Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Beau’s Redemption
SERIES: My Brother’s Keeper Collection #2
AUTHOR: Royal Blue
PUBLISHER: Perceptive Illusions Publishing, Inc. Blue Perception
LENGTH: 333 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 12, 2019
BLURB:
Award-winning, Bestselling author Blue Saffire writing gay romance as Royal Blue
Beau’s Redemption
My Brother’s Keeper Series: Book Two
My past is riding my back. I can still hear them chanting my name— Beau James, Beau James. I’m not the Beau James Dalton everyone rooted for. The man I love lost his life at my hands. I don’t deserve redemption after what I’ve done. I certainly don’t belong in a boxing ring. I left my heart in that ring that night. At least, I thought I did.
I can’t live my life like this. I’m a Marine. I was built to survive and conquer. Still, I know I’m not the same Angel. That last tour took the biggest chunk out of me and I’m fighting every day just to keep my head above water. My twin brother has offered me a chance to catch my breath at the gym he works for. I’ve been staying my nights there. Well, that’s until his boss, Beau, walks in and finds me in the shower after hours.
We both need a lifeline. Interesting enough an unexpected special little someone maybe just what we both need to heal enough to move on. Or will PTSD get the best of us all?
REVIEW:
This is a damn good story, but I’m going to warn you now, it’s full of possible triggers. I’m not trying to give much away, but want anyone with triggers to be prepared. One MC was a Marine and has flashbacks, triggers, PTSD and so much more that pertains to being in a war zone. The other main MC, was a boxer that retired after a punch killed an opponent. There is PTSD, nightmares and so much more with him. There is also a special little girl they get to know, who deals with attempted rape, neglect, beatings, abuse and so much more. I don’t want to give away the story but readers need to be aware. This story pulls no punches. It’s real, it’s harsh and it’s a way of life for many.
The main message to this story, though, is never give up hope and never give up fighting. Even at the lowest points of your life, when you want to kill yourself or whatever, you have to keep fighting. Find something worth getting up for and fighting, then learn to fight for yourself.
For Angel, Beau and a little special girl that comes into their lives, you will see, nightmares are a way of life. For Angel, it’s a bit more as certain noises can trigger him badly. For Beau, he loves boxing and teaching, but can’t step in a ring without losing it. But one thing they have is interest in each other. But with all that triggers them both, they can’t move forward or have a lasting relationship they want without help. Angel is hesitant at first, but is determined to fight to keep going and live, instead of just surviving. For Beau, he’s been in therapy before and stopped. Immersed in other projects, he thought he could block it all out. Until the projects stopped. And it takes a special little girl to get him to see what he really needs to do. In every way. But even with therapy, life is not always perfect. It’s an everyday struggle. An every day fight. And they have to decide. Do they let the past defeat them or do the come out fighting as champs?
The message is so clear in this one. Don’t give up. And believe me, it’s easier said than done. What works for some, doesn’t work for others. What triggers some, don’t trigger others. Everyone is different, every way of coping is different. As long as you keep fighting and keep trying, that’s what counts. It doesn’t mean there aren’t setbacks or whatever. It just means it was a bad day and tomorrow is a new one. It’s hard as hell. Knowing one little thing could make you step back 10 steps to the one you took forward. And for these guys, they had those days. And often. But they kept getting back up, kept fighting. Because in order to get their dreams, they knew they had to be ok themselves to be ok for others. Like I said, it doesn’t mean there aren’t days of setbacks. But they recognized what was important in their lives and what they needed to do for themselves to keep it important and not throw it away.
It’s a hard story to read, but it’s worth it. I know most everyone considers this an HEA, but for me it’s more of an almost HEA, because not every day will be happy. You’ll see what I mean. Don’t take what the good you have for granted. And keep fighting every day.
RATING: 
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