Reviewed by Cindy

TITLE: Ammo and Enchiladas

SERIES: Border Crossing #2

AUTHOR: BA Tortuga

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:  235 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019

BLURB:

A Border Crossing Novel

After a night at the movies in Albuquerque, NM, Brantley’s best friend, Matt, is shot right in front him during a robbery. Stunned and devastated, Brant tries to help Matt’s husband, Travis, deal with the funeral details even as he struggles with his own grief and Travis’s blame. When Travis’s best friend arrives, Brant is both annoyed and grateful, because he is so darn tired and can use the help.

Lex Espana is ashamed to admit he hasn’t seen his childhood best friend since Travis’s wedding. He’s even more amazed that he barely remembers Brant from that wedding, because he’s sure interested now. While it’s weird to fall for someone at a funeral, his feelings for Brant are real and make him long for a life he didn’t realize he was missing.

Neither Lex nor Brant knows how to be part of an us, though, and they both have a lot to work through before they can settle in. To become a real couple, Brant and Lex will have to dig deep to get past the roadblocks in their relationship.

REVIEW:

When I pick up this book I had no idea it was book two in a series. Now I can’t wait to read the first one.

Lex is just doing his best to be there for his best friend when Travis’s husband is gunned down in cold blood. He isn’t really sure how to help him but he’s using his best instincts to help get him through.

Brant could use a friend too. Travis’s husband Matty was Brant’s best friend and losing him is like losing a piece of himself. His guilt and sorrow is almost overwhelming but Lex is a balm to his soul.

There’s something particularly sweet about this story. The author has a really great understanding of how people talk to each other and it makes the story so much easier to get lost in. I also like how things aren’t perfect right off the hop, how these two men have moments of uncertainly and doubt, just like everyone else. I had no problems connecting with both of them and once I started reading, it was hard to put it down. But bothersome things like work and sleep kept getting in the way.

Travis is sad and wonderful and my heart broke for him. He’d found his person that loved him no matter what and then lost him to a senseless act of violence. The author did a wonderful job of conveying his justified grief and anger. But he was also a good friend to Lex and Brant eventually and I loved that about him too.

This story strikes a chord because we see so much of this kind of tragedy happening around us every day and know that it could happen to anyone we know. This brings it up close and personal and it left me sobbing in places.

I loved everything about this story, including the sex. It had moments of rare intimacy that made you feel like these two were truly making love and it felt a little like the reader is intruding on something special.

There are some triggery moments if you are someone who has had to deal with this kind of violence but it’s so well done, I think that’s forgivable. Brant and Lex are so lovely together that it’s worth the sad and angsty parts to get to the happily ever after.

I highly recommend this story and one side effect was that I was left hungry a lot of the time because these boys in this story know how to eat! (I went out and bought some Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta so I could make my own queso after reading this, I swear)

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon