Book Reviews

Book Blurb

In his prime, Raleigh had snared the vicious fighter Moshe into marriage through a mutual game of push and pull. Ten years later, Raleigh suffers from a chronic knee injury and flagging confidence, while his bond with Moshe has eroded drastically.

During yet another domestic squabble, Raleigh learns that Moshe intends to leave their home to take part in a winter sword fighting tournament. Roused by a mix of broken pride and desperation, Raleigh chooses to attend as well—in what he believes is the last chance to win back Moshe's devotion.

 

Book Review

Getting old isn’t easy for anyone, but for a man who has built his life, his marriage, and everything he is around his physical prowess, losing that strength is a blow he fears he’ll never recover from. This is the story of Raleigh, lord of a faraway castle and its lands in the rough north, and his husband of ten years, Moshe, who comes from the refined south. They used to be happy, but ever since a knee injury of Raleigh’s that refuses to heal, Raleigh and Moshe have drifted apart far enough for Raleigh to fear he is losing the man he still loves beyond all reason.

Raleigh is a proud man. His self-worth is built on being strong, winning tournaments and sword fights, and making his lover submit in the power games they play. His knee injury is beginning to bother him on a daily basis, but when he hears of the invitation to his cousin’s refined estate for the winter games, he is determined to make one last stand and win back Moshe’s affection. All the more because he fought his cousin for Moshe, and Raleigh fears he will ultimately use Moshe to his more worldly cousin.

Moshe is a stubborn man, small of stature and all the more determined to prove his worth. He loves Raleigh more than anything, but his husband’s refusal to open up, to let him in, makes him fear it is all over. He cannot live with being ignored, yet everything he does to get noticed doesn’t seem to matter anymore. He desperately wants to help Raleigh, and the man’s walls infuriate him to the point of rage.

This is a tale full of testosterone, male pride, some hot bedroom interludes, and, ultimately, about the importance of love. If you like stories with noble knights set in the past, if you enjoy an honorable fight or two between lovers and rivals alike, and if you’re looking for an unusual love story with lots of posturing and some real inner conflict, then you will probably like this short story.

 

 

 

 

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

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 14000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	27-August-2014
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-therustedsword-1597765-143.html