“All resurrection, all salvation, from whatever perdition, lies in love.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Author: J.R. Loveless
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 260 Pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb: The ADA Chronicles: Book One
In an attempt to atone for his sins and find some solace, ADA Agent Gabriel Romero helps other Deviants in need. But with threats from both sides—Normals and the Deviants who despise them—he finds it harder and harder to outrun his ghosts, especially after a difficult mission to rescue twin brothers held at an enemy compound, where Gabriel meets Alexander Ryker. Gabriel finds his new charge unexpectedly attractive, and that’s a complication he does not want—one he thinks he doesn’t deserve.
Despite the frosty reception from the stubborn agent who rescued him, sheltered telepath Alex feels an instant connection through the pain he sees in Gabriel’s eyes, and he does everything he can to gain his attention. The realities he must face while mastering his ability are hard, but failing to learn to defend himself is not an option. Soon he’ll need his newfound strength to convince Gabriel he deserves to live and love again.
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Review: In the world that J.R. Loveless has created for us, there are Normals and Deviants. Deviants were once Normals, but years ago they seemed to evolve. People of all ages, from young to mature, started to develop talents. Some become overly strong, some had telekinesis, and some were telepaths.
As more and more Deviants came out, the Normals became scared. This led to murders and some of the worst oppression the country has seen since the containment camps of WW II.
Eventually some Deviants and Deviant supporters founded the ADA, a safe place for Deviants to live and learn about their talents. The agents of the ADA would be sent out to rescue those Deviants that had been cast out by their families or held captive by people with less than honest plans for their abilities.
Gabriel Romero is an agent of the ADA. When his newest assignment comes along, he realizes this one might just hit a little too close to home. Not only are the Deviants he is rescuing a pair of twin brothers, just like him and his twin, but they are being held by the man Gabriel holds responsible for the death of his twin.
Once he rescues Alex and his brother, Gabriel is terrified to realize that he feels a strong attraction to Alex. When Gabriel realizes that Alex is attracted to him as well, he does his very best to push the younger man away. After the events that led to his brother’s death, Gabriel feels he doesn’t deserve any happiness in his life, and he does his very best to make sure he doesn’t get any.
Alex has never been on a date, let alone tried to seduce anyone, so when Gabriel pushes him away, he just tries to do his best with his training and spend as much time as possible getting closer to Gabriel. Slowly the two of them end up close, but Gabriel doesn’t want to let Alex in, and that leaves Alex vulnerable when a mole enters the ADA and puts them all at risk.
When they are attacked in their one safe place and Alex’s brother is kidnapped, Gabriel and Alex set out on their own and end up having to find shelter at a safe house. While there, Alex’s lack of control of his powers leads to another kidnapping, and Gabriel is going to have to face his past if he is going to save them all.
I absolutely loved this story. J.R. Loveless has created a fun little universe full of these wonderful characters that you can’t help but love. It was difficult reading Gabriel’s story and seeing how he put everything that happened in his past squarely on his shoulders. Once he began to let go of his guilt, he began to see the opportunity for a future. On the flipside, Alex has nothing in the world except for his brother. He lost his parents when his abilities manifested ,and the aunt that took him in recently died, so when he finds himself falling for Gabriel, he wants to keep the man close. He will just have to find a way to convince Gabriel to take a chance on him.
This story was not only a great love story, but there was some edge of your seat action and the potential for a few more books. I would definitely recommend this book, and I hope the author will revisit the ADA and it’s agents in the near future.
You can buy His Salvation here:
