Splinters by Thorny Sterling

SPLINTERS by Thorny Sterling

 

Pages: 168

Date: March 18, 2015

Kindle

The Blurb:

“Waking up in a strange place isn't a first for model and actor Allan Seville, but discovering himself alone and bound to a rough plank in the middle of an open Texas range certainly is. With no memory of who did this to him or why, panic sets in, until rescue comes riding up on a big, brown horse.

There’s more to Duke Walters than a handsome face and sexy drawl. In the arms of this rugged cowboy, Al discovers a peace and safety he never knew he needed, and now doesn't want to be without.

But someone wants Al out of the way and drugging him during a movie junket in Houston is only the beginning. A world of differences may separate this cowboy and diva, but when danger strikes again, Duke might be the only one who can get them out alive.” 

My thoughts:

I’ve been a follower of Thorny Sterling’s blog for a long time now and I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to read Splinters. I’ve owned the book for months as well so I guess it’s a case of too many books and not enough time...once again.

But, better late than never, I did at last read Splinters and adored the book, which makes me wonder why I find it so much harder to write about the books I’ve loved than the books I had (one or more) issues with.

I fell hard and fast for Allan. From the moment he wakes up, bound to a plank and naked, he had my full attention as well as a large chunk of my heart, and my attachment to him only grew deeper as the story progressed. The same can be said for Duke. I loved his ‘cowboy in shining armour’ persona and the fact that he was exactly what Allan needed.

For the most part this is a charming love story about two men who are made for each other even if they meet under far from ideal circumstances. Dig a little bit deeper this is a book about living an honest life – about being who you are without shame or fear and being accepted as such. Allan’s androgyny is presented as a fact rather than something that needs to be explained or excused which is of course how it would be in real life – if real life wasn’t full of people who would deny others the right to be true to themselves. Because the author never felt the need to try and explain Allan’s androgyny, it never occurred to me to give it a second thought; the character was perfect as he was.

Splinters might have been too sweet, the love story too easy and perfect, if it hadn’t been for the danger posed by Allan’s attacker. Although I had the ‘mystery’ figured out more or less from the start, the continued danger gave the love story an exciting edge.

I knew I loved the magic Thorny Sterling weaves with his words from reading his blog. If I had known how seductive those words would be when applied to a love story, I would not have been able to resist this book for as long as I did. Reading Splinters was a joy and a pleasure – a wonderful escape from life with characters that even followed me to my dreams. I’m looking forward to whatever Thorny may decide to write next.