Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: A Subtle Breeze 
SERIES: Southern Spirits, #1
AUTHOR: Bailey Bradford
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 97 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2010
BLURB:
Ezekiel Matthers and Brendon Shanahan are about to find out that sometimes all it takes is a subtle breeze to shift the winds of fate.
Ezekiel Matthers is a reclusive man, forcing himself into the exile of his ranch after a violent assault left him wounded. While the scars on the outside have faded, the damage inside is much harder to conquer. Zeke resigns himself to a solitary existence, aside from his sister Enessa and, of course, his mama’s occasional visits.
Brendon Shanahan has a very meddling cousin, Gloria, who is best buds with Enessa Matthers. When the two women convince Brendon that he should hook-up with the reclusive Zeke, a plan is hatched that sets a series of events into motion – with potentially deadly consequences.
Can Ezekiel conquer his fears and accept what Brendon is offering? Or will Brendon walk away, giving up on the love he has waited for? And will the visits from Zeke’s mama – deceased for four years now – help the two men find their way to each other?
Only time will tell, and that may be the one thing the lovers don’t have, because someone is out to destroy everything Zeke and Brendon hold dear – and this time, the bad guy just might succeed.
REVIEW:
All Ezekiel “Zeke” Matthers wants is to be left alone. Especially since his own sister organised to have him bashed to death years ago, good thing he’s stronger than that. He survived the bashing physically but mentally, not so much. Zeke has basically cloistered himself at his ranch if anything is needed in town he either goes to the next town over or sends one of his hands. The only family member Zeke talks to is his younger sister Enessa as she is the only one who hasn’t ever accused him of being an abomination! Enessa and her best friend Gloria have decided it’s well past time for Zeke to get into the dating field so they set him up with Gloria’s cousin Brendon Shanahan. Brendon goes along with the plan for him to meet Zeke but things don’t go as planned when Zeke has a panic attack.
Brendon almost lets Zeke run him off after their first encounter but Zeke’s mother has other plans for them. Zeke’s mother has been dead for four years now but that doesn’t mean she has left McKinton! Zeke has always thought the subtle breeze he feels along with the scent he smells every now and then was his mother’s spirit. He doesn’t know if it’s because it makes him feel better or because it really is her. When Brendon tells Zeke that he also has smelt the scent and felt the breeze does Zeke begin to believe that it really is her.
As Brendon and Zeke get closer Zeke begins to feel he can actually have a relationship without his older sister Eva interfering until he dares to be seen in town with Brendon. Now, Eva is a puritanical, homophobic religious zealot who happens to be married to the local pastor’s son. Eva’s hatred is that intense that when Zeke came out to his mother Eva decided it was her place to rid the world of evil gays starting with Zeke. When the physical violence started their mother told Eva to leave and that was when everything was ramped up he was attacked every time he showed his face in town. The culmination came when Zeke was beaten almost to death by a group of thugs that left him with knee trouble that still plagues him to this day. As with everyone in town Brendon has heard the story that it was Zeke’s own sister that arranged for his death and when he lived she was just about frothing at the mouth she was that enraged! When Eva sees Zeke and Brendon together in town she starts all over again but this time she decides to do the job herself. The only thing is there’s a new sheriff in town and he isn’t prepared to let Eva get away with trying to kill her brother just because of who she’s married to.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up a part of a family where you know at least one member hates you so much they’re willing to kill you just because you’re different. Unfortunately, this happens all too often and a lot of the victims are not as lucky as Zeke. They are either dead or so broken there really isn’t a lot left to put back together. A Subtle Breeze is the perfect way to start a very in-depth look at the many facets of growing up and living in a small town, which happens to be McKinton and the way the spirits who live there help the living.
RATING: 
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