REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: No Bravery, Part of the Unconventional Chicago Anthology
AUTHOR: T. A. Chase
PUBLISHER: Totally Bound
LENGTH: 58 Pages
Blurb:
A man looking for revenge discovers a man who wants to save a city.
Farris O’Laughlin has been back in Chicago for five years. He’d spent thirteen years before his return in a mental asylum after his brother had him committed for ‘insanity’. Farris plots revenge in the way he knows will hurt his brother the most—bringing down the family business.
Darien Shaunessy is Farris’ new driver and guard. He’s around to keep Farris in line…or so Farris’ brother thinks. Darien has his own reasons for working for the O’Laughlins, but Farris wasn’t part of his plan.
When two men from different parts of the city come together, powerful men could lose their wealth and control. And the lovers could find bravery they never thought they possessed.
Review:
I picked up this quick read because I liked the sound of the blurb and now I wish I had picked up the rest of the stories in this anthology…and I will at some point.
Farris O’Laughlin is angry and patient. His brother tore his world apart in a quest to take over the family business and now that Farris is free he’s been planning his brother’s ruin. He’s almost there…
Darien Shaunessy is not who he seems to be. He’s also a man on a mission and he’s using his position with Farris as a means to an end…until the man worms his way into Darien’s heart.
I like this story because the author didn’t take the easy way out. Farris doesn’t fall in love and suddenly become a nice person. He’s still selfish and focused on his revenge, but I like the way that Darien sees past all that and finds something to love in the broken man. It would have been easy for the writer to go in a totally different direction and thereby make the story more appealing to those who like things to be wrapped up in a nice little package.
Farris never does decide to do the right thing for the right reasons, but Darien does so it balances out in the end.
The fact that their missions are on the same path for different reasons is a reason for the two men to trust each other and it helps the reader accept their quick connection.
As I said, this a short story that is interwoven with the rest of the stories in the anthology, but as it stands, it leaves you dying for more (see my first statement, lol). The writing flows nicely and both characters demand the reader’s attention, whether you want to give it or not. I never did really come to like Farris, but I can certainly understand his motivations and I couldn’t help but cheer him on in his quest to lay waste to his brother’s life.
Smart writing, excellent attention to detail and the creation of a very interesting world make this story one that I will probably read again, especially once I have the rest of the anthology.
Rating:
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