“Truth is hard-hearted and unrelenting, too clear, precise.” ― Dejan Stojanovic
Author: Shawn Lane
Publisher: Amber Allure
Pages/Word Count: 99 Pages
Rating: 3 Stars
**Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers**
Blurb: Dave Johnson is closing up his bar in the early hours of the morning when he rescues a young Goth who identifies himself only as Kyle. When Dave realizes Kyle has nowhere to go, he offers to let the young man stay at his place.
Kyle is sexy and surrounded by mystery, and rather tight-lipped about it all. But he soon worms his way into Dave’s life and heart. Yet dark secrets have a way of coming out at the most inopportune times, and Kyle’s past life may catch up to the men sooner than either of them expected.
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Review: This book starts out with the discovery of a 19 year old Goth boy, Kyle, who is being beaten up by a group of guys outside Dave’s Bar. Dave Johnson, 27 year old, bar owner, rescues the boy and takes him home, when he realizes he is homeless, hungry and scared. As the story progresses with instant chemistry, Dave realizes Kyle is hiding from someone or something from his past that keeps both of them wary of each other.
Dave was married to a woman and eventually divorced due to his preference of men. He owns a motorcycle and a bar. His life revolves around running the bar and riding his bike. After he rescues Kyle and takes him home, he continually assumes the worst of Kyle in every situation. Kyle manages to hold his own with Dave and his controlling tendencies, and they quickly develop a sexual relationship. Dave eventually realizes how boring his life was before Kyle.
I am a huge Shawn Lane fan, but I felt like the characters were underdeveloped for the complexity of this story. Kyle left home early because of his sexuality and lack of parenting from his drug addicted mother. The part of the story that seemed to be underdeveloped was his involvement with the DEA agent that was undercover with a drug cartel. Kyle witnesses a murder, and his life is sent into a further tailspin. The reader is not given much of a backstory, so the ending seemed abrupt.
This book has all the parts of a “rainy day” read. It has lots of sex, light BDSM, and insta-love where the reader does not become overly invested in the characters.
You can buy Beyond the Norm here:
