Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for the final book in Kate Sherwood’s Common Law M/M police romance series. HOME FIRES is the capstone of a thrilling and beautifully written group of books that relate the conflicts inherent when a “prodigal son” returns to his hometown, and finds that things are really, really different. It’s a fab conclusion to LONG SHADOWS, EMBERS, and DARKNESS. This small-town epic is tense and filled with intrigue between local law enforcement, federal agents, friends, neighbors and criminals.
About the book:
Trouble comes to Mosely, Montana, from the outside world. When the residents of Mosely are left on their own, they can make things work. Sure, there’s always been a militia operating up in the hills, but they were small-scale—just survivalists doing their thing—until organizers came in from out of state. Now Jericho Crewe and the rest of the sheriff’s department are facing down a heavily armed band of fanatics, and the feds are busy elsewhere.
The odds are hopeless, but Jericho swore an oath to serve and protect the citizens of Mosely. He won’t walk away from that, even if Wade Granger’s begging him to run away somewhere and finally be together the way they always should have been.
But this time, it’s Jericho who refuses to leave Mosely, even if staying kills him.
My Review:
Under-Sheriff Jericho Crewe wants to quit his post and make a life with his high school love and local criminal kingpin, Wade Granger. He’s just about to do this until he learns the powder keg that is Mosely is about to blow sky-high.
Mosely, this small Montana town, situated a few miles of mountainous forest from the unprotected Canadian border, is a hot bed of criminal activity due to long-time smuggling operations. Wade is usually in the center of whatever is going down, but this time Wade wants out of Mosely just as bad as Jericho. Thing is, their local homesteading militia has recently been co-opted by folks from out of state, gunning–literally–for a showdown with the Federal agents policing the border.
They stage an ambush killing some agents, which is horrible, but that seems like it was merely a means to an end for these hardliners. No, they have an even bigger agenda, and it soon becomes starkly clear that Mosely is poised to become ground-zero for a militia-led war on the Federal government. It’s impossible to prevent with as small as a police force as exists in Mosely, or is it?
I really loved the tension throughout this book. Jericho is a great investigator, and his brand of no-bull morals is refreshing, even if it’s not always aligned with police procedure. Wade and Jericho have been a building issue for more than a month, with both of them acknowledging they have a deep connection, but not being able to openly embrace it while they exist on opposite sides of the law. Wade’s exasperation with Jericho’s determination to do what’s right, even when it means certain death, is endearing, and I was so engaged with these guys in the climax. Expect firefights, dastardly militia, small-town folks protecting their own, and a well-deserved change of scenery. The end of the story, most enjoyable, might could be the beginning of a new one. (Yay!) I know I’d follow Wade and Jericho into further entanglements, especially if I get to experience their growing love story up close and personal!
I highly recommend the whole series, and know that I enjoyed this one best because I read the books in order. As they are all out now, it’s easy to pick up the collection and binge-read away.
Interested? You can find HOME FIRES on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble iTunes, and Kobo. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
About the Author:
Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!
Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!
Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?
Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.
After five years of writing, Kate is still learning, still stretching herself, and still enjoying what she does. She’s looking forward to sharing a lot more stories in the future.
Catch up with Kate on her website, Facebook and twitter.
Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!
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