Review: Very good read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 11, 2014
Once again I'm being given the opportunity to read an author who is new to me, and I'm very appreciative. One of the first things I noticed is that this author most definitely hails from Texas. The rhythm and flow of the dialogue is spot-on and that increased my pleasure in the reading. I'll be honest and admit the description captured my attention, mainly because I felt as if I could really see the true nature of Sage's character, just from that short blurb. I'm glad I took a chance on B.A. Tortuga and 'The Terms of Release'.There have been times in my life where I wished I was born and raised in a small town, where everyone knew you. Unfortunately, that also means everyone knows every single thing you've ever said or done, and those people can hold some long grudges. Sage has come home to help with the ranch, two years after he was released from prison, as his parents are getting older and his daddy has Parkinson's. Sage spent eight years incarcerated for manslaughter. He was eighteen years old and the only survivor of a meth lab explosion, in California where he was living after he and his lover, Angel, ran away from home. The fact that Angel was the only son of the sheriff's brother and was killed in that fire didn't help Sage's chances of getting a reduced sentence. He's paid his debt and even though being home and having to listen to the constant vitriol spat in his direction is sheer misery, this ranch is in his blood and he'd do just about anything for his parents. Thank goodness there are a few people in town who don't hate and despise Sage or I'm not sure how he'd have not gone ballistic."Win found himself sitting back, listening, soaking it in. No one who heard this could believe that these people raised a killer, that Sage was trouble. The whole vendetta Win's family had against this man was so ridiculous it made him ashamed."Win is a deputy sheriff and his uncle, Jim, is the sheriff. His other uncle, Teddy, is Angel's father. Win's uncles have a real hate-on for Sage, although it looks as though Teddy wants their family land, too. Win doesn't hold with their opinions as he knew his cousin, Angel, was gay and into a whole lot of stupid stuff. Sage didn't turn him queer or entice him onto the dark side. Angel wasn't as pure and perfect as his uncles would like to believe. So, Win sets out to be friends with Sage, to let him know that not everyone in town hates him. Of course, the fact that Win is attracted to Sage doesn't hurt his desires to get to know the man better. *grins* Falling in love with Sage while trying to protect him from the people out for revenge turns out to be a challenging job.I really liked this book. It was so easy to love the man who Sage is, and to hurt for the pain he's suffered. Win got my respect and love immediately, just for being better than most of the redneck idiots in their small town. There are wonderful secondary characters like Sage's Momma, his daddy, his sister, and the biker gang leader, Bulldog, and his wife, Wilma. These people really brought even more to the story and helped to increase my enjoyment. I was happy to see Sage and Win fall in love, learn to trust, and deal with all the crap they had coming at them. A very good book that I can easily recommend.NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews