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Let Me Catch You
Discover "the secret" in this haunting gay romance.Fresh from university, Stephen Davis has returned to the family farm to inherit a responsibility that was never meant to be his. Feeling bored and trapped, the pretentious farm boy starts hanging out with Shaun Munro, an unpopular try-hard from the town's most dysfunctional family. What starts as an unlikely friendship slowly evolves into a passionate romance that takes Stephen completely by surprise. Sadly, their summer of love comes to a tragic end and Stephen's life is changed forever.Twenty years later, Inver Murray has come home to Clifton to bury the father he barely knew. Despite his reluctance to be back in town, he does enjoy the chance to stay and reconnect with Stephen, his childhood neighbour. However, interactions with Stephen soon turn awkward, and strange happenings in the night begin to rattle Inver who is unaware that his handsome host intends to make him pay for the sins of his dead father.Set along the wild coast of New Zealand, Let Me Catch You is a haunting love story that brings two broken souls together as they unearth the truth about what happened all those years ago when Shaun Munro learned "the secret."
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2016
140 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Zane Menzy
42 books99 followersZane lives way down under on the west coast of New Zealand; the wet side. He is a fan of ghost stories, sport, ducklings and nights out that usually lead to his head hanging in a bucket the next morning.
He enjoys creating characters who have flaws, crazy thoughts and a tendency to make bad decisions. Zane’s stories are emotionally-charged and don’t shy away from darker themes. After all, they do say there is no light without the dark.
He enjoys creating characters who have flaws, crazy thoughts and a tendency to make bad decisions. Zane’s stories are emotionally-charged and don’t shy away from darker themes. After all, they do say there is no light without the dark.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 5, 2023
“If I ever break your heart.” Kiss. “Then you can share mine.” Kiss.
A murder mystery, coming-of-age, heartbreakingly raw and vulnerable love story, but it's not necessarily a romance.
This story absolutely gutted me. I don't know that I would ever read this book a second time, but it absolutely deserves five stars.
The prologue sets the ominous mood. The story begins with friends in their early 40s, then jumps 20 years into their past. I usually dislike time jumps, but it worked very well here.
Shaun is love personified. He cares for his two younger sisters because their mother is often absent. He is at the bottom of the friends pecking order, yet unashamed of who he is and loves with his entire being.
Stephen has a depth that only a few can see. He shows the world he is a manwhore and an ass. He keeps those barriers up to protect himself, but he feels utterly alone. Shaun slowly dismantles those walls so he can tiptoe in and snuggle up close. Their love was equal parts perfection and heartbreaking devastation.
There were only a couple sections of the story that didn't work for me. One was the bad guy. I don't think you can hide that kind of evil for 20 years. And I didn't buy the insta-relationship at the end but that could have been because my heart was still with the double S.
After the week I've had, that epilogue was everything.
Each was the presence of light, a sign that someone on this side cared and was right there beside them.
A murder mystery, coming-of-age, heartbreakingly raw and vulnerable love story, but it's not necessarily a romance.
This story absolutely gutted me. I don't know that I would ever read this book a second time, but it absolutely deserves five stars.
The prologue sets the ominous mood. The story begins with friends in their early 40s, then jumps 20 years into their past. I usually dislike time jumps, but it worked very well here.
Shaun is love personified. He cares for his two younger sisters because their mother is often absent. He is at the bottom of the friends pecking order, yet unashamed of who he is and loves with his entire being.
Stephen has a depth that only a few can see. He shows the world he is a manwhore and an ass. He keeps those barriers up to protect himself, but he feels utterly alone. Shaun slowly dismantles those walls so he can tiptoe in and snuggle up close. Their love was equal parts perfection and heartbreaking devastation.
There were only a couple sections of the story that didn't work for me. One was the bad guy. I don't think you can hide that kind of evil for 20 years. And I didn't buy the insta-relationship at the end but that could have been because my heart was still with the double S.
After the week I've had, that epilogue was everything.
Each was the presence of light, a sign that someone on this side cared and was right there beside them.
March 20, 2024
4.5 stars - This was such a good book! It was a different take on the traditional coming of age/love story, which was so refreshing. Tragic and heartbreaking, for sure, but also hopeful and beautiful in the end. I loved the dual timelines. They not only gave important insight into the characters, but also kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat as all the pieces slowly fell into place. The resolution required some suspension of disbelief, but I was so grateful that this story was unlike all of the other cookie cutter romances out there that I didn't even care. I would have loved for Inver's love story to have been fully fleshed out, but I don't think that was the point of this book. While Inver was important, this really was Stephen and Shaun's story. I know the inevitable tragedy will scare a lot of people off, but I was feeling the need for a good cry and this book didn't disappoint.
September 23, 2016
A smart, moving, beautiful and lyrically written book.
LET ME CATCH YOU is a rare breed of book: a smart, beautifully written and moving gay love story that is not just about the interactions between the characters, but the language, the structure, the setting, and the depth of the characters that take you on the journey between the pages.
From the book’s cover – which I know you aren’t supposed to judge! – I assumed this was a gay romance novel. It isn’t. And, if that is what you’re looking for, you might be disappointed. LET ME CATCH YOU is really literary fiction that explores gay love, coming to grips with your sexuality, loss and longing, social hierarchy in a rural New Zealand coastal farming community, and more.
The story leaps back and forth between today and events of 20 years ago that shape the present of Stephen Davis, a privileged ostensibly straight sexual scoundrel in the earliest parts of the story and a lonely daddy type in the present who aches with memories of lost love, regrets, and an anger that drives him to plot a sexual vengeance that seeks to tie the past and the present together. There is a beauty, sadness, and a complexity to Stephen’s character and his personal flaws. But, at the base of it all, he aches for love and acceptance, and I rooted for him the whole way.
The story and the writing is richly layered. Like many books of this nature, it starts off with a foundation upon which the writer builds the story and pulls you in. I won’t give too much away, but you come to know Stephen, Shaun, and Inver – the principal characters – and how they think, why their hearts ache, and what motivates them. There is an entire community of characters all central to the story who are compellingly and sometimes humorously written. The other character is the rural coastal New Zealand farming community, which was deftly drawn and added to the authentic atmosphere of the story.
Despite the richness of the language and the complexity of the characters, the storytelling never loses its way. If you are looking for a smart, sexy, gay love story, LET ME CATCH YOU will reward you handsomely. 5 stars.
LET ME CATCH YOU is a rare breed of book: a smart, beautifully written and moving gay love story that is not just about the interactions between the characters, but the language, the structure, the setting, and the depth of the characters that take you on the journey between the pages.
From the book’s cover – which I know you aren’t supposed to judge! – I assumed this was a gay romance novel. It isn’t. And, if that is what you’re looking for, you might be disappointed. LET ME CATCH YOU is really literary fiction that explores gay love, coming to grips with your sexuality, loss and longing, social hierarchy in a rural New Zealand coastal farming community, and more.
The story leaps back and forth between today and events of 20 years ago that shape the present of Stephen Davis, a privileged ostensibly straight sexual scoundrel in the earliest parts of the story and a lonely daddy type in the present who aches with memories of lost love, regrets, and an anger that drives him to plot a sexual vengeance that seeks to tie the past and the present together. There is a beauty, sadness, and a complexity to Stephen’s character and his personal flaws. But, at the base of it all, he aches for love and acceptance, and I rooted for him the whole way.
The story and the writing is richly layered. Like many books of this nature, it starts off with a foundation upon which the writer builds the story and pulls you in. I won’t give too much away, but you come to know Stephen, Shaun, and Inver – the principal characters – and how they think, why their hearts ache, and what motivates them. There is an entire community of characters all central to the story who are compellingly and sometimes humorously written. The other character is the rural coastal New Zealand farming community, which was deftly drawn and added to the authentic atmosphere of the story.
Despite the richness of the language and the complexity of the characters, the storytelling never loses its way. If you are looking for a smart, sexy, gay love story, LET ME CATCH YOU will reward you handsomely. 5 stars.
September 5, 2016
Don't be afraid to read it! Not a sob story.
I wanted to thank Kent for writing it and I was moved by the suspense in the story. I wasn't sure what would happen next. This book was so unpredictable and a sweet romance an a way. You have two young men who fall in love but its a secret they share. Awful things happen and then life goes on. Their secret love is told in flashbacks, the ending incorporated all destinations. Great read.
I wanted to thank Kent for writing it and I was moved by the suspense in the story. I wasn't sure what would happen next. This book was so unpredictable and a sweet romance an a way. You have two young men who fall in love but its a secret they share. Awful things happen and then life goes on. Their secret love is told in flashbacks, the ending incorporated all destinations. Great read.
September 22, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect when I read this book but I was pleasantly surprised i don't normally read romance but the plot was interesting and had very believable characters.
i-ll-get-back-to-it
July 16, 2022Note: the version of this book I picked up on Amazon was published under the author name of Zane Menzy, not Kent Deron. 326 pages according to Amazon.
I’m tapping out for now. The writing is good, I just don’t think I have the mindset for this right now. If it stays in KU, I might pick it up again at a later date.
Here’s the first paragraph of the prologue. It’s very lyrical.
The night rode in on the back of a storm. It brought with it a howling gale saddled with thick grey clouds carrying angry rain that lashed the tiny town of Clifton below. The sea churned with driftwood, shifting heavy boulders along its ocean floor like marbles. But that wasn’t all the waters were dumping on the coast this rough night. A sliver of silver moonlight falls on a corpse waiting to be delivered to the shore, its soul having departed its earthly enclosure two days prior.
I’m tapping out for now. The writing is good, I just don’t think I have the mindset for this right now. If it stays in KU, I might pick it up again at a later date.
Here’s the first paragraph of the prologue. It’s very lyrical.
The night rode in on the back of a storm. It brought with it a howling gale saddled with thick grey clouds carrying angry rain that lashed the tiny town of Clifton below. The sea churned with driftwood, shifting heavy boulders along its ocean floor like marbles. But that wasn’t all the waters were dumping on the coast this rough night. A sliver of silver moonlight falls on a corpse waiting to be delivered to the shore, its soul having departed its earthly enclosure two days prior.
July 4, 2017
This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MMRG Don’t Buy My Love Program.
Oof, this book. Even as I write my review of it, I'm not really sure what to do with it, or how to rate it.
First things first: this is a book more about Stephen than anything else, and about Stephen and Shaun's ill fated relationship if one is looking at things from a relationship standpoint. Inver and Stephen don't get anywhere near enough time together to form enough chemistry to look at their relationship, and that is really sad because their's is the relationship that is the one that isn't doomed from the first page. I felt vaguely bad for Inver because of Stephen's plan to hurt him, but only in the abstract because Inver wasn't on page enough to really bond with him.
Second, Stephen is extremely unlikable for the vast majority of the book. It took forever for qualities that weren't nausea inducing to emerge, so you really have to be committed to reading this book in order to get passed that rather large first section. I feel like it would have been much better if the author had cut some of this, "Look Stephen treats people in his life terribly!" stuff and instead devoted the space to developing Inver and Stephen's relationship.
Third, what eventually convinced Stephen to not go through with his plan to hurt Inver still left Stephen as a jackass. I did not like this. It's like . . . I tried so hard to look for redeeming qualities in Stephen, kind of found them when he was a teen, and then he went right back to being awful. Ugh.
That being said, the writing quality was good and I was (thankfully) not confused as to which time period we were in (as sometimes happens in books where the time periods often shift); instead, each time period felt distinct. I also liked Debbie's response at the end, and hope she found her way. I also liked that it dealt with the fact that fears that are not necessarily life threatening (as in, "It's not that I'm afraid to come out because my parents will kill me or throw me out, but because I will be rejected") are also very real and motivating. Social isolation is a thing, too.
For me, the best part of the book, though, was Shaun, poor Shaun, who tried so hard to fit in but failed so miserably. It was really heart rending to see an expression of a person who is rejected from society, not because they are bad, but because they don't fit in to society's ridged social norms. It was wonderful to see how such a person could still be a good, vibrant person (although still foolish and flawed), and it was tragic to see his life cut short.
But ultimately I feel like this book is closer to a tragedy than a romance, and in fact would have worked better as a tragedy than a romance, a story about life cut short for no good reason, of possibilities lost, of people hurting people, of paths washed over by the sea. However, it also tried to put another relationship in there (the one with Inver) and ended up not managing to succeed very well.
Oof, this book. Even as I write my review of it, I'm not really sure what to do with it, or how to rate it.
First things first: this is a book more about Stephen than anything else, and about Stephen and Shaun's ill fated relationship if one is looking at things from a relationship standpoint. Inver and Stephen don't get anywhere near enough time together to form enough chemistry to look at their relationship, and that is really sad because their's is the relationship that is the one that isn't doomed from the first page. I felt vaguely bad for Inver because of Stephen's plan to hurt him, but only in the abstract because Inver wasn't on page enough to really bond with him.
Second, Stephen is extremely unlikable for the vast majority of the book. It took forever for qualities that weren't nausea inducing to emerge, so you really have to be committed to reading this book in order to get passed that rather large first section. I feel like it would have been much better if the author had cut some of this, "Look Stephen treats people in his life terribly!" stuff and instead devoted the space to developing Inver and Stephen's relationship.
Third, what eventually convinced Stephen to not go through with his plan to hurt Inver still left Stephen as a jackass. I did not like this. It's like . . . I tried so hard to look for redeeming qualities in Stephen, kind of found them when he was a teen, and then he went right back to being awful. Ugh.
That being said, the writing quality was good and I was (thankfully) not confused as to which time period we were in (as sometimes happens in books where the time periods often shift); instead, each time period felt distinct. I also liked Debbie's response at the end, and hope she found her way. I also liked that it dealt with the fact that fears that are not necessarily life threatening (as in, "It's not that I'm afraid to come out because my parents will kill me or throw me out, but because I will be rejected") are also very real and motivating. Social isolation is a thing, too.
For me, the best part of the book, though, was Shaun, poor Shaun, who tried so hard to fit in but failed so miserably. It was really heart rending to see an expression of a person who is rejected from society, not because they are bad, but because they don't fit in to society's ridged social norms. It was wonderful to see how such a person could still be a good, vibrant person (although still foolish and flawed), and it was tragic to see his life cut short.
But ultimately I feel like this book is closer to a tragedy than a romance, and in fact would have worked better as a tragedy than a romance, a story about life cut short for no good reason, of possibilities lost, of people hurting people, of paths washed over by the sea. However, it also tried to put another relationship in there (the one with Inver) and ended up not managing to succeed very well.
April 2, 2018
It caught me
New author for me and the title is very similar to a different one I read, so that got me started. Plus, I am sort of over the M/M romance genre, so this was truly a mystery and awesome!
The NZ wording was actually interesting, since I'm a Scot and we have our own head-scratchers. The back and forth between decades was initially confusing but it intrigued me to try and play *detective* and try my own connections as to "who done it?".
Excellent story; I will look for more from this man.
New author for me and the title is very similar to a different one I read, so that got me started. Plus, I am sort of over the M/M romance genre, so this was truly a mystery and awesome!
The NZ wording was actually interesting, since I'm a Scot and we have our own head-scratchers. The back and forth between decades was initially confusing but it intrigued me to try and play *detective* and try my own connections as to "who done it?".
Excellent story; I will look for more from this man.
January 20, 2021
Heartbreaking But Worth It!
How dare you Mr. Deron!! Making me cry with this book! I rarely cry and so many moments had me tearing up and wanting to wrap my arms around these men and hugging them tight.
The denial of feelings and the worry over what others think, so painfully and beautifully written. My heart ached for Shaun, Stephen and Inver. I connected with all of them and it really hit hard. Loved it!! As hard as it was at times (emotionally) I know I will be reading this again.
Bravo❤❤
How dare you Mr. Deron!! Making me cry with this book! I rarely cry and so many moments had me tearing up and wanting to wrap my arms around these men and hugging them tight.
The denial of feelings and the worry over what others think, so painfully and beautifully written. My heart ached for Shaun, Stephen and Inver. I connected with all of them and it really hit hard. Loved it!! As hard as it was at times (emotionally) I know I will be reading this again.
Bravo❤❤
January 9, 2017
simply beautiful
Been long time since the last time I found something likes this. Great Story, amazing characters, very well develop To me a MUST READ.
Been long time since the last time I found something likes this. Great Story, amazing characters, very well develop To me a MUST READ.
March 3, 2025
I read this book expecting a normal m/m romance but in a different setting - New Zealand. The actual story blew me away. Yes, there were some romance type elements to the story but it was far more involved then that. Class distinction & family relationships also played a big part. And the author did a great job of capturing what rural NZ must be like. But what earned the book 5 stars was the ending, especially the epilogue. It took some time to get through those few pages due to the emotional wallop it packed. I already know this ending will stick with me for some time.
Read
August 13, 2022This writing is grating on me. Some odd word choices/phrasing, Stephen is a jerk in the past & present so far, and I’m just bored. Too much else to read to give this time to get to the good stuff other reviews say is here somewhere. DNF @10%
maybe
October 20, 2023That cover made me gay.
Im off to read this book, reviews are pretty good.
Im off to read this book, reviews are pretty good.
March 8, 2024
YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE BETTER THAN MOST
A couple of chapters in I was hooked on this story. Yes, it’s really just a soap opera about the love, lust, cliques, arrogance, and socio-economic snobbery of a group of twenty somethings from a small and prosperous New Zealand town. It also begins with a murder. Then flashes back in time and for the rest of the book, the murder victim is one of the principal characters in the story and the mystery, of course, is how does he die and who has did it!
I hate when authors of mysteries make the story so complicated, with so many characters, you need a score card to sort it out and make sense of it all. Mezney, fortunately saves his readers this frustration, yet still manages to create a complex story with lots of twists, especially as you move toward the story's climax.
His greatest talent, however, is his ability to write fully developed realistic characters. These humans are good, but flawed, they possess varying degrees of moral turpitude while still also retaining some semblance of decency. Just like people in real life. In the final analysis, when I finished a chapter, I just wanted to move right on and read the next. Always an author’s holy grail when he sets out to write a novel.
My one criticism is his insertion of a supernatural element to bring closure to his story. He hints at this element in the first few pages of the book and then it’s completely forgotten until the very end. We fall in love with the murder victim as the story unfolds. We feel true empathy for him. We see ourselves and we all have known someone like him. When he finally is killed, a supernatural element is created to help us cope with his loss. For me it seemed too contrived and carried a religious context that appears nowhere else in the story. It seemed preachy and out of place.
I am new to Mezney. He is a prolific writer of gay mystery-romance novels known for including elements of the paranormal in his fiction. I liked this story well enough, I’ll so0n try him again.
A couple of chapters in I was hooked on this story. Yes, it’s really just a soap opera about the love, lust, cliques, arrogance, and socio-economic snobbery of a group of twenty somethings from a small and prosperous New Zealand town. It also begins with a murder. Then flashes back in time and for the rest of the book, the murder victim is one of the principal characters in the story and the mystery, of course, is how does he die and who has did it!
I hate when authors of mysteries make the story so complicated, with so many characters, you need a score card to sort it out and make sense of it all. Mezney, fortunately saves his readers this frustration, yet still manages to create a complex story with lots of twists, especially as you move toward the story's climax.
His greatest talent, however, is his ability to write fully developed realistic characters. These humans are good, but flawed, they possess varying degrees of moral turpitude while still also retaining some semblance of decency. Just like people in real life. In the final analysis, when I finished a chapter, I just wanted to move right on and read the next. Always an author’s holy grail when he sets out to write a novel.
My one criticism is his insertion of a supernatural element to bring closure to his story. He hints at this element in the first few pages of the book and then it’s completely forgotten until the very end. We fall in love with the murder victim as the story unfolds. We feel true empathy for him. We see ourselves and we all have known someone like him. When he finally is killed, a supernatural element is created to help us cope with his loss. For me it seemed too contrived and carried a religious context that appears nowhere else in the story. It seemed preachy and out of place.
I am new to Mezney. He is a prolific writer of gay mystery-romance novels known for including elements of the paranormal in his fiction. I liked this story well enough, I’ll so0n try him again.
January 30, 2023
“If you ever feel like falling, just hold onto me. I’ll catch you every time.”
This is a very deep and wildly unconventional epic love story.
The opening portion is quite heavy on description of the setting. The time jumps function well in showing Stephen’s past and present, and how they intertwine to make him who he is today.
Authentic portrayal of ASPD. Shaun and Inver both accept Stephen despite his struggles.
Inver is lonely and broken. It’s great to see him have another chance at happiness after all he’s been through.
The intimate scenes are hot and extremely accurate.
Shaun is one of my favorite characters ever. He lights up the pages and the prose. Shaun doesn’t just make this entire book worth reading; he makes it an exceptional read, just by being himself. Shaun is extraordinarily courageous. He defends his entire family from the cruelty of the town. And he’s ready to do whatever it takes for Stephen, too. Shaun is a beautiful soul who deserved so much better than what he got from this world.
The Infinity chapter, the epilogue, and the entire way this novel concludes is absolutely breathtaking. There’s a lot of pain in this book, but there’s also an abundance of hope and promise.
“Stephen wrapped his arms around Shaun’s warm body, pulling him in tight, never wanting to let his angel go. Two S’s, hugging forever.”
This is a very deep and wildly unconventional epic love story.
The opening portion is quite heavy on description of the setting. The time jumps function well in showing Stephen’s past and present, and how they intertwine to make him who he is today.
Authentic portrayal of ASPD. Shaun and Inver both accept Stephen despite his struggles.
Inver is lonely and broken. It’s great to see him have another chance at happiness after all he’s been through.
The intimate scenes are hot and extremely accurate.
Shaun is one of my favorite characters ever. He lights up the pages and the prose. Shaun doesn’t just make this entire book worth reading; he makes it an exceptional read, just by being himself. Shaun is extraordinarily courageous. He defends his entire family from the cruelty of the town. And he’s ready to do whatever it takes for Stephen, too. Shaun is a beautiful soul who deserved so much better than what he got from this world.
The Infinity chapter, the epilogue, and the entire way this novel concludes is absolutely breathtaking. There’s a lot of pain in this book, but there’s also an abundance of hope and promise.
“Stephen wrapped his arms around Shaun’s warm body, pulling him in tight, never wanting to let his angel go. Two S’s, hugging forever.”
March 29, 2023
If this were a first draft, I'd say it had excellent promise. It's not all bad, but needs heavy editing. The main character, who is an unappealing person, is moderately well-drawn, and one of the minor characters is rounded out a little. Others are mere names, or puppets for the plot. The plot itself overall is interesting, but there are too many irrelevant meanderings. Several chunks need to be cut out to make a better book. The writing is acceptable, except for annoying habits, such as the confusion of 'lie' and 'lay', and the writer's insistence on putting an unnecessary apostrophe before the word till. Till is a perfectly good English word, and needs no apostrophe, so it trips me up every time I read it with one. (Those are minor quibbles I know, but it makes reading less pleasant, and makes me think the author is not as well educated as she thinks.) This book could be quite a bit better than it is, but I have read worse.
June 17, 2019
It's a good book, although the story takes a long time to get off the ground. It wasn't until about halfway through that my interest was sparked. And then I was riveted.
It's a tragic, cringing story of love. You wish everyone could be as open, honest, and gentle as Shaun, and you want to kick Stephen in the balls for being such a lousy human being. Yet you so want him to finally believe in himself and come to terms with his attraction to men. And he does. The story is quite good with a surprise ending, but the first half almost lost me to boredom with Stephen's very challenged ego. I think a few dozen pages could have been edited out and the story wouldn't suffer.
I loved the New Zealand setting and learning some Kiwi words and slang for plants and trees, automobiles, machinery, places, and people.
It's a tragic, cringing story of love. You wish everyone could be as open, honest, and gentle as Shaun, and you want to kick Stephen in the balls for being such a lousy human being. Yet you so want him to finally believe in himself and come to terms with his attraction to men. And he does. The story is quite good with a surprise ending, but the first half almost lost me to boredom with Stephen's very challenged ego. I think a few dozen pages could have been edited out and the story wouldn't suffer.
I loved the New Zealand setting and learning some Kiwi words and slang for plants and trees, automobiles, machinery, places, and people.
April 10, 2021
Yeah, my heart broke for Shaun but I still really enjoyed this book. Definitely left me feeling haunted - had to go back and read the middle chapters to cheer myself up again remembering that he had some good times as well.
As a kiwi myself, it was also amazing to see rural kiwi life realistically portrayed as a backdrop for a gay love story/tragedy. We really do talk like that!
I wish Shaun had been been spared the cruelty both in life and death - tales like this make me ever more determined to treat everyone with kindness, no matter how different we are.
As a kiwi myself, it was also amazing to see rural kiwi life realistically portrayed as a backdrop for a gay love story/tragedy. We really do talk like that!
I wish Shaun had been been spared the cruelty both in life and death - tales like this make me ever more determined to treat everyone with kindness, no matter how different we are.
November 21, 2020
4.5 stars.
This book was very Stephen and Shaun heavy but I was 100% okay with that. I almost felt like it could have been the whole story without the present day stuff.
It was real and heavy and heartbreaking.
I kinda wished Inver and Stephen's relationation has been a little more developed. Overall, it was emotionally powerful and I enjoyed it.
Personally felt the book could have done with some tighter editing. Lots of awkward sentences that could have been cleaner and smoother.
This book was very Stephen and Shaun heavy but I was 100% okay with that. I almost felt like it could have been the whole story without the present day stuff.
It was real and heavy and heartbreaking.
I kinda wished Inver and Stephen's relationation has been a little more developed. Overall, it was emotionally powerful and I enjoyed it.
Personally felt the book could have done with some tighter editing. Lots of awkward sentences that could have been cleaner and smoother.
October 12, 2019
Wow! What an emotional wringer type read. The plot alternates between past and present with a steady increase of impending doom for Sean in the 'past' storyline (his fate remained in my mind for days after).
May 5, 2017
Lovely story, very well constructed, with a good tension of suspense and real heart.
August 10, 2018
Sad
Very good book. I love the love story between shaun ans stephen. I just wish it was a happier story.
Very good book. I love the love story between shaun ans stephen. I just wish it was a happier story.
October 11, 2019
Good book. The ending has some spiritual depth to it but still good.
May 17, 2020
Good read! Liked the location being such a big part. Very touching read. Good story.
February 18, 2021
Beautifully written
Goodness me! This book made me laugh and cry and everything in between. Love, loss, hope, joy with the background of Taranaki.
Goodness me! This book made me laugh and cry and everything in between. Love, loss, hope, joy with the background of Taranaki.
January 13, 2022
Very, very different to his Jock Shot master/slave series, this 2016 gem is an unconventional gay-themed mystery novel set in two different time periods twenty years apart. It revolves around a small group of friends in their early twenties, then their early forties, living in a remote seaside town.
It’s stunning in its description, engrossing in plot, deeply poignant and also profoundly upsetting—my heart broke for one of the main characters, a truly beautiful person who is treated appallingly throughout his life. It reminded me of "A Descant for Gossips" by Thea Astley, in the way a vile small-town mentality can have such a devastating effect on its most vulnerable residents. Perhaps think twice about reading this book if you are feeling depressed—for me, the aftershocks remained for days.
My only reservation was a proofreading one: I found the frequent spelling, grammar and punctuation errors a constant distraction. It’s not befitting of a story of this quality. These gaffes may not bother some people, but in my case I was itching to get out the red pen. Having said that, I still found this book a five-star read.
It’s stunning in its description, engrossing in plot, deeply poignant and also profoundly upsetting—my heart broke for one of the main characters, a truly beautiful person who is treated appallingly throughout his life. It reminded me of "A Descant for Gossips" by Thea Astley, in the way a vile small-town mentality can have such a devastating effect on its most vulnerable residents. Perhaps think twice about reading this book if you are feeling depressed—for me, the aftershocks remained for days.
My only reservation was a proofreading one: I found the frequent spelling, grammar and punctuation errors a constant distraction. It’s not befitting of a story of this quality. These gaffes may not bother some people, but in my case I was itching to get out the red pen. Having said that, I still found this book a five-star read.
August 21, 2022
3 - Stars
Conflicted reactions to Zane Menzy’s Let Me Catch You.
Menzy has created fascinating characters in his protagonists, Stephen Davis and Shaun Munro, and placed them in a New Zealand North Island coastal town, Clifton, that really beckons the reader to visit.
At the same time it’s exceedingly difficult to keep track of the relationships between and among characters at different points in time as the narrative veers between decades. The ‘spiritual/mysticism’ that was particularly pronounced at the end of the book was a personal turn-off.
Unfortunately the violence overshadowed the beauty of Shaun’s “Let me catch you” and the sign of infinity he chose to characterize his feelings for Stephen.
Conflicted reactions to Zane Menzy’s Let Me Catch You.
Menzy has created fascinating characters in his protagonists, Stephen Davis and Shaun Munro, and placed them in a New Zealand North Island coastal town, Clifton, that really beckons the reader to visit.
At the same time it’s exceedingly difficult to keep track of the relationships between and among characters at different points in time as the narrative veers between decades. The ‘spiritual/mysticism’ that was particularly pronounced at the end of the book was a personal turn-off.
Unfortunately the violence overshadowed the beauty of Shaun’s “Let me catch you” and the sign of infinity he chose to characterize his feelings for Stephen.
August 27, 2021
Blown away
I gave this book 5 stars. I'm totally blown away by this story. I honestly hated the main character Stephen for probably 70% of the book. I kept thinking there has to be some redeeming qualities in this guy. I adored Shaun and his poorly looked upon family. I wasn't even a fan of their friends either. I adored inver but wanted to shake him and tell him to grow a pair!! It wasn't until almost the end that I finally understood the title of the book and I was blown away by it. This book is beautifully written and a great story. I will go and download more from this author.
I gave this book 5 stars. I'm totally blown away by this story. I honestly hated the main character Stephen for probably 70% of the book. I kept thinking there has to be some redeeming qualities in this guy. I adored Shaun and his poorly looked upon family. I wasn't even a fan of their friends either. I adored inver but wanted to shake him and tell him to grow a pair!! It wasn't until almost the end that I finally understood the title of the book and I was blown away by it. This book is beautifully written and a great story. I will go and download more from this author.
October 27, 2021
I feared it would be a trashy gay fiction book, but was attracted by the NZ tag. Actually it is a quality book, rich with NZ popular language and values, (probably a little hard for outsiders to get) and realism of all that dope smoking etc. I didn't give it four stars because the jumping backwards and forwards between 1995 and 2016 was sometimes a little awkward and because Stephen's second partner is such a shadow in the earlier story. But the conclusion is excellent, pulling the parts together. Keep writing, Kent Deron. (By the way I see that the book is now shown in Amazon as by Zane Menzy!!)
November 9, 2021
I enjoy reading books by fellow New Zealanders and only recently came across Let Me Catch You. The story moves backwards and forwards in time which I sometimes find disturbing but seemed to suit the telling of the tale.
I found younger Stephen an insensitive person looking to hook up with as many girls as he could. What surprised me was his sudden jumping the sexual fence and carrying on a secret male/male relationship. Even older Stephen still treats Inver his house guest as something of a playful amusement.
It is not that common that the MC is someone that I do not like. Stephen does get his redemption!
I look forward to finding other books by Zane Menzy.
I found younger Stephen an insensitive person looking to hook up with as many girls as he could. What surprised me was his sudden jumping the sexual fence and carrying on a secret male/male relationship. Even older Stephen still treats Inver his house guest as something of a playful amusement.
It is not that common that the MC is someone that I do not like. Stephen does get his redemption!
I look forward to finding other books by Zane Menzy.
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