Gambling on LoveRating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

 


Abe and Gary have known each other since childhood. They grew up in a small Montana town, and Abe, bigger faster and stronger than Gary, was a protector from the beginning. As they grew, Gary confessed his sexuality to Abe—not that people didn’t suspect—but, surprisingly, Abe confesses that he’s totally gone for Gary, too. They had a clandestine love all of senior year, and Gary hoped he and Abe would escape their small town for a bigger life they could live openly. Then, the coach caught them having it off in the locker room, and Gary fled.

Eleven years have passed. Gary spent the past five of it as a submissive to a much older man, Peter, who came out late in life and wanted a boy toy to play with before his health completely failed. To fulfill Peter’s dying wish, Gary must drive from Seattle to Vegas, and make a $10,000 bet on roulette. He’s to play until the money’s gone, and walk away. Penniless. On the trip, Gary gets caught in a blizzard just outside his hometown, and his beater car runs into a truck. Abe’s truck.

These two don’t have a stellar reunion. It was unpleasant, actually, what with the near frostbite and bleeding head wounds. But they do head back to the cabin Abe house sits and reconnect. Gary and Abe are both rather prickly. Abe has long felt wounded from Gary’s abandonment, and he can’t quite understand his relationship with Peter. Mostly, he doesn’t want to, because it’s weird, to him, that a sexy young man would allow a sugar daddy to control his life. And that pissed Gary off.

Okay, this lovers reunited romance is not without hitches. But the guys manage to hate-sex it out for a week until it’s safe enough to travel—and Abe insists in going along on this morbid task. By then, their attraction is pretty high, and they are coupling well—but what’s next? How long will they make it when Gary refuses to live in Smallsville, and Abe has no big city prospects or connections?

The back and forth here became a little tiresome. Abe was insensitive about Gary’s connection with Peter, and Gary was mostly just plain insensitive. They rub each other raw, and then kiss it better, which sometimes felt forced. Their trip to Vegas was fraught with issues, between the demands of Peter’s will, and the emotional toll of his memory. I did like how Abe assumed that protector role for Gary and was a complete rock when Gary was caught in his grief. I think that experience solidified their tenuous connection for Gary, who always seemed to have one foot out the door. I also liked that he recognized and acknowledged his foolishness back when he was a kid, and how his actions hurt both Abe and himself.

Ultimately, there’s lots of sexytimes, and a sweeter ending with surprises, new adventures, and a solid love described in the epilogue.

Note: The publisher notes this is a heavily-revised second edition; I’ve only read this version so I cannot comment on the updates except to say the book was well-written and lacking any glaring issues.

veronica sig