Publisher: Amber Quill Press
Date published: March 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61124-395-6
Genre: M/M contemporary romance
Book format: E-book
Obtained via: Publisher Gift
Reviewed by kelly_book_maven@yahoo.com
After ten years in Los Angeles, journalist and native Australian
Colin McDermott is back home in Sydney, working at a café and awaiting the
green card he needs to return to his life in California. The last thing he
expected was a reunion with a man he hasn’t seen in a decade—not since
Australia Day a decade ago, a night which Colin ended by tossing cookies all
over his date.
Set mover Ronan Hensley never forgot the quirky guy he spent the
holiday with ten years ago. After the upchuck debacle Colin refused to take his
calls, and Ronan eventually resigned himself to a different relationship. Finally
single, Ronan learns via the friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend that Colin is back
in Sydney, and decides to arrange a meeting.
The two pick up where they left off, discovering compatibility
beyond what either had anticipated. Colin is thrilled with rediscovering Ronan,
but what will become of Colin’s plans to return to L.A.?
With a touch of humor, the story unfolds in different locations in
Sydney, including King’s Cross, the “posh end of Sydney’s notorious red light
district.” Secondary characters enrich the plot, including Colin’s two
brothers, his half-demented father, and café owners Frank and Nunio Rebuzzi,
Colin’s employers. The occasional café coworker and patron add spice to the
mix.
The ending implies Colin is committed to staying in Australia, but
from the start the author makes clear Colin’s desperation to return to
California, counting down the days in Sydney almost like a prison sentence.
The obvious source of conflict in the tale is Colin’s impending
departure via green card, but the issue of the visa never comes up—it’s neither
granted nor denied, and the reader doesn’t get to see how Colin would have
dealt with this. I would have liked to have seen this play out.
Otherwise, The Cross is a satisfying read, and A.J. Llewellyn
doesn’t disappoint.
This is an objective review
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