Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Port in a Storm
AUTHOR: Douglas Black
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: 274 Pages
BLURB:
Alex is stuck in a rut. He’s facing a big decision about his future, namely, what to do with it and so far he hasn’t managed to come up with an answer. Until he meets Jake. Jake blows through Alex’s world like a hurricane and Alex falls hard and fast for the perpetual traveler with a penchant for secrets and a perfect smile. Jake wants Alex, but life isn’t as simple as that. Jake never settles in one place for long and already their long-distance relationship is driving a wedge between Alex and his family. With no compromises on offer, Alex’s decision about his future becomes a decision about Jake. For Alex, the idea of losing Jake doesn’t even bear thinking about, but choosing him looks like it will mean throwing away everything Alex knows, including his relationship with his parents. And so, Alex finds himself with another question to answer: how much is he willing to give up, to be happy?
REVIEW:
“Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.”
Alex hasn’t paid much attention to that Scottish Proverb. He is stuck in a major rut. He is working at a coffee counter at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland and is completely miserable. He hates his job, he hates his commute, and his relationship is a joke. Alex has finished his degree at university, but hasn’t done anything with it yet. The only reason Alex is working at the counter instead of working for his father’s prestigious law firm in Glasgow is Alex’s evil stepmother. She also works for the firm and Alex feels she is to blame for breaking up his parent’s marriage and his mother’s subsequent car accident death. Alex has been in a “relationship” with Rupert for 5 years, but Rupert is only in it for the position it gets him at Alex’s father’s firm and they haven’t really been in love for at least 3 years. Most nights Rupert stays at the home of Alex’s father and stepmother, and they seem to both like Rupert better than Alex!
One day, Alex looks up to see a handsome stranger standing in front of him. In blows Hurricane Jake, knocking Alex right out of the rut he has found himself in. Before he knows what is happening he is in a sleeping pod within the airport having some of the best sex of his entire life! And it goes on for a couple days!
Afterwards Jake has to leave, explaining he travels extensively and is on his way to London. Alex says good bye and figures he’ll never see him again. He couldn’t be more wrong. He continues to see Jake, and each time they have wild monkey sex and Jake asks him to jump on a plane with him and just take off for an adventure, leaving his dull life in a rut behind. Who is this mysterious man? Should Alex go one of these times, should he keep saying no? His life is very “complicated” after all. Should he maybe get the guy’s phone number?
This author creates very believable characters and story lines. The character of Alex was so well written that I truthfully was really irritated at Alex several times during the book because he reminded me so much of a couple 22 year old gay men that I know personally. I wanted to reach into the book and slap him up beside the head!
Along the way, Alex makes some decisions that left me cringing. I’m happy to say he also made some good ones at times as well.
I very much enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it. I will be following to see what else Mr. Black writes.
RATING: 
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