Crossroads [Kindle Edition]

In Crossroads, Keta Diablo gives us a tale of crime, passion, and the paranormal rendered in an almost film noir style. This short novella is less a full-blown story than it is a slice of life for its characters. It documents how the relationship between the two main characters begins, and it sets a tone for the interaction between them, but it certainly doesn't resolve any differences between them. It also leaves Rand and Frank with a "happily for now" ending and does not address the possibility of a "happily-ever-after" for them. If Ms. Diablo were prone to write series, I would hazard a guess that we will meet up with these two characters in the future.

In Frank and Rand, Ms. Diablo gives us characters who are not particularly likeable but are fascinating nevertheless. Frank proves himself to be sympathetic by the fact that he uses his psychic gift to find missing children. However, he also exhibits a selfish and perhaps even predatory side in his treatment of Rand. Rand exhibits a typical youthful thoughtlessness when he cuts himself off from his family for the sole purpose of smoking weed and exercising his independence. The reader can't help but think that he perhaps deserves any lesson that Frank doles out. In a way, he does need to be "scared straight."

Crossroads is charged with dark eroticism and contains a couple of scenes that are intensely sexual in nature. Since they entail dubious consent - definitely not rape, but they probably could have gone in that direction with just a little effort - I have rated the sensuality of this story a 4.5. Overall, I thought this story was quite well done and very worth the read.

5 KISSES!

Blurb:
Handsome ex-cop Frank McGuire is on a quest to locate his dead partner's missing son. Rand Brennan has an identity issue, exercabated since the death of his father. Hoping to find himself, Rand drops out of college, takes to the streets, and doesn't realize he's embroiled in duplicity and murder. In order to save Rand, Frank must confront the nefarious killers and... Confront his long-suppressed feelings for Rand.

Elements: scenes of intense sexual activity, a homoerotic thriller

WARNING: The Crossroads series is not for the faint of heart, so if you don't like to read about very aggressive sex and forced seduction, this book is not for you.

Without further adieu, here's where I get to share my thoughts and feelings on Crossroads, Book 1:

Review:
When I first met Frank McGuire he was in his Denali and on his way to work. The building he pulls up to in a way reminds me of him, a rough exterior with a soft interior. Both the building and Frank are indeed suffering from years of neglect, though not in the same sense. He's a Private Investigator-- very fitting job for an ex-cop. He lost his partner in a fluke bank robbery and in a way, he lost part of himself. He's lonely, he's intense, he's angry, he's sad, and he's all Alpha male. He's not a cold hearted man by any means. If he were, I don't think he'd be a P.I.; he wouldn't put his own life on the line helping people find their loved ones. He puts the needs of others before his own needs. I find that giving this man my time and reading about his adventures to be very worthwhile.

When I saw the description of the book and the words, "A homoerotic thriller," I knew I was in for some kind of ride, and I was so ready to do this. A story that offered me a chance to analyze. YAY!

Frank was very close to Quinn, his ex-partner and Quinn's family, which consisted of Emily, who is Quinn's wife, Marlow, who is Quinn's daughter, and Rand, who is Quinn's son. Frank often hung out at their house, having barbeques, playing with the kids, and simply belonging. Rand, who was seventeen at the time of his father's death, had begun to look at Frank in a whole new way. He not only regarded Frank as a brother, but he soon began to develop other fantasies about Frank. The family noticed this attraction, and they accepted it for they loved both Frank and Rand. However, Frank refused to acknowledge the lust in the boy's eyes, he refused to acknowledge his own feelings for the boy and when Quinn died, Frank walked away out of pain. He stayed out of their lives for five long years and concentrated on using his Precognitive Capabilities to help locate missing people.

Yes, Frank has the ability to use his inner spirit to guide him along the way, and though he can't understand the messages he receives from deep within him, he does a fine job at solving whatever cases the FBI bring to him. Here's something witty about Frank. In the book there's a sentence that says, "Some called it the ability to interpret dreams or communicate with the dead a gift. Most days, Frank called it a curse." He has the ability to see into the future in his dreams, or sense events before they happened and he's had this since he was eight years old. We can see why he could at times consider it a curse. Imagine seeing images of people who need help, and not being able to exactly locate them because the pictures you're seeing are either backwards, upside down, or mean something totally opposite. This is Frank's curse. He feels useless and hopeless a lot of times. He's also a whiskey drinker. I think I'd be too.

Out of the blue one day, Emily called Frank with news that her son Rand was missing. Not in the sense that he was kidnapped or anything, but that he'd disappeared voluntarily. He stopped all communication with his mother and sister; he was going through an identity crisis and needed to find himself. Imagine the fear his mother was in by the time she called on her dead husband's ex-partner. She was frantic with worry. Around the same time Rand went missing, a series of murders was happening in the city. Young goth girls came up missing out of the blue and were found dead. "The Black Rail Case." Don't you know that Marlow was at that time goth?

So, here we have Frank, receiving images from his inner self of the poor dead girls in surroundings of which he's unfamiliar, and then he receives a call stating that Rand is missing. He needs that whiskey. He also now battles more guilt over not speaking to Emily for five long years. Part of the reason I think he did that was his growing attraction to her son, Rand, who was too young for him the last time he saw him. Besides, he wasn't comfortable with the idea of doing the dirty with his partner's kid. This is understandable, but there are worse things.

I don't want to give the story away, so I won't include any spoilers. I encourage you to read it and when you do, think about what "homoerotic thriller" means. Also, when you see this disclaimer, "Elements: scenes of intense sexual activity", you have to know that this isn't going to be your typical romance full of soft core love.

Instead of spoiling the fun and mystery of the story I want to share my views of Frank with you. I think he's being misunderstood and you may disagree with me and that's okay. We all look at stories and the meanings behind them differently. That's what makes us all unique. This is completely my opinion. I love Frank McGuire. One of the things I adore about him is that he's an alpha type and he's not afraid to show this. To say he's cold misses the mark. He cares deeply but he's afraid of hurt, he's afraid to hurt and to be hurt. This is why he has a difficult time showing his gentle side. If people want to read a sappy m/m romance, where both of the characters are lovey dovey, they need to read the description of Crossroads a little closer. This is not it, and that alone is precisely what made me want to read it.

I like to read bad boys, not in the sense that they are murderers, thieves, rapists, and the like. I love strong alpha men in my books. I love to read about what makes them who they are. I like to read about stuff that isn't all fluffy all the time. Men are men-- gay, straight, or bi. They will act like testosterone-driven men with one thing on their mind, for the most part. They aren't soft in emotions like most females.

Crossroads isn't what I consider crude, violent, or anything along those lines. Frank acted on his desires when he "forced" himself on Rand. He was a man driven to act the way he did by pure need, lust, and love. Yes, he does love Rand, but to get him to admit that is like pulling teeth. He loved that boy for a long time, well before his partner died. To say that Frank raped Rand the first time may or may not be accurate. It is clear that this forceful seduction scene is in no way non-consensual because the submissive partner is given an option to stop, and he begs for it to continue. The second time it happened, Rand goes to Frank and submits willingly. If I had truly been raped, I'd be damned if I put myself in that situation that Rand did. The important thing to remember here is that it's a story. It is fiction and is not based on actual events.

The BDSM play is mild to say the least. The author does an amazing job with Frank and Rand. They are both men, and that's what this story is about. We know this is a series. We know the characters have to change in order to keep the series going, and Diablo created two amazing men to do just that.

I always try to keep in mind that no matter which fictional book I read, it has been created by someone. It's all a figment of the author's imagination, even if the events that are depicted did happen in some real-life context. The writer is in a fictional world of their own creation and merely puts together a string of events which create for us a place to go when we need to get away.

While in real life I don't condone non-consensual sex, I will keep an open mind when I come across it in fictional books.

When Frank McGuire's partner and friend Quinn Brennan was killed in the line of duty, Frank left the force and became a private investigator. Even though he hasn't seen Quinn's wife and kids in five years, he drops everything to help when Emily calls desperate for his help finding her son Rand. Frank remembers Rand. Especially that Rand is eight years younger than him, the son of his friend, and off limits regardless of his attraction to Rand. Frank agrees to track Rand down and when he does, he discovers that Rand may be in trouble, the kind of trouble that could get him killed. A serial killer that has been preying on women in the area is somehow connected to Rand. It might be up to Frank's good detective skills and his clairvoyant abilities to save the man he wants.

Crossroads starts off with Frank's interesting ability and the painful loss of his partner and friend. The story picks up some heat when Frank approaches an unsuspecting and scared Rand in a rather intense encounter where Rand is forcibly seduced into giving Frank information. Had this been role playing and both parties involved knew the score, it would be very, very hot, but because of the circumstances it comes off as a bit too realistic and disrespectful towards Rand. The fact that Rand enjoys it makes it sexy, but I still think the scene is over the top due to the circumstances. There are a few more graphic dubious consent scenes that are hot. Crossroads is more erotica rather than erotic romance. The romance is unconventional considering how things play out between Frank and Rand. With its intense eroticism and a pretty good storyline, Crossroads is an intriguing read.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed