She Reads Too Much

This was....disappointing. And now I has a sadz.

Here's the thing. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't very good either. I think it was a case of a new author with somewhat poor editing. The first book of this series was written by Reese with a co-author who was an established author and it was released by a professional publishing house. These two things, I believe, are what made the difference.

This installment of the Men of Halfway House features Cameron, the first guest at Matt & Julian's halfway house. He was just released after nearly ten years in prison for murder. As he was incarcerated in a shit storm of bull shit at eighteen he's pretty messed up.

At first, he reads realistically. Cam is closed down, guarded and terrified about going back to prison. I'm ready, frankly, for buckets of angst and shit. I'm rubbing my hands together in glee cause I'm thinking we've got an emotionally tormented and vulnerable hero. Yeah, buddy!

Then Cam and Hunter (assistant district attorney) eye fuck across a diner and it kinda goes all sideways for me from here forward.

The eye fucking, I'm okay with. But kinda not on the day AFTER Cam gets out of jail. Cam's I don't know how to flirt and how to tell if someone is gay also feels true. However - everything just progresses too fast! Here is this man who has had to lock down every thought and feeling for ten years. The fact that within a few days he is making out passionately in public makes no damn sense. None.

Cam's behavior simply makes no sense to me for most of the book and because of that I simply could not enjoy it.



Hunter on the other hand was pretty well done. He said and did some things that didn't make sense, like in the car while driving, but not so wildly out of the character he was portrayed as.

I'm not a fan of mystery/suspense in my romance. Personally I feel like there was enough potential for conflict and angst contained in Cam alone! Yes, it was nice to have his legal stuff wrapped up but it all took up too much page time.

Now I loved Hunter's father, loved seeing Matt, Julian and Sam again and I enjoyed meeting Jessie and Adrian. While this book underwhelmed me I will most likely buy the next in the series.