Luke is a product of the streets. One unfortunate night, a bad encounter with a client ended with him curled up in an alley, filthy and hurt. When Craig Welthier Sr. took him in, Luke thought he was finally safe and protected. Little did he know Craig would turn out to be worse than any of his previous clients.
With his father gone, Jake doesn’t know what to do with Luke. His three brothers see no harm in continuing to use their father’s slave for their own twisted purposes. Though he doesn’t think of himself as anyone’s hero, he knows what Luke has endured at the hands of his family is wrong. Can Jake stand up to his brothers to rescue Luke? Will Luke find his happy ending after all?
I wanted to love this story. Really, I did. Read the blurb. That's totally me. Slavery, maybe a little non-con. This book was flagging me down like a hitchhiker on Route 66 circa 1969.
Unfortunately, it did not work out betwixt us. Things might get a little spoilery, so if you're planning on reading this, look away. Look away now.
My suspend reality button lost propulsion at 4%.
I simply cannot understand any of these characters' actions. They are nonsensical. What's worse, they change on a dime without explanation. The father, Craig, picked up Luke for seemingly altruistic reasons. About five seconds after he carries him to the limo he decides he's not only going to keep him? He's been married for 20+ years, I'm assuming he's some sort of successful businessman, he's certainly affluent since his sons all drive Ferraris, but he picks up a beaten to a pulp rent boy in an alley one day becomes gay, divorces his wife and locks Luke up in a room that he doesn't even let him out of to shower? Not to be rude, but WHAT THE FUCK?!?!
Apparently, this "condition" is either airborne or genetic since three of his four sons upon discovering that Luke has been left in their fucktard of a father's will decide they're going to keep AND share him. Ewwww! Just ewwww. Except Jake. Jake is the "sane" one and the black sheep of the family.
Jake initially wants nothing to do with this nonsense, but really, what fun would that be in the grand scheme of things? So, Jake gets in the game. Why his brothers let the black sheep have first dibs is beyond me. Guess who's not gay, but as soon as the slave gets on his knees and crawls to him he wilts like a daisy in August. Jake is quite the humanitarian. I wonder if he picked that up during a blue light special at K-Mart?
Never once does Jake think of getting Luke medical care. He's malnourished, underweight and hasn't seen daylight in probably a few years. Nope. Medical care, schmedical care! What's on tap first? Why shopping of course! And guess who shows up looking for their slave? And guess who sees them yet still leaves the safety of the coffee shop and goes to walk around the shopping center?
I could go on, but I'm just getting worked up again over the idiocy. The whole thing is absurd. I felt like I entered the theater of the ridiculous. I could maybe see Luke as having a touch of Stockholm Syndrome, but I'm not even sold on that.
Add to all of this the dizzying amount of perspective AND time changes and you get a one heart review. I cannot in good conscience recommend this to anyone.
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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