Retreat to Island County
Derek Adams
MLR Books
One man is betrayed by a
faithless lover. Another is devastated when his lover is lost to an act of
terrorism. Can they put the past behind them and come together to forge a new
bond? Ben and Rick must not only fight the ghosts of their pasts, but also face
a real and present danger when a child is kidnapped by his white supremacist
father. Will they be able to overcome the sinister forces that threaten to
destroy those they love and keep them apart forever?
Derek Adams has scored a winner with 'Retreat to Island County'. Protagonists Rick and Ben both have a lot of issues to deal with before their relationship can take off and the sexual tension between them rises to extremely steamy levels before they finally connect. Ben has been in a ten year relationship with a man he ultimately discovers has been cheating on him for years. He swears off romance and vows to seek out raw, uncomplicated sex in the future. This leads to a series of encounters that range from sleazy to humorous to downright dangerous before he retreats from the city and hunkers down on Whidbey Island in Washington state. There, in the course of settling down to a simpler life, he meets Rick Baxter, a handsome, hunky forest ranger.
ReplyDeleteRick is haunted by a lover lost to an act of terrorism and hasn't been able to move on with his life. When he and Ben meet, the attraction is instantaneous, but Rick doesn't feel free to act upon his feelings.
While the tension between them simmers and the frustration grows, other forces are gathering on the horizon to threaten their growing affection and their very lives. After befriending a lesbian couple and their young son, Ben becomes the target of the boy's white supremacist father. The tension ratchets up until Ben risks his life to rescue the boy after he has been abducted.
This book kept me riveted from beginning to end. I really liked the two main characters and their slow, uncertain journey to romantic fulfillment. The secondary characters were also well-drawn. Even the minor characters stood out and fleshed out the story and background.
I highly recommend this. It's a great read!