[Book 1 of Tigers & Devils Series ]
I’ve been meaning to read this book sooner but I never got the chance to do so until the early week of December. It actually took me almost a year to finally get a hold of this one – I remember earlier this year when I first got this along with the Cut & Run series and I decided to go ahead with Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban and I never turned back after that. Now, since I’m on a break from the Cut & Run universe and have read tons of books in between then and now – plus my penchant for books set Down Under (big thanks to the Red Dirt Heart series and to the mouthy Mark Cooper via Mark Cooper vs America – or it simply must be the accent!) I finally decided to give this one a go. And folks, let me tell you loud and clear – the author just totally smash it for me! Mind you, this was his first novel!!
It introduces us to Simon Murray, a single gay man who manages a film festival and is cynical about life in general and to the football god Declan Tyler who’s also very much in the closet as they foray into a secret relationship that neither of them, their family and friends to come through.
What I really loved about the book was the immediate chemistry between Simon and Declan. Simon’s cynicism and dry humor very well complements Declan’s personality. I loved how they are very much protective of each other even earlier in the stage of their relationship. Roger’s character [Simon’s best friend] kind of irked me though; he was a bit clingy and whiny. I didn’t especially liked the way he acted towards Dec at their first proper meeting but I kind of got his point about him [Dec] dragging Simon back into the closet but still, it was a mutual decision and I feel like kicking the prick out of him.
The outing of Dec was especially scandalous but I loved how the author weaved that part of the story. It was very realistic and I’m so glad that Dec isn’t much of a dick about it. The whole debacle about Simon doing a Yoko Ono on Declan was unfair to say the least but it was the realistic reaction of mindless pricks so it’s perfect in a sense.
I guess the most charming part of the story comes from how Simon sees Dec and vice versa. At first, it was like Notting Hill of some sort and as the story progresses, It became apparent that it’s more of a search for companionship, on that one person who you can trust your life with wholeheartedly and Dec saw that in Simon. It’s truly a beautiful story with inspiring, charming characters to boot – highly recommended and a must-read.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Published August 31st 2012 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 9th 2009)
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About The Author
Sean Kennedy was born in Melbourne, Australia, but currently lives in the second most isolated city in the world (although there still seems to be conjecture over whether it is actually number one). Living in such deprived circumstances can only affect his writing, which is published by Dreamspinner Press.
You can find him at http://www.seankennedybooks.com
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