Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer
AUTHOR: S.E. Harmon
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 357 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2023
BLURB:
In the archaeology community, Christopher “Kit” Sawyer’s family is a legacy. And while he may be a historian, not a treasure hunter, he thinks he does a pretty good job of living up to the Sawyer name. He’s a book-smart research fanatic and does his best work at his tidy desk. No fedora and whip for him, if you please—a nice cup of coffee and a comfy chair will do. But decoding an ancient relic soon gives him more adventure than he bargained for.
Unwittingly, he unleashes a force he doesn’t know how to control. And now he has to reunite the relic with a powerful Aztec God. The trouble with that? Kit doesn’t where to find the Tlaloc’s temple. No one does, in fact. Finding it could be a discovery for the ages. It could also lead to his untimely death. So…yay? But it’s not like he has a choice. So off to the Mexican jungle he goes.
At least he isn’t going alone.
Ethan Stone, former stepbrother and overall pain in the rump, horns in on the expedition. An experienced archaeologist, he’s only coming along at their grandfather’s request—which annoys Kit to no end. But he knows Ethan is just the right person to get them through the jungle safely. It’s just too bad someone is trying to beat them to the temple. And he’s willing to do anything to get there first.
Ethan thinks Kit is in over his head. Kit is secretly afraid he just may be right. In manners of archaeology…and manners of the heart….
REVIEW:
What a magnificent book! The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer is so unique, the perfect book if you’re looking for something different. I’ve never read anything like this in the MM romance genre before and it’s delightful. Comparisons to Indiana Jones are inevitable as stepbrothers and opposites Kit and Ethan embark on a suspenseful adventure through the Mexican jungle. A touch of the paranormal creates intrigue and humor. S.E. Harmon had me frightened at one moment and laughing at the next. And of course, there’s romance…a yummy story of falling in love with the man you were always destined for.
Kit and Ethan are frenemies. They grew up together since the age of twelve when their parents got married, but it seemed like Ethan fit into the new household dynamic better. Even though he was attracted to Ethan way back when they were kids, Kit was jealous that Ethan got along so well with Kit’s father and grandfather. While Ethan got to accompany his father on adventures, Kit had to stay home because of his epileptic seizures. He was always on the periphery. Even the archeology community regarded Kit as the pale version of his famous dad and stepmother. Now he wants to prove himself worthy.
When Kit, a historian, discovers what appears to be a sentient relic, he joins forces (unhappily) with archaeologist, Ethan, to find a lost city in Mexico and return the relic to an Aztec god. Kit is woefully over his head so, fortunately, Ethan pulls in expeditioners Simon, Valerie (eep!), and Cayo to guide them. There’s danger around every corner, whether it be snakes, spiders, prowling jaguars at night, or the villainous men chasing them.
Harmon’s sense of humor rocks, as always. I struggle to describe the nature of her humor; I just can’t put into words how dry and hilarious it is. All I know is that it enhances her writing so much. The banter made me laugh out loud repeatedly.
Character development is on point. I got a great sense of Kit and Ethan very early in the book. These guys are perfect for each other. Kit, with the restrictions put on his life by his epilepsy, plus his feelings of inadequacy and being second best in his own family, is wholly sympathetic. I’ve never been called boring, complacent, and “the human version of NyQuil” by an ex-boyfriend, but I can imagine it’s terribly demoralizing. Charismatic Ethan is the opposite of Kit and also utterly lovable. Ethan’s grumbling and muttering is adorable; of course, it all comes from a place of love. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what a great character grandfather Remi is.
The fabulous, all encompassing world building – OMG! Every sense is included – sights, smells, sounds, touch – with just the right amount of imagery to create wonderful scenes while still allowing readers to use our own imaginations. You know how people say the movie wasn’t as good as the book? A movie could never do this book justice because of the pleasure it is for us to create the scenes in our minds. Clearly Harmon did oodles of research and I really appreciate when an author does that. As a reader, it feels respectful. I have to wonder if she’s ever been to Mexico City and the jungle.
Whether it’s from the adventure, the romance that gave me all the feels, the suspense, the sense of history, or the very satisfying HEA, this well-rounded novel provides plenty of enjoyment to appeal to all readers of the action/adventure genre. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. (I think I say that about every one of Harmon’s books.) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Gah, I LOVE this book! It needs to be turned into the Kit and Ethan’s Adventures series right now!
RATING: 
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