Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Redemption

AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh

PUBLISHER: Fox Love Press

LENGTH: 248 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2020

BLURB:

Reformed gangster Luis falls hard for his boss. When friendship turns to love, it’s up to Paolo to convince him second chances are worth the pain.

Luis Pope is back on the street after a six year stretch in prison, but life on the outside seems just out of reach, especially when the whole neighbourhood knows his face for all the wrong reasons.

Paolo’s temper makes it hard to keep staff, and he knows Luis’s rep all too well. But his nonno believes in redemption, and Luis isn’t the tough guy Paolo remembers. Prison has left its mark, inside and out, and all the kindness in the world can’t fix the three inch scar on Luis’s skull.

And it can’t keep ghosts locked up. Luis’s the best worker Paolo’s ever had, and Luis’s happier than he’s ever been. But his old life doesn’t want to stay in the past. Trouble comes to call, and when it makes him an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Paolo safe hurts the most.

REVIEW:

Redemption starts out depressing and bleak, but that refers to the mood and setting, not the writing style, which in typical Garrett Leigh fashion is a blend of sympathetic characters, angst up to your ears, and a beautiful, touching love story. The heroes’ relationship greatly outweighs any bleakness. Luis is newly released from prison after serving six years for gang-related activity. When he sees a help wanted sign in the window of Toni’s cafe, he asks Paolo, who runs the cafe single-handedly, for a job. But his reputation precedes him and Paolo initially turns him down. Eventually, Luis starts working at Toni’s and becomes the best employee Paolo has ever had. He also becomes a good friend and then lover of Paolo’s (also the best he’s ever had!) 

But this story has a Big Bad in the form of Luis’ brother, Dante, who wants Luis back in his gang. And that’s when I started getting nervous. Poor Luis desperately wants to escape his road man past. He’s trying to keep to the straight and narrow, but his thug of a brother won’t leave him alone.  

Luis and Paolo are extremely likable characters, even if the former is taciturn and sometimes withdrawn, and the latter is a grumpy hot head. Both characters are well-developed with histories that pertain to their current lives. Small roles are played by two of Dante’s henchmen. And then there’s the delightful Toni, Paolo’s grandfather, who encouraged him to take a chance on Luis. I could happily read a few more chapters just about Toni. 

The pace builds up steadily as it approaches the denouement, and as the book nears the end, the angst gets greater and greater. I didn’t see how Luis was going to get out of Dante’s clutches. Even though I knew there would be a happy ending, I was still a wreck about Luis potentially getting caught and being sent back to prison. Luis doesn’t seem to see a way out, either, without Dante following through on his threats to Paolo. He knows he should leave Paolo but he needs him too much. For most of the book, Luis feels tortured by how to keep Paolo safe without compromising his promise to himself to live an honest and moral life. 

He buried his face in Paolo’s messy hair, breathing him in, clinging to the dream. I want him forever. But Luis couldn’t have him forever. They had only this moment.  

The thing that strikes me most about Redemption is how Luis and Paolo fill the need in each other for basic human connection. Ms. Leigh does a bang-up job of portraying just how starved these men are for love and even touch. Their sexual relationship, which is hot, helps slake this need but just the act of being together is what tethers them to humanity. Their chemistry together is strong, both sexually and in friendship.  

If you’re looking for heavy angst and a solid happy ending, look no further. Redemption is Garrett Leigh to its core. While her books are each unique, her signature style remains the same. This is another of her great books. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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