“I’d lost myself in the abyss of someone else’s tyranny…again.” ― Cassandra Giovanni
Title: Final Admission
Author: Sue Brown
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 230 Pages
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: When Ethan Williams lands a job at Bingwell, Brock and Bacon, he realizes his coworkers aren’t exaggerating about James Trenchard. He really is a dick. But after Ethan is forced to work closely with James, he realizes there’s more to the lawyer than meets the eye.
Vibrant Ethan is a desperate reason to live again as James endures silent guilt and abuse from his husband after an accident. He calls Ethan for help after a beating, and stolen moments soon become the norm, but they can’t hide forever.
Ethan’s coworkers think he got his promotion because James is sweet on him, James is still being beaten despite his family’s concern, and the situation is swiftly becoming intolerable. Ethan and James need to find a way out of the cycle that’s hurting them both before their brand new love suffers as well.
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Review: As with all the books I have read by Sue Brown, this book is absolutely wonderful. This book may not be easy to read for anyone with domestic abuse triggers, but there is no on page abuse. There is, however, a very true depiction of the aftermath of spousal abuse.
When Ethan first meets James Trenchard, he believes he has met the most beautiful man in the world, but soon the man’s outrageous behavior puts Ethan on the defensive. As attractive as he finds James to be, Ethan isn’t going to be drawn into the games that James is playing.
One night after a confrontational meeting at a local club, James calls Ethan asking for help after. When Ethan takes James to the hospital after a “mugging”, barely conscious, he finds out that a mugging is certainly not the cause of his injuries. Against his own better judgment, he lets James convalesce at his apartment, but the payment for this is James’s total honesty. What Ethan finds out about James and his husband’s relationship shocks and angers Ethan, but the feelings he is developing for the man has him making concessions he never thought he would make.
Over time, James and Ethan grow closer and love develops, but a chance encounter with James’s husband sets events in motion that threaten everything Ethan holds dear. At this point Ethan makes a very tough decision. He can either hold on to James tightly or let him go so he can heal. Ethan makes the most difficult decision of his life, but he knows it is the correct one.
Sue Brown has tackled a few very difficult topics in this book, and I feel she did it well. There is the question of how long you stay in a dangerous relationship when there are extenuating circumstances, when is the right time to let the person you love go so they can heal, and how do you know when the time is right for second chances?
I know there are a lot of people that think cheating is ALWAYS wrong, that they would never be able to forgive it, but until we are in the situation we never know what we will live with or what we will forgive. In this book James and Ethan fall in love under some very difficult circumstances, and I think they made some very realistic decisions, and that made this book very believable. I would highly recommend Final Admission. As I said before, it may not be the easiest book for you to read, but I believe the message of healing, love and forgiveness is one that shouldn’t be missed.
You can buy Final Admission here:
Great review! Just one question, does it have a happy ending? Thanks Tina.
Yes Angela. There is a HEA, but it is hard won. I really appreciated how they had to fight for it. I hope, if you read it, that you love it like I did.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I agree that it’s not a particularly comfortable read, in fact it’s painful, but it is so very, very real. I wish there were more M/M books about serious issues.