Graham Church began career as a police officer with a case so gruesome it sent many officers into early retirement. That day he helped save the lives of children and began a long crusade of protecting the residents of Friday Harbor from the worst of humanity. But brutal car accidents and the discovery of a dog fighting ring have taken their toll on Graham. Returning to an over-crowded apartment … apartment where his room is a closet, and working sixteen-hour shifts, have left him emotionally exhausted and in need of a quiet place to call home.
Jason Wullcot is a horse breeder and a mystery to the island he lives on, but is in need of a roommate for human contact. His therapist recommends Graham Church, who also happens to have a “white knight” syndrome. When Graham discovers his new roommate was one of the children he helped save twelve-years prior, Graham’s need to protect and save kicks into high gear. Only Jason has no interest in being saved. In fact, Graham realizes that Jason may not be the one in need of saving at all, but maybe, just maybe they can fill the broken pieces of each other.
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After reading ‘Painting with Fire’, Charlie and Bastien’s story, I was really hoping the author would write one that included Graham, the hunky sheriff’s deputy. I got my wish in ‘An Arresting Ride’ and this story, believe it or not, was even more amazing, in my opinion, than the first installment. I developed a different relationship with Jason and Graham than I had with Bastien and Charlie. In my mind, Bastien is more delicate and fragile, whereas Jason is also, but it’s in a completely different way. I wanted to coddle Bastien but Jason I wanted to protect while working alongside him.
This story is once again set on the island of Friday Harbor which is located in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. It’s a beautiful place and I think the author genuinely did credit to the area and its region. What Bastien suffered as a child was horrible, there is no doubt about it, but Jason’s suffering is the stuff of nightmares. Considering that Graham was a rookie cop when Jason was found, it’s no wonder that once Graham realizes who Jason is, Graham really struggles with how to deal with Jason, and Graham’s, own misguided attempts at understanding all of the psychological effects that both men still have from that time.
I loved that Jason’s therapy from his adopted parents came about in the form of animal, specifically horses, and his work with them allowed him to deal with some of his trauma. Graham is shocked after he moves in as Jason’s roommate, to realize how much physical labor, intensive labor, Jason puts into his horses and barn on a continual basis. Of course, a good way to keep nightmares and sleepwalking at bay is to be so exhausted when you go to sleep that nothing will disturb you.
The author has a unique grasp on mental and emotional trauma and it really showed while I was watching Graham and Jason fall in love. Graham was clueless in many ways, far more so than Jason, and it was thanks to Charlie and Bastien that Graham was able to understand that maybe he was the broken one, not Jason. Graham has led a lonely life, devoting almost 100 percent of it to the island’s residents these past twelve years, and it takes really looking at himself to realize that he has a lot of trauma he hasn’t dealt with, either.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. This story is not doom and gloom. It’s a story of survival, in all of its many ways, it’s about love and life. Graham and Jason are very hot together but watching them learn to depend upon each other was far sexier in my mind. There are also wonderful dogs, horses, and a great cat, to satisfy all animal lovers. There is some angst, but the bottom line is surviving and falling in love despite all the odds to the contrary.
I believe this novel, and its predecessor, should not be missed. You won’t regret reading these emotional and gorgeous love stories.
This was not an easy book. There was trauma, recovery, PTSD, and a lot of judgment. But what shone through by the end was the more societal messages of how we treat survivors of abuse of any kind, how we view their new state of being, and what truly constitutes “normal”.
Graham and Jason shared a connection that set them on the paths that ultimately brought them together, but the situation was written with both understanding and confrontation. For the confrontation, I really appreciated that what a real recovery looks like was given thorough consideration. That not everyone will fully “heal” from trauma, certain things will never change, reactions may not disappear, and very few of us will ever be truly “normal” are ideas that most people don’t understand because of adages like “time heals all wounds” and other similarly trite sayings.
The understanding part came when the tables turned and Graham was in need of support and compassion. Jason’s experience with his own journey helped open avenues of healing for Graham that he never would have considered on his own. Together they were able to find something unique and special together that wasn’t based on codependency or grief. It was far more powerful than that and their relationship evolution started out realistically and the comfort and warmth built gradually. How they jumped from becoming friends to more was where I felt like something was missing.
In the beginning it was as if Jason read slightly on the spectrum with how he was described, how he reacted to others, and his altered perceptions of consent and himself. I didn’t see a real changing point in him before he was very, very clear to Graham that he was fully in control of his choices and the consent portion of their changing relationship. I liked both versions of him but would have liked to see his growth. Because of the disparity I felt slightly disconnected from him as a whole. A dual POV would have really helped with this.
There were a lot of preconceived notions that Graham had that needed to be reevaluated and altered to accept a life with Jason. I felt that those ideas were really well-expressed by Bastian and Charlie and I cheered with how it really gave Graham a hard look at how he was treating and judging Jason and all victims. Despite his innate sense of compassion he still fell prey to society’s views just like the vast majority of humans in the Western world. There was a little too much emphasis on the word “normal” though, and it wasn’t really a fluid confrontation, it was thrown in so many times with very little variation on when, why, and how it was harped on or mentioned that it became something I almost wanted to skim over.
Similarly was the conflict with Clark, the IAD investigation, and the former employees of Jason’s ranch. The pieces didn’t really connect completely and none of them felt concluded either. It’s like we got to the end of the story and the author was like, “oh shoot, I gotta write in the villain. Villains? Meh, whatevs.” So aside from feeling like all of those threads were throwaways, the overall messages in the story were unique and well-formed. I enjoyed the story and felt the connection between Jason and Graham was real though not fully supported. I was drawn into their lives and appreciated the setting, the whole cast, and the animals with distinct and memorable personalities.
4 1/2 stars
***Possible Spoilers***
I enjoyed this. Graham and Jason are, each in their own way, broken. Jason has begun the task of mending, but Graham is just now discovering the ever-widening cracks within himself.
The author does not give us technical terms or lecturing on PTSD, but she does provide gentle guidance and steadfast support for these characters from several of the secondary characters.
Graham walks into the situation thinking that he is the “normal” one and as such should “teach” Jason some of the things of which he seems to be struggling. While Jason does respond to some of these suggestions, he resists others. In doing so, he shows Graham and the reader that the generally accepted version of normal is not normal for him and that it is OK to think differently than the majority of the population.
After some awkward starts and stops, these two men began to relax with each other and find that being together as friends is something that they have both needed for a long time.
I appreciate the author not throwing them into sexy times right off the bat even though the desire was already there. I think that these guys needed to learn to trust each other before moving into a more intimate relationship. I liked the tea as a euphemism for sex; it kept me giggling.
The suspenseful storyline happening throughout the book is interesting, has a smooth flow, and kept my attention until the end.
The secondary characters are supportive of the main characters, and the premise is sound.
The horses and dogs in the story are precious.
The sexy times are well done and are pretty spicy.
Finally, this is a gentle, sweet book that gave me the warm fuzzies, even while presenting stressful scenes.
I look forward to book three of the series.
This is the 2nd book in the series and the 2nd book by this author I have read. I am really enjoying the characters, the setting, the way they meet and the strength of overcoming their pasts. Graham and Jason almost fall into the relationship but it works!
An Arresting Ride is the second book in the Survivors Find Love series by Lissa Kasey, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. It is a well written, interesting and wonderful story. There is emotion, hurt/comfort, mystery/suspense, and romance. Graham and Jason are both great characters who are damaged in their own ways and varying degrees but who are on their journeys of healing. I like how the relationship evolved and took a slower path to the steam, it felt like they were learning about each other and building something together. Once they did cross into lover territory, the steam factor was high. The story itself definitely caught my attention and had me hooked.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.