REVIEWED by Caroline
SERIES: All Cocks #4
AUTHOR: TM Smith
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: TTC Publishing
LENGTH: 6 Hours 13 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: 23 March, 2017
BLURB:
Dare to Hope
An All Cocks story book 4
Tristan is the second oldest of the Brennan brothers and the odd man out. Most of the Brennan men have careers in law enforcement, but as a psychiatrist, Tristan chooses to help people in a different way. Quiet and restrained, he is content to hover in the background of his more gregarious brothers. Then he meets two men, each broken and damaged from losses beyond their control.
Gabriel Simenson is mourning his lover’s death. The random act of violence that took Gio’s life has left everyone at All Cocks reeling. The only thing keeping Gabe from drowning in misery is the friendship he’s forged with Micah, the newest model at All Cocks. He continues to struggle, and at the urging of his All Cocks family Gabe agrees to counseling with Tristan under one condition: Micah must go with him.
Micah Solo can relate to unbearable loss, having lost his leg and so much more in Iraq. The past two years he has been alone, adrift and vulnerable — the memories of war haunting his dreams, spilling over into his daily life. At All Cocks, Micah has found the acceptance he craves and the family he lost, but still he yearns for happiness and peace within.
The friendship between the three is instant, the mutual attraction evident. They circle each other, wanting more, yet unsure if it is truly possible. Is life the mundane reality they’ve each come to accept for themselves or do they dare to hope?
The All Cocks Stories is a series set within the world of online gay porn.
*Warning* Micah’s PTSD is told in detail, including flashbacks to his time in Iraq.
REVIEW:
After first reading Dare to Hope in 2016 this is what I wrote at the start of my review:
After reading and enjoying the first three books in this series I was both looking forward to and curious about Dare to Hope. I wondered whether the author would be able to pull off another menage storyline as good as Fame and Fortune or after falling for Victor, Andrew and Mattie this one would fall a bit flat. I shouldn’t have worried – Dare to Hope was just as good although very different.
Dare to Hope is just as good the second time round and just as good on audio as it was in ebook. The previous book in the series eluded to a relationship between Micah, Tristan and Gabe but if ever three men came with excess baggage it was these three – PTSD and grief are just the tip of the iceberg. Menage is one of my favourite tropes when done well and the author pulls it off fabulously for the second time in the series.
There is friendship in this story before any kind of lust or romance. There is trepidation, nervousness and a lot of walking on eggshells as these men try to navigate new feelings for not one but two other men. There isn’t the flaming heat that we had in the previous books but instead we get a gentle story of three men falling in love whilst working to make each other whole again. It’s tricky, often messy and absolutely glorious when it finally falls into place. Add in Joel Leslie’s great narration and Dare to Hope comes highly recommended.
RATING:
BUY LINKS:
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the book Caroline, great review!
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