“Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.” ― Oscar Wilde
Title: Sacrifices (A Jeff Woods Mystery)
Author: Chris T. Kat
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 250 Pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb: When he was outed on the local news, Jeff Woods gave up his dream job as a detective to become an on-air radio personality. The sacrifice was worth it to keep Alex and Sean in his life, but Alex lost his job, too. Jeff can tell Alex worries he’s pressuring Jeff too much, first with Sean and now the lack of money, but he has no idea what that will lead Alex to do. Desperate times bring out the stupidity in some people, and when Jeff discovers Alex is in over his head in a situation he can’t handle, he needs all his self-control to stay calm.
Life is not easy with the Church of Virtue still spouting venom wherever they go, homophobes at the police department, a gangster who wants Alex in the worst possible way, and a bed that barely holds one grown man, much less two (and a child), but Jeff is there to stay for good, and he’ll do what it takes to make Alex believe him.
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Review: I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was to get this book. I loved the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to see Jeff, Alex, Sean, Parker, and David again. Once I finished the book, I was very pleased with the direction the story took. Some of the plot was on the “unbelievable” side, but for the most part, I just loved this chance to revisit all of the guys.
Jeff has moved on from the police department due to some less than accepting co-workers and criminals. He has gotten himself a job at a local radio station, talking about the crime around town instead of going out there and fighting it. Jeff is definitely not fond of his job, but it pays well, and it is their only source of income. Alex lost his job after the chaos they found themselves in during the previous book.
Jeff and Alex have been muddling through their relationship, and not everything is coming up roses. Even though Jeff has been able to find some common ground with Sean, he still struggles with the day to day trials of caring for him. Sean has had some problems overcoming the affects of the attack against him, and Jeff is not only dealing with that fallout, but he is also trying to keep Alex’s stress levels down. This is no easy job, and it is wearing on both men, just in very different ways.
Alex hates to feel like he is a “kept” man but with no job, he has no choice but to let Jeff help him out when he needs it. Alex takes it upon himself to try to fix his financial woes and ends up setting events in motion that will not only put him in danger, but Jeff and Sean as well. It takes Parker and Jeff working together to get Alex out of the mess he created and in the process, the extent of Alex’s secret keeping is revealed, which puts their fledgling relationship to the test.
Luckily they get their issues resolved, but the fallout isn’t limited to the bad guys. A betrayal from an unexpected source almost costs Alex everything he holds dear, and puts Jeff and Alex on a new track with their friends, each other, and their careers.
As I said before, some aspects of this book were a tad unbelievable, but I was able to suspend disbelief and truly enjoy this story. I wasn’t completely enamored with Alex in this book, the backbone that he showed us in the first book all but disappeared in this story, and I desperately hope that we will get a chance to see it again.
Jeff was once again his loveable-clueless self, and I think he made more of a change than any other character in the series. His bond with Sean has turned into something very sweet and very honest. He grew so much between the first book and this one, and he has totally fallen in love with the little boy.
With the path he and Alex chose to take, I believe the next book has the potential to be the best of the series. I highly recommend this story, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for this motley crew.
You can buy Sacrifices (A Jeff Woods Mystery) here:
This sounds like a great series. You wouldn’t believe my TBR list. Thanks, Jackie. :)
If only there were more hours in the day, Paul! I don’t think I can hope to ever read all the books on my TBR pile. Maybe if I can clone myself someday. ;-)
You are so welcome Paul. I think you will love these two books. :)
Thank you very much for this kind review. I’m very happy that you liked the story even if you had to suspend disbelief and I hope you’ll like Alex better in the next book. :)