The Shed by Dianne Hartsock

81a0T5g6AZL._SL1500_Title: The Shed
Series: N/A
Author: Dianne Hartsock
Genre: Contemporary/ Thriller
Length: Novel (260 pages)
Publisher: Solstice Publishing (Published June 12th 2014)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Aerin
Blurb: As a Certified Mental Health Therapist, Scott Reid has his share of interesting experiences, though nothing compares with the time he spends with the psychic, Alex Elson. Plagued by terrifying images and dreams, Alex turns to Doctor Reid in the hopes of learning to control his visions.

Instead, Scott is pulled into Alex’s world, where dreams and reality mix and nightmares are real. Two young men, brothers, have been abducted from the lake outside of Oakton without a trace of who took them.

That is, until Alex receives a silver pocket watch in the mail belonging to the elder brother, a taunt from the kidnapper for Alex to come find them. Alex’s visions turn at once into nightmares. Images flash in his mind of an abandoned well and a terrified, lonely boy slowly dying at the bottom. The shed looms close by, holding a horrifying secret, a dark place Alex’s frightened mind refuses to go.

With the help of Scott Reid, Alex endeavors to control his visions and find he brutalized victims before death claims them. But the watch is ticking away and time’s running out

ISBN: 9781625260819

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Shed-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B00KXH186K

Review: Wow, this book was different from any other MM book I’ve read so far. This is not exactly a romance book, even though love and support from the loved ones are what help the characters thrive. This is mostly about the relationship between a psychic, Alex, who’s known for his visions that have been helpful to police in the past, and his mental therapist, Scott.

This story is told from the POVs of both Alex and Scott, which helps us understand the characters better, it gives us a better understanding of the plot, but it also showcases the amazing secondary characters that all play a very important role in this book. This book is a thriller with a very light romance subplot. The paranormal touch made the whole book very fascinating to me.

Alex is plagued by visions about two boys that have gone missing, Caleb and Christian. One of them is slowly dying, stuck in a well, while the other is somehow connected to the shed that makes an appearance in most of Alex’s visions. Unfortunately, only one of the boys will have a happy(ish) ending. Alex’s wonderful relationship with his wife is one of the main points in this book, and I loved the support and strength Alex got from it.

Scott is trying to help Alex control his visions, but this book isn’t only about Scott’s professional career. The relationship between Scott and Arthur, Scott’s love interest, is pretty much an insta-love, but it didn’t bother me in this book. There is no sex on page, not even a blowjob…*pouts*, but the progress of their love affair is a nice, light touch to a story that’s dark and somewhat creepy.

While I liked this book a lot, I didn’t really love it. The plot itself was intense enough; there were so many flashbacks that both Alex and Scott experience, it seemed a little overdone to me. And most of the characters in this book had fucked-up parents. I understand Scott’s past was the reason he chose to become a mental health therapist, but the other characters that were physically and/or psychologically abused by their parents made this book more dramatic than it already was.

If you like, a fast-paced book with solid, well-written characters, a mystery/crime based plot with a paranormal touch and a romance (both mf and mm) subplot that manage to soften the chaotic and violent actions, than this book is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

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