Only Love

April 29, 2014 by Whit!!!!!!!!!

Title : Only Love

Author : Garrett Leigh

 

Publisher : Dreamspinner Press (BUY HERE)

Genre : M/M, Contemporary

Length : 274 pages (e-book)

Published : April 11, 2014

Rating : ★★★★

 

Blurb: 

The diagnosis of a chronic stomach condition leaves thirty-two-year-old Sergeant Jed Cooper with little choice but to call time on his Army career. Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms.

Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time.

But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.

Review:

I’m pretty sure I shouted my love for Slide to everyone that would listen. I loved it so much I made Garrett Leigh an auto buy. Not that I wouldn’t have picked this up anyway. I love a wounded military man.

Jed was pretty much born to be a soldier. He initially signed up to escape a drunken father but soon realized he excelled at it. The years in combat have sculpted who he is. The way he looks at life. The way he thinks. How he responds to a situation. Jed has a very practical view of things. An explosion left him physically scarred and wounded. For the first time in many years Jed finds himself as a civilian. His kid brother does what he thinks is his duty and invites him to come stay with him. The unresolved history there causes a clash but conveniently the brother of Jed’s sister ill8n law has a nice quiet cabin where he can stay.

Max is such an easy going guy. Happy and content when he could be bitter about the hand fate as dealt him. Max has only heard stories about Jed from his brother-in-law. Whom he strongly dislikes, but he loves his sister so he agrees to let Jed stay with him. Both men find the other attractive. Slowly as the book progresses the friendship turns into more. There’s not a lot of flirting. It’s kind of a subtle build that has you anticipating the moment the guys profess their feelings. It never really comes though. This couple just kind of slide from friends to lovers. I personally would have liked a little more yearning for each other. They just kind of fall into it. I’m not saying it’s bad but it never really reached the intensity I’ve come to expect from this author. Maybe that’s unfair? My expectations are SO high! 😉 Ash and Peter gut punch you with their chemistry. Jed and Max are more of a cool breeze on a hot day. It’s nice but not all consuming.

There were a lot of flashbacks. These did pull me out of the story at times but it does help you understand Jed better. There was a lot going on in this book. Jed kept his illness and a lot of his feelings secret. Max has his own illness but is very honest about it. However, he does have his own secret. There were less sex scenes in this book but that kind of fit the characters. They weren’t young guys looking to get off all the time. They had real issues and lives to put back in order. Pasts to deal with.

As always the characters were well sculpted. The story has layers. I was very intrigued by Glenn. I’d love to see him again. Good book. Garrett Leigh is still a must buy for this fan girl.

Rated 4 stars by Whit

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