REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Unraveling Malcolm
SERIES: Rebels & Nerds
AUTHOR: R. Cayden
PUBLISHER: R. Cayden
LENGTH: 272 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 9, 2019
BLURB:
Malcolm is a librarian, and he lives a very nice, very ordered life.
But the life we live isn’t always the life we want.
And when someone finally asks Malcolm what he desires, oh daddy, does he ever answer.
Malcolm:
I dare you.
That’s what Gunner says to me when I first meet him.
I dare you.
Like it’s a threat. Like it’s a promise.
So despite my better judgment, I have a drink with him, and we meet up at the park the next week.
But then Gunner is daring me to drive off into the mountains for the night.
He’s daring me to sneak into some stranger’s cabin with him, and to do things I never thought I would do.
And we do those things, right up until the moment that stranger comes home.
He’s a solid, strong man, at least forty years old and heavily tattooed.
And with a storm crashing through the forest, he tells us that there’s a fallen tree blocking the road.
He tells us his name is Maddox, and that we’re not going anywhere.
But even with Gunner by my side, I never dared imagine what Maddox would actually want with us.
I never dared dream who we all could be, together.
REVIEW: This was another cute addition to this series. Two younger guys hook up – one a shy library nerd (Malcolm), one a blue collar bad boy (Gunner). Gunner, trying to woo Malcolm, encourages him to be a little naughty which puts them both in the path of the slightly older biker, Maddox. As Malcolm and Gunner decide to explore their relationship, they convince Maddox to join and be a part of it as well.
If you are just looking for some easy going story to not get too involved in, this might be just what you’re looking for. It is not overly believable in many respects, and the actions of the characters don’t really lend to deep connections, at least for me. Gunner brings out the sexy/naughty in Malcolm, and Maddox does the same to Gunner, and by extension, Malcolm as well. Maddox ends up being the bandleader here which works just fine, as does Gunner being the sort of go between with Malcolm on the other end. Gunner needed reigning in, while Malcolm needed to be unleashed, and Maddox was the right man for both jobs.
There is the added story of Malcolm’s apartment/landlord woes which add another layer to Maddox’ involvement. All three have their own issues and pasts which come into play. Maddox coming to grips with his age, Gunner finding his place in the world, and Malcolm getting out from under his parents’ strict guidelines of what is expected.
All in all, it was enjoyable but didn’t wow me. As I said earlier, it is a light read that you don’t have to think too hard about or get too involved with, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need. 🙂
RATING:
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