Duo Review by Cinnamon & Jen B.

TITLE: Between These Sheets

AUTHORS: Devon McCormack

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH:  310 Pages

RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2017

BLURB:

“I fought one war on the battlefield. Now I fight another in my mind.”

Jay is always on the run—always looking for the next place to start a new life. But no matter how much he moves, he can’t escape the painful memories that haunt him. As he settles into his latest job in the warehouse at a glass bottle factory, he finds himself the target of his co-workers’ teasing. When he takes a stand against one of the bullies, a fight breaks out. His boss, a war vet named Reese, steps in, and Jay accidentally shoves him to the ground, revealing Reese’s prosthetic leg. Jay’s sure he’s gonna lose his job, but he’s blown away when he’s given another shot.

Reese is annoyed by the new guy. Jay is reckless and temper prone. Maybe Reese shouldn’t have given him a second chance, but his attitude reminds him of his war buddy—a guy who he cared deeply for and who he lost under tragic circumstances. He just hopes Jay doesn’t let him down.

When an accident in the factory triggers one of Reese’s PTSD episodes, Jay returns the favor by being there for him and keeping anyone else from discovering the incident. Reese wants to move on and forget it ever happened, but Jay won’t let it go. And as much as Reese tries to keep his distance, there’s a heat—a passion—between them that he can’t resist. It leads them to the bedroom again and again, but Reese quickly realizes they’ve ignited more than the sparks they create between the sheets. And despite the tough-guy façade Jay puts on, underneath there’s a soul just as tortured and hurt as he is. He’s starting to fall for Jay, but he knows there’s a dark storm lurking in the back of his own mind—a storm that will return one day and destroy the beautiful connection they share.

REVIEW BY CINNAMON

This is probably the most intense book I have read for a long time. I normally prefer minimal angst stories with smooth sailing, but I knew I can never expect that from Devon McCormack. I was prepared for an intense ride, but I couldn’t get ready for what I got here. My insides were in freakin knots all the way, easing a bit during the last chapter. What an amazing ride though. Luckily I didn’t have to stop reading so I finished this book in one sitting.

Between These Sheets tells the story of an incredible journey of two guys who have been through some personal hell one way or another, but when they meet and got to know each other a bit, they discover that being together might help them fight their personal demons. The story is told from both characters’ third person point of view and it gives us readers a chance to get inside both MCs’ heads in a heartbeat. The writing is powerful as always and this style makes it possible for us to feel everything they do making the reading experience all the more intense and memorable.

Reese and Jay are both complex characters with lots lot of layers and some serious baggage. They are absolutely perfect for each other and their building connection and constant struggles are beautifully portrayed and the plotline is very well built, keeping the reader on edge along the ride. Reese and Jay have sizzling chemistry that leads to plenty of hot sexy-time. I loved the kinky scene but didn’t care for the reaction it got later in the story. I had a few confused moments while reading but most of them got resolved sooner or later.

There are plenty of conflicts and a bit of miscommunication but everything is beautifully solved by the end. The tension and the angst were a bit too much for me at times but I’m truly thankful for the epilogue that filled my heart with all the warm and fuzzy feels it craved. Highly recommended.

RATING:  

REVIEW BY JEN B.

This story had a bit more of a serious feel to it than the others I’ve read by Devon.  Not only did the storyline contain serious issues, but the writing itself had a more mature feel to it.  It is written in present tense, which I generally don’t enjoy, however, I am able to forget about that issue when the story is well written and interesting enough that it makes it less noticeable.

I love reading about damaged characters and seeing men overcome or manage their disabilities or PTSD issues.  Here, we have Jay who is a bit of an unsteady guy, moving on to a new location when things don’t work out for him, which until this point, they have yet to do.  He has some issues from his childhood that affect him as an adult and lead to many of his current issues.  Then, there is Reese, Jay’s supervisor, and and ex-military man who suffers greatly from PTSD, in addition to dealing with a lower leg amputation.  So, these guys have a lot going on.

I thought Devon did a wonderful job with the PTSD issue.  Reese has been dealing with and somewhat managing it for almost a decade.  It is a major part of him and his life, and thus, a major part of the story.  I loved and easily saw how Jay was the perfect match for Reese and really enjoyed watching them work through Reese’s episodes.  A side issue, or side affect of the PTSD is that Reese struggles with not wanting to hurt anyone (or anyone more than he already has).  While understandable, there were times his inner struggles felt a bit repetitive at times, and I wanted to jump in and help him out myself.  Thankfully, Jay does some major maturing and does the right thing for them both.

As a funny side, do men having office/supply closet quickies really totally undress to do so?  This made me chuckle each time, and I almost wanted them to get caught just to see it all play out.  😀

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon