North Point
By Thom Collins
Book 1 of the Jagged Shores series
Release Date: July 7, 2020 by Pride Publishing
Will an idyllic summer holiday lead Arnie to the love of his life, or the end of it?
The Storyline
It should be the start of a perfect vacation. After a period of stress, Arnie Walker takes his nine-year-old son AJ home for the holidays. Arnie grew up in Nyemouth, a picturesque fishing town on the North-East coast of England, and he wants AJ to experience the kind of carefree, endless summer he enjoyed as a boy. It’s a short-lived dream. While taking an evening walk along the North Point cliff, Arnie and AJ witness a murder attempt.
For the volunteer crew of Nyemouth Lifeboat Station, it’s a rescue mission like none before, Helmsman Dominic Melton is part of the team who rescue the victim from the deadly North Sea. When Arnie and Dominic come together in the aftermath of the attack, the attraction is instant. Arnie isn’t looking for a relationship. He’s committed to his son’s well-being and has no time for a distraction like Dominic, even though the handsome ex-naval officer is hard to dismiss. Is it possible for Arnie to fulfill his promises to AJ while falling for Dominic?
Despite the distraction, a fledgling killer remains at large. As feelings between Arnie and Dominic develop, so does the danger they are in. North Point may be a beautiful place to fall in love, but it could also be the most dangerous.
What I Liked
This book had a real-life feel to it that is often missing in gay romance novels. It deals with small-town gossip, gay fatherhood challenges, jealous “lovers” and the like. The introduction of the murder mystery within the first few pages really helps to get the hook into you. Don’t worry, there is plenty of romance and feeling your way through the beginnings of a relationship around the murder mystery that is playing out in the background.
All the characters were well built and could easily relate to. Arnie was my favorite character. Being a gay father myself, I could absolutely feel the struggle and angst he felt between the needs of his son and his desires. (Thank goodness, I am not single!) Most gay romance novels seem to glance over that part and jump straight to a sex scene. This was a well thought out progression into building a relationship.
The mystery piece of the book definitely kept my attention, thus kept me turning the pages! Suspenseful might be the best word to use. It was always in the background…checking the security cameras, cautious of workouts, making sure the door was locked when you came in from the garden. As the mystery moves closer to home, decisions need to be made (trying to avoid too many spoilers here).
What I did not Care for
There were a couple of places in the book that got pronouns mixed up, which if you are speed reading will trip you up (he to they). Likely some auto-correct mistake someplace, hey it has happened to all of us at some point. Like I said, it was only a couple of places and in my leisurely reading pace, it was fine.
My Recommendation
This was a well-structured, well written, easy read. While there are some small twists as it relates to the murder, it was not hard to follow requiring deep thought. The author brought in real-life struggles to make it more realistic, including how they both have pasts, both are not young pups any longer, both have “ex-s” (or the non-relationship gay equivalent), and of course dealing with a small town where everything thinks they know everyone else’s business.
I would be remiss if I did not mention: The hotness level was up there as well – two well-built, hunky guys, one an actor, one ex-military.
This was my first Thom Collins book, it will not be my last. In fact, I am looking forward to the continuation of the series. I am waiting to learn what the REAL deal is with the brother-in-law. I enjoyed how there were a couple of little items left up in the air like that. This will only help to seed the next book.
Disclosure: I DID receive a copy of this book from the author or publisher in exchange for an HONEST review. All these opinions are mine and I received NO compensation for this review.
Check out my FULL review as well as my About the Author on my site below. Additionally, I connected directly with Thom Collins to get info on his favorite caffeinated beverages... Check it all out on my site: