Delsyn’s Blues by Lou Sylvre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
”Sonny James and Luki Vasquez are living proof that the course of love never runs smoothly.”
If ever there was a single sentence that set the tone for a novel, this is it. Not only does the course of love never run smoothly for Sonny Bly James and Luki Vasquez, but Lou Sylvre strategically throws some crater-sized potholes in the path, too, just to keep things interesting along the way. Interesting and heartbreaking and nerve wracking and anxiety inducing. And romantic and sexy and quite lovely. Delsyn’s Blues encompasses them all.
Loss, the ensuing grief, and the pain of guilt throw the first set of roadblocks across the path to happiness for Sonny and Luki. Add danger, jealousy, and the betrayal of a once trusted friend, and it becomes abundantly clear these men will have to suffer for the sake of their love. And suffer they do, but amidst the chaos, there is also the desperate need for each other that is sometimes strength, sometimes vulnerability, always present. There are endearments and affirmations and symbols that acknowledge commitment, although even those were not enough, at times, to overcome the doubt that insisted upon intruding on their plans for the future.
Learning more about Sonny and his chequered past provided not only a fair amount of insight into his character but also provided for more than a few surprises along the way. And it’s that less than flawless past that contributes to the turmoil he and Luki encounter on their journey—a former lover and Sonny’s biological father (to use the term loosely) play a part in the murder and mayhem, suspense and action that the author weaves into the conflicts in Luki and Sonny’s relationship.
So much of their connection is about trust: trusting in their bond, trusting in a future together, trusting that their love is enough of a foundation on which to build a life together, believing that when one falls, the other will be there to catch him. That faith didn’t come easily and its lack nearly tore them apart. But one thing they did discover through the heartache and despair is that in order to know whether they could trust in each other, they had to take the risk and simply trust in each other. It was a hard fought, hard earned lesson for Sonny and Luki, one that I hope to see payoff in a sequel.
Delsyn’s Blues is a crime drama, to be sure, though the romance did its best to eclipse that part of the plot. These men are charismatic, enigmatic, and magnetic, so becoming invested in their personal relationship was a welcome indulgence.