James Buchanan (2)

Joe Peterson is a dedicated and respected sheriff's deputy. He's active in the Mormon church. He's also gay and in the closet. But he figures it's a secret he can keep. It's never gotten in the way of his work or his life. But when Kabe Varghese shows up in the area, Joe's not quite sure what to do. Kabe pushes every one of Joe's buttons. And Kabe is also an ex-con, recently released on parole. When a mysterious death occurs on the ranch where Kabe is staying, Joe asks him to help show more investigate. He needs someone who can climb with him without risking a fall. But it may just be the one at risk of falling is Joe. And if he falls for Kabe, can he live with the consequences?

I've heard people say that coming out stories have lost their relevance. They reason that society is accepting now. They argue that people need not fear being out. And I can agree with wanting the world of "the closet" to be in the past. But the truth is that it's not. For many people, and for many reasons, it's still not safe to live out loud. Some communities just aren't there yet. And many professions remain conservative. For Joe, as a Mormon and law enforcement officer, his sexuality isn't going to go over with everyone. And even when one wants to live openly, you have to consider those outside influences.

Of course, there are characters in this book that I dislike. But I understand why they're there. And even though this book is from a few years ago, I think the story's still rather relevant. I plan to pick up the next book in the series when I get a chance. show less

What a great read! The characters, particularly Joe, were nuanced and well-rounded. Joe's conflict between his religion and his being gay seemed real although my personal beliefs fall more in line with Kabe's. The church bishop's response to Joe and Kabe's relationship had my stomach twisted in sick and sour knots. And honestly, the thought of family having to choose between a loved one or the church just seems the antithesis of Christian fundamentals, IMHO. *grrrr*

There were two things I show more did have a bit of an issue with in the book. First, not being familiar with climbing terms and equipment, I found myself torn out of the story to search info on line so I knew what the heck was going on. But hey, I learned something new and that's never a bad thing! The second issue was Joe's dialect. I had a difficult time understanding the phrasing (since I live in an area where we don't have an accent or dialect!) ;) There were times I had to re-read a sentence or two and twist the words into different configurations until it became clear. *shrugs* Probably it's just me. :/ That being said, I still loved the book and am looking forward to reading the sequel! show less

Interesting but a bit dry. The plot was decent. I thought the progression of Joe and Kabe’s relationship worked well. As usual for me, the singular point of view made it difficult for me to feel the passion between the two men. This was definitely not a ‘hearts and flowers’ romance. The few bits of steam were well written. I can definitely see the sexy side of mountain climbing. Think: fit people with an intrinsic knowledge of ropes. It makes me wonder why I haven’t seen more erotic show more fiction based on rock hounds. show less

Nick meets Brandon at a Goth (dark?) convention. A hookup turns into a weekend, which turns into keeping in touch, and then visits. When Brandon comes to visit, a former co-worker of Nick’s is murdered almost in front of them. Something odd is going on, and Nick is at the forefront of the investigation; as both an investigator and suspect.
This was an intriguing start to the series. Nick is a pretty awesome character, just unapologetically himself. And while Brandon appreciates him, he also show more goes out of his way to prove to anyone he sees that he’s straight, which puts a strain on any relationship they could hope to build. I’m with Nick; there are so many other ways that Brandon could show that he was straight that don’t involve being an asshole about it show less