Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella

Adrian is no longer a prisoner of the fear-drenched existence that was once his life. No, that boy is long gone and in his place is a successful, well-dressed, event planner who lives for Manhattan and all she has to offer. He has friends, a solidly booked business, and everything his heart could desire except a boyfriend. But no matter, for Adrian, known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and being the rather impetuous type, has much too much on his plate to be concerned about love.

Normally, the dandified man wouldn’t be caught dead outside the city, but doing a favor for a well-placed friend of a friend has brought Adrian to Brooklyn where, while perusing the site for a wedding, he stumbles upon one of New York’s finest, Officer Galen Ellison. Adrian is smitten, Galen is intrigued, and the two hit it off immediately. But little does Adrian suspect that his gallant angel in blue will do more than make romantic overtures. Adrian’s haunted past is about to take on a fresh new look and unleash a new kind of hell—and Galen is the one that will save him from the demons, real and imaginary.

V.L. Locey has released the latest chapter in the Tales of Bryant series, featuring the impossibly elegant and quirky Adrian Pontimore—the very same man who staged Brian and Isamu’s wedding in Bryant Park. I simply adore Adrian, as he no doubt knew and assumed I would. Those who follow this series of wonderful novellas will remember him as the flighty wedding planner with the backbone of steel mentioned in previous stories. Hidden beneath the bold and seemingly nonchalant exterior he portrays to his clientele actually lurks some real trauma that Adrian has dealt with in his past. Bullying, beatings, and verbal abuse have all shaped the man Adrian is today, but he has put all of it behind him and, much like his name change, the past no longer rules his life—until it repeats itself and brings back all the terror and paralyzing fears that have hidden in the recesses of his psyche for so long.

Thankfully, Adrian has a knight in shining armor to keep the demons at bay. I may adore Adrian and his fiery wit, but I absolutely love Galen Ellison. He is everything Adrian needs and deserves—a man who sees beyond the glamorous and affected trappings Adrian so enjoys to the beautiful but wounded soul beneath. Galen doesn’t shy away from Adrian’s peacock ways and dress or old world affect, but instead worships them and the man who uses them as a shield between his heart and a bruising world. This couple made me laugh so much. I lived for their interactions and the way in which they danced around each other. This story is fresh and witty, yet serious and redemptive—quite a feat for a novella that boasts a fast-moving story in a limited amount of page space.

I do think fans of V.L. Locey’s series might enjoy this glimpse at the irrepressible Adrian and his fall into love. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to all who follow this series.