Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter's son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found… and then lost… love.

Now, Angel's life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos. Between running his bakery and raising his troubled eleven-year-old half brother, Roman, Angel has a hectic but happy life. Then West Harris returns to Half Moon Bay and threatens to break Angel all over again by taking away the only home he and Rome ever had.

When they were young, Angel taught West how to love and laugh, but when Angel moved on, West locked his heart up and threw away the key. Older and hardened, West returns to Half Moon Bay and finds himself face-to-face with the man he'd lost. Now West is torn between killing Angel or holding him tight.

But rekindling their passionate relationship is jeopardized as someone wants one or both of them dead, and as the terrifying danger mounts, neither man knows if the menace will bring them together or forever tear them apart.

Book Review

“Because the last thing he did in life was something pretty stupid. I’d hate to face God and have to explain I died holding a bakery up with a fake gun.”

Rhys Ford is back with her acerbic wit, stunning descriptive imagery, and a murder mystery to keep me hopping. Not to mention the sulky, angry, snarky twin of Lang's whom I briefly met in book one. West Harris is the kind of man who lingers in your mind and I wanted more of him.

Angel and West have history from when they were teenagers in Half Moon Bay but they haven't spoken in over a decade. West's company wants to buy the bakery and parking lot that Angel owns so they can tear down the motel and build condos. Well, Angel isn't having it no matter how much money he gets offered. There are other reasons at play and since it's also the only stable home Angel's little brother, Roman, has ever had, it stands to reason he's sticking to his guns. The little brother their deadbeat, con-man dad dumped on Angel's doorstep and left.

When someone makes an attempt on West's life, again, the same morning someone shoots up the bakery, well it's time for West to come back to Half Moon Bay even if it's just to recuperate. It doesn't take long before these two run into each other, and even less time for all the emotions from that long ago summer to return. Talking about then and now starts the healing process, but first they have to figure out who is trying to kill them, and screw Angel over.

On a Rhys Ford scale I have to say that 'Hanging with Stars' is murder light, but the characters and interactions are the strengths of this novel. The secondary characters are phenomenal also, but it is the relationship between Angel and Roman that is sheer perfection. Every emotion the author caught pretty much hit me hard in the stomach and left me reeling. Don't get me wrong. This is still a suspenseful thriller and, as always, I couldn't figure out all the twists and turns until the author revealed them.

An emotional thrill-ride that left me jonesing for more.

 

 

 

 

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

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 204 pages/74726 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	05-December-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/hanging-the-stars-by-rhys-ford-7846-b