BeanBlue finished reading Killing Floor by Lee Child

Killing Floor by Lee Child
Margrave is a no-account little town in Georgia. Jack Reacher jumps off a bus and walks fourteen miles in the …
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Margrave is a no-account little town in Georgia. Jack Reacher jumps off a bus and walks fourteen miles in the …
Content warning Sexual Assault
This book was a solid introduction to gay romance for me. The story itself (arranged marriage and political intrigue with attempted assassination along for the ride) was solid and made for an easy read. Even without the romance, I would have enjoyed the plot.
The early sexual assault is important for how the romance plays out, with the focus being on the healing and relationship that grows just after it. I can understand why some may want to give this book a pass based on the depiction of SA. Another thing in the book that struck close to home for me is the fact that one of the main characters comes from a society that is startlingly similar to my own upbringing in it's view of homosexuality. This was a GREAT introduction to this type of romance, since the overcoming of the attitudes and behaviors of a restrictive and homophobic past was a present and soothing literary balm to a person who has wrestled with those same things in real life.
@mouse This is a solid review! Your reasons for not rating it as high as I will may be why this book was a good fit for me. I am almost done with the book, but am finally (in my late years) learning to process and communicate emotions correctly. A book like this, where the baddies are clearly bad, and the good ones behave in a "we've-been-to-therapy" way was refreshing and helpful. I may revisit the book in another decade and have a more nuanced take, but my "I've been a straight cis male who was raised in a Ralian way but has realized he may not be as straight as he thought" mindset found a nearly perfect read in this book. Everything you say about the book is absolutely right, and is also probably why the book was perfect for me and not for you.