Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Take one smart, sexy lawyer with tattoos covering his body. Add a macho, handsome Texan with a liquid-gold accent and enough hang-ups to drive a lawyer to commit a crime.

When Alex West told his parents he was gay they said, “Okay. What do you want for supper?” He grew into a happy, well-adjusted man and a sharp-as-a-tack lawyer. He has it all—except someone to call his own. Meeting Kyle Harbor for the first time, lots of thoughts run through his mind. Most of them dirty. Finally, someone sexy and available, and what a catch.

 

Kyle Harbor grew up with a homophobic father who spent years convincing him what ‘real men’ did and didn’t do. They definitely didn’t fool around with one another, and Kyle got a summer at Bible Camp to convince him. Married for nearly twenty years, he finally decided his beautiful wife deserved better and divorced her. Now he’s looking for love in all the wrong places when he stumbles upon Alex and sparks fly. Can he battle his demons from the past, or is their relationship doomed before it even gets a chance?

 

 

Reader Advisory: This book contains references to homophobically motivated physical child abuse, some brief references to drug use, one brief reference to gang rape, and implications of a ‘gay conversion program’ in backstory.

Book Review

The idea of a lawyer working to right the wrongs of the world, or Chicago, at least, while hiding a lot of tattoos under his clothing is insanely sexy and drew me to this second installment in Jenna Byrnes's 'Marked Men' series. I liked the connection with the characters in the first book because I enjoy seeing those people again and how they're doing. My heart was drawn to Kyle as well, considering what he must have suffered as the son of a sheriff in a small Texas town.

“Kyle worked his mouth like he was chewing on something. “I don’t think so. I don’t do relationships. Or mornin’s, or shared cab rides. That’s just not my thing.”
Alex’s head was fuzzy and he struggled to process the words. “So you’re telling me that you meet strange men in public places to have sex?”

Alex and Kyle definitely didn't start off the way I expected. However, seeing that Kyle still doesn't see himself as gay, and even five years after his dad's death Kyle continues to repeat that man's mantras in his head, while Alex is out and proud, I shouldn't have been so surprised. Every time these two men try to compromise something gets said or done and someone is storming out the door. I could empathize with how Alex felt since Kyle basically gave the impression that he might as well leave money on the dresser before he left. But seeing what was in Kyle's past helped to explain a lot of those preconceptions towards gay relationships.

There were a few things I had an issue with although it's probably me being picky. For a man like Kyle who couldn't understand gay couples or even how to date a man, and the majority of his sexual encounters had been with hustlers or strangers in bathrooms, I found it very hard to believe that Kyle was perfectly okay being either the pitcher or the receiver. Pitcher? Oh yes, that I could see. Tough guy from Texas and all, but receiver? Not in a million years and it obviously wasn't his first time. My other problem was the constant back and forth between Kyle's "position" regarding a relationship and Alex's feelings about being wanted, and used, only for sex. Sometimes it was like watching a tennis match and it got a little tiresome after a while, in my opinion. My final moment of disbelief came when Kyle came out to his grown daughter and her response. Let's just say it didn't strike me as very realistic.

Regardless of the issues I had with this story, it is still an enjoyable, very sexy read with strong characters. As I mentioned my problems are my opinion only and most likely are due to me being extra picky. If you enjoy a story about two men who are as different as night and day, who have intense and crazy sex, and who battle it out to find their happy ever after, then this might be the book for you.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 181 pages/60165 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	28-February-2017
Price	$3.99 ebook, $10.49 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/admissible-behavior