Readers who enjoy age-gap romances will want to add this emotionally intense contemporary m/m romance to their bookshelf, caught up in the powerful web of a male escort and a childhood friend's father that it promises to weave. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Storm Clouds & Devastation by Ashley James, along with getting my impressions of this second installment in the Hidden Affairs series, then add this new release to your bookshelf!
Jules van der Meer…
He’s somebody I shouldn’t want. Someone I can’t have. The forbidden fruit. The desire not to be divulged in.
He’s wealthy, successful, important…everything I’m not.
I’m half his age.
Immature and desperate.
It’s what they all say—the men in the night with the fancy clothes and the shiny cars, with enough money to make me do whatever they please.
But him…well, he looks at me like I’m the answer to his prayers. A diamond in the rough.
He doesn’t realize how wrong he is, though.
I’m poison—putrid and vile. I’ll seep into his pores, wrap around his bones, and destroy whatever light he has left until he’s just like me…
Nothing but storm clouds and devastation.
BUY here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The Hidden Affairs series continues to rip out my heart with this second installment, this time involving an older man who hires his son's ex-best friend as an escort...with this one night just the beginning of an unforgettable connection. Steamy, gut wrenching at times, this ended up being a powerful story that didn't pull any punches as it depicted the issues of mental health.
Bodhi held my heart in his hands from the very first page to the last. Seeing his journey through life, the pain he experienced courtesy of a creepy and cruel older brother, had me hurting right alongside him. He was his own worst enemy at times, hating himself and thinking himself unworthy of happiness. Constantly pushing others away, those who actually might care for him, has left Bodhi alone...leaving him with too much time to think, but plenty of time to tear himself down in scenes depicting the reality of what it means to deal with mental health issues. Ms. James pulls no punches in depicting Bodhi's pain, showing his choices and the fallout from those choices in painful detail. Seeing his pain broke my heart and had me wanting to hug his pain away, show him that he's worthy of love in an epic journey that left me battered and bruised...but oh so satisfied.
Jules is just starting his life anew and is immediately drawn to Bodhi the moment he sees him. He's a strong and commanding man, a strong support to Bodhi...when Bodhi in fact lets him in. He's just learning to navigate his life and I became quickly invested in his personal journey and how it affects Bodhi. There’s a lot of push/pull between them as Bodhi led Jules down a rocky road leading to his heart and soul. From the first page to the last I liked seeing these two together, found their connection an epic bond that kept me glued to the pages of their heartfelt and sensual journey to HEA.
My rating for this is an A-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
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