Review: Terrific wrap-up to a sparkling series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 21, 2014
The third and final installment of this exciting coming-of-age Boys Love series does not disappoint. The three leads, Ty, Dani, and Kaeden find themselves undergoing more stimulating trial-by-fire adventures before they are able to embrace true love, trust, and happiness. While books one and two were predominately about Ty and Dani, respectively, the primary focus of this final tale is on Kaeden’s struggle to overcome his tragedy and Sean’s conflict that his love may be unrequited.Sean, drummer for the band Leather, has recovered from his near-death, drunk-driving accident. Risking the terms of his parole, he is hell bent on punishing the man who turned the beautiful outspoken femme, Kaeden, into a fear-filled, isolated, and withdrawn imitation of a straight man. Kaeden won’t press charges, won’t see his friends, and he definitely does not want to see Sean. Packaging himself as his parents’ ideal son doesn’t help Kaeden face his paralyzing fears, but it does allow him to temporary respite from his nightmares. But will the robotic lie he is living be enough for a man who was once an ethereal peacock? Slowly coming to accept that his love for Kaeden is a hopeless cause, Sean works through his sorrow by penning “Little Bird,” a song about the Kaeden of old. The song becomes a hit and helps Leather gain success, but brings Sean only pain when he is repeatedly requested to perform it. Pain that he generally bears through alcohol and drug use. Will Sean’s sorrow break his sobriety? A desperate call from Sean finally breaks through Kaeden’s fierce isolation and an opportunity for both men to heal appears. But will Kaeden take the chance or will Little Bird forever remain a wounded bird?Ty’s father and Tim the drug pusher seek revenge on Abe and Ty, unwittingly putting their separate plans in play on the very same day. With so much hate in the air, someone is bound to get hurt. Will it be Ty and Abe or will the bad guys go down?Dani finds himself on the cusp of his dream when he is asked to audition for a spot in Leather. But he is shyer than he realized when it comes to playing to a crowd. When Nigel becomes immersed in legal complications, Dani turns to Erin, Sean’s candid, musically-gifted cousin, for inspiration. Will Dani’s self-esteem kick in or will everyone think he’s a shoo-in for the job because he is Nigel’s boyfriend?I love this series. Packed with plenty of riveting action, angst, sex, and romance, the characters and the simple/complex writing style are phenomenal. Concise, crisp dialogue made for much engaging interaction between the six men and their supporting characters. I found the “bad guys” to be very realistic. All contained the selfish and cunning traits that teen runaways most probably would face from human predators who dwell in large cities. I liked that the author delved into the psyche of these flawed beings, which really fleshed out the characters and made them believable. I especially liked that, whether bad or good, each character experienced some type of personal growth.In hindsight I clearly see that the books contain an abundance of stories beyond those of Ty, Dani, Kaeden, and their lovers. Beautiful passages give vivid glimpses into a variety of family lifestyles. I peered behind the faade of the white picket fence, into the struggle of supportive siblings, and gained insightful impressions of the reasoning behind the actions of “well-intentioned” folk. The messages behind these supporting psychological elements never interfere with the romance, love, and major storylines of the books, but are smoothly woven into the whole of the series giving the storyline a genuine strength, which is why I called the writing style simple/complex. These psychological hints shine a narrow beam of light on human reasoning and mirror real life, allowing me as a reader to recognize the familiar. Beyond the lovely and entertaining story of three troubled youths and their search for acceptance and love, is a haunting echo of wisdom: Be kind to those you meet, for each of us is fighting a difficult battle.All in all, a great final installment to a terrific series.Bravo, J Vaughn, and thank you for penning this fine example of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and the parts of this series are outstanding! “Sexy delight, Smart and Bright!”