Chasing Forever by Kelly Jensen

Old wounds, new directions, and a forever worth chasing.

Malcolm Montgomery was a history teacher and track coach until an accident left him with two broken legs. He’ll recover, but life has knocked his feet out twice now. He’s not sure if he’s ready to try again, especially when it comes to love—and slick guys like Brian Kenway. Still, he needs help mentoring the school’s LGBTQ society, so he asks Brian to take some responsibility.

Brian has been hiding behind his reputation as a liar and a cheat for so long that he actually believes he’s that guy—until his nephew, Josh, turns up on his couch, tossed out for being gay. Brian has never considered being a father, but he knows all about being rejected by loved ones. Now Brian wants to be more: a partner for Mal and a role model for Josh.

But when Mal’s recovery is set back and the sad truth of Brian’s past is revealed, the forever they’ve been chasing seems even further from their grasps. It’ll take a rescue effort to revive their sense of worth and make Brian, Mal, and Josh into a family of their own.

Book 3
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Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M Romance

Malcolm, or Mal as he's known in the story, has fallen on some difficult times. After being severely injured, he is trying to figure out what his new normal is going to look like. When he is somewhat tricked into taking over the LGBTQ group at the school where he teaches, he never expected to find healing within that group too.

Brian Kenway is known as the town player. He never really has a partner for long. When he has to face his actions and what they might mean for his future, he has to face some strong truths that are hard.

Brian and Mal want to make their relationship work, but with a nephew who needs someone to fight for him, a person overcoming great physical injury, plus all of the baggage that Brian has from his home life, the reader has to wonder if they will ever make it.

This book took me a while to get into. I knew that it was part of the series. so I didn't want to quit reading, but I contemplated that a lot. For me, this story was just kind of blah at the beginning. Towards the middle, when you get into the more nitty gritty of each character's history, it became more of a developed story. Overall, while it was an enjoyable read, I didn't like it as much as the previous books.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
I really, really didn’t want to like Brian. Brian was a complete arse as Simon’s ex in the first book and there wasn’t much of any redemption in the second story. I only gave Brian’s book a chance because I really enjoyed the first two books – and I’m really glad I did.

Brian doesn’t change overnight. He’s slick enough to be off putting when he first tries to pick up Malcolm and his initial reaction to his nephew is pretty cold. But Brian’s backstory was enough to thaw my reaction to him and with Malcolm and Josh’s influence, he slowly becomes more human and more loveable page by page. Malcolm is a heartbreakingly wonderful character. He’s an inspirational, devoted teacher but his personal life is painfully lonely. A horrible accident stole his ability to run and hike – and it also stole his confidence and independence. At the start, I really didn’t feel like Brian deserved Malcolm but these two surprised me and they work well together by the end of the story.

Brian and Malcolm’s relationship is a bumbling, awkward thing from the start. These two don’t communicate and they’re both incredibly guarded. Theirs is a very slow burn romance that tried my patience at times.

Beyond the romance, I didn’t enjoy the story in this book as much as I did the first two. I enjoyed Brian’s slow build relationship with Josh, but I felt like the teens in Malcolm’s LGBT club took up too much space in an adult romance. The regeneration storyline didn’t come to a very satisfying conclusion and extra characters seemed to appear and disappear without any real continuity. I liked this story, but I do prefer the first two books in the series. These books should stand alone but readers will understand more about Brian if they read the series in order.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and there are undoubtedly links across the books, but this is a rich story in its own right, so you could certainly pick this up and enjoy it as a standalone.

Mal has survived a catastrophic accident and is slowly recovering. He little expects to catch the eye of the suave Brian, who has a reputation as a player and a sharp businessman. But a combination of events and encounters bring these two men together.

I really enjoyed the way that the issues raised are dealt with in this book. The juxtaposition of Mal's twin's behaviour compared to the actions of Brian's. The need to support each other and the obligation to help others gives us a great insight into the real men under the pain and the mask. As well as the leads, we get to understand the importance of Donny and Vanessa in their lives. Kelly Jensen does a really good job of making us care about the people in this community.

Also Available in the This Time Forever Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Building Forever post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Renewing Forever post.

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3) by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

Renewing Forever by Kelly Jensen

A neglected resort, a lost chance at love, and one last chance to renew forever.

Frankie and Tommy once dreamed of traveling the world together. But when seventeen-year-old Frank kissed Tom, their plans ended with a punch to the jaw and Frank leaving town without looking back. Thirty years later, Frank’s successful career as a journalist is interrupted by his uncle’s death and the question of his inheritance—the family resort where his childhood dreams were built. When he returns to the Pocono Mountains, however, he finds a dilapidated lodge and Tommy, the boy he never forgot.

Tom’s been keeping the resort together with spit and glue while caring for Frank’s uncle, Robert—a man he considered father, mentor, and friend—and his aged mother, who he refuses to leave behind. Now Robert is gone, taking Tom’s job with him. And Frank is on the doorstep, wanting to know why Tom is still there and why the old lodge is falling apart.

But before they can rebuild the resort, they’ll have to rebuild their friendship. Only then can they renew the forever they planned all those years ago.

Book 2
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a slow and angsty second chance romance. The author weaves memories of Frankie and Tommy’s childhood friendship between moments when Tom and Frank meet again in middle age. Nearing 50, the men’s lives look quite different. Frank has enjoyed a successful career while Tom stayed home to care for his mother and Frank’s uncle.

At times, this story moves painfully slow. In the first book, Frank was almost an affluent gay caricature. Back in his childhood home and face to face with his best friend, Frank feels more human, more solid, and more real. He is definitely more likeable. But he’s also private and communication isn’t a strength. Tom is equally inscrutable. He doesn’t communicate at all. And he doesn’t ask for help – even when his life is crumbling around him. I loved these guys, but I kept wanting to bang their heads together and get them to talk.

The childhood scenes are sweet and wonderful. The adult encounters start out hostile and awkward. The men have transformed as fully as the dilapidated resort that brings them back together. I have a massive weakness for property porn and Frank’s enormous historic lodge had me enthralled from the outset. I love the potential Frank and Tom see in the property and I love the way the property brings Frank and Tom together as partners.

The writing in this story is beautiful. There are a few passages that I had to underline and quotes that I needed to memorise. This is a slow and often difficult read, but it is beautifully written and the small bursts of hope woven through the pages kept me fully engaged in Frank and Tom’s story. I think this book will stand alone but readers will probably enjoy Frank more if they remember him from the first book.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Frankie and Tommy... I really wanted to love their story. I liked how we were given their story from the past and present. I think that it helped to understand their perspectives.

Frankie has lived a good life. He is successful but feels that something is missing. When he has to return home because of a death in his family, the last person he expects to see is Tommy. Frank has always wondered what happened all of those years ago. While he is known for being a playboy and living the good life, he never forgot Tommy.

Tommy, for all of his faults, has never forgotten Frankie. He knew when he was younger that he might never escape his family, but he didn't want to be the one who dragged Frank with him. Even with his belief that he was doing the right thing, he knew that Frank might never forgive him.

When these two find each other again, it isn't all hearts and love. They have to work through their history and what is stressing them now too. It's a real relationship that has real issues. I liked that it wasn't a fall back in to love right away. They took the time to relearn each other. So, while it wasn't my favorite story, it was well developed and delivered both angst and love.

Also Available in the This Time Forever Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Building Forever post.

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Renewing Forever (This Time Forever #2) by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

Building Forever by Kelly Jensen

A new town, a new neighbor, and a new chance to build a forever.

Charlie King is doing fine. Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor—the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.

Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.

But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania to reconcile, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie fears that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. Despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

Okay. Wow. I wasn’t expecting this book – and I really loved it. This small town, slice of life romance is different in theme and tone than anything else I’ve read by Kelley Jenson. Simon and Charlie are slightly older and slightly jaded. When Simon moves in next door to Charlie, both men have a chance at a fresh start.

For me, it is the writing that makes this book special. The author’s careful observations make each character feel almost unnervingly familiar and relatable. I loved Bethlehem and I even loved some of the more peculiar characters in the town. The romance in this story builds slowly and while there’s a little bit of heat, this isn’t a terribly sexy book.

I don’t enjoy kids in romance, but Charlie’s daughter is an older teenager and I really like her relationship with her father. At the end of the book, her storyline is frustratingly predictable but for the most part I actually enjoyed the family dynamic in this story.

This is a gentle, quiet romance between two men who are both recovering from past hurts. I love that Charlie and Simon are both flawed, both a little bit unsure of themselves, and both a bit quirky in their own ways. There is a lovely, reassuring warmth to this book that I thoroughly enjoyed.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Charlie is a writer of science fiction. He has a teenage daughter who he's trying to raise, but feels like he's floundering. When a new neighbor moves in, Charlie is instantly attracted. However, because he's never had a relationship outside of his marriage, he's a little wary. Despite his apprehension, he wants to take this plunge with Simon.

Simon is wanting to create – let his artistic side out. When he was in his previous relationship, not only was he blind to his partner cheating, but he was in a lull in his job too. So, he picks up and starts over. He meets his neighbor in an awkward time but is instantly taken with him.

When their lives start to unravel, both will have to decide if they are worth the risk.

Overall, this was just an okay story for me. It took quite a while for me to actually engage in the story. The characters were well developed, but I just couldn't quite connect with them. It will be interesting to see if the daughter gets the next book, since her life has taken a giant turn, but I don't know if I would be okay if Simon's ex gets a story – he seems mean and petty. While this story wasn't quite what I expected, it was an okay, well thought-out story.

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Building Forever (This Time Forever #1) by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

To See the Sun by Kelly Jensen

Survival is hard enough in the outer colonies—what chance does love have?

Life can be harsh and lonely in the outer colonies, but miner-turned-farmer Abraham Bauer is living his dream, cultivating crops that will one day turn the unforgiving world of Alkirak into paradise. He wants more, though. A companion—someone quiet like him. Someone to share his days, his bed, and his heart.

Gael Sonnen has never seen the sky, let alone the sun. He’s spent his whole life locked in the undercity beneath Zhemosen, running from one desperate situation to another. For a chance to get out, he’ll do just about anything—even travel to the far end of the galaxy as a mail-order husband. But no plan of Gael’s has ever gone smoothly, and his new start on Alkirak is no exception. Things go wrong from the moment he steps off the shuttle.

Although Gael arrives with unexpected complications, Abraham is prepared to make their relationship work—until Gael’s past catches up with them, threatening Abraham’s livelihood, the freedom Gael gave everything for, and the love neither man ever hoped to find.

Buy Links

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is one of the most original Sci-Fi concepts I can remember. Bram and Gael’s galaxy caught my imagination and I loved the details of Bram’s life on Alkirak. Bram and Gael’s romance plays out against a slightly terrifying dystopian future. The story is probably more romance than Sci-Fi but the interplay between the two genres works well.

The relationship between Bram and Gael develops at a painfully slow pace. The lack of communication is frustrating, and I never quite believed in the chemistry between them. From the start (Gael is an intergalactic mail order groom), the relationship is one of convenience for Bram and desperation for Gael. And I’m not sure they ever quite move past their utilitarian beginnings.

While I really love the unusual world the author builds for us, I feel like much more world building was needed to really help me fully understand Gael and Aavi’s life before Alkirak. And Bram’s mining past. And the politics on Alkirak. And the communication and transportation systems in the galaxy. So many elements are introduced in this book and not fully explored. This feels like part of a series and I did have to check that I hadn’t missed a previous book.

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of To See the Sun by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

Counting on You by Kelly Jensen

Henry and Marc can’t seem to catch a break. They’ve had two disastrous dates—the first trapped in a car during a blizzard and the second locked in a basement—followed by nearly two months apart. Even though they work for the same firm, their relationship is held together by flying visits, phone calls, and text messages. A joint assignment in Washington DC might be more togetherness than they can handle, however.

Henry is still battling insecurity, and this assignment is too important to his career to mess up. Marc is committed. He’s falling for Henry and looks forward to having him permanently on his team and at his side. But the real test isn’t the assignment. When Marc finally lays his heart on the line, can he count on Henry to be there for him, in every way that matters? And can he do the same for Henry when Henry needs it the most?

Book 3
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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
Counting on You is the third book in the Counting series, and hopefully not the last. Why? Because I adore Marc and Henry and I was so happy to see how far their relationship had progressed since their last disastrous date. These two guys have not had an easy time of it, at all, and this installment is no different. As this is a continuation of their journey, Counting on You should NOT be read as a standalone because while you won’t be terribly lost, you also won’t understand the significance of some of the events that take place or the references to past events.

This time around, Marc and Henry get the chance to work together again. While this sounds perfect for two guys who’ve been unable to spend more than a few days together in the past two months, it also raises some interesting issues they haven’t had the chance to address. The out-of-town project is high priority and expected to take only a few days, and their first day goes swimmingly until Marc “runs into” his father at the business they’re working from. Henry finds the extremely formal interaction between Marc and his father to be disconcerting, but even that doesn’t prepare him for their lunch with Marc’s parents the following day. And HOLY COW! That was a meltdown and emotional lashing out of epic proportions on Marc’s part. My feelings were bouncing all over the place as my heart broke for Marc, while at the same time I was mortified and angry for Henry at the position Marc put him in. Like both men, I wondered if their fledgling relationship could survive that scene – it was that harsh. Fortunately, Jensen doesn’t let the guys (or the readers) down as she guides them to where they need to be so that a future together is still a possibility. Chapter 13 is the perfect epilogue to their story. In fact, when I got to the end of chapter 12, I actually expected that to be the end of the book. So I was delighted when I swiped the page and discovered there was more to their story, and it made for the perfect ending to Counting on You. And don’t worry, Jensen still manages to include the requisite disaster that has become Marc and Henry’s trademark.

On a side note, I finally figured out why I have a hard time keeping Marc and Henry separated in my head when I begin reading each installment, and it was because we finally met Marc’s parents that made me identify the issue I was having and why. Henry is out – at work, at home, with his friends, family, and colleagues – everyone of significance in his life knows he’s gay. Marc, on the other hand, had never been attracted to a man before Henry (although a memory in Counting on You suggests that it’s likely that he never acknowledged it before). With only a four-year age difference, I keep expecting Henry to be the more confident of the two in regard to his sexuality. However, Marc presents as someone much older than his 28 years and I am repeatedly surprised that he’s so comfortable with his budding relationship with Henry. However, upon meeting Marc’s parents and seeing just how cold, indifferent, and judgmental they were, I understood why Marc seemed so much older than Henry – because Marc has been an “adult” far longer than Henry (and more than the four years that separate them) due to the expectations placed on him at an early age, thus being forced to grow up faster. Or at least that’s how it seemed to me after the awful interactions with Marc’s parents. I’m just glad to finally understand why I’ve had to work so hard at not getting Marc and Henry confused while I read, and it was all on me and my expectations of the characters. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed Counting on You and hope that Jensen is inspired to bring us more stories of Marc and Henry.

Also Available in the Counting Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Dreamspinner Press

For reviews & more info, check out our Counting Fence Posts post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

For reviews & more info, check out our Counting Down post.

KELLY JENSEN was born in Australia and raised everywhere else. Currently, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and herd of four cats. After disproving the theory that water only spins counterclockwise around drains north of the equator, she turned her attention to more productive pursuits such as reading, writing, writing about reading, and writing stories of her own. She also enjoys volunteering at her local library, playing video games, and holds a brown belt in Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido, and Tang Soo Do. Her family is not intimidated by her.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Counting on You (Counting #3) Posts by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

Counting Down by Kelly Jensen

It’s been a week since a Christmas Eve blizzard changed the course of Marcus Winnamore’s life. Plan A is now Plan B, and the first item on his new agenda is taking Henry Auttenberg on a date. They’ve been invited to a New Year’s Eve party, and Marc is counting down the hours until midnight… until he can kiss Henry in front of his colleagues and friends.

Things don’t quite work out to plan. Finding the elevator out of service, Marc and Henry check the stairs, only to choose the wrong door and become locked in the basement. Close quarters once again make for close conversation, and as they explore every avenue of escape, they also explore the deepening attraction between them. For Marc, this isn’t an experiment. Will he still feel that way when he has to admit to someone other than Henry that he’s gay?

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
Counting Down was an enjoyable follow-up to Counting Fence Posts. Picking up a week after the events in book one, we join Marc and Henry as they’re on their way to a company New Year’s Eve party. Marc is still coming to terms with the fact that he’s gay and that the object of his newly discovered affection, Henry, is actually interested in him. Marc envisions The Kiss at midnight to be the best way to announce to his colleagues that he’s gay and to prove to Henry that he’s all in. However, disaster seems to be a close companion for this new couple as Marc and Henry find themselves locked in the building’s basement instead of upstairs for the party.

I thought Jensen did a fantastic job of capturing Marc’s character and the change in personal attitudes he’s dealing with. Marc is trying to find a balance between his heterosexual upbringing and thought patterns and how he thinks he now needs to approach dating men, specifically Henry. He doesn’t want to offend Henry by treating him as he would a female partner, but Marc also doesn’t want to not give Henry the attention and concern he should simply because “guys don’t talk about their feelings.” Because the story is told from Marc’s point of view, we don’t get a lot of insight into what Henry is thinking. However, Henry is a good communicator – when he can get Marc to shut up – and it’s easy to see that while Henry wants things to work out between him and Marc, he’s willing to do what he can to make this transition for Marc easier. Obviously, the date did not go quite as planned, but Jensen does manage to include a steamy and well-timed scene in which the guys get all hot and bothered, ringing in the New Year in their own way. If you’ve read Counting Fence Posts – and I strongly suggest you do that first so you have the background on how these two came to be – don’t pick this up expecting to find the happy ending of Marc and Henry’s story. Counting Down is more of the next chapter in their blossoming relationship and it left me hoping that Jensen will be inspired to continue to move their story forward as this is a couple I would definitely like to read more about.

Also Available in the Counting Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Dreamspinner Press

For reviews & more info, check out our Counting Fence Posts post.

KELLY JENSEN was born in Australia and raised everywhere else. Currently, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and herd of four cats. After disproving the theory that water only spins counterclockwise around drains north of the equator, she turned her attention to more productive pursuits such as reading, writing, writing about reading, and writing stories of her own. She also enjoys volunteering at her local library, playing video games, and holds a brown belt in Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido, and Tang Soo Do. Her family is not intimidated by her.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Counting Down (Counting #2) Posts by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

Block and Strike by Kelly Jensen

Jacob Kendricks is three months out of prison, estranged from his daughter, and ready to get his life on track. Taking care of the bum curled up on his doorstep isn’t part of the plan. When he realizes the man has been assaulted, Jake takes him to the hospital, where he learns that Max is his downstairs neighbor… and that he could really use a friend. Keeping Max in the friend-zone would be easier if he wasn’t so damned cute.

Maxwell Wilson has been bullied for years, and the only person who ever cared lives too far away to come to his rescue. Now his upstairs neighbor is offering support. Max remains cautious, suspecting he is little more than a project for the handsome Jake. When he learns Jake has had boyfriends as well as girlfriends, Max has to reevaluate his priorities—and muster the courage to take a chance at love.

Just when a happy future is within their grasp, life knocks them back down. A devastating blow leaves Max lower than ever and Jake wrestling with regret. They both have to find the strength to stand on their own before they can stand together.

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is as dark and gritty as m/m romance gets. When a rehabilitating ex-con rescues his young neighbor after a brutal attack, the result is an unlikely friendship and an angst filled attraction between the two men.

I’m conflicted about this story. There were moments I loved: Jake’s family is very special. His relationship with Eric made for some very emotional scenes between the two friends. I loved Jake’s karate class and the interesting characters in the group – there are some great scenes as Max begins his training.

However, as Jake and Max’s histories are revealed, this story gets darker and darker. Domestic abuse, parental rejection, poverty, bullying, and debilitating injuries are just a few of the problems circling around these two men. The resulting story was just too heavy for me. There are moments of hope and redemption, but the gloom that shadows these two had me feeling so miserable that I had to read this in small chunks.

The poor communication between Jake and Max created additional conflict, but I struggled to invest in the relationship as Jake kept secrets for far too long and Max alternately chased and ran from Jake. For me, there was too much emotional angst and it didn’t ring true from two hardened blue collar men.

I also struggled with Jake’s character. I couldn’t reconcile the many parts of his character. The calm, disciplined karate student who is committed to his family and his building projects seemed alien to the character described as having a brutal temper and who went to prison for assault. There is something Jekyll and Hyde about Jake’s character that just didn’t ring true for me.

This is a story I might revisit when I’m in a better headspace myself. I struggled with the dark themes in this book, which isn’t necessarily criticism of the author or the writing – I just found the angst overwhelming.

KELLY JENSEN was born in Australia and raised everywhere else. Currently, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and herd of four cats. After disproving the theory that water only spins counterclockwise around drains north of the equator, she turned her attention to more productive pursuits such as reading, writing, writing about reading, and writing stories of her own. She also enjoys volunteering at her local library, playing video games, and holds a brown belt in Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido, and Tang Soo Do. Her family is not intimidated by her.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Block and Strike by Kelly Jensen to read and review.