Review: Grime and PASSION.  Love it.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2013
Grime and Punishment is a fantastic book about two men, Jack and Ryan. Jack discovers himself after and out of life altering tragedies. As a teenager, Jack was betrayed by his high school love, Nick, both emotionally and physically. Jack has carried his scars since the betrayal. He also carries emotional and physical scars from a work accident during his days as a Firefighter. Because of the aforementioned incidents, Jack does do relationships. However, he begins to quickly change his mind after meeting Nick' s look-a-like cousin, Ryan, at the scene of a tragedy.During their first meeting, Jack and Ryan are reluctant to interact with each other given the tragedy tragedy and that has just taken place. As a result, their interaction with each other is aided by Jack friends with benefits' mother, Karen. Ryan's next door neighbor. After they meet, they are quickly draw to each other in a matter of days. At this time, Jack begins to see that he lives a lonely borrowed existence and determines that he doesn't want to live this way nor does he want to let Ryan slip away. However, Jack has a secret that causes some angst between them. He has carried this secret since he and Nick were in high school. This secret leads Ryan to believe that Jack may only want to be with him because of his uncanny resemblance to Nick.What also makes this book quite interesting is its look into the interesting occupation of crime scene clean up. The scenes where Jack's occupation is showcased, they are a bit tragic, but quite informative. The inclusion of Jack's occupation assists him in moving on.I loved this book. I did not want it to end. I wanted the book to go on. I wanted to see what happens to them. I also enjoyed the side characters, such as Dave, Skippy and Gabe. The author may not have devoted the majority of the book to the side characters, but their interactions with each other and the fantastic character development by the author gives the reader a good idea of who they are. Furthermore, I fell in love with Jack and Ryan. They were both funny funny and sweet, never lacking in masculinity. The reader also sees the sadness within them. Because of the authors excellent characterization, we really get to know both Jack and Ryan and get an in-depth look at who they are and why they are that way. Ryan has been shunned by his family and he feels inadequate and lacks some confidence even though he spends part of his time assisting and helping others. However, Ryan is a playful and irresistible man. All in all, the characterization is spot on.Now the sex. The sex scenes are HOT and there are quite a few of them. The sex scenes are well used and they are not arbitrarily thrown in. They have a purpose. During these scenes, Jack and Ryan sooth both themselves and each other. Furthermore, both men solidify their connection through sex.The book is written in first person, from Jack's perspective. Don't let that deter you. Even though you are seeing the world through Jack's eyes, Maxfield provides the reader with a full view of both main character's lives and story.This book is the first in a series of three. I can't wait for them to be published. I'll be first in line to read them.