Title: Pick Up The Pieces
Series: The Light In Your Eyes, Book 1, A Spy vs. Spook Spinoff
Author: Tinnean
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (321 Pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 21st, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts
Blurb: The Light in Your Eyes: Book One – A Spy vs. Spook Novel
Fifteen-year-old Theo Bascopolis longs for the man of his dreams. But his dreams are dashed when his conservative Greek father discovers Theo is gay and throws him out. Hopeless, he falls in with Fast Franky, a pimp who seduces Theo with the nickname “Sweetcheeks,” but abuses him and wants Theo to hustle. A bloody fight with Franky forces Sweetcheeks to run. Winding up in Washington, DC, he meets a group of rent boys who take care of each other. While he may not have the man of his dreams, Theo finally has a home and family of his own making.
When the boys take in mysterious tenant Mark Vincent, he seems a solid protector, until one of Sweetcheeks’ boys suffers a savage beating in his name. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital and introduces his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn’t for rent boys, Sweetcheeks’ hopes Matheson sees beyond the body he’s offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own, and both will have to tear down their walls to find enduring love.
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4735
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: I lost a lot of sleep last night because I couldn’t’ stop reading! The ups and downs of following Theo, aka Sweetcheeks, trials, and tribulations was harrowing at first. To imagine what can happen when a loving family turns on their child and shuns him for something he can’t change, to send him out of his home and into the path of a predator because he’s gay. It’s unforgivable, though by the end of this book Theo is faced with that problem.
The frightening world of turning tricks on the street as a young teen takes a turn even worse when Sweetcheeks is faced to fight for his life, fight not to be sold to another pimp by a man he once considered himself to love.
His risky escape to DC introduces him to a slightly different way of life, he’s still turning tricks, but at least he seems to find shelter in an environment where the boys are given health screenings, regular food, and a safe place to lay their heads. But I was still left doubtful that Theo’s life, as a hustler would ever improve beyond that. I kept waiting as the character did for the next shoe to drop. And drop it did when an event proves just how dangerous their line of work is.
Enter one sexy and mysterious man, Wills Matheson. The tragedy that brought Wills and Theo together is linked to Mark Vincent, but we don’t’ get any direct looks into Mark and Wills’ real lien of work, just hints, foreshadowing and suggestion by many characters including Wills’ uncle Pete, who knows much more than he lets on to Theo about Wills.
Wills and Theo go through high and lows, mistrust, and questioning, but through it all one thing is clear, both are in love, and both want this things to work. Theo even gets to satisfy his longing for family by meeting and being pretty much accepted by Wills big family. Problem is the author drops enough hints to let the reader know that Wills is most definitely not a computer troubleshooter, but I’m thinking more along the lines of shooting down trouble in the form of people. His life is dangerous, and I think he’s starting to bring his work home in ways Theo doesn’t realize just yet.
There are lots of interesting twists and turns, dramatic highs and lows, plenty of chemistry and sexual heat, and that kept me going through the improbable moments, like Theo being so blind to Wills job, and his rent boy roomies, just kind of dropping out of the plot too easily at times.
The writing was smooth, the suspense was enough to keep me reading until 3:00 a.m., and I’m still chewing on the mysteries involved, speculating on the next book, and all those things spells winner, in my mind! Can’t wait for Foolish Me, the sequel to Pick up the Pieces!