Melissa reviews Detour (Transportation #1) by Reesa Herberth & Michelle Moore published May 7th 2018 by Riptide Publishing, 339 pages.
Ethan Domani had planned the perfect graduation trip before tragedy put his life on hold. Smothered by survivor’s guilt and his close-knit family, he makes a break for the open road. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, but he’s got the whole summer to figure out who he misses more: his boyfriend, or the person he thought he was. It’s just him and his memories . . . until he almost runs over a hitchhiker.
Nick Hamilton made some mistakes after his younger brother died. His violent ex-boyfriend was the most dangerous, and the one that got him shipped off to Camp Cornerstone’s pray-the-gay-away boot camp. His eighteenth birthday brings escape, and a close call with an idiot in a station wagon. Stranger danger aside, Nick’s homeless, broke, and alone. A ride with Ethan is the best option he’s got.
The creepy corners of roadside America have nothing on the darkness haunting Ethan and Nick. Every interstate brings them closer to uncharted emotional territory. When Nick’s past shows up in their rearview mirror, the detour might take them off the map altogether.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this: I had seen reviews post across my feed and decided I had to try this book!
Trigger warnings: Ethan’s boyfriend, Scott, was killed during a school shooting. Nick suffered physical and mental abuse from his boyfriend Kyle and from the pray away the gay camp.
Wow, this book hits you right in the feelz. As someone else already stated, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. This story is so much more emotional and deep and well written than the cover would lead one to initially believe.
Instead of summarizing what happens in the story, which should really be experience without spoilers, I want to talk about the feelings and journey of these characters. Both of them are hurt and scarred, carrying emotional burdens that weigh them down. What struck me the most was how natural their connection felt right from the start. When you think of insta-love stories, you might cringe a little because you don’t feel their connection. That was NOT the case with Detour. Ethan and Nick are special in so many ways, and I never once doubted their feelings for the other. They may have been strangers, but I think their souls recognized each other.
Ethan is a good kid (young man) and he sees that Nick is in trouble and despite warnings from his family about picking up hitchhikers, Ethan brings Nick along for his trip across the country. This should have been a scary situation, but both of these guys were so sweet and adorable and in need that I didn’t want to roll my eyes even once (eye rolling as a result of their antics was purely from incredulity not derision 😉 ).
Nick, sigh, Nick. He was sent to a “pray-the-gay-away boot camp” which let’s just say Ethan was tempted to commit homicide more than once. I don’t want to give anything away since it’s important you read and hear about these on your own. But I can tell you that riding with Ethan on his trip, he was able to feel safe for the first time in a long time. And how telling is that, since Ethan is technically a stranger?
I did not want to put this book down and never once felt like the story dragged. I didn’t skip any of the words, which I am known to do (shhh!!!), because I had to absorb every last bite of information and romance these two dished out. I highly recommend this one and give it 5 super big road trip stars/10 pots!!!
Where to buy: Riptide Publishing;
She’s held a variety of crazy writer jobs, including book and video store manager for a defunct chain of music shops, office goddess for an artisan ice cream maker, cheese-cup scrubber at an organic goat dairy, high school secretary, and dye-stained proprietress of a small yarn and fiber business.
When not writing, she can usually be found reading, gardening, cooking, or spinning yarns of another sort entirely. She often resents her need for sleep.
She welcomes your email at YlendrianEmpire@gmail.com
Visit Michelle at http://michelle_writes.livejournal.com/ or e-mail her at MichelleMooreWrites@gmail.com.
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