where the world endsRating: 4 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella


When Deputy Will Cooper gets lost on his way to a call, he’s surprised by the attitude he receives in the small town of Taholah, Washington. New to the state, Will had heard of the dissention between the local tribe and the Sheriff’s Department, but as of yet, he’s not experienced it. When he meets Colin Sharpe at the gas station in town, Will thinks maybe not all of the tribe will have it out for him.

Colin Sharpe is a peacemaker. He doesn’t agree with his father’s views of the white man, but he knows he can’t stop him either. Colin is immediately attracted to Will but he knows dating him would earn no favor in his father’s eyes. When rumors begin flying about the deputy, Will doesn’t believe them, but it affirms his decision to not attempt to get involved with Will.

When Will runs into Colin at a local bar, the chemistry between them is too much to ignore. Anything between them would be a mistake, but neither man can resist. A one night arrangement turns into more, but Colin is determined to keep their relationship a secret so his father won’t learn the truth of it.

When Will is accused of wrongdoing by a troubled teen, the prejudices of the tribe fall on his head. Will has been hurt in love before, but hopes that this thing with Colin will be different. And after the tribe files suit against Will, tempers flare and misunderstandings ensue. Colin is forced to choose between the prejudices of his father and the love of a man he knows to be innocent.

I loved this story. It took a minute to get into, but not for the reasons you may think. The writing is good. But the storyline felt a little predictable in the beginning. It’s not so much though. I mean yes, our heroes hook up and keep their relationship a secret, but there’s so much more to it than that. There is so much more to this story than prejudice and hiding. This is a story of unexpected and somewhat forbidden love. A story of secrets. A story of prejudice and its effects on the unsuspecting. It’s a story of forgiveness and standing up for what is right. It’s a beautiful, heartwarming story that I’m grateful I had the chance to read.

I like that this author shows the ability to take a rather predictable plot and make it his own by adding a few twists and turns. First the characters. Will and Colin are great characters, but the predictability factor was there quickly. Boehme adds in a racial prejudice and poor dating history to shake things up. The story. I’m telling you guys, as evenly paced as this story is, I did not see the shocker that hit near then end of this book. If you’re reading it and you think you know what’s coming. I promise you; you do not. The variations this author added to a somewhat common story is what held my attention.

I enjoyed the journeys of both of these characters. Will is sweet. There’s not another way to say it. He’s a little bit innocent, maybe even a little naïve. He’s running from a past and a hurt he doesn’t want to think about and instead stumbles head first into controversy and hate. Colin loves his father and desires his father’s love and respect, but he also doesn’t limit himself to his father’s hatred.  I think I enjoyed Colin’s progression the most—from wanting to please his father to becoming his own man and standing up for what he believes, for love. It was hard for me to respect all of his actions in the beginning, but by the end, I had the utmost respect for Colin.

And as always, I loved the interracial aspect of this story and the realistic prejudice that comes along with it. I enjoyed the fight that Will and Colin face, not because of their love of the same sex, but because of the color of their skin. I find it appalling that this is still a thing, but growing up in the south I see it every day. What tugs at my heart the most is the beauty of the fight Colin and Will put up, the will to face adversity. The message that flows through this story is that love—no matter the color, no matter the gender—is love and is worth fighting for.

As much as I like this story, and it’s obvious that I do, I was a little disappointed by the ending. It felt a little shakey, maybe even a little weak. After all that these guys go through, I wanted their happily ever after to come with fireworks, instead it’s kind of ho-hum and (I hate to say it) predictable.

But overall, I really liked this story. I love the characters and their story, but above all I enjoyed this author’s storytelling. It’s easy to read and beautifully told. I recommend Where the World Ends by Kade Boehme.

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