What do you think?
Rate this book
Hunt & Pray
Reporter Drew Edwards got too close to his story and now finds himself a hunted man. After being kidnapped and then released in Colorado Springs Forest, he has six hours’ headstart on a madman trying to teach his son a lesson.
Chance Collins gets one warning from his bigoted, abusive “Kill him or be killed.” Horrified, Chance sees only one real option—run with Drew. When he takes it, there’s no turning back. If Drew and Chance can work together, they might make it out of the mountains alive to the promise of a brighter future.
Chance Collins gets one warning from his bigoted, abusive “Kill him or be killed.” Horrified, Chance sees only one real option—run with Drew. When he takes it, there’s no turning back. If Drew and Chance can work together, they might make it out of the mountains alive to the promise of a brighter future.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2013
1 person is currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Sutherland
11 books55 followersCindy Sutherland is a first-time author in her early forties who never thought that getting involved in a fandom would lead to being published. She is an avid reader who would take in anything she could get her hands on, having inherited a love of books from both her parents.
She wrote in secret as a young adult, with only her family for an audience, and now is over the moon at the thought of sharing her love of writing with a few more people. Her favorite stress-busting activity besides writing is singing karaoke at her hometown bar, and she is passing on her love of reading to her daughter.
Cindy thanks God every day for an errant Youtube recommendation that led to her having the best group of friends she's ever had in her life, and she is looking forward to seeing where the rest of this journey will take her; and, hopefully, more stories to tell.
She wrote in secret as a young adult, with only her family for an audience, and now is over the moon at the thought of sharing her love of writing with a few more people. Her favorite stress-busting activity besides writing is singing karaoke at her hometown bar, and she is passing on her love of reading to her daughter.
Cindy thanks God every day for an errant Youtube recommendation that led to her having the best group of friends she's ever had in her life, and she is looking forward to seeing where the rest of this journey will take her; and, hopefully, more stories to tell.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 11, 2013
4.5 stars
Chance, a Marine, had a monster for a father. The ex-military father killed his mother and several gay young men, and was testing him because he suspected that Chance, too, was gay. Drew was a journalist who investigated the missing gay men in past couple years. Ironically, he was about to be the next victim...
When Chance returned from his tour in Iraq, his father forced him to be the hunter in a crazy game he invented. Chance had a choice in his hand: Following his father's order to hunt and kill Drew, or taking a chance with the gorgeous journalist and stay away from his father forever...
This is a nice story. Yes, there's kinda insta-love, but it is understandable given the situation. The father is uber bad, as is his assistant. Both Drew and Chance are very likeable characters that are thrown to a scary situation. Chance is a broken man who suffers from an abusive father and has to live under him all his life. In contrast, Drew come from small-town background where family is everything.
I've read all Ms. Sutherland books, and this one is a bit different from the others. The usual sweetness is still there, but there's a strong sense of suspense here. What I also like from Ms. Sutherland is that she always puts enough efforts to write things after the main plot finished, so we are left satisfied, not being cut either because the author wants to sell a sequel or just has mean streak for making the readers wanting more.
A bit warning: due to the plot, there are several violent scenes as well as descriptions of past actions. Yet, the overall tone of a romantic m/m romance is maintained.
Chance, a Marine, had a monster for a father. The ex-military father killed his mother and several gay young men, and was testing him because he suspected that Chance, too, was gay. Drew was a journalist who investigated the missing gay men in past couple years. Ironically, he was about to be the next victim...
When Chance returned from his tour in Iraq, his father forced him to be the hunter in a crazy game he invented. Chance had a choice in his hand: Following his father's order to hunt and kill Drew, or taking a chance with the gorgeous journalist and stay away from his father forever...
This is a nice story. Yes, there's kinda insta-love, but it is understandable given the situation. The father is uber bad, as is his assistant. Both Drew and Chance are very likeable characters that are thrown to a scary situation. Chance is a broken man who suffers from an abusive father and has to live under him all his life. In contrast, Drew come from small-town background where family is everything.
I've read all Ms. Sutherland books, and this one is a bit different from the others. The usual sweetness is still there, but there's a strong sense of suspense here. What I also like from Ms. Sutherland is that she always puts enough efforts to write things after the main plot finished, so we are left satisfied, not being cut either because the author wants to sell a sequel or just has mean streak for making the readers wanting more.
A bit warning: due to the plot, there are several violent scenes as well as descriptions of past actions. Yet, the overall tone of a romantic m/m romance is maintained.
April 17, 2013
What do you get when a romance writer who usually writes schmoop (her words, not mine...), tries her hands at a thriller? Well, yes...a schmoopy thriller.
I really, really tried to bury disbelief but those darn question marks didn`t budge...
Where was the father`s single redeeming quality that made Chance come back to him again and again? The story implies that the love of a child for a parent somehow is genetically imprinted - a feeling one can`t escape from, but that`s simply not true. So what kept the son - a trained soldier and sniper - at his father`s side all those years, why didn`t he simply leave this monster of a man to forget past abuse and live his own life? Either Chance was an extremely weak and contradictive character or the father held some secret power over him that was never explained. The implausible characterisation was a huge flaw IMO. I missed the shades of gray in this story - everything and everyone was either black or white/good or evil.
The romance was sweet - very sweet - too good to be true.
I snickered my way through this insta-love story. For two men on the run for their lifes they took their time to be sweet, caring and oh-so-lovey-dovey with each other. Astonishing how they found the time to care for blisters, knife cuts, clean clothes and most importantly - personal hygiene. (Good thing it rained as Drew had to pee out there in the wilderness...so he could wash his hands...*snort*)
I guess they had to take their sweet time so they could get caught - and Chance got the chance to finally stand up to his father.
Everything was so neatly solved, wrapped up and HEA-ish in the end that even with the best intentions - I couldn`t take it seriously.
A thriller without suspense, a teeth-achingly sweet romance...not my book.
I really, really tried to bury disbelief but those darn question marks didn`t budge...
Where was the father`s single redeeming quality that made Chance come back to him again and again? The story implies that the love of a child for a parent somehow is genetically imprinted - a feeling one can`t escape from, but that`s simply not true. So what kept the son - a trained soldier and sniper - at his father`s side all those years, why didn`t he simply leave this monster of a man to forget past abuse and live his own life? Either Chance was an extremely weak and contradictive character or the father held some secret power over him that was never explained. The implausible characterisation was a huge flaw IMO. I missed the shades of gray in this story - everything and everyone was either black or white/good or evil.
The romance was sweet - very sweet - too good to be true.
I snickered my way through this insta-love story. For two men on the run for their lifes they took their time to be sweet, caring and oh-so-lovey-dovey with each other. Astonishing how they found the time to care for blisters, knife cuts, clean clothes and most importantly - personal hygiene. (Good thing it rained as Drew had to pee out there in the wilderness...so he could wash his hands...*snort*)
I guess they had to take their sweet time so they could get caught - and Chance got the chance to finally stand up to his father.
Everything was so neatly solved, wrapped up and HEA-ish in the end that even with the best intentions - I couldn`t take it seriously.
A thriller without suspense, a teeth-achingly sweet romance...not my book.
April 29, 2013
3.85*
Drew seems to either have a lot of bad luck, or has nine lives, I'm still not quite sure which it is.
So..Drew is kidnapped by Crazy Colonel, Crazy Colonel helper Ezra, Crazy Colonel's military trained sniper son Chance and a driver who is killed by CC( crazy col. for short) after he has done his driving duty.
I don't call CC that for nothing, it seems this man has gotten through life and through a military career despite being batshit crazy, evil and murderous. I'm actually pretty sure that is possible, maybe not probable, but possible, it's been done before, so I can go with that storyline.
Chance is now being tested..or punished..or something, his dad has kidnapped Drew (who happens to be the third gay guy he's done this to) so Chance can hunt and kill him and show daddy dearest, that he's not gay himself and that he's loyal and well whatever else CC is thinking.
Drew is a smart cookie, he knows Chance is the weakest link ( plus both Drew and Chance are hunky good looking gay guys..so you know how it's gonna play out) he shares his life story with him, how his parents, grandparent and siblings are going to worry and wonder and be devastated, always wondering what happened to Drew. I have to say, it was a very emotional part of the book, the most touching part of it for me.
Here comes the action-adventure part, CC and CC helper, who is a creeper as well, and I'm not going to give it all away, but insta -love/lust is understandable, Chance didn't know love at all in his life and the life and death situation probably enhances all kinds of feelings...
Could it have been more realistic? Sure.
But, it was a quick, entertaining read.
Drew seems to either have a lot of bad luck, or has nine lives, I'm still not quite sure which it is.
So..Drew is kidnapped by Crazy Colonel, Crazy Colonel helper Ezra, Crazy Colonel's military trained sniper son Chance and a driver who is killed by CC( crazy col. for short) after he has done his driving duty.
I don't call CC that for nothing, it seems this man has gotten through life and through a military career despite being batshit crazy, evil and murderous. I'm actually pretty sure that is possible, maybe not probable, but possible, it's been done before, so I can go with that storyline.
Chance is now being tested..or punished..or something, his dad has kidnapped Drew (who happens to be the third gay guy he's done this to) so Chance can hunt and kill him and show daddy dearest, that he's not gay himself and that he's loyal and well whatever else CC is thinking.
Drew is a smart cookie, he knows Chance is the weakest link ( plus both Drew and Chance are hunky good looking gay guys..so you know how it's gonna play out) he shares his life story with him, how his parents, grandparent and siblings are going to worry and wonder and be devastated, always wondering what happened to Drew. I have to say, it was a very emotional part of the book, the most touching part of it for me.
Here comes the action-adventure part, CC and CC helper, who is a creeper as well, and I'm not going to give it all away, but insta -love/lust is understandable, Chance didn't know love at all in his life and the life and death situation probably enhances all kinds of feelings...
Could it have been more realistic? Sure.
But, it was a quick, entertaining read.
December 16, 2013
4.5 Stars
Normally I hate being the first to review a book on here. I go into the book in fear of not liking it and having to say that in the one and only review listed on Goodreads. I needn't have worried in this case. This is an outstanding book about survival, cruelty and two men who find each other under the most unusual of circumstances.
Highly recommended. My first by this author. It won't be my last.
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
Normally I hate being the first to review a book on here. I go into the book in fear of not liking it and having to say that in the one and only review listed on Goodreads. I needn't have worried in this case. This is an outstanding book about survival, cruelty and two men who find each other under the most unusual of circumstances.
Highly recommended. My first by this author. It won't be my last.
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
June 10, 2013
Scary and dangerous turned sweet and hopeful.
Hunt and Pray begins with the abduction of Drew Edwards, a reporter who has been investigating the disappearances of several gay men. He has been kidnapped by the homicidal, homophobic Colonel Collins in an attempt at scaring Chance, his son, 'straight'. The objective: Chance will have to hunt and kill Drew. But as the hour of the Hunt draws near, will Chance be willing to risk the wrath of his insane father and save Drew?
At first, I found this to be pretty scary; just the thought of someone being hunted and killed simply because they were gay is terrifying. The Colonel and his lackey, Ezra, made me so sick to my stomach. But I never hated Chance, and I don't believe Drew ever did either. I think we both felt sorry for him...being abused and controlled by his father for so long.
My favorite part of this story was the sexual tension between Drew and Chance. I think the author nailed that from the beginning with all the eye contact and body language. Amazing job there. I was so into wanting them to hook up that I didn't really care that it slowed the pace of the story. Actually, I never really felt the urgency at all. I mean, Drew and Chance were running for their lives, but it didn't really seem like they were in much of a hurry. Plus, I should have been able to feel Drew's fear that his life might be ending soon. Aside from the opening scene, I never really felt that again.
I also had a hard time getting a grasp on Chance as a character. Yes, he had been abused and controlled all his life by his father, but he was also a Marine. In the beginning, he was hard and stoic, but as the story progressed, he kind of turned into a wimp. There were times where Drew was giving him directions when they were on the run, and that just felt inconsistent to me. Chance was supposedly a highly trained Marine and should have been more efficient without needing any guidance from Drew, who had very little experience surviving outdoors. I guess an argument could be made that the fact that Chance was beaten down and injured affected his efficiency, but it was still inconsistent and didn't feel right to me.
I think this story would have been much more effective if it would have been expanded into a novel. There were parts that I really wanted to 'see' but were told and brushed over in order to get to the next scene, like the rescue. I wanted to read that as it happened; not after the fact. And then there were details in some areas that I thought were entirely too tedious, like the detailing of everything that Drew was doing in the bathroom. That came across as repetitive and not needed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this. Plus, the ending was sweet and had a nice HEA.
Reviewed for The Blog of Sid Love
Hunt and Pray begins with the abduction of Drew Edwards, a reporter who has been investigating the disappearances of several gay men. He has been kidnapped by the homicidal, homophobic Colonel Collins in an attempt at scaring Chance, his son, 'straight'. The objective: Chance will have to hunt and kill Drew. But as the hour of the Hunt draws near, will Chance be willing to risk the wrath of his insane father and save Drew?
At first, I found this to be pretty scary; just the thought of someone being hunted and killed simply because they were gay is terrifying. The Colonel and his lackey, Ezra, made me so sick to my stomach. But I never hated Chance, and I don't believe Drew ever did either. I think we both felt sorry for him...being abused and controlled by his father for so long.
My favorite part of this story was the sexual tension between Drew and Chance. I think the author nailed that from the beginning with all the eye contact and body language. Amazing job there. I was so into wanting them to hook up that I didn't really care that it slowed the pace of the story. Actually, I never really felt the urgency at all. I mean, Drew and Chance were running for their lives, but it didn't really seem like they were in much of a hurry. Plus, I should have been able to feel Drew's fear that his life might be ending soon. Aside from the opening scene, I never really felt that again.
I also had a hard time getting a grasp on Chance as a character. Yes, he had been abused and controlled all his life by his father, but he was also a Marine. In the beginning, he was hard and stoic, but as the story progressed, he kind of turned into a wimp. There were times where Drew was giving him directions when they were on the run, and that just felt inconsistent to me. Chance was supposedly a highly trained Marine and should have been more efficient without needing any guidance from Drew, who had very little experience surviving outdoors. I guess an argument could be made that the fact that Chance was beaten down and injured affected his efficiency, but it was still inconsistent and didn't feel right to me.
I think this story would have been much more effective if it would have been expanded into a novel. There were parts that I really wanted to 'see' but were told and brushed over in order to get to the next scene, like the rescue. I wanted to read that as it happened; not after the fact. And then there were details in some areas that I thought were entirely too tedious, like the detailing of everything that Drew was doing in the bathroom. That came across as repetitive and not needed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this. Plus, the ending was sweet and had a nice HEA.
Reviewed for The Blog of Sid Love
April 9, 2013
4 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
When reporter Drew is snatched off the street one night he finds himself fearing for his life, connecting his abduction to the mysterious disappearance of three other young gay men, a story he had been investigating, he discovers the sick games of a madman. Chance is horrified by his father but he has little choice, do what his father wants or be hunted himself, there’s only one chance for Drew and Chance to escape before they are caught. With skilled trackers on their trail and unsure of the terrain their survival hinges on them working together.
Holy hell, this is a spine chilling story of not just being hunted by madmen, but also of physical and psychological abuse. Drew storms off upset after a showdown with his boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend now, he gets snatched off the street and wakes up bound and gagged and listens to plans his kidnappers have for him and he knows he has very little chance of survival. Chance has returned to his father when he is home from the military, when his father drags him on a hunt and Chance discovers what his prey will be he is horrified, but his father makes it clear that it is a ‘kill or be killed’ situation. Chance and Drew grow close as they flee through the forest and if they want to see if they can make a go of it they have to get out of the forest alive.
I loved this story, it is a story that you could easily see on the big screen, a thriller, suspense, action romance where the lead characters fall in love as they fight for survival while fleeing from madmen who see them as nothing but prey. Drew finds himself in a situation that makes him curse his bad luck, but he doesn’t lose hope, he wants to hate Chance, but he quickly realises that Chance is in a terrible situation himself. Chance has suffered years of physical and psychological abuse, challenging his father just ends in pain, but something about Drew makes him want to escape from the madman his father is.
You will love Chance and Drew, Drew with his determination to survive and his slightly cocky attitude, Chance with his vulnerability beneath his tough exterior and his longing for something he has not had since he was three… love. This story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as we process fear, anger, desperation, loss, regret, attraction, developing love, hope and then relief and joy, we connect with these characters as they run for their lives and we pray along with them that they will overcome the obstacles that they face.
I will recommend this to those who love thrillers, suspense, action, falling in love in hard difficult conditions, finding hope in a bleak landscape and finally having a love that will survive anything.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
When reporter Drew is snatched off the street one night he finds himself fearing for his life, connecting his abduction to the mysterious disappearance of three other young gay men, a story he had been investigating, he discovers the sick games of a madman. Chance is horrified by his father but he has little choice, do what his father wants or be hunted himself, there’s only one chance for Drew and Chance to escape before they are caught. With skilled trackers on their trail and unsure of the terrain their survival hinges on them working together.
Holy hell, this is a spine chilling story of not just being hunted by madmen, but also of physical and psychological abuse. Drew storms off upset after a showdown with his boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend now, he gets snatched off the street and wakes up bound and gagged and listens to plans his kidnappers have for him and he knows he has very little chance of survival. Chance has returned to his father when he is home from the military, when his father drags him on a hunt and Chance discovers what his prey will be he is horrified, but his father makes it clear that it is a ‘kill or be killed’ situation. Chance and Drew grow close as they flee through the forest and if they want to see if they can make a go of it they have to get out of the forest alive.
I loved this story, it is a story that you could easily see on the big screen, a thriller, suspense, action romance where the lead characters fall in love as they fight for survival while fleeing from madmen who see them as nothing but prey. Drew finds himself in a situation that makes him curse his bad luck, but he doesn’t lose hope, he wants to hate Chance, but he quickly realises that Chance is in a terrible situation himself. Chance has suffered years of physical and psychological abuse, challenging his father just ends in pain, but something about Drew makes him want to escape from the madman his father is.
You will love Chance and Drew, Drew with his determination to survive and his slightly cocky attitude, Chance with his vulnerability beneath his tough exterior and his longing for something he has not had since he was three… love. This story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as we process fear, anger, desperation, loss, regret, attraction, developing love, hope and then relief and joy, we connect with these characters as they run for their lives and we pray along with them that they will overcome the obstacles that they face.
I will recommend this to those who love thrillers, suspense, action, falling in love in hard difficult conditions, finding hope in a bleak landscape and finally having a love that will survive anything.
April 13, 2013
4.5 stars
It's quite short; but this one really worked for me...maybe I'll do a review later...
See also Arthur’s review
It's quite short; but this one really worked for me...maybe I'll do a review later...
See also Arthur’s review
June 11, 2016
2.5 stars
April 20, 2013
3.5 Stars
Drew Edwards finds himself in an unreal situation. He’s been kidnapped off the street and is going to be hunted. Thankfully, Chance Collins finds the situation just as unrealistic. Apparently Chance’s father has been kidnapping men, who all happen to be gay, and hunting them for sport. This doesn’t sit well with Chance who happens to be gay himself. That Chance’s father also expects Chance to be the one to hunt and kill Drew is almost too much for Chance to handle. After a few days of listening to Drew talk about his family and his life Chance makes up his mind. Drew is released and told he has a six hour head start. Of course, this is a lie. He doesn’t have that long til Chance is sent after him. He is also unaware Chance has been beaten because his father suspects he is gay and is trying to teach him how that’s wrong. Chance has til the next morning to return to the cabin with Drew’s severed hand as proof of his murder.
Chance has no intentions of remaining under his father’s psychotic thumb any longer. His goal is now to find Drew and do his best to ensure the both of them make it out of the mountains alive. This is easier said than done. His father, who is himself an officer in the military, also has help from an accomplished tracker. Drew isn’t even sure he wants to trust Chance. Eventually he does and sees the man behind the psycho who has shaped so much of his life. Drew also sees someone he’d like to spend some time with. Some time not trying to escape death. Together they realize they are their only chance at life.
Okay, I’ll say right now this book stretched the bounds of believability for me. I liked both Chance and Drew and actually found their relationship to be plausible. They both suspected it couldn’t be. I would have found one of them to be insane had they thought right from the start that what they had could really work while Chance was holding Drew hostage. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. That was well done. It was Chance’s father I just couldn’t get over. For me, instead of a believable baddie he came across as almost cartoonish in his overt badness. He wasn’t a main character but was still quite significant in terms of plot and character development for Chance. Having said that, I do think there are people crazy enough to kidnap then hunt and kill their victims. Despite not accepting one character I definitely felt there were aspects of the book that were both plausible and quite chilling.
Ultimately, I liked this book more than I expected. The writing was good, and I found I kept wanting to read. I did finish in one sitting despite scoffing a bit at the one character I couldn’t accept. It ends up being a charming story with a bit of an opposites attract kind of vibe. Chance and Drew made it work.
Faye's review can also be found at
Live Your Life, Buy The Book
Drew Edwards finds himself in an unreal situation. He’s been kidnapped off the street and is going to be hunted. Thankfully, Chance Collins finds the situation just as unrealistic. Apparently Chance’s father has been kidnapping men, who all happen to be gay, and hunting them for sport. This doesn’t sit well with Chance who happens to be gay himself. That Chance’s father also expects Chance to be the one to hunt and kill Drew is almost too much for Chance to handle. After a few days of listening to Drew talk about his family and his life Chance makes up his mind. Drew is released and told he has a six hour head start. Of course, this is a lie. He doesn’t have that long til Chance is sent after him. He is also unaware Chance has been beaten because his father suspects he is gay and is trying to teach him how that’s wrong. Chance has til the next morning to return to the cabin with Drew’s severed hand as proof of his murder.
Chance has no intentions of remaining under his father’s psychotic thumb any longer. His goal is now to find Drew and do his best to ensure the both of them make it out of the mountains alive. This is easier said than done. His father, who is himself an officer in the military, also has help from an accomplished tracker. Drew isn’t even sure he wants to trust Chance. Eventually he does and sees the man behind the psycho who has shaped so much of his life. Drew also sees someone he’d like to spend some time with. Some time not trying to escape death. Together they realize they are their only chance at life.
Okay, I’ll say right now this book stretched the bounds of believability for me. I liked both Chance and Drew and actually found their relationship to be plausible. They both suspected it couldn’t be. I would have found one of them to be insane had they thought right from the start that what they had could really work while Chance was holding Drew hostage. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. That was well done. It was Chance’s father I just couldn’t get over. For me, instead of a believable baddie he came across as almost cartoonish in his overt badness. He wasn’t a main character but was still quite significant in terms of plot and character development for Chance. Having said that, I do think there are people crazy enough to kidnap then hunt and kill their victims. Despite not accepting one character I definitely felt there were aspects of the book that were both plausible and quite chilling.
Ultimately, I liked this book more than I expected. The writing was good, and I found I kept wanting to read. I did finish in one sitting despite scoffing a bit at the one character I couldn’t accept. It ends up being a charming story with a bit of an opposites attract kind of vibe. Chance and Drew made it work.
Faye's review can also be found at
Live Your Life, Buy The Book
April 18, 2013
I like books that break the mold. I love a storyline that feels unique and daring both in plot and in characters. I don’t think this book’s blurb does this story justice. I was stunned at the beginning of this book. It is violent, full of difficult moments, and kept me intrigued, all with a layer of grief over the excitement of the story that is unexpected.
Drew is a beautiful contrast of fear and confidence. His street smarts help him see more, hear more and survive longer. But he is also a realist and sees his death. His grief and fight to live is beautifully written and as a reader I empathized with him, wept with him, got angry with him.
Chance made me curious. From the blurb I “knew” he was going to run with Drew but I wasn’t convinced that he would break free until he did. Chance’s life is one of grief and acceptance of his own pain and death. It was compelling to watch his outlook on life and interactions with Drew and his father.
There is an amazing build-up. Great plot and pacing, and then the book ends. I stopped, looked at my e-reader, and flipped it over looking for the leak of pages that must have fallen out through the cord. The second half of the book went by incredibly fast, too fast. After the thorough first half I felt upset with the sudden ending.
I adored so much of this story it’s hard to talk about the frustration of a book that ends too quickly. There was much more I wanted. More I wanted to feel, to breathe in with these men.
Writing is incredibly difficult and to write something unique is a sign of excellence. I admire Cindy Sutherland for giving me a taste of a fine story.
Reviewed by Beans
Drew is a beautiful contrast of fear and confidence. His street smarts help him see more, hear more and survive longer. But he is also a realist and sees his death. His grief and fight to live is beautifully written and as a reader I empathized with him, wept with him, got angry with him.
Chance made me curious. From the blurb I “knew” he was going to run with Drew but I wasn’t convinced that he would break free until he did. Chance’s life is one of grief and acceptance of his own pain and death. It was compelling to watch his outlook on life and interactions with Drew and his father.
There is an amazing build-up. Great plot and pacing, and then the book ends. I stopped, looked at my e-reader, and flipped it over looking for the leak of pages that must have fallen out through the cord. The second half of the book went by incredibly fast, too fast. After the thorough first half I felt upset with the sudden ending.
I adored so much of this story it’s hard to talk about the frustration of a book that ends too quickly. There was much more I wanted. More I wanted to feel, to breathe in with these men.
Writing is incredibly difficult and to write something unique is a sign of excellence. I admire Cindy Sutherland for giving me a taste of a fine story.
Reviewed by Beans
March 30, 2014
Quick and nice, entertaining. I actually really liked the idea of the story, the reason I gave it not more than three stars is that I wasn't drawn into it, it felt a bit superficial. The idea of it was something I wanted to get invested, wanted to be shaken but in reality (ups, I mean in the story) I just felt like a spectator and like it just wasn't enough. But it's still a nice read for inbetween other books.
April 12, 2013
4.5 stars. I just have to say this, I really hated the little weasel, Ezra!! And the evil asshat father, ugh!! Sooo glad Drew and Chance got their happy ending!!!
Read
June 11, 2016DNF 54%
I just can't... sorry.
I just can't... sorry.
January 5, 2019
4.5 stars. Chance's lifetime with his abuser shows as he goes along with what his father decrees. Kidnapping, torture and a manhunt with a trophy are his father's plan to make his son prove he isn't gay. Chance is caught in a lifetime of abuse; blindly following the monster, until Drew gives him a way to stand on his own. Drew's inner strength and stubbornness keep him going. I liked that he saw who Chance really was inside and gave him comfort and care as Chance revealed his horrors. The ending made me smile.
March 20, 2018
It took me a while to get started on this book but, once I did, I was hooked!! I finished it in one evening so it's not much more than a novella.
October 3, 2015
The good:
Interesting twist on the hunted man theme.
In an attempt to gain his freedom, Drew talks about his family and how hard it would be on them if he died or disappeared, no matter if the man hated him for being gay. That was brilliant.
Lots of action and danger.
Lots of injury and suspense.
A real plot and the two main characters are clearly two different people, not clones.
Chance falls for Drew not because he's gorgeous, although he is, but because of who he is. He believes that Drew's beauty isn't the most important thing about him.
The bad:
The bad guy was one-dimensional and over-the-top to the point that he wasn't believable to me.
The ugly (nitpicks):
When Drew is first taken, he thinks to himself that the people who take him are the ones who took another gay guy a while ago and therefore he's solved the mystery. That's quite the assumption even though it was true.
They have sex when (mild spoiler in that it's predictable in a romance)
There's a switch in tense at least once.
At the end (major spoiler)
Interesting twist on the hunted man theme.
In an attempt to gain his freedom, Drew talks about his family and how hard it would be on them if he died or disappeared, no matter if the man hated him for being gay. That was brilliant.
Lots of action and danger.
Lots of injury and suspense.
A real plot and the two main characters are clearly two different people, not clones.
Chance falls for Drew not because he's gorgeous, although he is, but because of who he is. He believes that Drew's beauty isn't the most important thing about him.
The bad:
The bad guy was one-dimensional and over-the-top to the point that he wasn't believable to me.
The ugly (nitpicks):
When Drew is first taken, he thinks to himself that the people who take him are the ones who took another gay guy a while ago and therefore he's solved the mystery. That's quite the assumption even though it was true.
They have sex when (mild spoiler in that it's predictable in a romance)
There's a switch in tense at least once.
At the end (major spoiler)
February 25, 2015
synopsis:
drew is kidnapped when he leaves his ex-boyfriend's apartment. when he wakes up, he's in the company of a crazy colonel, one of his soldiers and the colonel's son. apparently the colonel has been ridding the world of gay men one man at a time by kidnapping them and then hunting them down. this time, though, he wants his son to do the hunting. chance is recently back from a tour with the marines, and has been abused by his father most of his life. he has never stood up to his father, but killing an innocent man gives him incentive. after being beaten by his father and his father's associate, he is sent after drew, and when he catches up to the man, makes it clear that he will help him escape, even if it means dying himself.
what i liked: the premise. i liked drew and chance. i liked that drew wasn't a helpless damsel, and i liked that chance had hard limits to what he would do for his father.
what i didn't like: how quickly chance and drew bonded.
drew is kidnapped when he leaves his ex-boyfriend's apartment. when he wakes up, he's in the company of a crazy colonel, one of his soldiers and the colonel's son. apparently the colonel has been ridding the world of gay men one man at a time by kidnapping them and then hunting them down. this time, though, he wants his son to do the hunting. chance is recently back from a tour with the marines, and has been abused by his father most of his life. he has never stood up to his father, but killing an innocent man gives him incentive. after being beaten by his father and his father's associate, he is sent after drew, and when he catches up to the man, makes it clear that he will help him escape, even if it means dying himself.
what i liked: the premise. i liked drew and chance. i liked that drew wasn't a helpless damsel, and i liked that chance had hard limits to what he would do for his father.
what i didn't like: how quickly chance and drew bonded.
January 13, 2016
I could have squinted my way through the unbelievably fluffy romance-while-on-the-run-from-killers but the bad guys were so one dimensional and I found it rather hard to believe that two of the military's "best" were so obviously crazy and no one had noticed. It seems more likely to me that someone would have seen something at some point and noted it and the bad guys would have been incarcerated, discharged - honorably or not, or conveniently killed in action. I suppose it just left me with a really bad taste in my mouth that here we have four not so stellar members of humanity, though Chance redeems himself, and they are all military. Kind of gives a nasty impression about the military. I know lots of military and ex-military folks and none of them hunt other humans for sport. *huff*
June 14, 2016
I began to read this book as a fanfiction many years ago.
It was on a site dedicated to Luke and Noah, from the soap "As the world turns".
I didn't finish reading it, because the author removed it from the site
That was right, because a book is a different thing. There's the editor's work behind it, for example.
I can say that the fanfiction I've read was an unripe form of this book.
Now, years have passed, and I have read a very big amount of M/M romance. My taste has changed.
But what can I say, I still like this book.
Maybe because Luke and Noah were my favorite M/M couple on TV (I watched their story on youtube, because I live in Italy), and I can figure the two MCs of this book with their faces.
Or maybe because I'm nostalgic. I was so much young, then.
Dunno.
I liked it. That's all.
It was on a site dedicated to Luke and Noah, from the soap "As the world turns".
I didn't finish reading it, because the author removed it from the site
That was right, because a book is a different thing. There's the editor's work behind it, for example.
I can say that the fanfiction I've read was an unripe form of this book.
Now, years have passed, and I have read a very big amount of M/M romance. My taste has changed.
But what can I say, I still like this book.
Maybe because Luke and Noah were my favorite M/M couple on TV (I watched their story on youtube, because I live in Italy), and I can figure the two MCs of this book with their faces.
Or maybe because I'm nostalgic. I was so much young, then.
Dunno.
I liked it. That's all.
June 13, 2015
I really liked this novella. For how short it was, it fit enough in to not feel rushed and it didn't have any insta-love, which is always important for me. Overall, a couple things could have been a little better, but it was an enjoyable story and I would have been okay with a little more
May 23, 2013
Why does this remind me of ATWT Luke/Noah storyline? :) I miss that soap.
April 16, 2013
See Lucky's 5 sweet pea, Recommended Book review on April 17, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Read
June 9, 20133 Stars
Please read review at The Blog of Sid Love
Please read review at The Blog of Sid Love
September 12, 2015
what a wonderful scary story. loved the interaction, strength and drama in the novella. wish it was longer.
April 18, 2013
Cartoonish descriptions of the villain right near the start was just too much for me. Ugh.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews