Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Malicious Compliance
SERIES: Loose Lips Sink Ships
AUTHOR: E.M. Lindsey
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 134 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 14, 2022
BLURB:
There’s nothing like an epic fall from grace.
Relationship: over.
Career: trashed.
Home: lost.
And somehow, it gets worse when I move into a run-down apartment with a neighbor who’s made it his mission to make my life a living hell. Reeling from my tragic breakup, all I want to do is collect the shattered pieces of my life and put them back together in a shape I recognize, but it’s hard to do that when the jerk next door is keeping me up all hours of the night.
Whatever he does with his loud woodworking tools, obnoxious nineties punk music, and his constant complaints about my working hours, sleep is now a fantasy. Where I once composed music, I now spend my nights entertaining myself with visions of revenge.
But as the war between us continues, things start to shift, and I come to realize our lives might not be that different after all. Where I once loathed the sound of him singing Sex Pistols and using his table saw, now I’ve come to crave it. And I’m starting to think that maybe a faceless stranger I’ve never met might be the key to finding the man I’d lost the day I met my ex.
I’m not sure if the universe has any kindness in mind, but maybe during the holidays, I’ll find my way to hope.
Malicious Compliance is the first in a slow-burn, holiday romantic MM duet featuring enemy neighbors to lovers, the merits of the DIY punk scene, a series of bad dates, and an eventual steamy happily ever after. It is book 1 of the Loose Lips Sink Ships duet, ending in a small cliffhanger. Books must be read in order.
REVIEW:
Jules is a cellist whose moved to London for school as a teenager. He was groomed by what turned out to be a narcissist and then when he got too old (24) he was dumped – left with nothing and blackballed in the entire classical world in the UK and continent. So he does the only thing he can to avoid living on the streets – returning to New York and what’s left of his family with his cello and one suitcase. His sister is still angry that he left and that he didn’t return. His uncle owns an apartment building and is letting him live in a barely habitable apartment so he can try to get his life together.
The only thing he has is his music. He finds underemployment as a music teacher for children at a private school. He needs to teach in the hovel of an apartment. What he doesn’t need is a neighbor who plays punk music loudly until 2 am. He needs to be able to work and earn enough money to survive – which he is barely doing. Eventually after many nights of banging on walls and being harassed by the neighbor who contends he needs to be able to work on his schedule – using loud power tools – they work out a sort of agreement.
Then Jules has a series of setbacks. Forrest – the neighbor finally confesses his name – overhears one of Jules’ humiliations and his subsequent meltdown and offers his support. After that, they build sort of a friendship that becomes Jules’ lifeline really. He wishes he would see Forrest – like really meet him. But it’s clear Forrest has a story too – one he’s not able to share yet with Jules. But hopefully soon 🙂
Man this was so good! Jules found himself in the clutches of a narcissist at a very young age. His parents were dead, his sister was in New York, he was starved for love, talented and an easy mark for a predatory man. When he was dumped, he literally had nothing to his name and his name had been ruined in this social/career circle – mostly because nobody would cross the ex. He did the only thing he could – return home – where he hadn’t been in years. And it was tough. Forrest, who obviously has his own drama that we don’t know about yet, goes from nemesis to friend to more. He seems to “see” Jules even thought they communicate through a shared wall. He understands what Jules has been through and he knows that Jules can recover and has so much to offer. This keeps Jules going and gives him courage and strength. I loved how Forrest ended up supporting Jules in so many ways 🙂 I’m dying to know Forrest’s story – so on to that next. My only niggle is that most victims of narcissists really need therapy to help them recover – and maybe in a way that was what Forrest was providing. This is a really terrific story of loss and loneliness and trying to find your place in the world after literally being beaten down to nothing. This author really makes us feel Jules’ pain and despair. Jules overcoming the nightmare he was living and discovering things about Forrest and his family will hopefully be the last piece of the puzzle. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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