Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Growing up in foster care has left Kerry Grey with little self-esteem or hope for his future. A college dropout, Kerry scrapes by on a part-time job at a garden nursery. His friendship with his boss and working with the plants are the only high points in Kerry’s life. He’s been dating the man who bullied him at school, but when his boyfriend abandons him at a party, Kerry wanders down the beach to drown his sorrows in a bottle of scotch.

Malcolm Holmes and Charlie Stone have been together for fifteen years. Despite Charlie's willingness to accept Malcolm's unspoken domination in bed, something is missing from their relationship. Early one morning, they rescue a passed out Kerry from being washed away by the tide and Charlie immediately senses a kindred spirit in the lost younger man. When Kerry’s roommate kicks him out, Malcolm and Charlie invite him into their home. As Charlie and Kerry bond over Charlie’s garden, Malcolm sees Kerry may be just who they have been looking for to complete their lives. All they have to do is show Kerry, and each other, that Kerry's submissive tendencies will fit their dynamic.

But someone is sabotaging Kerry at every turn. As he struggles to discover the culprit, he fears for the safety of his new friends. If Malcolm and Charlie cannot help, their lifelong search for their perfect third may not end with the happily ever after they imagined.

 

Book Review

'The Foster Family' was my first read by Jaime Samms. I have heard many good things about her writing and once I read the description I was eager to jump in. The length of the book was a little daunting, but since I somehow always end up reading and reviewing the long ones, I figured what the heck? I was struck immediately by the easy flow and ebb of the writing and it pulled me right into the story of Kerry, Malcolm, and Charlie.

Kerry is a sad, lonely guy who in his attraction and obsession with a childhood friend/high school bully has managed to fool himself for years that this guy really wanted him. Kerry messed up his education due to his obsession and now he's living hand to mouth, working part-time at a nursery having thrown away his opportunity at a botany degree. Malcolm and Charlie have been together for fifteen years when they find Kerry hungover and asleep on their beach. Malcolm knows what's going to happen before it even does and he's not sure he can handle another fixer-upper who ends up leaving them. Charlie has a tendency to find strays, they take them in, Malcolm and Charlie fix them (so to speak), and they're left alone when the young man leaves to find his forever love. Malcolm wants to be someone's forever love, he and Charlie both. There's something they need in their relationship, but Malcolm is afraid to believe it might be Kerry. But Charlie is convinced that Kerry is different and he just knows that this is the one to make Malcolm and him whole.

I was about a quarter of the way through this book when I realized why it was so long. This was no simple, cut and dried, story of two men in their thirties, one a Dom, the other a sub, who help a young man and bring him into their family. Nope. The author didn't take the easy road. She definitely took the road less traveled. Kerry is complicated and such a hurting and lost soul. He has allowed people to treat him like dirt his entire life while keeping them a safe distance from his heart. He has always been attracted to powerful men, but a huge part of him is terrified of being submissive. Charlie is content to sub for Malcolm, but Charlie's day job is as a personal assistant to a horrid woman and so, in his words, "I want someone to indulge who I don't also have to obey." And, then there's Malcolm, the Dom, who shields his heart against being hurt and claiming he's only helping to make Charlie happy. Malcolm has a lot of his own issues and some of them he's never even talked to Charlie about and vice versa. After fifteen years together, there's still a lot these guys need to resolve.

This was not an easy read. There is a lot of angst, drama, and serious soul searching. There's anger and pain and fear and hope. It's Kerry's honesty that highlights the serious cracks in Malcolm and Charlie's relationship and Kerry knows he can't stay and be the putty. Malcolm and Charlie have to get their crap together before Kerry can be a part of their lives. It's painful, sad, heartbreaking, and sometimes I felt as if my very being was turned to stone from the emotions pouring from the pages. Not a one of these men turned out to be who I initially thought they were. No. They were even better. The story was very far from stereotypical and took me places I wasn't expecting to go.

This was a very intense story about family. At the heart of it all, family is who we make it and it sustains us through all the ups and the downs. My first introduction to Jaime Samms. But it won't be my last.

 

 

 

 

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, 330 pages/113632 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-February-2014
Price	$6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $17.99 bundle, $24.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-foster-family-by-jaime-samms-6219-b