Reviewed by JustJen
Title: Sink or Swim
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Anchor Point #8
Heroes: Alhazar Bukhari/Dylan Pederson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 340 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: July 16, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: When need meets fear, can two very different men find common ground?
Alhazar Bukhari spent his Navy career in the closet. Now he’s retired, divorced, and hungry for the love he’s never had a chance to experience. He tries to put his faith in Allah to bring the right man into his life, but it’s hard to be patient after all this time.
Chaplain Dylan Pedersen spends his days counseling Sailors, and his nights with men he doesn’t know. Months after finally escaping an abusive relationship, he’s terrified of anything more than a physical connection. Maybe it’s a sin, but he’s too lonely to not let men into his bed, and too scared to let them into his heart.
When Alhazar’s civilian job brings him aboard the USS Fort Stevens, and his daily prayers bring him into Dylan’s chapel, the chemistry is instantaneous. Sex and friendship quickly evolve into more, but Dylan’s too haunted by his recent past to be the man Alhazar wants. Alhazar needs love, Dylan needs time, and if they can’t find some sort of balance, they’ll sink before they ever have a chance to swim.
Review: Ms. Witt gives us yet another story with a unique theme. While they all center around the Navy base, Anchor Point. She also manages to tackle issues in ways that shed light but don’t come across as preachy. This one is about Dylan, the ship Chaplain and Alhazar, the Muslim civilian, who make a connection and are able to be just what the other needs. These guys are dealing with numerous things – being gay in the military, being Muslim in America, a double whammy, among other things. I actually found the religious aspects of this to be very interesting, both from Alhazar’s side, as well as Dylan’s.
Both of these guys have issues to overcome, especially Dylan, with his fears let over from his abusive ex. Those fears are what keep him from moving on, feeling comfortable enough to enter into relationships and trusting people. It has affected Dylan’s life in a big way, and he does confront the abusing ex in order to find closure.
As with the rest of the books of this series, these guys have great chemistry with lots of sexy fun times. It was great to see the differing cultural/faith aspects, and I always love a story about older guys finding love and getting second chances. I really enjoyed how this portrayed acceptance of people’s differences. If only there were more of that in the world today. Another winner for the Anchor Point series!
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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