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Heartwood #1B
Black Mahogany
Can marriage be a shield, sword, and healing balm? That's Aidan's hope: use marriage to get out of town, preserving his relationship by saving his lover's mind.
When the man who molested Aidan's lover escapes a pedophile charge, Aidan will stop at nothing to keep his lover, Mike, safe. But Mike can't imagine leaving the town he's lived in all his life. Just as he can't imagine letting go of self-recriminations or sharing his nightmares with Aidan. If they can't find a way through this, their fledgling relationship will die before it can grow deep enough roots.
Previous Book: Heartwood
When the man who molested Aidan's lover escapes a pedophile charge, Aidan will stop at nothing to keep his lover, Mike, safe. But Mike can't imagine leaving the town he's lived in all his life. Just as he can't imagine letting go of self-recriminations or sharing his nightmares with Aidan. If they can't find a way through this, their fledgling relationship will die before it can grow deep enough roots.
Previous Book: Heartwood
- GenresM M RomanceContemporary
184 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2013
28 people want to read
About the author
Emily Carrington
87 books21 followersFrom website:
Hi, I’m Emily Carrington. I’ve been writing gay erotic romance since 2011. I currently live in Western New York with my Labrador and her kitten. Her name is Jules Catisdy, named for the Suzanne Brockmann character, Jules Cassidy. I also have a cat named Neko, which is Japanese for cat. I attended my first Romance Writers of America conference in 2007, met the chief editor from Loose Id, Llc, was inspired by an impromptu visit with Suzanne Brockmann, and the rest is a bit of queer history.
I have written over 20 gay romances, 4 trans romances and I am branching out into lesbian romances.
Hi, I’m Emily Carrington. I’ve been writing gay erotic romance since 2011. I currently live in Western New York with my Labrador and her kitten. Her name is Jules Catisdy, named for the Suzanne Brockmann character, Jules Cassidy. I also have a cat named Neko, which is Japanese for cat. I attended my first Romance Writers of America conference in 2007, met the chief editor from Loose Id, Llc, was inspired by an impromptu visit with Suzanne Brockmann, and the rest is a bit of queer history.
I have written over 20 gay romances, 4 trans romances and I am branching out into lesbian romances.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 15, 2013
3 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Aidan and Mike are struggling to keep their relationship on an even keel, which is difficult when all Aidan wants is to leave town and Mike struggles with his doubts about his molestation. Aidan has dreams of changing the world with politics and is offered a dream job in DC, but Mike doesn’t want to leave his home town even with the difficulties that he faces. Mike is filled with doubts both about his sexual orientation and with the abuse he suffered, his abusers words still ring in his head, haunting him and taunting him. Both men have to work out just what they want before it is too late and their fledgling relationship crumbles around them.
This is a good story about support, love, finding your confidence and what you truly want. Black Mahogany continues on not long after Heartwood finished, it continues the story of Mike and Aidan as they make decisions for the future and the repercussions of Mike coming forward with the truth about his abuse. Mike and Aidan’s relationship has many ups and downs, as Aidan tries to convince Mike to leave town and Mike tries to pretend that the abuse hasn’t left him scarred.
Aidan wants to get Mike out of town and getting a job offer in DC is the answer to his prayers, but Mike doesn’t feel the same way. Mike still isn’t convinced that he is gay and that he only wants Aidan, but his abusers words keep taunting him and he begins to believe the abuse was his fault. We see a whole run of emotions as these two young men try to find a way to stay together, even as they seem to push against each other and rub each other up the wrong way. Mike and Aidan both discover much about themselves in this story and that their love can’t be easily broken or ignored.
I recommend this to those who love broken men finding themselves, discovering their faults and accepting them and a loving troubled relationship finding solid ground.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Aidan and Mike are struggling to keep their relationship on an even keel, which is difficult when all Aidan wants is to leave town and Mike struggles with his doubts about his molestation. Aidan has dreams of changing the world with politics and is offered a dream job in DC, but Mike doesn’t want to leave his home town even with the difficulties that he faces. Mike is filled with doubts both about his sexual orientation and with the abuse he suffered, his abusers words still ring in his head, haunting him and taunting him. Both men have to work out just what they want before it is too late and their fledgling relationship crumbles around them.
This is a good story about support, love, finding your confidence and what you truly want. Black Mahogany continues on not long after Heartwood finished, it continues the story of Mike and Aidan as they make decisions for the future and the repercussions of Mike coming forward with the truth about his abuse. Mike and Aidan’s relationship has many ups and downs, as Aidan tries to convince Mike to leave town and Mike tries to pretend that the abuse hasn’t left him scarred.
Aidan wants to get Mike out of town and getting a job offer in DC is the answer to his prayers, but Mike doesn’t feel the same way. Mike still isn’t convinced that he is gay and that he only wants Aidan, but his abusers words keep taunting him and he begins to believe the abuse was his fault. We see a whole run of emotions as these two young men try to find a way to stay together, even as they seem to push against each other and rub each other up the wrong way. Mike and Aidan both discover much about themselves in this story and that their love can’t be easily broken or ignored.
I recommend this to those who love broken men finding themselves, discovering their faults and accepting them and a loving troubled relationship finding solid ground.
January 16, 2014
I truly liked this sequel.
I read it right after Heartwood so the story just flowed right through to this one. I really enjoyed it and was so happy with the end.
Well, to be completely honest, the end was only a little unsatisfactory because it was just... (some time later---this happened)
But I love it because everyone is where they're supposed to be. <3
lol... I look forward to reading more books by Emily~
I read it right after Heartwood so the story just flowed right through to this one. I really enjoyed it and was so happy with the end.
Well, to be completely honest, the end was only a little unsatisfactory because it was just... (some time later---this happened)
But I love it because everyone is where they're supposed to be. <3
lol... I look forward to reading more books by Emily~
July 3, 2013
This could have been a really great look at relationships and recovery from abuse but it was so jerky and disjointed, making it hard to follow. It felt like it started in the middle of the story, so much so I went to double check it wasn't the second in a series. The characters didn't seem to develop much over the course of the story either. :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews