Title: Carry On
Author: Treva Harte
Publisher: Loose-id
Publisher URL: http://loose-id.net/
ISBN: 978-1-59632-669-9
Genre: Polyamorous Historical Werewolf Paranormal
Nymph Rating: 3.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Ned is a bouncer at a New York City speakeasy and his lover has recently been killed, the third victim of a brutal killer. He’s upset about Sam’s death, yet afraid that he might have been involved during a period he has no recollection of. He’s tense, nervous and doesn’t know what to do, always worried that the police will arrest him and put in him a small cage. Still he goes about his job of keeping the peace and trying to keep his employer safe from unwanted advances. When the owner, MaeBelle, hires Frank, a stone cold killer to fill Sam’s job and look for his murderer, Ned’s surprised to find himself attracted to the older and smaller man…a man whose dark eyes hide a secret from his past. A secret that leave him feeling dead inside, until their mutual passion makes them burn.
With Carry On, Ms. Harte has crafted an interesting and well-written story set in post WWI New York City. Her descriptions of the locale is vivid, allowing the reader to get a good feel for the period and I loved that she wrote the book in the unusual setting of a prohibition era speakeasy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a book before and I always appreciate when an author does something a little different. The characters of Ned and Frank were very intriguing and their sexual relationship hot and steamy, even if they met and come together under rather strange circumstances. Still these two wounded men compliment each other and fill a void; a hole that had left each of them empty and wanting.
I found MaeBelle, the owner of the speakeasy where Ned works, a little confusing. I guess it was her sudden and unexpected desire for Ned, who she’d barely noticed before he became Frank’s lover. Then there was Ned’s sudden desire for her when the man had been gay his entire life. I will honestly say I had a little trouble with this sudden change in both their attitudes, but for the rest of the story, the premise worked fine. Many of MaeBelle’s secrets were revealed by the book’s end, but I was left with lots of questions about Ned and Frank that I would have loved to have had answered.
Unarguably the best portion of the story, for me, was not discovering the identity of the killer until the very end. Then to find it was a secondary character I never expected was a great “ah ha” moment. I love it when an author keeps me guessing and in suspense until the last moment. While there are things about this story that didn’t work for me, there were more than enough to make it an enjoyable read.
Author: Treva Harte
Publisher: Loose-id
Publisher URL: http://loose-id.net/
ISBN: 978-1-59632-669-9
Genre: Polyamorous Historical Werewolf Paranormal
Nymph Rating: 3.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Ned is a bouncer at a New York City speakeasy and his lover has recently been killed, the third victim of a brutal killer. He’s upset about Sam’s death, yet afraid that he might have been involved during a period he has no recollection of. He’s tense, nervous and doesn’t know what to do, always worried that the police will arrest him and put in him a small cage. Still he goes about his job of keeping the peace and trying to keep his employer safe from unwanted advances. When the owner, MaeBelle, hires Frank, a stone cold killer to fill Sam’s job and look for his murderer, Ned’s surprised to find himself attracted to the older and smaller man…a man whose dark eyes hide a secret from his past. A secret that leave him feeling dead inside, until their mutual passion makes them burn.
With Carry On, Ms. Harte has crafted an interesting and well-written story set in post WWI New York City. Her descriptions of the locale is vivid, allowing the reader to get a good feel for the period and I loved that she wrote the book in the unusual setting of a prohibition era speakeasy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a book before and I always appreciate when an author does something a little different. The characters of Ned and Frank were very intriguing and their sexual relationship hot and steamy, even if they met and come together under rather strange circumstances. Still these two wounded men compliment each other and fill a void; a hole that had left each of them empty and wanting.
I found MaeBelle, the owner of the speakeasy where Ned works, a little confusing. I guess it was her sudden and unexpected desire for Ned, who she’d barely noticed before he became Frank’s lover. Then there was Ned’s sudden desire for her when the man had been gay his entire life. I will honestly say I had a little trouble with this sudden change in both their attitudes, but for the rest of the story, the premise worked fine. Many of MaeBelle’s secrets were revealed by the book’s end, but I was left with lots of questions about Ned and Frank that I would have loved to have had answered.
Unarguably the best portion of the story, for me, was not discovering the identity of the killer until the very end. Then to find it was a secondary character I never expected was a great “ah ha” moment. I love it when an author keeps me guessing and in suspense until the last moment. While there are things about this story that didn’t work for me, there were more than enough to make it an enjoyable read.
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