Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Concealed Hearts
SERIES: A Hometown Jasper Novel
AUTHOR: Nicky James
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 8 hours and 32 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2021
BLURB:
Two closeted men in one rumor-hungry small town have no chance of keeping their love a secret.
Chief of Police Windsor Elkhart is a master deceiver. Not a single person in Jasper has a clue he’s gay, which explains the endless suitors all vying for his attention. Happily married to his job, he’s convinced life is good enough. Twenty years of abstinence is the price he chose to pay, all because of a secret he’s too ashamed to reveal.
Until Tomi Lee returns to town after a two-decade-long absence.
Shame and self-loathing have kept Tomi away from his home town, but can a simple message from a lonely police officer bring him back for good?
The people of Jasper prey on gossip. Everyone is watching everyone. No one is exempt. Falling in love is easy, but do two closeted men have any chance of building a sustainable relationship when they’re always trying to hide?
Concealed Hearts is a low/medium angst MM romance novel with two severely closeted main characters. It is part of the Hometown Jasper Series but can be listened to as a stand-alone.
REVIEW:
Chief Windsor Elkhart has kept his life under wraps for over two decades. He’s been with the Jasper police department since he left the academy – without his college boyfriend who left law enforcement. When Shay Lee had been injured the previous month and Tomi Lee came back to town for the first time – also in two decades – he felt something. He knows that he’s taking a HUGE risk. But he reaches out to Tomi and ask him to come for a visit. A hidden visit to a small out of the way cabin. Where no one will know what they get up to. Until of course someone does.
They start off tenuous. Windsor has been with no on in 20 years – since he came back to Jasper. His father has since died, but he’s locked up his sexuality and thrown away the key. Not that everyone in town has been trying to set him up for the whole time -but he’s married to his job 🙂 But Tomi calls to him – and them both being closeted makes it easier.
However, there is also an issue going on at the high school with a kid who seems to keep getting in trouble. But he’s not protecting himself, but rather someone else. Windsor suspects there is more going on and he’s not impressed with the kid’s family. And then things go too far. Windsor has to make a split second decision – but it affects other people as well. He knows that and he’s afraid – but he does the right thing anyway.
I’ve been intrigued by Chief Elkhart since book one. He’s always comported himself well and he’s been a solid friend to Easton and he’s not one to listen to gossip. He really does try to do the right thing. I found it quite interesting that he had kept himself apart from all intimacy for over 20 years – and frankly until I learned the backstory with his family, I found that hard to believe. But I do believe that kind of rejection and shame – whether from family or religion – can indeed lead to the sever repression of one’s true self. My heart hurt for him over the terribly disservice done to him. I had less sympathy for Tomi – because his parents were obviously loving people who did not reject their son and had known all along that he was lying about himself and that he’d set up Josiah. His excuse that Josiah could take it didn’t wash with me, and frankly the one thing I wasn’t thrilled about in this book is that he didn’t feel worse for what he’d done to Josiah and how much he had hurt him and caused years of bad feelings toward the one person who had done NOTHING to him. Except keep his secret. I really thought Tomi needed to get himself some therapy in the 20 years he’s been a grown up. But in the end, I was really impressed by the Chief and all he did and all he understood – both about Tomi, himself, Felix. Eventually he was able to made the right decisions and choices and I absolutely adored how he handled his coming out with those who had been close to him all the years he was closeted. Just beautifully written.
Nick Russo did a fantastic job with his narration here. I loved his choices for the Chief and Tomi. I also LOVE his Percy 😀 All the voices in this series have been so good and spot on. I really felt Tomi’s anxiety and the Chief’s world-weary sadness about the things that he couldn’t change. Very very well done. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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