Review: The Broken Road Cafe by T.A. Webb
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 16, 2013
“Every long lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true, that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you.” ~ Rascal FlattsIt's disillusioning, to say the least, to work so hard for something and, in a flash, have everything go wrong. Dan O'Leary of 'The Broken Road Cafe' by T.A. Webb, thinks he has the perfect life, but when he is assigned a client he knows is shady, he rebels, refuses to defend him, demands a buy-out for his partnership in the law firm, and quits. That's just the beginning of his woes, but Dan has a back-up plan which, if he can implement it successfully, will be a new adventure.Dan is a good man who, by no fault of his own, gets caught up in a nasty whirlwind of bad circumstances. With more courage than most people have, he picks up the broken pieces of his life and strikes out in a new direction, hoping to build a new life doing something he's always wanted to do. He buys a restaurant and names it The Broken Road Cafe. He endears himself to the townspeople by not coming in like a bulldozer bent on destroying what they've built, but by being honest and respectful, which is nothing like what they expect a big time city lawyer to be.  He's also caught the eye of Nick, the police chief, and although they are sometimes like oil and water, they also generate enough heat to light several California forest fires with their passion. However, learning to get along takes an enormous amount of effort for these two strong-willed men. Unfortunately, Dan didn't leave his problems behind; they were actually already there before he came. The same crooks who wanted him to get them off in court have a drug trafficking business right there in his new home town. The more Dan learns about these men, the more confident he feels in his decision not to represent them. It also makes him aware of how little he knew about his ex-lover and his involvement in the situation.Nick comes across as a badass, small town cop, but that's not really who he is. As chief of police, he's very dedicated to his job of protecting the people in his town and a really nice guy. He has a wicked sense of humor which Dan learns when Nick pulls him over for speeding. When he catches Dan checking out his package, which is eye level with him sitting in his car, he tells Dan: “Eyes up here.”  He's gay, but not out because he's afraid that the people he deals with will lose respect for him or worse, be openly hostile and uncooperative. He has Dan completely flustered by his attitude and seems to greatly enjoy it; but the chief's desire for Dan leads him where he is seemingly determined not to go; and the chemistry between them is explosive. They go back and forth in this power struggle dance of theirs until a crisis occurs and Nick admits he wants Dan. Nick and Dan didn't realize it, but both men are embroiled in the same drug trafficking situation that Dan thought he left behind, except that on Nick's end, there's also a kidnapping to compound the issue.Inventing characters is something in which Tom excels. He creates intriguing people who are deliciously flawed, but realistic, vibrant, unique, and special. The good guys are not entirely good and the bad ones not all bad; they are a balance of both making them believable, which sometimes makes me like or feel sorry for them in spite of myself. I like that Tom adds strong, accomplished characters like Patsy Verline, who owns her real estate business, is mayor of the town, and someone who has commands respect. This story is a great start to what sounds like it's going to be a memorable series. With all the introductions out of the way, I can't wait to see what happens next. If you like to read about small town life, intriguing circumstances, mystery, suspense, angst, and two stubborn, hot men who can't keep their hands off each other, you won't want to pass up this story. Thanks, Tom, for sharing your story-telling skills with me. Originally published at Rainbow Book Reviews.