Fire and Water Carlisle Cops Book 1
M/M Romance
Dreamspinner Press
December 15, 2014
200
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
At the age of seventeen, Redmond Markham’s life changed. A car accident killed his parents and left him disfigured. His scarring usually left people shocked and unable to look directly at him. On a call to the Y, Red met Terry Baumgartner, the lifeguard. Terry is a man whose looks attract attention. The first time he saw Red, his remark was a shallow one. He couldn’t imagine looking like that and unfortunately Red heard him. It wasn’t a remark that Red hadn’t heard before and he knew that a man like Terry would never look at him twice.
Terry realized Red heard his comment and asked his friend Julie if he was shallow. Of course, her answer was a resounding yes. She advised him he could change and he could start by volunteering to deliver food to those confined to their homes. His first reaction was “I don’t do old people.” However, once he began, he realized he loved the people he delivered to. On his last stop, the door was opened by none other than Red. His aunt was getting the delivery. This simple act of kindness on Terry’s part would change his and Red’s life.
Red’s aunt insisted he check on Terry after a phone call he received seemed to scare him. When Red arrived at his apartment, he found that Terry had been hurt and glass was broken all over the place. It seems that Terry’s ex-boyfriend, James, won’t accept the fact that Terry broke up with him. As a cop, Red realizes something is not right. He insists that Terry stay at his place until he could check James out. Another act of kindness, this time on Red’s part would change two men’s way of thinking.
Red believes he is a freak who will never be able to get anyone to love him. Terry has always wanted pretty things, including his men. James bought everything for Terry, only the price was losing his independence, his friends, and his dream of going to the Olympics. Now he is desperate to get away from James and stand on his own, but James is not going to let that happen.
While Red is helping Terry, there is another more pressing problem. People are dying from a new heroin that causes overdoses. Red and his department are determined to find out who is behind it. Who is behind the heroin? Can a pretty boy fall in love with a badly scared man? Can Red see himself as anything but a freak? The only way to find the answers is to read the book. I promise you won’t be sorry.
Mr. Grey always has a way of writing about issues that affect people both men and women. This is a book about a man who doesn’t think he can be loved because of his looks and another man who only ever looked at the outside of a person. This is a story about looking at life through different glasses and seeing the truth by going beyond the surface.
*Winner: 1st Place – Best M/M Contemporary Romance Novel
2015 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards