SnaggedRating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella

Kyle is a thief.  It’s all he’s ever known really, and he’s under the thumb of some low-life gangster—forced to steal at his whim. He hates it. So he makes the daring decision to try and break free, but first he needs the papers Quince keeps in his safe and uses to keep Kyle firmly under control. The break-in goes well right up until he gets the safe open and it’s empty. That’s when Seth shows up and turns Kyle’s whole world upside down.

throwback thursdaySeth’s got Kyle’s papers—the ones he needs to start a new life—and he offers Kyle a choice: take the papers and some cash and run, or stay with Seth and explore the heady attraction between them. As soon as Kyle finds out Seth’s not everything he’s pretending to be, Kyle runs. He runs far and he runs fast but he can’t outrun his feelings for Seth, so he goes back. Seth may not have been completely truthful with Kyle, but the truth of their feelings is strong enough to encourage Kyle to work it out. Maybe his new life free and clear doesn’t have to mean free of Seth too.

Well, I promised you guys a review of the first m/m book I ever read, and here it is, the one that popped my cherry. Of course I love this book for nostalgic reasons, being my first, but it’s also just a damned good story. Even though review are essentially just opinions, I try not to get too personal in them, but I think it’s going to be kind of impossible with this one. This story helped shape so many of my opinions on m/m fiction (both as a reader and an author) that it would be unavoidable not to mention that. This was the book that essentially set my writing career in motion and was my first lesson in strong characters, witty discourse, building tension, and how to make a sex scene hot.

It’s a Jet Mykles story, so you know right off the bat it’s going to be well written. And while I think she was still playing with some things in terms of style and voice at this point in her career, it’s still a brilliantly crafted story. These characters have depth, but it’s skillfully and subtly done so that you don’t feel hit over the head with it. The tension between them crackles visibly and their banter is smart and fun.

Kyle is a little awkward and unsure and it makes him incredibly endearing. Seth is my favorite personality type: charming and a little (okay, a lot) arrogant, confident and smooth with an edge, and devastatingly witty. They work so well as a couple and they really complement each other. It’s easy to see why sparks flew between them early and often and why they can’t seem to walk away from each other even when it’s at a great personal risk that they stay. Every time I read this their happy ending makes me finish this with a smile. Well, their happy ending and the hilarious epilogue.

This plot works really well for the type of story it is. It’s exciting and the reader is just dumped into the action right away and there’s a building tension that really highlights the connection between the characters. It’s wonderfully done. Being a novella, there’s not a lot of nuance or intricate detail going on, but it doesn’t feel lacking in any way. The story is complete, it started at the most exciting point, and it ended on a high.

This is just a timeless feel-good story. It’s a great read for newbies and seasoned fans of m/m alike. I highly recommend it!

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