stretched believability, in my opinion. ( Marc is going to take a gorgeous sexy man home when Bill already has jealousy issues? Without even talking to him about it? Really??) Overall enjoyable, and I would recommend it. 3 1/2 stars
The story was okay, but the story in general didn't have appeal for me. I liked the mature part of Mark and his partner Bills problem in their relationship. The fact that they loved each other and stayed together even if they did have a problems. The other small plot about Colin and him being gang raped and beaten by a private club of men, was okay. But as I said, this two sided plots didn't made this book as good as the author wanted it to get. At list in my book.
I really appreciate ebooks which address rape and trauma and don't have a magic bullet that makes everything better. The author did a beautiful job of addressing rape, how it's always a crime and not the victim's fault, and how a physical response to rape doesn't mean the victim wanted or enjoyed it. Now I'm off to hunt down all of the author's other books!
Ahh yes, the infamous "reaching the prostate with the tongue" scene. Hey, maybe if you're Mick Jagger! ;-)
It's been awhile since I read this book. If I remember correctly, the rape incidents were pretty well handled, but the structure of the book needed work. I may have to read this again in order to refresh my memory.
Enjoyable reading, made me laugh, and cry. I loved the characters, Marc, Bill, Colin and Dane were all interesting and realistic, I thought. There was one moment at the end that gave me pause, but... it is fiction ...
Someone needs a lesson in anatomy if he thinks that the prostate can be reached by a man's tongue. Unless, of course, you're being rimmed by an ant eater.
Other than that, nothing about this book stood out for me.
I think it's a good book, nice plot.... But too short, the climax is a bit too rushed... If it add a little bit twist, and building up relationship a little bit more for the MC.... it will be superb.... But overall been okay and I kind like it...
Not bad. Not super awesome either. Dane and Colin are cute. And I like that the rape did affect Colin and it didn't just say he was ok with that happening.