Review: Another of Merrow's romances with brains...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 4, 2012
J. L. Merrow writes fun books - and they give a great deal more than the required love story - for the gay male reader of m/m romances, this is essential. We love our hearts and flowers, but we want other content too (as would any intelligent reader).What makes Merrow's books and stories so good is their vivid sense of place.  You learn something about where you are and about what makes it special to the characters.  Here, the tourist attractions of the Isle of Wight (not so well known to Americans) is a very concrete backdrop to this classic tale of a lonely jock and an even more lonely writer. But there is also the fact that the jock is still hung up on his childhood best friend, who takes shameless advantage of that relationship while giving almost nothing back. The other part of the equation is a frightened oddball writer, whose guardian has turned his protective embrace into emotional chains that are beginning to feel more like prison than protection. The Isle of Wight and its ghost legends serves as a catalyst for the meeting of these two isolated young men - and kindles the unlikely attraction that will ultimately be their salvation or their death.We all know what has to happen, but getting there is the whole point. Merrow scores big with this one.