Inside Darkness by Hudson Lin

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

Blurb

He’s come in from the field, but the darkness has followed him home.

After a decade as an aid worker, Cameron Donnelly returns home jaded, tired, and with more than just a minor case of PTSD. Plagued by recurring nightmares but refusing to admit he has a problem, Cam quickly spirals into an alcohol-infused depression, and everyone around him is at a loss for how to help.

Journalist Tyler Ang met Cam on a reporting assignment in Kenya, and their first encounters were rife with hostility and sexual tension. Back in New York, their paths continually cross, and each time, Cam’s brokenness reminds Ty more and more of his own difficult childhood. Letting Cam in goes against Ty’s instinct to live life autonomously, but the damaged aid worker manages to sneak past his guard.

Their relationship is all sharp corners and rough edges, and just as they’re figuring out how to fit together, a life-threatening accident puts it all in jeopardy. If they want a future together, both will have to set aside their egos and learn to carry each other’s burdens.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Inside Darkness is just that, a look into the darkness that surrounds Cameron, as he's lost in his memories.

Cameron's been working in a refugee camp and it's slowly killing him. Not only is it tough to see all that he does, it's also getting more and more difficult for him to stay closeted. 

We get a good glimpse into the horror of being gay in a place where homosexuality is not allowed. It's gut wrenching to know how cruel the world really is.

Cameron meets Tyler right before it's time for him to return home. After ten years as an aid worker, Cameron struggles to re-integrate into the real world. Without Tyler's help, Cameron won't survive. It's absolutely beautiful and emotional the way that Tyler's touch grounds Cameron and eases his nightmares. I love this part.

Cameron's story is one of healing, of strength. Cameron is an extremely complex character, who will only heal, and survive, with the help of the man he loves. 

Overall, Inside Darkness is a story of a man who is completely broken and lost, after losing his innocence in the field. Hudson Lin has excelled in creating this fragile character. He's well developed and his story is an emotional rollercoaster. I am thrilled to have found this book.

Believe by Garrett Leigh

Amazon Link


Blurb

Flight paramedic Rhys Foster is hooked on adrenaline. By day it’s blood and guts, by night it’s the thrill of the club. With a different face in his bed most nights, he doesn’t have time to be lonely…right?

Entertainer Jevon Campbell is a play therapist like no other—dancer, magician, acrobat, he brings it all to his global mission to help children in need laugh again. He’s on a rare home visit when he encounters enigmatic Rhys in a London bar.

Their connection is instant, but Rhys fast realises Jevon’s easy confidence doesn’t stretch as far as the bedroom. He has no idea how mesmerising he is—how beautiful—and Rhys resolves to show him.

They grow closer, but time isn’t on their side. Rhys seems unable to articulate how he feels, and with Jevon’s imminent departure from the UK hanging over them, their separate commitments could tear them apart forever.

As the days slip by, Rhys must learn to believe he’s worth the happiness Jevon is offering.




REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Believe, the 3rd book in the Skins series by Garrett Leigh, is a wonderful addition to the series!

It's definitely a tough story, with a lot of sadness and despair, that ultimately leads to a beautiful ending.

Rhys, a paramedic, is tired of the sex clubs and is feeling confused and lonely. Jevon works as a therapy clown, helping kids in refugee camps. When they meet, Jevon is just looking for a hook-up while Rhys prefers to find a serious partner. Thus, when they hook up, it is just for sex, as Rhys helps Jevon to explore his sexuality. But fate intervenes and bring them together again.

Reading about Jevon's work is horrifying given the current refugee situations that are in the news every day. Hearing of kids like this really brings life and importance to Jevon's work. This is the telling of an ongoing real-life tragedy. 

Garrett Leigh is fantastic, yet again, with a strong and powerful writing style, extremely well done character development and some raw and realistic issues. 

I highly recommend Believe, as it is amazing down to the last page.

Read less