Reviewed by Cheryl
This is a Series Review of Roads (Books 1 -3 )
AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh
PUBLISHER: Self Published
SERIES REVIEW:
Pete and Ash are two of the most “real” characters I’ve read. They lingered with me long after I finished reading their story. I first read Slide a number of years ago. I read it again when Rare came out to refresh my memory, and I loved it as much, if not more, the second time. I had no idea there was a third instalment until I was given the series to review. It was a wonderful surprise and I’ve devoured Circle as eagerly as the other two.
There couldn’t be two more different men. Ash, a struggling artist trying to make a living designing tattoos, running from addiction, depression and life on the streets. Pete, a level-headed, family oriented paramedic. They shouldn’t work – but they do.
Ash has so many issues it takes a long time for Pete to get to a place where he feels he truly knows him, and even then he’s wrong. For Ash, life is a struggle. Eating, sleeping, being touched, all present issues for him. He’s only really happy when he’s absorbed in his art, or is tattooing someone, although he tries harder with Pete than he ever has.
Pete has his issues, too, but on the whole, he is a far more stable character, at least in Slide and most of Rare. Working as a City paramedic is not easy, and it sometimes causes him a lot of stress. It’s when Pete is stressed out that trouble tends to find them.
Throughout all three books, the author presents us with a host of little cameos. A scene here, a piece of dialogue there, a reaction, a hesitation. They might seem like random things but on the second or third reading, after knowing how each book ends, they jump into sharp relief showing how carefully the author layers her story, and how subtle she is about it. This multi-layered approach gives a much deeper understanding of the characters than usual.
There are many strong secondary characters and of them all my favourite is Pete’s mother, Maggie. I would so like to call around for dinner one night. She’s motherly, caring, scatty as hell, and I love her for it. I am also rather fond of Ellie although I don’t think I could stand her bossy nature. In book two, Mike becomes more prominent and in book three, Jed and Max make an appearance. I understand they are MC’s from another series but you absolutely do not have to read that series to make sense of this one.
If you want gritty realism and angst these books smash it. The writing is fluid and expressive with a truly masterful attention to detail. I found myself pulled into the narrative almost from the very start and I stayed there the whole time, through both books. There is plenty going on and everything, from dinner with mother to Ash’s darkest moment, are enthralling.
The characters are so well rounded you come away feeling as if you know them. They save each other. They complement each other. They drive each other insane (almost literally). Apart from my niggle about the ending of book 1, I can find very little to criticize in any book. I have to say that Slide is still my favourite of the three but I can see the very real appeal in the other two,.
I rarely give a 5* because I feel that if I give 5* for every book I enjoy, how can you tell which ones are truly special, even life-changing. I have very high standards for my 5* and this series ticks the boxes. Almost flawless writing, incredible characterisation and a storyline that draws you in and keeps you there. The key fact for me is that even after a number of years (yes, I’m fudging because I can’t remember exactly how long ago it was) these characters are still with me.
SERIES RATING: 
TITLE: Slide 
LENGTH: 332 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 17, 2018
BLURB:
Don’t look back. Don’t you ever look back…
Shy tattoo artist Ash has a troubled past. Years of neglect, drug abuse, and life on the streets have taken their toll, and sometimes it seems the deep, unspoken bond with his lover is the only balm for wounds he doesn’t quite understand.
Chicago paramedic Pete is warmth, love, and strength—things Ash never knew he could have, and never even knew he wanted until Pete showed him. But fate is a cruel, cruel mistress, and when nightmares collide with the present, their tentatively built world comes crashing down.
Traumatic events in Pete’s work life distance him from home, and he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that Ash has slipped away. Betrayal, secrets, and lies unfold, and when a devastating coincidence takes hold, Pete must fight with all he has to save the love of his life.
REVIEW:
In book one we are introduced to the characters, Pete and Ash. I have to admit that this book is my favourite and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the two men, although I don’t think even they completely understand each other. Hell, I don’t think even know themselves. However, the mainstays of their personalities are introduced and established. I have rarely read more complex and well layered characters. They’re the kind of people who stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.
My one complaint is that I felt book one ended a little too abruptly. It’s almost as if the author felt the story was running away with her and she reigned it in a little too fast. There’s a very abrupt jump from Ash being desperately ill, in more ways than one, to everything fine and hunkey dorey again (or as close as Ash gets in this book). It was a bit jarring, but it doesn’t spoil what is really one of the best books I’ve read.
RATING:
TITLE: Rare
LENGTH: 292 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2018
BLURB:
Paramedic Pete Adams lived through the year from hell watching his lover, Ash, fall apart, and the precarious balance between work and home is becoming more strained. His heart is always home, with Ash, but the dark side to his job is weighing him down.
Tattoo artist Ash Fagin is recovering from a nervous breakdown triggered by revelations about his traumatic childhood. His battle with mental illness is far from over, but with Pete by his side, he’s feeling good again, so good he doesn’t notice something missing until it walks right into his living room.
Ash believes he’s had enough coincidence in his life, but when a voice from the past comes looking for him, it takes the devastating injuries of the one he loves most to convince him to let a ghost become the family he never knew he wanted.
REVIEW:
In Rare, the tables are turned, and after an accident it’s Pete’s turn to need taking care of as his mental state deteriorates. Ash is by no means on an even keel and although he tries his best I think, in the long run, it’s Ash’s insecurities and vulnerability that eventually draws Pete out of his depression. In order to take care of Ash he has to first take care of himself.
With the help of Pete and Ellie, Ash is introduced to the sister he hadn’t known he had. Danni is the kind of person that throws herself into everything, and she’s a bit much for Ash to begin with. The relationship isn’t easy, and with Pete spiraling out of control Ash is on a knife edge.
The author again does a masterful job in painting the fine detail of the MC’s character. I would have thought that without Pete to hold him together, Ash would fall apart, and in some ways he does. The way his mental health is depicted, in counterpoint to Pete’s is very real and heartbreaking. We take the journey with the characters all the way.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
TITLE: Circle 
LENGTH: 200 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2017
BLURB:
I love him…but he’s forgotten why.
A lot can happen in six years, and Ash and Pete have seen their world flipped upside down more times than most. Being parents to Pete’s young nephew wasn’t in their plan, but life happens to them and they roll with the punches. Or at least they did, until new heartache rocks their hard-won happily-ever-after.
Ash loves Pete as much as ever—more, in fact—but Pete battles alone with a burden that weighs heavily on his heart. Ash is no stranger to dark clouds, but the secret Pete keeps from him is a storm that could break them.
Despite the fierce love that once buoyed them, they’re both drowning until a new friend throws them a lifeline. His wisdom offers insight—for better or worse, real love is rarely a smooth journey. For Ash and Pete to come full circle once more, they’ll have to hit the road and chase it.
REVIEW:
Book three has a slightly different vibe. Maybe it’s the introduction of the new characters that draw Ash’s attention away from Pete (not in a bad way) or maybe it’s that Ash seems to be the more stable character for once, but whatever it was didn’t detract from the story and certainly not the writing.
As usual our intrepid duo fail to communicate at every turn, with Pete throwing himself into work to distract him from his spiralling depression and grief after a tragic event, while Ash is unable to tell him how much that is hurting not only him, but their new little family.
Taking a road trip together only highlights how they don’t talk, at least effectively, and details their coping (and not coping) mechanisms when their primary source of support is rocky. Again, both boys are vulnerable and it takes outside help to set them on the right road.
I love the way Jed and Max, with their peace and quiet joy find a way to help Pete face his darkness and Ash to let him. It felt like a turning point for the entire series and things got better and better for the boys after that. The ending was absolutely perfect.
RATING:
BUY LINK: