TrinketsRating: 5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Alex is on the run from his wealthy, abusive ex. He took a few hundred dollars and a special teddy bear, but not much else. As he’s driving through the desert, Alex gets into an accident and is hurt. In a bizarre series of events, in his delirious state, he winds up following a mysterious crow until he collapses.

Lars is a mechanic who takes care of his five-year-old niece, Holly. Before he settles in for the night, he hears his Crow (he refuses to call Crow his pet) cawing in the distance. It sounds urgent, so he heads out to see what the fuss is. He finds Alex lying on the ground, hurt and dehydrated, with Crow on guard over him. Lars picks Alex up and takes him to his house.

Alex’s car is more messed up than Lars thought, and it’s going to take a few weeks to get all the parts. He offers Alex a place to stay in exchange for helping around the house and with Holly. Alex wants to decline, but other than walking through the desert trying to hitch a ride, he doesn’t have too many options. The men slowly begin to fall for each other, but Alex’s past has caught up to him, and the question is whether they can overcome it and make a family.

Oh. My. Goodness! This was such a great book! It positively dripped with atmosphere. It reminded me of a Tennessee Williams play…hot, dramatic, sweaty, and sexy as hell. Kayleigh Sky has written a slow burn, stunning story that really stuck with me after I read the last page, and I am so impressed.

Alex is understandably skittish. He’s trying to escape a bad situation and get as far away as possible. He, in no way, shape, or form, wants to be stuck in a small town with 250 dollars and no car. He’s young, and he’s not used to kindness, so when Lars and Holly take him in, he’s not sure what to do. I liked Alex’s vulnerability, but I also liked his growth. He didn’t want to care for Lars and Holly, but it was almost as if he couldn’t help himself.

Lars tore at my heartstrings. His main focus in life is Holly. He is so caught up, he doesn’t realize he’s not fulfilling his own needs. I could almost feel the loneliness radiating from him. He fixes people’s cars, and he tends to Holly’s needs. He’s an artist and paints, but there doesn’t seem to be any joy in his life. When he realizes he’s falling for Alex, he is taken aback, but he feels such passion. I loved reading about his discovery of himself.

When Alex and Lars came together, my heart just exploded. It was sweet, romantic, and hot. Lars tells Alex he wants to paint him, and it’s a natural progression. The writing is detailed, but there is a beauty to it that I didn’t expect. For instance:

He crossed the room. Lars opened his arms, and Alex went into them and tipped his head back into Lars’ palm. His heart thundered and he shook like somebody with a fever. Lars bent down to him, covering Alex’s mouth with his, and Alex opened with a pent-up moan that he thought maybe had been buried in him for his whole life, waiting. Waiting for a touch that longed just for him. The real him.

There’s more, but this review would be filled with nothing but my favorite passages. I’ve read their first love scene (and I mean that, they’re having sex, but it’s so much more) three times, and I’m sure I’ll read it many more.

There weren’t many background characters, but they were written very well. Holly was wonderful. She was the right mix of precious and precocious. She realizes Alex is special, and she seems very in tune with Crow. Speaking of Crow…he was great. He led Lars to Alex and played an integral role in keeping them together. There was Ev, the tow truck driver. His role was relatively small, but he was still important to the story because he was the catalyst to the climactic scene.

There is a bit of excitement and intrigue toward the end. It was nicely done, and it didn’t overwhelm what Trinkets is, which is a slow burn love story between two men who complete each other and how they make a family. I can’t recommend this one enough.

kenna sig