Reviewed by Susan65
Title: No Distance Left to Run
Author: L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov
Series: Distance Between Us #4
Heroes: Chris and Joshua/Julien
Genre: M/M Contemporary/Family Drama
Length: 227 Pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Available at: Samhain Publishing, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes
Blurb: The night before Chris and his best friend Joshua were sent thousands of miles apart on their respective Mormon missions, they finally gave in to their mutual desire. Left trying to make sense of what happened, Chris’s already shaky faith crumbled altogether a year later when Joshua suddenly died.
Inconsolable, ostracized by his family and the only community he’d ever known, Chris found his way on his own. Now he’s going to school and loves his job as a bartender at Wilde’s. Years after Joshua’s death, he’s finally moving on.
Then a familiar face rocks his world. Joshua isn’t dead. He’s back in Seattle to make peace with his dying father, with a new name, a new accent…and old feelings for Chris that are alive and well.
Forgiveness doesn’t come easy for anyone, but just as Chris is accepting that the man he loves isn’t going to run away this time, their families threaten to pull them apart all over again…
Warning: Contains two lost boys who need to make up for a hell of a lot of lost time. There’s also a military uniform, a tuxedo, and a knife. In the same scene. And yes, it’s that kind of scene.
Review:
I can honestly say that I am so glad I am not a religious person, nor affiliated with an overly religious family. Spiritual, yes, but religion in and of itself scares me…and this book is prime reason for that fear. Any family that says, “Come back to the church” as opposed to “come home” is cause for me, or in this case, Joshua to run…run far, far away.
Joshua and Chris had been best friends growing up and just came out to each other…and more, just before they each left for their missions…in different directions. When Joshua disappears and is presumed dead, Chris is devastated…so much so that he leaves his mission and the church. In this instance, leaving the church equals leaving your family. Chris lost his faith. He lost everything.
So what the hell is a guy to do when the long lost best friend, the reason for your five years of heartache, just waltzes back into your life? Chris is floored, deliriously happy, but equally pissed that Joshua could just take off without a word, at least a word to him. They were best friends, damn it.
I felt so bad for Chris, but I completely understood Joshua, who is now Julien. Julien took off and joined the French Foreign Legion and comes back a soldier, and even has a little French accent. That is a lot to wrap your mind around, but even though Chris gets his digs in for taking off on him, he is still hugely attracted…they both are…but now they are no longer inexperienced kids, but experienced men…and the sex is insanely hot! Chris and his uniform fetish…wowza!! I readily admit, I looked up images of the French Foreign Legions uniforms so that I could have a pretty accurate visual on that little steam-fest.
Wish I could say that Julien and Chris put all their issues behind them and rode off into the sunset, but I can’t because that stupid church has come between Julien and his dying father. They have to deal with an awful Bishop who seems to get a thrill out of causing more pain for the family than actually helping them heal the rift. But fear not, he gets his in the end.
So yes, this a typical Witt/Voinov novel, which means it’s off the charts smoking hot with a great storyline that keeps the reader captivated until the very end. It’s one that has a story that might tick off a few people, but in reality it’s very well researched and sometimes the truth is not all that pretty.
I definitely recommend for those who like a little drama with their MM love stories; a tortured family that is torn apart, but slowly put back together again; and a lost love that thrives again after they are reunited.
Yeah, it was good…read it!
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
The Blogger Girls 