The Invasion of TorkRating: 4 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


Volunteering at a homeless shelter is not Adam’s idea of a good time. In fact, he loathes it and the very idea of the people he is supposed to be helping. Sure, Adam is good looking, but he’s vain and rude and out of touch. His thoughts are that he is so much better than all of these people and he’s going to prove it.

Tork also arrives at the shelter reluctantly, although for a different reason. Tork is homeless. He lives by a set of carefully constructed rules designed to bring some type of order to his life. While Tork is witty and clever, he’s living precariously on the edge and he hits his own rock bottom before he gathers the courage to visit the shelter.

Adam is immediately intrigued by Tork and his green hair as Tork challenges everything Adam thought he knew. And while the men both begin to seek the other out, they have many obstacles to overcome to reach common ground.

challenge month 2017 copyThis story was published almost three years ago and every time I see the title again it intrigues me. The TBR Pile Challenge for Reading Challenge Month was the perfect opportunity to finally get to it.

When Tork is introduced, he’s about as low as he can get. He has been on the streets for a while and he’s lost hope. While he’s good looking and smart and kind, he lives by these rules he has created designed to protect himself, yet the rules don’t allow him to reach out and ask for help. When he finds scraps of paper, he leaves origami figures so if he were to disappear, a little piece of him would remain.

Adam is volunteering at the homeless shelter only for the recommendation it can provide him. It’s a departure from his designer world where he is the center of attention and he’s a tough guy to like from the start. He’s determined to show the visitors to the shelter that he’s better than them all. Yet Adam doesn’t expect Tork as Tork voluntarily offers Adam assistance and their initial attraction turns to friendship with the hope for more as Tork takes steps to reclaim his life.

We don’t learn about Tork’s background or what led to his being homeless, yet he remains a dynamic character. His behavior could also hint at mental illness, but that also is not further explored. The characters are a bit cliched with Tork being homeless and having a good heart compared to Adam having had a solid life while being abrasive and unkind. Since the story was shorter, Adam had less time to truly make changes and that part of the story suffered for me. Ultimately the story offers hope as the end ties into the holiday season and meeting Tork was worth the read.

When this review was written, The Invasion of Tork was available for free on Amazon, iTunes and the Beaten Track Publishers website.


The Invasion of AdamRating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella

Adam thought he had a great life. From the outside it may have been shallow, but it all worked for Adam. When Tork enters his life, Adam begins to think differently, but Tork lives in assisted housing and is certainly not impressed with Adam spending money on him.

Adam is attracted to Tork and everything feels better and feels right when they are together, but Adam has to overcome the fact they come from different worlds. Part of Adam still wants to be out partying and hooking up, but that doesn’t feel right anymore because all he can see is Tork. Tork wants to be with Adam, but his past is still there and he’ll have to take steps to work through it and meet Adam on the other side.

This story picks up right after the first one and it was great that the authors decided to expand the story of Tork and Adam. Tork is off the streets and trying hard. He’s thinking of a future, going to therapy, and even has a cat. Yet, he still thinks it can’t be permanent as he still sleeps on the floor and visits the garage that he used to seek shelter in when he lived on the streets. Adam is trying as well. He’s still a bit abrasive and still mouthy, but he cares for Tork and catches him when he stumbles.

We learn more about Tork’s past here that fills in the missing pieces although we never do learn his full name. The authors are able to execute a full story here in a shorter number of pages that feels real and complete as the guys push each other to be their best selves. I would have enjoyed seeing some of the more emotional and intimate scenes between the two of them a bit more on page as it would have only added to their connection.

The book is about finding your strength and challenging yourself while finding the person that makes the ride that much sweeter.

This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for TBR Pile Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win a fabulous prize from NineStar Press. Four lucky winners will each receive a $25 NineStar Press gift card. Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press (a loaded Kindle fire filled with DSP books!). You can get more information on our Challenge Month here, and more details on TBR Pile Week here. And be sure to check out our prize post for more about the awesome prizes!

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