Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Skeptic
SERIES: Lost Boys
AUTHOR: Kelly Fox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 324 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 15 , 2023
BLURB:
From USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Fox comes a new series set in one of Central Texas’s fastest-growing river towns.
You’ve heard of those romances where the priest is seduced by the worldly outsider? Yeah, this isn’t that.
I’m a gay preacher with more tattoos than sense and more notches on my bedpost than years in the ministry. I’m also not totally settled on the existence of God. Call me a skeptic, but when you work with abandoned and abused teenagers, you tend to have a few questions for anyone calling themselves divine .
Having lived in Seguin most of my life, I’ve always been the troublemaker. Most of my queer friends fled this place just after high school, but we all know that the only reason any of us made it out alive was our shop teacher, Mr. Paige. He lovingly called us his Lost Boys. Now that his health is failing, the Lost Boys are coming together to support him and his family.
To be honest, I may have been more supportive of Mr. Paige’s son than was totally appropriate for a guy in a collar. Turns out, just like the Lost Boys, Holden had good reason to leave Seguin all those years ago.
Despite his history, I’m hoping he’s willing to find a reason to stay.
REVIEW:
In many ways this book is lest anxious than many of Kelly Fox’s books or series. Sure there are obstacles to overcome. Sure there have been bad actors in the past, but this is a town that is moving forward. Things ARE getting better. Beckett has had trauma in his past – losing his mother before he’s in high school. His father didn’t understand him and as is typical of a teenager or any child really, Beckett assumes the full weight of what went wrong and assumes things are his fault. Add onto that the guilt about being gay being raised Catholic and well it’s clear he’s got some baggage. Holden has had it pretty bad. His mother alternately neglected and beat him. When he’s finally taken away from her and he lands with his adoptive fathers, his life turns around. But he’s still not immune to the abuse, harassment and bigotry that comes from being a gay kid in a Texas town.
When Holden returns to Seguin due to his father’s illness, he is also at a turning point with both his job and his relationship. His ex has been gaslighting him for some time. He’s manipulative and just not a nice guy anymore. Holden is pretty worn down by everything. When Beckett, a local preacher and on of Holden’s Pop’s “Lost Boys” picks him up at the airport, he can tell that Holden is really just hanging by a thread. He needs something and Beckett is just the guy to give it to him. It’s supposed to be a one off, but well these guys can’t stay away from each other.
Holden’s nemesis is still around and that is a problem for everyone. He beat Holden to within an inch of his life in HS and got away with it. He’s still causing a lot of trouble. His family is connected and he’s been able to never be held accountable. Nobody needs this as Mr. Paige’s health is fragile, Beckett’s meeting house is condemned and Holden is dealing with a lot of guilt staying away for so long.
Then Holden and the Lost Boys suffer a loss that they aren’t ready for. It affects everyone and their paths forward. Holden is leaning heavily on Beckett for support which is fine with Beckett. They’ve only grown closer while Holden has been in town. Holden is in no hurry to get back to Portland and now he’s got the perfect reason to stay. If he stays, can he and Beckett make a go of things?
This story has a lot of sad and a lot of uplifting moment. It’s very hopeful in the end. Beckett and Holden have a lot in common as it turns out. Beckett gets very protective of Holden and they really work as a couple. Please bear in mind the content warnings if you have any religious trauma or are uncomfortable with religious kink. All in all, I really liked this story of two guys who have grown up and grown to accept the world around them and their place in it. There is PLENTY of steam and lots of found family bonding. Very emotional and engaging. Recommenced.
RATING: 
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