Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Head-On
Author: John Inman
Heroes: Gordon/Squirt
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 220 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: July 9, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: At twenty-six, Gordon Stafford figures his days are numbered. At least he hopes they are. Wearied by guilt and regret stemming from a horrific automobile accident two years earlier in which a man was killed, Gordon wakes up every morning with thoughts of suicide. While the law puts Gordon to work atoning for his sins, personal redemption is far harder to come by.
Then Squirt—a simple homeless man with his own crosses to bear—saves Gordon from a terrible fate. Overnight, Gordon finds not only a new light to follow, and maybe even a purpose to his life, but also the possibility of love waiting at the end of the tunnel.
Gordon never imagined he’d discover a way to forgive himself, and in doing so, open his heart enough to gain acceptance and love—from the very person he hurt the most.
Review:
Head-On was not exactly what I expected, which was good. I need a couple surprises now and then to keep me motivated in my reading. I knew how it was going to end from the get-go; but I don’t think that was meant to be a surprise. The beauty here was in the journey from the complete devastation of three men’s lives, one of whom lost his life, and the culmination of redemption, self-forgiveness and peace at the end.
Gordon was on the fast track to the top and nothing was going to stop his star from shining brighter than any other meteorologist in the nation. Nothing was going to stop him but his own arrogance and some really, really bad choices. That magnitude of that star was extinguished with the crunching of bones, the screeching of metal, and another man’s painful nightmare-inducing screams.
Squirt was a small, not-altogether-there, man who appeared to be sweet, polite, and homeless. He arrives at the shelter in time for dinner, and here is where he meets Gordon who is helping to serve food to those less fortunate. The two don’t have an insta-love moment or any epiphanies of forever, but they do like each other and form the beginning of a friendship.
The journey to forgiveness for Gordon and awareness for Squirt was not easy. I struggled with Gordon accepting not knowing much about Squirt, even his real name for most of the book. Every time I read it, I cringed. Yes, he was small, and yes he had “issues”, but the name itself reminded me of a child and was my least favorite aspect of the entire book.
The end of their journey, where Squirt remembers his past, was quite sad. I understand how that can happen, but failed to appreciate his being allowed to sleep in the basement and not given more help, especially from the man who was looking out for him.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable book; sad, disturbing, loving, and all about second-chances. It’s a recommended and worthy read for those who love to watch their men suffer a little before finding that light at the end of the tunnel.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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