Book Reviews

Book Blurb

It should have been a perfect night out. Instead, Mark and Donald collide with tragedy when they leave their favorite night spot. That dark October night, three gay-bashers emerge from the gloom, armed with slurs, fists, and an aluminum baseball bat.

The hate crime leaves Donald lost and alone, clinging to the memory of the only man he ever loved. He is haunted, both literally and figuratively, by Mark and what might have been. Trapped in a limbo offering no closure, Donald can’t immediately accept the salvation his new neighbor, Walter, offers. Walter’s kindness and patience are qualities his sixteen-year-old nephew, Justin, understands well. Walter provides the only sense of family the boy’s ever known. But Justin holds a dark secret that threatens to tear Donald and Walter apart before their love even has a chance to blossom.

First edition published by MLR Press, March 2009

Second edition published by Dreamspinner Press, July 2014.

Book Review

‘Bashed’ is a true masterpiece; a novel about a range of human emotions and deep psychological insight, not to forget a few plot twists that had me reeling. It was a hard story for me to read and completely emotionally drained me. And as I am sitting down to try to capture my thoughts for this review, I am realizing it is even harder for me to review. My heart broke in the first chapter at the brutality of the men attacking Donald and Mark just because they are gay, and I am not sure I ever recovered from that. And as I am writing this I am beginning to think that maybe I am not supposed to recover from the pain I felt as I followed Donald through the struggle of physical recovery, then his attempt to rebuild his life and his desperate need to make sense of it all. Of course, nothing about his situation makes sense and how can anyone ever recover after losing someone they love? And yet there is light at the end of every tunnel, or so they say, and there is definitely some light at the end of this book.  Not too much, which is entirely appropriate considering how serious Donald’s loss is, but there is light.

Donald is fifty, has been in the gay leather scene for many years, met his lover Mark eighteen months ago, and has finally found love. When he loses Mark in the attack, he changes from being confident to being afraid. Having Mark “appear” for him scares him as much as he looks forward to every encounter. As he recovers physically and tries to deal with his new situation, he desperately tries to remember the attacker’s identities so they can be punished. His inability to do so and the pain he feels almost tear him apart, and I was right there with him. Yes, he “loses the plot” at times, and tries to forget his pain by any means possible, but it isn’t until he comes back to himself that the true healing can begin.

Walter, Donald’s new neighbor, is an important part of Donald’s healing process, and I admire his patience! Mark, in ghost form, has his own issues and I was not surprised he wasn’t able to let go until he had achieved what he wanted to do. Justin is one of the most interesting characters and while he was one of the perpetrators of the hate crime, he has a lot to deal with and a lot to learn. I cannot say I liked him, or was able to forgive him for what he did, but the insights into his thoughts helped me at least understand where someone like might be coming from. A tough thing to achieve, and Rick did a great job doing it.

The tagline of this story is “Love Never Dies” and that is really one of its key messages. If you think you can make your way through an emotional roller coaster and deal with the initial violence and its consequences, if you want a story that deals with the gamut of human emotions from hate and bigotry, to a victim’s anger and desperation, all the way through to love and forgiveness, and if you’re looking for a read that will not be easy but is extremely rewarding, then you should give this novel a try. As hard as it was for me to deal with, it was worth every tear I shed to accompany Donald on his road to recovery and new hope.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The second edition of this book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 69800 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	03-August-2020
Price	$5.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://ninestarpress.com/product/bashed/