Series: N/A
Author: Sue Brown
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Length: 230 pages
Source: Purchased
Published: February 26th 2014 Dreamspinner Press (2nd Edition)
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
When Ethan Williams lands a job at Bingwell, Brock and Bacon, he realizes his coworkers aren’t exaggerating about James Trenchard. He really is a dick. But after Ethan is forced to work closely with James, he realizes there’s more to the lawyer than meets the eye.
Vibrant Ethan is a desperate reason to live again as James endures silent guilt and abuse from his husband after an accident. He calls Ethan for help after a beating, and stolen moments soon become the norm, but they can’t hide forever.
Ethan’s coworkers think he got his promotion because James is sweet on him, James is still being beaten despite his family’s concern, and the situation is swiftly becoming intolerable. Ethan and James need to find a way out of the cycle that’s hurting them both before their brand new love suffers as well.
Why I read this book: I picked this up because I was curious how the author would handle the subject of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
What I liked: I liked James. I liked his flirting and his personality. I loved his relationship with his cousin and how in-awe everyone in Ethan's office was of him. I loved his "living legend" status and I wanted to know more about him, the man behind all the gossip and rumor. I thought the writing was well-done and there were light-hearted moments mixed in with the drama, which I felt was a nice touch.
What I didn't like: I am a survivor of parent-to-child violence. To me, this story had a lot of potential to be an emotional and impactful read. Maybe I was expecting too much of a romantic novella, but I didn't get the connection I was hoping for in this read. While I did enjoy the characterization of James and some of his banter back and forth with Ethan, I didn't feel as if I knew either of them quite enough. James was so larger-than-life that I had trouble connecting him to the James who was married to Clay.
Given my own past, I felt I should have been more empathetic to James's situation than I was. I found myself frustrated because I was continuously questioning James' actions, Ethan's reactions, even the decisions of James' off-screen in-laws. I wasn't comfortable with the relationship between Ethan and James and I'm not entirely sure why. Timing, perhaps?
I felt the story had far too much filler. Conversations between co-workers, little scenes that didn't really add anything for me. I wish more time had been spent on exploring James' healing than gossip at the water cooler.
In My Opinion: Overall, I thought Final Admission was somewhat likable, but ultimately uneven. This book might not have lived up to my expectations, but I do look forward to reading more from this author.
My Rating:
☕☕
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