Title: Dealing With The Past
Series: The Thompson Agency 02
Author: Toni Griffin
Genre: Paranormal, Alternative World
Length: Novella (152pgs)
Publisher: Silver Publishing (23rd March 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ – 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: When Aiden goes to the Thompson Agency for help saying goodbye to his ex-lover, the last person he expected to find was Jackson, his high school bully. On the other hand, Jackson didn’t expect to find out that Aiden was his mate.
Aiden Montgomery’s lover died unexpectedly at work. His boss, Noah, suggests he go to the Thompson Agency to help him say goodbye. What Aiden didn’t expect was to run into someone from his past. Someone he never wanted to set eyes on again.
Jackson Thompson has worked hard to change his ways and attitude towards others. When his most recent client refuses to work with him he’s baffled as to why. Finding out Aiden is his mate throws Jackson for a loop, realizing he’s the same person Jackson bullied in high school could mean the end to his mating before it even began.
But someone doesn’t want Aiden’s ex raised from the dead.
Purchase Link: This Edition is no longer available
Review: This story is part of a series and best read in order. Aiden never got the chance to say goodbye to his lover, so on the recommendation of his boss he makes an appointment with the Thompson Agency. But, the appointment doesn’t go as planned, when he runs into someone from his past; some who made his life a misery. Jackson has done some things in his past that he regrets, when the victim of his bullying period comes into the office and he discovers the man is his mate he has a lot of groveling to do. But, first he has to get Aiden to let him help Aiden raise his dead lover. And, just why is someone threatened by Aiden raising the dead?
This story combines personal demons of the past and a slight mystery surrounding the raising of a loved one. Aiden’s school years still haunt him to a degree. being an object of bullying left unseen marks and now years later while trying to make an appointment to say one last goodbye to his dead lover, he bumps into one of the bullies and reacts badly. Jackson doesn’t know what he did to deserve a punch in the face, but he has to contact Aiden again, because the man is his mate. When he remembers Aiden, he is mortified of his past behavior and swears he will do anything to get Aiden to forgive him.
I really enjoyed this story and the way that Aiden and Jackson both confront the past. Even though this story still does have paranormal aspects, that side is more in the background until later in the book. The main storyline is with Jackson admitting his faults when he was younger and with Aiden learning to forgive for past behavior. I really liked the fact that Aiden didn’t just jump to forgive Jackson, but that he also didn’t draw out his forgiveness either. I also liked that Jackson recognized his own faults and was working on them, and that he was wooing Aiden rather than expecting Aiden’s forgiveness. The entire storyline is good and I really liked the twist to Brendan’s (Aiden’s dead lover) death, which was a surprise and fit nicely into the story.
I will recommend this story to those who love paranormal, overcoming the past to find love, becoming a better person, a great twist, hot sex and a very happy ending.