Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Mason’s Run
SERIES: Twin Peeks Bookstore
AUTHOR: Mellanie Rourke
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 434 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2019
BLURB:
Mason
I’ve escaped a past that would have destroyed most men. I was used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me. An unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gave me a chance at a new life. Though I’ve started over, my scars run deep. I’m an LGBTQ graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I’m terrified of the world, and of my tormentors finding me. When I discover that the stranger who has saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth: Can I ever really be free if I’m still afraid of my past and the people who have shattered me?
Lee
Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancé slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can’t heal, I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage. Pain and grief lead me to some acts I’m not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I’m determined to keep it strictly business with no emotions involved, but when I discover that Mason Malone isn’t a high-end escort, but a battered young man who has been forced into a life of pain and degradation, I’m frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers, “Please…” and the barriers I’ve built around my heart shatter. Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I’ve never been able to forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn’t recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I’m terrified of what will happen when my secrets are discovered. As both our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Or will the discovery of the truth create a chasm too wide to bridge? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul- shattering pain?
REVIEW:
The book certainly starts with a bang. First with a bullet in Afghanistan and then with a real punch in the face with Mason’s appalling history. This is not a book to read if you’re easily triggered by sexual abuse and/or violence. The beginning of the book is both. The author is relentless in cataloguing the terrible things that happened to Mason and boy does she do it well. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing gratuitous about the narrative, it’s harrowing but it sets the scene for Mason’s journey and I think that’s very much necessary.
I can’t lie, the beginning was one of my favourite parts of the book. The author painted the picture of a child growing up under awful circumstances so well. The tension when Mason tries to run, the nails in the coffin of his self esteem building one on top of the other, and conversely the layers of Mason’s personality that keeps his psyche safe, are masterful. There are so many little details that help build up a picture without ever focusing the lens on it. There is very much show-not-tell.
In the end, Mason was unable to escape and very nearly made the ultimate sacrifice. However, he is saved at the last moment by his “Dark Angel”, a potential “customer” who recognized what was happening and rescued him in the nick of time, shooting one of his abusers. The angel then disappears never to be seen again…until now.
The story is then drawn from the darkness into the light. The next part of the book is a continuation of Mason’s journey many years later. In a twist of fate, he finds himself a guest in the home of Lee, who just happens to be the man who saved him.
The story of how Mason and Lee come together and grow closer is sweet but tense. Every step of the way, they are hampered by both of their pasts with the shadow of Lee’s secret hanging over them. The author treats the situation with a great deal of sensitivity and creates a tender love story, with subtle tension from many sources.
In the meantime, we meet Lees family. I absolutely loved them all. The family dynamic is close but allowing each member to be individuals, and boy are they individual. I love Lee’s two mothers and would love to spend time with them in real life. They are a shining example of how to make a very non-traditional family work, and work well. They welcome Mason with open arms and give him the stable family experience he never had. It’s heartbreaking how he reacts to a simple hug.
When the past catches up it’s from an unexpected source and punches you right between the eyes. As I said, this book does not pull its punches and is not for the faint hearted.
When I read a book the things I look for are interesting characters who undergo growth, realistic and likeable secondary characters that directly add to the story, a strong story with multiple story arcs, emotional depth and lots of detail. This book completely delivers on all scores. It’s earned a firm place on my favourite books list.
As I have said repeatedly, this book has a lot of triggers – abuse, child abuse, violence, PTSD and probably more. I thoroughly enjoyed every page but those with more sensitive constitutions might struggle. You have been warned. If you have the courage to read, you are in for a treat, a real journey with an author who knows her craft and writes characters and situations that stay with you after you’ve read the last page.
RATING: 
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