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squishysnail's review
3.0
I'm starting to notice a trend of info overload at the start of the series.
As the first book of a series, it has a lot of promise, but the storyline bogs down with too many details.
Setting that aside, this is a very charming story of a man struggling with his faith and community while he faces his attraction for another man. I really liked the story a lot.
It took some time to warm up to the characters though.
I'm not a real fan of continuing storylines so I'm not sure if this is a series I will continue reading. But if this is anything like Buchanan's Taking the Odds series, the second book should be a significant improvement.
As the first book of a series, it has a lot of promise, but the storyline bogs down with too many details.
Setting that aside, this is a very charming story of a man struggling with his faith and community while he faces his attraction for another man. I really liked the story a lot.
It took some time to warm up to the characters though.
I'm not a real fan of continuing storylines so I'm not sure if this is a series I will continue reading. But if this is anything like Buchanan's Taking the Odds series, the second book should be a significant improvement.
plax1612's review
5.0
Wow! From the first pages I knew this was a sexy, hot, well-written book, and it didn't disappoint. Great characters, lots of deep internal angst and yet a happy ending. Fascinating stuff about mountain climbing too.
christyduke_5117's review against another edition
5.0
I was a little hesitant about reading this book because of the religious aspect. To be honest, I'm not very rational about organized religion, and certainly not about anything that says who you love is wrong. And, there were some moments with Joe where I got pretty upset over how badly he demeaned himself because of his shame at being gay and the conflicts with his Mormon religion.
However, I fell in love with both Joe and Kabe about halfway through the book. This story, their story, is gritty, intense and real. It made me laugh, it made me angry and it made me cry. This is a must-read.
However, I fell in love with both Joe and Kabe about halfway through the book. This story, their story, is gritty, intense and real. It made me laugh, it made me angry and it made me cry. This is a must-read.
hippiedaizy's review
3.0
Here's the deal. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I loved the climbing parts. I thought they made great climbing partners, trusting. Especially when Joe let Kabe take lead. I am somewhat familiar with the jargon so I wasn't thrown with that.
What I didn't get was why were Joe and Kabe drawn to each other? All they had in common was a love of climbing. Kabe tore down Joe's religion every chance he got. To me, that's not respectable. I'm an atheist and I would never talk that way to my lover about their religion. I guess I just didn't understand why they were together.
The crime...ummm...could we get a reason behind it? Maybe tell us what happened at the end? I was involved in that and then it kind of got pushed off to the side.
I would have also liked more of what Joe went through, in town.
So overall, it was an interesting read. My mouth kind of dropped at certain parts because I could not believe what was going on. Actually, it shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I am so over bigots.
What I didn't get was why were Joe and Kabe drawn to each other? All they had in common was a love of climbing. Kabe tore down Joe's religion every chance he got. To me, that's not respectable. I'm an atheist and I would never talk that way to my lover about their religion. I guess I just didn't understand why they were together.
Spoiler
Then Joe loses everything because of Kabe and all we really get is a HFN.The crime...ummm...could we get a reason behind it? Maybe tell us what happened at the end? I was involved in that and then it kind of got pushed off to the side.
I would have also liked more of what Joe went through, in town.
Spoiler
Was everybody shunning him? Were some people sticking with him? What about Nadia did she come out?So overall, it was an interesting read. My mouth kind of dropped at certain parts because I could not believe what was going on. Actually, it shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I am so over bigots.
revhlaban01's review
3.0
The mystery was a pretty thin part of the plot. The relationship between Joe and Kabe was at the center of the story. Not a bad story, and certainly more respectful of a religious faith that is fairly rigid than other stories I've read, but not really enough there to make me want to buy more in this series.
fritz42's review
4.0
I enjoyed Joe and Kabe immensely! Joe's ways seemed to be simple, but in that simplicity, he had such a strong core inside of him, having to reconcile his faith with what he knew was right for himself. And yet, he never tried to make people accept what he held true, even in the face of some pretty ugly things said to him. Kabe was equally complex, hiding behind the barriers he had constructed through his incarceration. I loved how the climbing was able to be the bridge the two of them found to each other. They were good for each other, and I look forward to reading more stories about them.
momotaa's review
4.0
Took a bit to get used to the way Joe talked, but I really liked him. Kabe was a sweetie. I wish there had been more of the crime aspect involved.
babsjagashut's review
3.0
It says a lot about the state of M/M literature, when a story simply being coherently written is counted as something positive, and not a given. That's why I give it 3 stars. From a personal point of view, I'm more into equal partners, not such clear dominant and submissive roles as portrayed in this book. Especially as there is absolutely no discussion about things, the first sexual encounters can only be classifies as non consensual sexual assault. That really rubbed me the wrong way.
bitchie's review
4.0
This was a reread, that I enjoyed every bit as much the second time around. Looking forward to the rest of the series, now that this one is fresh in my mind.
I did get a bit lost at times, at all the climbing lingo, but the relationship stuff, Joe's struggle to manage to fit his sexuality in with his faith, was fantastic to read. I only wish we had gotten more of a glimpse into Kabe's head. I did love how the author let us in just a bit, with his phone call to his grandmother, letting us see how he really felt.
I did get a bit lost at times, at all the climbing lingo, but the relationship stuff, Joe's struggle to manage to fit his sexuality in with his faith, was fantastic to read. I only wish we had gotten more of a glimpse into Kabe's head. I did love how the author let us in just a bit, with his phone call to his grandmother, letting us see how he really felt.