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462 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2016







Before Seth, Domenico had sometimes found himself wondering if he could ever feel the way other people seemed to when they were in love, but now he understood that what he’d needed was a very special man. Someone who could accept Domenico the way he was without being hard as a block of marble himself.
“You both fucking betrayed me, so cut the bullshit. We’re stuck together anyway, but that doesn’t mean anything’s changed since yesterday.”
Mark gasped. “I’m sorry! It’s my fault. I should have said something, but you told me I shouldn’t get in between you two if anything happened. I panicked!”
Seth slammed his fist against the table so hard each of their cups bled coffee. “He cuffed me to the fucking bed, Mark!”
Domenico bit into his lip, and his mouth filled with a metallic taste. He clutched at his shirt. It’d been less than a day without Seth’s affection, and it was already taking such toll on his mind he’d agree to anything Seth wanted. “I made a mistake.”
Seth’s eyes met his, and Dom had never seen those brows eyes so cold. “Fuck you. You’re just doing damage control because shit didn’t go your way. You’d do it all over again given half the chance.”
Domenico swallowed hard. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want nothing from you. I can’t even deal with you being here right now.” Seth took a deep breath and curled his shoulders. “You’ve broken me so bad I don’t even know where to go from here.”
Domenico stood up and grabbed the back of Seth’s chair. “What is it that you want, damn it? I love you! I would do anything for you. Being away from you makes me physically sick! Haven’t we been through worse times and survived?”
Seth nodded, and quickly got up to avoid touching Dom. “Maybe we shouldn’t have.”
What seemed like a bad dream before was now becoming a nightmare. Seth truly was questioning their relationship. Domenico had assumed that yesterday’s argument was one of Seth’s typical, rash decisions, yet after so many hours apart, Seth was only more bitter.
Domenico took a deep breath, resisting the sting of pain deep in his chest. “You can’t mean that. We will always be together. You know this.”
“Do I?” Seth whispered.





~~BR with my girls, Ele and Renée!~~
"I wake up every day, and I breathe for you."
“And now, he was once again allowed to touch it without the fear of being pushed away. It had required some real talk and was at times painful, but Domenico was glad that both of them had finally been honest about the past.”
“And Domenico had needed to listen to what Seth had been through because of him, no matter how much it hurt to see himself as the violator of someone he loved more than anything in the world.”
“Only Seth could have concluded a meeting like this one required him to bring cake, but Domenico didn’t want to stifle any of that sweetness that came so naturally to him.”
"I’m honest. I wake up every day, and I breathe for you,”[...]
“And without you my life is losing all of its color. I’m stuck in a black and white perfume commercial,”
"If this was what they needed to do, Seth would help however was necessary. He could be a sweet man who liked cooking, but for Domenico, he’d kill, rob, and set fire to the world."

"The two of them belonged together like sin and confession.
The pacing of the story made me appreciate something else too: the consistent characterization. Seth and Dom's life is a rollercoaster, but it didn't change who they are. Dom is still a dangerous bastard, deeply religious with an appreciation for fine clothing. Always in love with Seth. And Seth is still insecure, sweet, but brave and ready to step up when needed. Always in love with Dom.
Despite the above, don't go thinking that there isn't enough action in Chokehold, because there is! Crossing the Mexican border didn't go as planned, there are quite a surprises around the corner, and new allies or enemies make their appearance. I love Mark with al my heart! He really became Dom and Seth's son. And a new interesting secondary character who will probably have a role in the next installment, Miguel. And, hopefully, his own book someday.
Bottom line, I think this was an amazing and much needed addition to the series. Like the blurb says, there are indeed pretty lies and ugly truths. But most of all, there is a fleeting image about a house filled with loved, bathed in the italian afternoon sun...
*Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.*


"When you know you couldn't live without him, that's love."
"I wake up every day, and I breathe for you."

“We will build a bright future. Disperse all the shadows.”
“I don’t know if I even deserve to be forgiven, but I need you so fucking much. I can’t imagine being without you anymore, and that is the truth.”
“Despite all their differences, it was what they were to each other. Mirrors in which each of them could see only the best of themselves.”













"I'm honest. I wake up everyday, and I breathe for you." whispered Domenico without shame, because nothing that he said was for anyone else's ears but Seth's. "And without you my life is losing all of it's color. I'm stuck in a black and white perfume commercial," he said shaking his head.


