diogovilar

I've loved all of Sexton's books, and I'm happy to add this one to the list. I had misgivings about buying it since it was billed as a paranormal - I've not had good experiences with m/m paranormals. In my impression, they've been poorly written vamp/were stories with little plot and generic sex scenes. But Sexton's writing was brilliant as always. The heroes - Aren and Deacon - are engaging characters with moving backstories and resulting emotional issues that affect their budding relationship. Their sexual encounters felt like natural progressions of the plot (as opposed to porn scenes loosely linked by a weak story line). The sex was hot, but emotions were involved as well. And the light d/s element didn't turn out as I expected - and the story was better for it. As for the paranormal element, it wasn't as ... Paranormal as I expected. Oestend basically mimics the American West 150 or so years ago. Most of the story takes place on a ranch - those who enjoy historical westerns will enjoy this. The supernatural element comes in the form of wraiths, which are essentially pissed off ghosts that'll freeze the life out of you if you are caught outside after dark. As if settling the West didn't have enough challenges! The paranormal element added an intriguing layer to the story without bogging it down in the world-building. This doesn't quite hit the high notes for me that Sexton's Coda series did, but then, few books do - she set the bar high. Perhaps if this becomes a series and I get more invested in the Oestend world, that'll change. It's still a great read and I expect it will be one I revisit. I can't give much higher praise than that.

2023-01-18 06:35