Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they're perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.
Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious, Todd Smitty. Richard won't find the right man if he's obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.
It's lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister's army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact, with no explanation.
When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard's house, he's thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?
It’s no secret I
love a Cardeno C. book, but Smitty’s Sheriff did not do it for me.
Richard and Todd were not only the most unlikely couple, I almost found them
toxic.
One-time lovers,
Richard dropped Todd like a hot potato- no explanation- and walked out of his
life. According to Richard, it was him, not Todd, that caused him to walk away.
Much older than Todd, Richard apparently wanted Todd to sow his oats, yet
didn’t want him to have any other sexual relationships. Confused? Yes, I was
just as confused by Richard’s characterization.
If the wonderful
and talented Ms. C. was going for
narcissistic and egomaniac then she hit the nail on the head delivering
Richard’s personality. I hated Richard. He was condescending and treated Todd
as a simpleton. Who tells a grown man to use the bathroom before they go out so
he doesn’t fidget? IF Todd didn’t go to the bathroom that was his problem! At
least men can go on the side of the road easier than women.
Unable to make
decisions for himself, Todd, on the other hand was flighty and at times, I
wondered if he played the “dumb and helpless” card on purpose and just a tad
bit too much. He wasn’t submissive, he was a doormat- and that rubbed me the
wrong way.
Everything about
their relationship was a secretive fiasco, until the end when Richard
miraculously decided he wanted a permanent relationship with Todd and Todd
permitted him to control every aspect of his life. The two men even discussed
the fine line between psychological domestic violence and how (according to Todd),
their relationship was no such thing. I’d look again, Todd.
Regardless of my
feelings for Smitty’s Sheriff, the
next Cardeno C. book will be at the
forefront of my e-reader- one of my favorite authors.
Narrator Ezekiel Robison
always does a nice job narrating many of the books I listen to, but for some
reason his rendition of Jared McFarland did not fit the image in this reader’s
head. I found his voice contrite and a tad bit fake. The other characters were
well-done, thought.
Frisky but Nothing
too Kinky
A three handcuff
review
~~~~~
2017 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
