Review: Love, Tragedy,Sacrifice and Hope
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2014
For an author to bring us a fresh, new story in the series while reminding the reader of past events without taking the spotlight away from the current story is truly a talent.  Ms. Fanetti has successfully given us the next installment to indulge in while fluidly weaving in five and a half books worth of prior drama.  It's so subtle and seamless that you feel as if you've been watching a non-stop six hour movie where everything falls in place without any hesitation.Len is the man who would take a bullet for his president no matter the cost.  He's also on the recovering end of an injury he received in the end of All The Sky which puts him in the company of Natasha 'Tash' Westby, the club's 'de facto' doctor as well as Isaac's first love.  The two seem to have a bit of a history themselves which comes back to wrap around their current situation, bringing them together.  Len has always preferred 'multiples' to 'relationships', however his injury and his age are making him rethink his life and his future.  But when he hooks back up with Tash, he finds out a very surprising fact about the kind of sexual life she's lead for the last 20-plus years and is instantly drawn in.  Along the way, he realizes he wants more from her than just the game they're playing and knows it's going to take some convincing on his part to get her to reciprocate.As the romance unfolds, the club business begins to heat up.  Here is where a plan unravels to get vengence on the man who caused them so much devestation in Behold The Stars. However, this man has a connection to someone the Horde are unwillingly working for.  To get caught while seeking their vengence may come with a price.  A heavy one. And it does.What follows was a physically and emotionally difficult scene, yet written with realism and care.  There is no way to soften it, but like I stated in my review of Behold The Stars, when you try to cross bad people bad things can happen.  They know every decision could cost them, but to not make that decision could jeopardize the safety of their family.  This is where the toughest of choices come where even the lesser of the two possible outcomes is still devestating.  I was fortunate to have received an ARC of this book so I've had ample time to process the emotional rollercoaster before coming up with a way to give it justice without giving too much away.  When I stepped back and looked at the big picture U realized that what Ms. Fanetti wrote is realistic to the circumstances.  We're talking about crossing a powerful drug lord here.  Keep that in mind.From the women who range from strong to falling apart, the person who broke my heart the most was Isaac.  He's the president, the one responsible for his club family.  The burden weighs the heaviest on him and he feels as if he's failed and that there is no way out.  His feelings of despair are so thick that my chest actually hurt.  It is probably the worst the Horde has been through, but the fact that they GOT through it is a direct reflection of the town of Signal Bend which has undergone similar tragedy and change.  Just like their hometown, they will rise above and find a way out.  There is a scene which occurs towards the end which involves one of Tasha's friends. The Horde who drive out to assist were the ones directly involved in the tragedy several chapters earlier. What they share is moment of bonding and understanding so strong that you feel as if these men can get through anything at that point. As Ms. Fanetti said in her foreward, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light is hope - for Signal Bend, the Horde and their families.  We were not brought through this to not have everyone standing tall at the end.The writing is the star of this book whether it was Len and Tasha's sexy encounters, the dialogue of the club meetings, the penetrating emotion of the women or the care taken while writing a particularly difficult scene.  This book was about sacrifice, and, in the midst of it, a growing love between two people were put to the test during it and survived.