Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Snowblind
AUTHOR: Leigh Jarrett
PUBLISHER: Steambath Press
LENGTH: 166 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2023
BLURB:
It all came down to a matter of trust
James has some free time and is taking a break from professional snowboarding. Getting away on a weekend by himself in the interior of British Columbia, Canada.
He needs a break from his life. A breakup with his fiancé, a woman his mother picked out for him from the right-wing church he’d grown up in. There are certain expectations to start a family.
Corey, also a competitive snowboarder, knows James from the circuit. They’ve competed against each other many times over the years. They run into each other on the weekend of Winter Pride.
Corey has a secret. He’s had a huge crush on James for years. But he’s not out and James isn’t gay. He decides to approach James anyway—just to hang out.
He convinces James to go to a Winter Pride event even though James has grown up in a world in which homosexuality is considered a sin. James reluctantly agrees. He’s enjoying Corey’s company.
As the men spend time together over the course of the weekend, James finds himself feeling unexpected things. He’s not sure if it’s admiration or attraction he has for Corey.
That question is answered when they end up alone together.
This is a story about trust. It’s a sweet happily-ever-after love story.
REVIEW:
A new-to-me author and I look forward to more!
James needs to get away. Away from his now ex-fiancé. Away from his controlling and domineering mother. Away from his judgmental conservative church, away from all stress and just snowboard. What he doesn’t expect is to run into fellow competitor Corey on his get-away
. But shredding the slopes together is fun. And an unexpected turn of events has Corey bunking at James’ condo for the weekend. But what James never suspected that the reason relationships just did work, was because, contrary to his beliefs he was raised in…James is gay! And Corey has lit a fire in him. But can James buck his family and the tight control over him or is life just going to keep just trudging along with him miserable?
This book moves fast. From the moment these two finally connect on a personal level James seems to question:
- Every thing his parents have expected of him in regards to his personal life.
- Every thing his church has preached vs everything he is discovering about the gay lifestyle.
- What he wants out of his life.
- Who he wants to spend it with.
- Who is the most important in his life to him.
I loved that Corey has been crushing on James for years. Unfortunately he not only knew it wasn’t possible because James was not only straight but also engaged to a woman. He also realized that James’ family always seemed to surround him. I question if James’ über religious, fanatical, homophobic parents saw something that may have made them more controlling and pushed the religion even more. Or if it was just that he was a renown snowboarder with a bright future and they were just super controlling of all portions his life. Either way. It was hard to watch James struggle with his needs and desires that quickly fell to love because he finally found the one, his person that made all the difference.
And poor Corey. I wanted him to get his HEA so badly. He knew he would probably be destine for extreme heartache but he had to try and “taste the poisonous fruit” even though he knew they were damned.
I think the part I love the most was James finally deciding what worked for him. Not for his parents/family (although I have high hopes for his brother) and not for their church, but what was best for himself. Yes he had a lot of groveling to do because he hurt Corey badly. But he also had love for both of them on his side.
If you need any one other that you needed to despise besides James parents and his pastor then I have one more in addition. Corey’s manipulative ex. He knew what Corey was going through and how much he was struggling. But right when he needed him the absolute most he took advantage of the situation. I loved that Corey recognized what he was up to.
As I stated, this is the first book I have read of this author and I look forward to more.
RATING: 
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