Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: In His Sights
AUTHOR: LA Bryce
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 105K
RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2019
BLURB:
Meet two men who need each other’s help but don’t realize it until it’s almost too late.
Noah is gay and terrified someone might find out. So much so that when he was blackmailed with pictures of himself with another man, instead of coming clean, he left his SEAL team without a word.
The other man is openly gay Mason, a former Marine and now part of the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task force. It takes eight years after their first meeting in the desert for a chance event bring the two men together again. Now Noah must decide if he’s ready to accept who he is or if it’s easier to cut and run. Can they navigate the obstacles in their path to build a relationship? And why does the thought of that scare them more than investigating a group of terrorists?
REVIEW:
Mason and Noah were Navy SEALS. Mason left and entered the FBI. When it was time to re-enlist, Noah didn’t, because he was blackmailed into leaving via some pictures of him with another guy. Mason is out and proud. Noah is so far in denial, he could walk out the back of a wardrobe in Egypt and believe he was in Narnia.
The story starts with Mason already in the FBI and a chance meeting with Noah in an airport.
The story is told in the third person, present tense from the viewpoints of Noah and Mason. And other than some autonomous body parts, technically speaking, it is sound. When I read the blurb, it says the story revolves around how their relationship develops and how Noah helps in Mason’s investigation. I had high hopes for a story that contained some emotional trauma mixed with a dose of romance and a slice of FBI deliciousness. Indeed, the lion’s share of the story relates to the developing relationship between Noah and Mason. The FBI case is background noise.
While there were some good sex scenes and the odd bit of drama was exciting; overall, I was sorely disappointed. Given that the story is 105k I expected more than what I got. It was evident that the author loves these characters and I can understand getting attached to beings who effectively become your children. Sadly, I think the love for the boys overrode sensible editing.
For some time, Noah has only fucked men, sucks dick like a pro and claims he’s not gay. With the military still overcoming the overturn of DADT and his upbringing, I can understand him being in the closet. But, to deny it altogether, under the guise of just liking sex – was a bit of a stretch.
The first half of the story seems to be on a bit of a loop. While reading, I saw the characters reiterate the same thoughts, same questions, and the same problems, with no forthcoming answers. Their emotions are volatile, switching from hot to cold so fast they could have been straddling the equator and the Arctic. This loop continues for 44% of the available space. Considering that would have been about 50K’s worth – the reading got monotonous. There was plenty of shouting, telling the other to leave or sex. Rarely was there emotional middle ground. Considerable wordcount was used on finite detail. I didn’t need to know every time a pair of jeans was put on followed by a t-shirt. I could have also done without a large section of dialogue on cereals.
The second half of the story was much more readable. I would have quite happily read the second half without believing I’d missed much. I know that is harsh, but by then, I’d read the same thing over again for several days, and I’d lost all sympathy for the characters. Both men were similar in that they kept secrets, wouldn’t open up, didn’t listen, were suspicious of the other person’s actions, and jumped to quick conclusions before being proven wrong. Other than a twitching cock, it’s not exactly a good foundation for love to blossom. While having elements of all the above makes for a fantastic story – it was cooked so much, it was done to a crisp and had lost all flavor.
When the FBI investigation section of the arc makes an appearance, (other than, it involves my brother-in-law being killed, I feel guilty, and it’s classified) there is some exciting drama. However, compared to the rest of the story, it is a blip on the horizon, overshadowed by more heated exchanges between Mason and Noah followed by makeup sex.
All the above sounds so uncaring, but I lost count of how many times, some phrases were repeated. With each repeat, their effectiveness lessened.
It is a shame because In His Sights had so much potential and could have been a superb story. The balance between relationship and investigation was off. Extremes usually work in fiction, but here, it was too much for too long. Combine it with unnecessary detail and lots of repetition, and I found the story more annoying rather than entertaining.
RATING: 
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