Title: A Package Deal
Series: Sexy Snax
Author: Jaxx Steele
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (66 pages)
Publisher: Totally Bound (August 14th, 2014)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Heaerts
Blurb: One drunken night turned Phillip’s life upside down. Could James be the man to turn it right side up?
A drunken decision in college during dare week changes Phillip Drake’s life forever. In less than two years, he becomes a nurse, a father then a widower. For a young gay man, this was way past tilt on his shock meter.
To his disappointment, the life he’d planned for himself with his lover James will never happen. A tragedy brings Phil home with his son. He learns James wants to be with him again, but Phil is hesitant. His focus is on what’s best for his son.
Could James be what’s best for both the father and son?
ISBN: 978-1-78430-137-8
Product Link: https://www.totallybound.com/a-package-deal
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Short and sweet, one of the best kinds of books and definitely one where you don’t have to think too much beyond the words. Phillip returns home after disappearing three years ago out of the lives of his mother, sister and his then boyfriend, James. James clearly never got over Phillip and has been both heartbroken and confused about what actually happened to his lover.
I never tend to think as this type of story as interracial because even though the men have different skin colour I don’t see that as important to the relationship. I’m also not particularly fond of labelling a book as interracial because even though the characters are indeed of different race, except when dealing with racists, it’s a bit of a non-event for me. But in this case, it was the African-American family that were the racists in the piece. I found it interesting that learning about one’s culture was also based on skin colour here, I wonder if that is true in real life?
I would have liked there to be more details regarding James and what happened to him because he seemed just too willing to fall back into his relationship with Phillip. I cannot work out the exact nature of James and Phillip’s relationship prior to Phillip disappearing, except I know that they were having sex.
The other thing is that the events leading to Phillip’s son being conceived just seemed a little too convoluted. It would have been better if it simply remained as vague as a drunken night out with the frat boys while Phillip tried to play it straight. However, I can’t work out the rationale behind Phillip cutting himself off from his family, because both his mother and sister were very supportive. So are James and his mother for that matter.
In general, the plot of this story is good despite the lack of character development. Read it but don’t over analyse it and you’ll enjoy it.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *