“Oh yeah, I bought Aaron, it’s on my Kindle! But, uhm… I’m afraid to read it.”
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that sentiment. People afraid to read Aaron because of his pain. They fear his trauma and his darkness. They want to read it, to witness his recovery—to watch him fall in love, something Aaron never thought he’d be capable of. They just never click his name in their list of books to be read.
The Survivor Series can be read in any order. Aaron’s attack may be the epicenter of the series, but like a rock tossed into the pond—the ripples from that event are felt in each installment:
RECOVERY — Aaron
Aaron is the core—the hurt/comfort book that shows the reader the power of recovery, the strength of the human psyche, and the rewards of empathy.
LETTING GO – Ben
Ben is a tangent book focusing on the pain and loss of an older brother who feels responsible for his younger sister’s death. Juliette was murdered as she lay beside Aaron on that cold concrete floor and Ben will never forgive himself for it. In reality, he bears no responsibility for his sister’s fate—he could have done nothing to prevent it—yet, the pain is more than he can take. The story is about deflecting heartache with pain and the need for letting go.
RECLAIMATION – Spencer
Spencer is about reclaiming power in the face of powerlessness. While Aaron works in therapy to cope with his trauma, he’s getting a handle on it. He and Spencer are building a life together, but a puzzle piece is missing. That piece comes in the form of a trial—testifying against his attackers in an effort to take back the power they stole from him.
The events from Aaron ripple through Spencer, demonstrating his trauma in a more distanced way. While you understand what happened to Aaron—the horror is help more at bay than in Aaron because you’re not inside his head.
HOPE – Anthony
Anthony is an altogether different kind of book. Focused on the hope of Anthony growing past his neglect and drug abuse, we watch him struggle to become more than the kid in the basement, forgotten in the wake of his lunatic brother. Anthony comes out of the shadows cast by the basement stairs and fights to be his own man. Brothers Patrick and Bren aid in that fight—both coming to care for Anthony in different ways. Anthony finds—not only light and color in life—but a balance with the darkness, an escape from the madness.
So, if you’ve had Aaron sitting on a shelf, take a look at Anthony—you’ll find a lighter story full of laughter, love and light.
About the Book
Title: Anthony
Author: JP Barnaby
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG
Release Date: June 27, 2016
Pairing: M/M
Length: 200 Pages
Genre/Tags: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Hurt/Comfort
Goodreads Link
Purchase Links: Dreamspinner Press || Amazon || All Romance eBooks
Blurb: A Survivor Story
Aaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.
Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.
Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.
About the Author
JP Barnaby, an award-winning gay romance novelist, is the author of over two dozen books, including Aaron and the Little Boy Lost Series. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance, but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not hanging out with hot guys in leather, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix. A physics geek, she likes the science side of Sci-Fi, and wants to grow up to be Reed Richards.
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Thank you so much for having me! <3
Oh my gosh, it’s absolutely my pleasure! :)
I’m one of those who hung onto Aaron a long time before reading it but once I finally did, I loved it. Same for the rest of the books in the series and I’m definitely not going to let Anthony wait so long.
Aaron is a hard read, I don’t deny that. :) But some of the best things in life are worth working for. I’m so glad you liked it – and I think you’ll like Anthony, you see glimpses of Aaron and how he’s doing post-Spencer.
I’ve read them all and I won’t deny that Aaron was a little hard to read, but all the good overshadows the bad. I got really excited every time he made progress and the love between him and Spencer is so beautiful that it was really not difficult to get through the book. Aaron, Spencer, Ben and Anthony are fantastic reads and I wish there was more down the line from these characters.