My review guidelines can be found HERE.Keeping Promise Rock
by Amy Lane
10hrs 51min Audiobook
Carrick Francis has spent most of his life jumping into trouble with both feet. The only thing saving him from prison or worse is his absolute devotion to Deacon Winters. Deacon was Crick's sanity and salvation during a miserable, abusive childhood, and Crick would do anything to stay with him forever. So when Deacon's father dies, Crick puts his college plans on hold to help Deacon as Deacon has helped him.
Deacon's greatest wish is to see Crick escape his memories and the town they grew up in so Crick can enjoy a shining future. But after two years of growing feelings and temptation, the painfully shy Deacon finally succumbs to Crick's determined advances and admits he sees himself as part of Crick's life.
It nearly destroys Deacon when he discovers Crick has been waiting for him to push him away, just like Crick's family did in the past. When Crick's knack for volatile decisions lands him far away from home, Deacon is left, shell-shocked and alone, struggling to reforge his heart in a world where love with Crick is a promise, but by no means a certainty.
COVER ART
• Hand Illustration ties in beautifully to the story
• Cursive font fits with the internal love story
• Missing horses or army fatigues
NORMALITY
• Horse ranch
• US Army
• Small town
SEXUALITY
• M/M
• Cherry Vaseline Lipbalm
• Statutory Rape, M/F
AUDIO REVIEW
• Weird to listen to all the dedications in the beginning. And there were a lot of them.
• The speaker's tone messes with the story, feels like it's all inconsequential.
• The speaker's voice for Deacon is deep and sends shivers down my spine.
• Needed a little more pause in between paragraphs. My ears had a hard time changing subjects with the orator.
REVIEW
• The jumping around in time confused me. Lots of backflashes in the middle of thoughts. I got the rhythm eventually but still stumbled a bit.
• Odd random gay sexual innuendos used as descriptors of platonic things "the horse's walk was as smooth as lube".
• I was a bit baffled as to why Parish would take in stray children. And also as to why Deacon would care so much as a teenager.
• Never thought to use cherry Vaseline lip balm for lube. Creative and clever and super cute because he was too shy to buy real lube.
• Totally astounded at the alcoholism.
• Crick is playing with fire by keeping the love letter in his pocket, but I'm pretty sure I would do that too.
• Long distance relationships are very difficult, add in the fear of death and *shudder* Ms. Lane does a very good job of making those emotions real.
• Amy and John are freakin' awesome freinds!
• The Tweeting was cool. I didn't even know that was an option in the military!
Read a sentence from page 56 HERE.
Read an excerpt of childhood infatuation HERE (click the expand link, midpage).
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