Reviewed by: Taylor

Title: Against Reason

Author: Scarlet Blackwell

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Pages: 109

Blurb:

He lost his heart once. Is it too damaged for love to find it again?

In the five years since the love of his life abandoned him at the altar, Jake Morgan hasn’t left his house. The locals in this small, English town have dubbed him “Mr. Havisham”, but he’s too preoccupied wrestling his demons to care about Dickensian comparisons.

Forced to admit he’s losing the battle to keep up his large estate alone, he reluctantly places an advert for help. The striking young man who answers his call shakes him to the core.

When Darius answers the ad for the position at the mysterious mansion, the bitter, lonely master of the house tugs at his heartstrings. Setting aside his own run of bad luck, Darius batters at Jake’s emotional walls with kindness and determination that defy all attempts to drive him away.

Just as tendrils of new love begin to intertwine, though, a terrible voice from the past intrudes. And threatens to drive Jake back into the shadows where Darius can never reach him.

Review:

I’m kind of feel speechless, except I actually have to write a review for this novella.  But…but…what was this??? Listen Scarlet Blackwell is really not for everyone on the best of days.  She’s polarizing for a variety of reasons, most of all her unlikable (to some) characters.  Jerks.  Bitter jerks.  For the most part, though, her books are some of my guilty crack.  I realize her characters aren’t the nicest of guys but I still gobble her books up.  Take Inferno.  I could reread that baby over and over and over.

But again…what was this???  It’s like there was zero characterization of these two characters and the reader is just thrown in to the story, but nothing to latch on to, nothing to give clues as to who they are as people, but I’m supposed to buy their epic insta-love.

Jake was stood up at his wedding 5 years ago by his ex, Marc.  Since then he’s been a shut-in and finally decides to hire outside help for something…but it’s not exactly clear why.  Why after 5 years is it now the time he decides to hire help?  What qualifications did Darius, a guy on the verge of eviction from his apartment, have?  Why is Jake wealthy enough that he apparently doesn’t really have to work?  How is he so important that the town gossips about him like some mythic being?  How did the cake not SPOIL FOR FIVE YEARS?  I get shutting down but what in the ever fuck was that all about?  How can after one DAY could Darius (and partially Jake) feel this incredible affection and desire for the other when they literally know nothing about the other?  Hell the reader doesn’t even know anything about these two.  What was that back and forth over and over again?  A hospital scene…really? And you cannot tell me that thing at the end was needed.  You just can’t.  Convenient and silly items that only made me even more annoyed than I already was while reading.

Oh and Marc?  You can choke on a bag of dicks.

Rating:

Links: samhain Amazon