Sarah Black

I hated the MCs with a vengeance. This thing that made me unable to like them is mentioned in the first chapter so it's not exactly a spoiler but I'll put it in spoiler tags just in case.

There is cheating in this book.
I don't mind cheating in romance books as a rule, but the way it was done here just... didn't feel right at all. In fact it made me kind of disgusted with the MCs.
John and Gabriel had been in love with each-other for years, but couldn't do anything about it except in secret show more because of DADT. Gabriel took it hard and was really lonely and always wanted a family, so he married a woman and had two kids with her. But did that mean he would stop seeing John for the entirety of their marriage? Of course not. But not just that. He named his firstborn after John. He cheated on his wife for around 15 years, then divorced her a year after John retired from the army, all without an ounce of guilt. That woman was treated like garbage and it made me want to punch something. And the way they treated her after she was told about their affair was condescending AF. Yeah, the MCs had it tough in the army because of DADT. But guess what? They CHOSE that life. They chose every hard thing that happened to them. So the way they made it all about them when she was angry and hurt? Selfish move. On the other hand, she didn't chose to marry a liar who pretended to love her because he was lonely. So when she did what she did to John I actually rooted for her. So I really couldn't care less about what the MCs went through and their romance. show less

And, another 5-star J. Lanyon for me :)

Of course I know, it's his typical novella-length murder mystery plot: some middling-attractive, younger middle-aged man who is somewhat unsure of himself and/or lonely runs into trouble investigating a mystery; he goes to his law enforcement ex, whom he still has feelings for and who seems maybe indifferent, but maybe caring towards him OR an attractive man in his proximity (often in a position of relative power), who it seems the MC cares more for show more than that man does for him; he is physically threatened multiple times; he interviews people throughout; he slowly makes a connection and reveals the murderer and method, which I almost never guess beforehand. The ex or man in his proximity also ends up caring.

But regardless, I still adore Lanyon's stories. When I begin one of his works, I know it will be intelligent, well-written, clever, informative, and interesting. I know I will care about the characters and enjoy myself. His reads are pretty much always a sure thing, and are my favorite comfort reads.

This one didn't disappoint. It is all that I described above, and has some of the '50s Hollywood shine to it, too, in memories of the witnesses and the scenes described surrounding the murder. It was solid in its plot, its realism, and its love thread. And I loved Tim's prickliness and attitude; that he didn't just give in to whatever Jack wanted or forget their past. The story also had some funny little moments in it, and was, all in all, exactly representative of why I love Lanyon's mysteries. Highly recommended all around, of course.

Here's a funny bit that I bookmarked:
"Jack must have had the day off because he was swimming in the deserted pool as I wearily passed the courtyard on the way to my apartment. I deliberately ignored the sight of his lean brown body cutting through the aqua water, glistening powerful arms dipping slow and steady in perfect rhythm with the strong kick of his long, tanned legs. I was going to have to work on my ignoring technique." show less

I thought this was going to be a nice cowboy romance but I struck gold and came away with a beautiful story of self-fulfillment with depth and wonderful three dimensional characters. Raine gave up his dream to become an English professor at the local community college in Taos. Raine was truly happy though living on his father's small ranch, he was a nester with his Dad as his best friend. Johnny had the film world by the tail but was perfectly happy doling out coffee and exploring his Apache show more heritage through short films. Raine and Johnny were perfect together until Raine pushed Johnny to reach for his full potential even if that meant leaving him. The story was absolutely brilliant and moved me on many levels. Looking at the father and son dynamic between Raine and his father and Raine and Weasel made me see how precious my own relationship with my Dad was. There was humor, heartbreak, sorrow and love in this feel good story that just bowled me over as I was lost in the pages. The HEA ending was incredible closing the circle on the solid bond of family that just left me wanting more.
I cannot recommend this remarkable book highly enough. show less

There are many things to love in this novel, first of all the fact this is an more than happily ever after love story: when the story starts the two main heroes are two old men living together in a Navajo reserve in 2008 and the reader is brought back with them to the winter of 1947, when they chose, for various reasons, to live together.

Mike and Logan were both soldiers during the IIWW. Logan, a Navajo Native American, was part of a special team with other two Native Americans from his own show more reserve. Mike was the son of the owner of the mines who now wants to open a mine inside the Navajo reserve. There is a murder and there are investigations and there is an unexpected culprit, but mainly this is a wonderful love story.

As many soldiers Mike came back from was not the same man he was before. He is drinking too much, regretting too much, and basically he is unable to live in peace after everything he saw. The only mainstay he seems to have is Logan, the fellow soldier he shared everything during the war, not only a tent. What he had with Logan was beautiful but he thought was supposed to end with the end of the war. That is probably yet another reason why Mike is unable to continue with his previous life, Logan was not only another live body with whom he could scare off the death he was seeing day after day.

Logan is now living inside the Reserve; like Mike he couldn’t go back to his life and he basically divorced from his wife (meaning he simply left their home to go living in the mountain). When Mike comes to him searching for something he doesn’t know, Logan knows, and he opens his arms. Living together alone in the mountains allow to these two men to not worry about what society will think; the Navajos are more worried about Mike being white that about him being a man loving another man, they are Two-Spirits and for the Native Americans that is an asset not something to hide.

This is a wonderful love story but it’s not an erotic romance; the love between the two men is plenty and clear, but the story has a bittersweet taste, exactly as it should be: two men remembering their past life together, a life that was long and beautiful, since they were together, but also peppered of tragic events and sad memories.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QOAYXE/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less