Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Almost

AUTHOR: Sean Michael

PUBLISHER: Totally Bound

LENGTH: 11,312 Words

BLURB: Hammer let Lane drive him away, but now he’s determined to make Lane the one who almost got away.

Lane lost his legs while saving his unit overseas. It’s been two years and he’s doing his best to come to terms with things, including the fact that he dumped his lover to free the man up from being stuck with a gimp for the rest of his life. Luckily, Lane inherited his Gramps’ cottage—it just needs some renovations to make it wheelchair friendly. He’s determined to make the best of what he’s got.

Hammer was one of the men Lane saved…and his lover while they were in the Army together. He let Lane drive him away back when the man first got hurt, but now he’s hunting Lane, determined to make Lane the one who almost got away. Will Lane be able to see past his injuries far enough to realize Hammer’s in it for the long haul?

Publisher’s Note: This story has been previously released as part of the Stand to Attention anthology by Totally Bound Publishing. 

REVIEW:

When I begin reading a Sean Michael story I never know what to expect. Maybe I’m going to love it or maybe I really won’t like it, because previously I’ve rated his books from 1 star all the way up to 5 stars. Almost falls somewhere in the middle.

Two years ago Lane lost his legs saving his lover and many other soldiers from IEDs while in the military. Although he was very much in love with Hammer he saw himself as broken and not good enough so he broke off their relationship and is now living in an isolated cabin, left to him by his grandfather. When Hammer unexpectedly arrives at the cabin Lane is happy to see him but at the same time hurt by the reminder of what he has lost.

I sort of understand Lane. Some readers may find it unrealistic and, trust me, I get that. Usually I’m the first to stand up and denounce the whole- you’re better off without me storyline. But usually that’s because the character is leaving for a completely stupid reason. And while I suppose Lane’s decision wasn’t sensible I can only guess that having just lost his legs, he wouldn’t be in the most stable mental state.

I was glad that despite this being a fairly short story we still get both Lane’s and Hammer’s point of view. Hammer regrets allowing Lane to push him aside. He doesn’t care that Lane is now in a wheelchair, he just wants a life with the man he loves. I thought Hammer’s concerns were very realistic. While he isn’t bothered by the fact that Lane has no legs he has some private concerns about what the “stumps”, as they call them, are going to look like.

I’ve read a couple of other stories where people have lost limbs, and I hope this doesn’t sound like I think such a grave injury is ever trivial, but usually it will be one leg, below the knee which after a couple of months doesn’t seem to overly impact the character’s daily life. This was the first story I’ve read where one of the main characters has lost both legs, above the knee and as a result has completely had to rethink what they are going to do with their life.

There was a lot of sex in this book. I’d guess around 50% of the story is the two men having sex. Usually I’d complain about that, but in this story it made sense. The main reasons Lane thinks a relationship with Hammer isn’t possible are, one, he thinks his legs are too ugly to let anybody see and two, he thinks he physically can’t have sex anymore. Ergo, the more sex the men have, the more convinced Lane is that being together will actually work.

Overall I’d label this a quick yet satisfying read perfect for when you find yourself with an hour or so to spare.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: Totally Bound