The Three Hour Man (Manlove at the End of the World, #2) by James Cox
“Lust’s passion will be served.” – Marquis de Sade
The Three Hour Man (yes, it means exactly what you think it means) is the sequel to James Cox’s The Last Cowboy, the series set in a post-Plague world where a majority of the world’s population has been decimated by a deadly virus, leaving only the strongest to survive in a wasteland of loneliness and pent-up desire.
Deon and Chase were introduced at the end of book one in this series, where their story was set up to tell and which now goes back in time, roughly six months earlier, to explain how the two men met. I debated on whether or not to say this could be read as a stand-alone, but I think it is important to read the books in order, if not for the character set-up, then for some of the world building that’s done in The Last Cowboy, just to set the mood for what’s happening in this present dystopia.
Vigilantism and extremism are de rigueur, it seems, as the social structure of the country begins to crumble under the strain of survival and the compulsion to procreate and repopulate the earth, and those who suffer the most are those whose desires run contrary to the mania of the few who are bent upon fulfilling the mandate to be fruitful and multiply. This is where Deon meets Chase, as the young man is set to be hanged for his refusal, not to mention his inability, to breed on command.
On a steady diet of loneliness, then suddenly not being alone anymore; on a steady diet of denial, then suddenly having what you’ve most craved within reach, lust and sex become the things upon which these two men feast and ultimately forge a bond where their desires extend to the idea of creating a new Utopia where people will live together peacefully and in acceptance of each other’s differences.
I’ll be honest, reading these books from a woman’s POV has been…interesting, to say the least. This series is unapologetically erotic; it’s the contrast of uninhibited and joyful and frenzied sex set against a backdrop of a world that no longer holds much joy but does hold the promise of a better future. These men explore and expose all their feelings on the surface; they’re direct and end up the better for it because they’re no longer afraid to reach out and grab whatever measure of happiness they can find. I’m afraid that some of the…uh…well, let’s just say that I’m not sure I have the right equipment to fully appreciate the view James Cox is giving me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking.
Buy The Three Hour Man HERE.
