Title: Re-Ignition
Author: A.R. Moler
Publisher: MLR Press
Length: 42 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I really enjoyed the way the relationship built naturally and was rooting for Griff and Sean to get it together and figure out that they belonged with each other. Recommended, particularly for short story lovers.
Reviewed By: Sadonna
Blurb: Griff Rieckert is an ex-FBI agent, with the emphasis on “ex.” A devastating knee injury in the line of duty has left him permanently disabled. After a drinking binge, trying to drown his depression, he wakes up in the bed of a gorgeous young doctor, Sean Avery. As Griff and Sean become involved in a tentative relationship, Griff”s dark mood of pain and frustration begins to lighten a little. The attraction to the young doctor gives Griff hope that he can piece his life back together, but all that might come crashing down when a madman loose in the hospital threatens Sean’s life.
Review: A former FBI agent who nearly loses his leg while trying to stop a carjacking—with a baby in the car—Griff is bitter, depressed and self-medicating with alcohol much more than he should. He misses his job and has been forcibly retired by the FBI since he can’t possibly pass the physical to be a field officer any longer. When he wakes up horribly hungover in a strange bed next to a gorgeous man he barely remembers, maybe, just maybe, it’s time to make some changes.
The man turns out to be a pediatrician whose sister is also going through PT at the same rehab. Sean is a really nice guy, and he encourages Griff to keep at the PT and figure out what he wants to do. He tries to convince Griff that his life isn’t over and that he just needs to reinvent himself and find something that he’s good at and would like to pursue.
They get closer and begin to text and talk daily, and Sean meets Griff for dinner, or they do take out, or one of them cooks. Things are getting more than causal but neither are ready or able to put that into words. But when Sean is put in danger and Griff has the opportunity to help—despite being afraid that he’s not up to the challenge—Griff goes with his instincts and helps in an extremely volatile situation. This is the catalyst for both men to confront their true feelings as well as maybe a new beginning.
A.R. Moler is such a good short story writer. We get to know these two men in a short page count, but it’s pretty clear that if they can get out of their own way, they might have something real here. Griff is still coming to terms with his new normal, and Sean is a caring guy who can help him put things back together—if only Griff will let him in. I really enjoyed the way the relationship built naturally and was rooting for them to get it together and figure out that they belonged together. Recommended, particularly for short story lovers.
You can buy Re-Ignition here:
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