Author: Samantha Kane
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Pages/Word Count: 192 Pages
At a Glance: This book is a well-grounded, realistic view of two people from different worlds coming together and navigating obstacles.
Reviewed By: Taz
Blurb: Their spark could be too hot to handle…or bring a dying town back to life.
Officially, Turnstiles CEO Brian Curland is in Mercury to set up a new data center. Unofficially, he’s using this trip to re-evaluate his life, because for a man who has everything, he’s feeling pretty empty.
He could buy any car he wants. But no, he had to rent a piece-of-crap Chevy—which is now broken down on the side of the road. When he’s rescued by a sexy local, Brian does what he always does. Go for what he wants, even if it’s just temporary.
Evan Michaels stops to help because that’s what good guys do. He grew up in Mercury, eventually becoming minister of the local Unitarian church. Though everyone knows him, being gay and being in a gay relationship are two different things. He wants Brian, but their affair has to be secret or he can’t play.
When Evan unleashes his long-suppressed sexuality, Brian is more than up to handling the heat. Yet even though they fall hard for each other, it might take the whole town to convince them it’s a forever kind of love.
Warning: Contains an inexperienced minister, gay comic-book role play, dirty dancing in antebellum mansions, and some very naughty fireworks. Protective gear recommended.
Review: Cherry Bomb is the first book I’ve read by Samantha Kane. It took me a while to complete it due to work and life, but each time I continued reading, the story gripped me as if I hadn’t walked away. Part of the reason for this, I suspect, is that the pace was leisurely. There was no nail-biting action or suspense. Instead, this book is a well-grounded, realistic view of two people from different worlds coming together and navigating obstacles.
Brian is a billionaire. Yup, you read that right. He’s so rich he can’t even count that high. He has a thriving company and everything he touches seems to turn to gold. Well, except for his personal life. He can’t seem to let his guard down enough to make a real connection with another man.
Evan is the opposite. He’s a small town minister and definitely NOT a billionaire. He’s content to live in the small town of Mercury, North Carolina. Living involves respect, a sense of belonging, and a place he loves and calls home, but it does not include an active gay lifestyle. He isn’t comfortable living openly as an active gay man, feeling his community can accept he’s gay as long as they aren’t picturing him doing gay things.
Most of the book centers on the two of them exploring each other and in the process, learning things about themselves. The emotions and progression of their relationship is slow, the development of the characters, the setting, and other people in Mercury evolving go at a natural pace. When they begin to explore each other sexually, the heat sparks up. Much of this is due to the idea of an inexperienced minister getting all sexified for the first time…maybe that makes me a sinner, but I found it really hot.
What I really enjoyed about this book is how the author allowed the story to happen. She didn’t force anything. There were no significant plot twists or conventions that propel a story into turmoil in order to create tension. I could imagine this happening in real life. That made it even more romantic and exciting.
So, as a first time Samantha Kane reader, I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
You can buy Cherry Bomb here:
The Novel Approach Reviews 
Leave a Reply