Review: Different, in a very good way
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2014
(Mild spoiler warning)This is the story of Vincent and how he comes to be the professional and romantic partner of Frank the assassin. I don't normally divide my reviews into a 'good' section and a 'less good' section, but I think I'm going to have to do that with my review of this book. Unusual books call for unusual measures, I suppose. So here goes.THE GOODThe first person narrative is very efficient and Vincent's voice feels completely genuine. It is both captivating and it makes the reader see events the way he sees them, without the reservations of an innocent bystander (such as an omniscient third person narrator).Frank. Swarthy good looks and a shady past? Of course I'm going to fall for him, even if he kills people for a living (personally, I don't even kill flies).The originality of the work. Both the first person voice and the fact that Vincent and Frank are both damaged, occasionally unpleasant people set this apart from the usual hitmen stories of the genre, where there are always redeeming factors aplenty. Not so here. Vincent and Frank both had rough upbringings and it shows. They don't go insta-good just because they meet each other. I like that a lot.THE LESS GOODFrank's European background. I'm European and a lot of what we're told about his background just doesn't ring true to me. For instance, the way his mother emigrates from France to an illegal existance in England sounds more like the situation for Mexicans crossing the border to the US than the French-British migration. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of French people in (particularly) London, but they tend to have decent jobs. Many illegal immigrants (from other countries than France) enter the UK via the Channel, but that's a different thing. Anyway. I make a big deal out of this when it isn't. It was just something that bugged me as I was reading.The last 15-20% of the book. Vincent and, particularly, Frank turn a lot less interestingly immoral and the story shifts focus from hitmen on the run to an endless cavalcade of quirky people from Frank's past. Whereas the first 80-85% of the book really sticks out from the mass of run-of-the-mill m/m romance, in the last section it falls neatly into line.The lack of chapter divisions. There are three separate parts, but these are not divided into chapters. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to read a whole book in one go (which I would've otherwise done with this one), and knowing where to stop really helps. It's nitpicky, but it did bug me.ON THE WHOLEBrilliant read. I really enjoyed it. It will be outside of some people's comfort zone (what with the killing and erotic asphyxiation and all), but if you're comfortable with that sort of thing, I really recommend this. I will be looking out for this author's next release and crossing my fingers that it will be yet another a brightly colourful dot in the grey ocean of m/m romance writing.