kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
Home the Hard Way by Z.A. Maxfield is an intriguing and suspense filled mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. After a colossal error in judgment costs him his job with the Seattle PD, Dare Buckley returns to his small hometown of Palladian. Dare's homecoming is quickly complicated by his friendship with Finn Fowler, a suspicious death and his father's long ago suicide.
Dare and Finn lost touch when Dare left town fifteen years earlier and a lot has changed for both of them in the intervening years. Finn's life currently centers around taking care of his Aunt Lyddie who is dying from cancer. Between his nursing duties, two jobs and his leather making business, Finn does not have time for any type of social life but he welcomes the chance to reconnect with Dare. Dare is not happy with his disgraced return to Palladian and some of the demons that led to his downfall are still plaguing him. His transition to the local police department is anything but smooth as he is faced with resentment from his fellow officers and the animosity from an old childhood nemesis. His reunion with Finn is uneasy and shrouded with unspoken secrets from their shared past. A surprising attraction flares to life between them but a relationship seems unlikely amid all of the chaos swirling around them.
As children, Dare and Finn shared a unique but close friendship. Dare was a popular, well-liked athlete from a well-respected local family. Finn, on the other hand, was different from everyone else in just about every way. He and his mother were the target of small-town gossip and speculation and he had a difficult time living down his mother's rather loose reputation. As the older of the two boys, Dare took on a protective role with Finn and kept him from being bullied by the other kids. Both of their childhoods were marred by the untimely deaths of Finn's mom and Dare's father and their friendship ended when Dare and his mother left town after his dad inexplicably committed suicide.
Now meeting on equal footing, both men have been shaped and changed by events in the intervening years. Dare is cynical, world-weary and his shining armor has definitely been tarnished by his poor decisions. Finn maintains tight control over everything around him and he keeps himself at a distance from everyone but his aunt. When Dare stumbles across Finn in a very shocking situation, the balance of their relationship is irrevocably changed. Dare is filled with numerous doubts about their future as a couple and when the case he has been working on breaks wide open, Dare realizes how little he and Finn really know one another.
Home the Hard Way is a compelling novel and Z.A. Maxfield does an excellent job keeping readers on their toes with quite a few startling plot twists. There are two separate mysteries that need unraveling and I was completely surprised by how these storylines were eventually solved. The one thing I really did not see coming is the direction that Dare and Finn's relationship takes and while I confess to a few doubts about how they would resolve their differences, I was satisfied by how things turned out between them. All in all, it is another fabulous read by the extremely talented Z.A. Maxfield.
Dare and Finn lost touch when Dare left town fifteen years earlier and a lot has changed for both of them in the intervening years. Finn's life currently centers around taking care of his Aunt Lyddie who is dying from cancer. Between his nursing duties, two jobs and his leather making business, Finn does not have time for any type of social life but he welcomes the chance to reconnect with Dare. Dare is not happy with his disgraced return to Palladian and some of the demons that led to his downfall are still plaguing him. His transition to the local police department is anything but smooth as he is faced with resentment from his fellow officers and the animosity from an old childhood nemesis. His reunion with Finn is uneasy and shrouded with unspoken secrets from their shared past. A surprising attraction flares to life between them but a relationship seems unlikely amid all of the chaos swirling around them.
As children, Dare and Finn shared a unique but close friendship. Dare was a popular, well-liked athlete from a well-respected local family. Finn, on the other hand, was different from everyone else in just about every way. He and his mother were the target of small-town gossip and speculation and he had a difficult time living down his mother's rather loose reputation. As the older of the two boys, Dare took on a protective role with Finn and kept him from being bullied by the other kids. Both of their childhoods were marred by the untimely deaths of Finn's mom and Dare's father and their friendship ended when Dare and his mother left town after his dad inexplicably committed suicide.
Now meeting on equal footing, both men have been shaped and changed by events in the intervening years. Dare is cynical, world-weary and his shining armor has definitely been tarnished by his poor decisions. Finn maintains tight control over everything around him and he keeps himself at a distance from everyone but his aunt. When Dare stumbles across Finn in a very shocking situation, the balance of their relationship is irrevocably changed. Dare is filled with numerous doubts about their future as a couple and when the case he has been working on breaks wide open, Dare realizes how little he and Finn really know one another.
Home the Hard Way is a compelling novel and Z.A. Maxfield does an excellent job keeping readers on their toes with quite a few startling plot twists. There are two separate mysteries that need unraveling and I was completely surprised by how these storylines were eventually solved. The one thing I really did not see coming is the direction that Dare and Finn's relationship takes and while I confess to a few doubts about how they would resolve their differences, I was satisfied by how things turned out between them. All in all, it is another fabulous read by the extremely talented Z.A. Maxfield.
pantsbooks89's review against another edition
5.0
This is an amazing book from an amazing author. I have read other books from Z.A. Maxfield, but they did not prepare for what this book contained. The rawness of the characters pain and need and wants was so pure and I loved it. I could get enough and I finish wanting more. The two main characters lives are embedded within each others and nothing can undo them even through murder, shootings, blackmail they find each other in the end. Amazing book.
scarletine6's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic. A really complex story and I didn't guess whodunnit... which is a surprise. The narrator on this Shannon Gunn, was good, although he got reeeeally into it for the sex scenes, which instead of being sexy, made me laugh out loud. But, all in all, a great book.
leelah's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 53%.
I didn't like where this story went...
Spoiler
It went to kink and I didn't find it believable at all. Guy went from bicurious to gay curious to D/s curious in matter of pages, but I didn't buy it.It also felt disjointed with other parts of story- like there were 3 guys: one investigating death in beauty salon, another one trying to find out truth about his father and third one goes through trysexual phase.:(
josy's review against another edition
5.0
~ 4.5 stars ~
This was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely!! So why not 5 stars? Well... The end was a bit disappointing. One more chapter or an epilogue would have been great! I needed a tiny bit more to see how Dare and Finn make a life together.
I enjoyed [a:Shannon Gunn|6996772|Shannon Gunn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration. He's a new-to-me narrator and I think he did a really good job! Sometimes he sounded a bit too forceful or aggressive during the sex scenes but overall, he put a lot of emotions into his voice to portray what the characters were feeling.
This was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely!! So why not 5 stars? Well... The end was a bit disappointing. One more chapter or an epilogue would have been great! I needed a tiny bit more to see how Dare and Finn make a life together.
I enjoyed [a:Shannon Gunn|6996772|Shannon Gunn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration. He's a new-to-me narrator and I think he did a really good job! Sometimes he sounded a bit too forceful or aggressive during the sex scenes but overall, he put a lot of emotions into his voice to portray what the characters were feeling.
suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
High 3.5/4* read.
One of ZAM's that pulled me in right at the start. At the start it is largely about the people - left behind Finn, how has he survived small town issues, working two jobs, taking care of his ill aunt, life couldn't get much worse. Dare, returned in shame from Seattle, trying to fit in, trying to exorcise demons he doesn't even acknowledge, trying to reconnect to a new Finn. Others in there are Lyddie, Bill, all the ' good 'ol boys'.
Then it moves on to change pur initial perceptions of the people and the town - scratch the surface and a different picture emerges. Finn has been built hard by the issues life has thrown at him and expresses this in a domineering way! Dare struggles even more with his feelings. Why Bill is as he is comes to be known and so changes your perception of him. Small town circling the wagon on the crime against Finn is not totally unexpected.
Then the threads of both Finn's mothers and Dare's fathers deaths 15 years ago start unravelling, throwing more light on contort self image and the mindset of small town-isms.
Dare and Finn together didn't grab me particularly hard but I really enjoyed peeling back all the layers in this story.
One of ZAM's that pulled me in right at the start. At the start it is largely about the people - left behind Finn, how has he survived small town issues, working two jobs, taking care of his ill aunt, life couldn't get much worse. Dare, returned in shame from Seattle, trying to fit in, trying to exorcise demons he doesn't even acknowledge, trying to reconnect to a new Finn. Others in there are Lyddie, Bill, all the ' good 'ol boys'.
Then it moves on to change pur initial perceptions of the people and the town - scratch the surface and a different picture emerges. Finn has been built hard by the issues life has thrown at him and expresses this in a domineering way! Dare struggles even more with his feelings. Why Bill is as he is comes to be known and so changes your perception of him. Small town circling the wagon on the crime against Finn is not totally unexpected.
Then the threads of both Finn's mothers and Dare's fathers deaths 15 years ago start unravelling, throwing more light on contort self image and the mindset of small town-isms.
Dare and Finn together didn't grab me particularly hard but I really enjoyed peeling back all the layers in this story.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a different feel from most of this author's other stories - more complex, darker, and full of flawed characters. There are no knights in shining armor here (other than perhaps Finn's Aunt Lyddie.) Every character has made major mistakes in their life. Every one has dark places inside them, regrets, blind spots about themselves, others, and the past. I loved that about this book - I enjoy heroes, but I often identify most with the flawed main character who has to fight himself as well as life for his HEA.
Finn is the small, odd-looking, bullied home-town boy who appears trapped in his fishbowl oppressive town by the needs of his dying aunt. But as the story goes on, you find out that that's far too simple a view of such a complex character. Finn has resources that are unexpected, and the factors that hold him in his current life are as much about the past as the present.
Dare was Finn's older best friend as kids, until Dare's father's suicide drove his mother to move them out of the state. In that move, Dare deliberately let go of his friendship with Finn, which had been vitally important and yet strained by ill-defined hero worship and the deaths of Finn's mother and Dare's father. It was easier to walk away.
When Dare messed up on the job as a Seattle detective, in a moment of drink-clouded misjudgment, he needed a sponsor to find a new position. A hometown friend of his father's stepped up for him and he has come home to work for the local police force. Inevitably, he has to meet Finn again. In that first meeting, there is an echo of the older protector and worshipful follower they once were, but it is immediately clear that their current status is a long, long way from those childhood roles.
Death and vandalism in town force Dare to investigate crime in Finn's aunt's hair salon, tangling the personal with the professional. Dare feels obsessed with Finn, but he quickly discovers that the boy he remembers has gone through a lot, and taken paths to adulthood he'd never have envisioned. The BDSM in this story isn't heavy but plays a vital role in the confusion and the complexity of relationships, and not just between Dare and Finn.
This was close to a five-star story for me, but I felt like things moved too fast between the MCs somewhere in the middle. I loved some of the twists and turns, loved that the secondary characters also turned out to be living in the shades of grey, but was unconvinced that all the whiplashes of emotion, need and understanding could have happened quite at the speed with which they did. Still this is one I'll reread to see the story from the beginning, colored with the knowledge from the end.
If you like a mystery, complex and deeply flawed heroes with weaknesses, emotional BDSM relationships, and second chances, give this book a try.
Finn is the small, odd-looking, bullied home-town boy who appears trapped in his fishbowl oppressive town by the needs of his dying aunt. But as the story goes on, you find out that that's far too simple a view of such a complex character. Finn has resources that are unexpected, and the factors that hold him in his current life are as much about the past as the present.
Dare was Finn's older best friend as kids, until Dare's father's suicide drove his mother to move them out of the state. In that move, Dare deliberately let go of his friendship with Finn, which had been vitally important and yet strained by ill-defined hero worship and the deaths of Finn's mother and Dare's father. It was easier to walk away.
When Dare messed up on the job as a Seattle detective, in a moment of drink-clouded misjudgment, he needed a sponsor to find a new position. A hometown friend of his father's stepped up for him and he has come home to work for the local police force. Inevitably, he has to meet Finn again. In that first meeting, there is an echo of the older protector and worshipful follower they once were, but it is immediately clear that their current status is a long, long way from those childhood roles.
Death and vandalism in town force Dare to investigate crime in Finn's aunt's hair salon, tangling the personal with the professional. Dare feels obsessed with Finn, but he quickly discovers that the boy he remembers has gone through a lot, and taken paths to adulthood he'd never have envisioned. The BDSM in this story isn't heavy but plays a vital role in the confusion and the complexity of relationships, and not just between Dare and Finn.
This was close to a five-star story for me, but I felt like things moved too fast between the MCs somewhere in the middle. I loved some of the twists and turns, loved that the secondary characters also turned out to be living in the shades of grey, but was unconvinced that all the whiplashes of emotion, need and understanding could have happened quite at the speed with which they did. Still this is one I'll reread to see the story from the beginning, colored with the knowledge from the end.
If you like a mystery, complex and deeply flawed heroes with weaknesses, emotional BDSM relationships, and second chances, give this book a try.
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read several books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed every single one. This was no exception. ZA Maxfield does it again.
At first glance this is a friends-to-lovers story. While that may be true in a sense, it becomes clear that it’s so much more. The author gives us a murder mystery, some BDSM, and romantic suspense set in the small town of Palladian, Oregon. A town in which some dark secrets are kept. Secrets that were never to see the light of day.
From the first page to the last, I was captivated by this story. As we know from the blurb, Dare is coming back to his hometown in disgrace. After an incident forces him to resign as a Seattle Detective, his only job offer is in the town he left many years ago. I really felt the author did a great job of getting the emotional turmoil the two main characters were going through down on page. I felt the anguish, confusion, and despair from both of them.
When Finn and Dare knew each other as children, they didn’t have the easiest time. Finn was bullied relentlessly in school, and lost his mother in a horrible accident. Dare dealt with his father’s suicide at a young age and had to move away from the only home he knew. These earth shattering events rounded out who they became as adults. I loved the way the author gave us little snippets of their time together when they were younger. These flashbacks made me understand their adult relationship and the pull they had towards one another. It was interesting to watch them in roles they weren’t used to playing, one going from the protector to the submissive, the other going from the victim to the one in control. The author portrays these characters realistically and very likably. While their renewed relationship isn’t 100% sexual, we see them beginning to gain each other’s trust and reevaluate what they mean to each other.
The pacing and flow of this story was smooth. Just when the author has you wondering what’s going to happen next, another layer is peeled back and the answer is revealed. The mystery element to this story was genius. While reading this, I never knew who was responsible for the mayhem running amok around the town. I believe the author did a fantastic job laying out the clues and hints to give the reader just enough to wet their palate and wanting more, and boy, does this author give us what we need. With twists and turns as only a good mystery can have, the conclusion to the “whodunit” question is just perfect. I’m not going to give anything away, but it was a person I least expected. Kudos to the author for not making it obvious.
The secondary characters definitely added some flavor to this tale being told. From Finn’s dying aunt to Dare’s co workers and the people we meet along the way, they were all very interesting and added a little something to an already wonderful read.
Overall, I enjoyed this very book very much. I highly recommend Home the Hard Way to those who love a good mystery with a nontraditional love story and a little BDSM on the side.
At first glance this is a friends-to-lovers story. While that may be true in a sense, it becomes clear that it’s so much more. The author gives us a murder mystery, some BDSM, and romantic suspense set in the small town of Palladian, Oregon. A town in which some dark secrets are kept. Secrets that were never to see the light of day.
From the first page to the last, I was captivated by this story. As we know from the blurb, Dare is coming back to his hometown in disgrace. After an incident forces him to resign as a Seattle Detective, his only job offer is in the town he left many years ago. I really felt the author did a great job of getting the emotional turmoil the two main characters were going through down on page. I felt the anguish, confusion, and despair from both of them.
When Finn and Dare knew each other as children, they didn’t have the easiest time. Finn was bullied relentlessly in school, and lost his mother in a horrible accident. Dare dealt with his father’s suicide at a young age and had to move away from the only home he knew. These earth shattering events rounded out who they became as adults. I loved the way the author gave us little snippets of their time together when they were younger. These flashbacks made me understand their adult relationship and the pull they had towards one another. It was interesting to watch them in roles they weren’t used to playing, one going from the protector to the submissive, the other going from the victim to the one in control. The author portrays these characters realistically and very likably. While their renewed relationship isn’t 100% sexual, we see them beginning to gain each other’s trust and reevaluate what they mean to each other.
The pacing and flow of this story was smooth. Just when the author has you wondering what’s going to happen next, another layer is peeled back and the answer is revealed. The mystery element to this story was genius. While reading this, I never knew who was responsible for the mayhem running amok around the town. I believe the author did a fantastic job laying out the clues and hints to give the reader just enough to wet their palate and wanting more, and boy, does this author give us what we need. With twists and turns as only a good mystery can have, the conclusion to the “whodunit” question is just perfect. I’m not going to give anything away, but it was a person I least expected. Kudos to the author for not making it obvious.
The secondary characters definitely added some flavor to this tale being told. From Finn’s dying aunt to Dare’s co workers and the people we meet along the way, they were all very interesting and added a little something to an already wonderful read.
Overall, I enjoyed this very book very much. I highly recommend Home the Hard Way to those who love a good mystery with a nontraditional love story and a little BDSM on the side.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about this book. I finished it last night, with time to review it, but waited until today in order to consider my own response to it. You see, I can't decide if I didn't like certain aspects of the story full stop or if I just didn't like that it wasn't the story I wanted it to be (if that distinction makes any sense outside of my head).
Before I talk more about that let me add here that I like erotica. Not that I would qualify this as erotica, there isn't that much sex in it. But my point is that I have no problem with sex in books. I like a lot of m/m romances. I also like finding a little surprise kink thrown into either one. So, my complaint isn't based just on not liking D/s, BDSM, rope and/or pain play in the book. (Though, I have to admit, anytime a character refers to something by its name, like 'pain play,' it feels too proper to be realistic to me. It rings the same cringe-bell as stiff dialogue in my head. But that's a whole 'nother matter altogether.)
Having said all that, I didn't like the BDSM, etc. aspect of this book. I think it was probably well written; that's not my complaint. And it was kinda hot; that's not my beef either. It just didn't feel natural in the story. This is the first Z. A. Maxfield book I've ever read, so I'm not coming from a place of comparative knowledge. But to me it FELT like it was all thrown in just to catch readers from the current D/s popularity wave. I don't know if it really was, but that's how it felt to me.
You see, Dare comes home to Palladian with no discernible interest in being dominated in any fashion. Doesn't even seem to be consciously aware of the lifestyle. But on meeting up with Finn he immediately starts wanting things he's never wanted before. He allows Finn control he'd never previously even considered giving up and he does it with no discussion, explanation or even verbal request (from either party). Now, consent is very clearly established, as are stop words and such. I don't mean anything like that. I just mean there must have been some psychic communication going on for Finn to know what Dare wanted and for Dare to know Finn could/would provide it, especially on Dare's part.
I did like Dare and Finn. Don't get me wrong. I liked them. I just kept thinking that the things they were doing didn't fit the otherwise sweet romance that was trying desperately to establish itself. This is also were my 'did I just not like it' or 'did I not like that the blurb sent me in expecting something else' internal debate comes in. Either way, it was jarring to me.
Then there was the whole Fraser twist. Surprisingly, I also like Fraser. I had fewer problems with he and Finn's activities than Finn and Dare's. It felt more natural there, maybe because it had had years to develop. However, unless there is going to be a sequel that deals with Fraser and his issues I'd have to call it a giant loose end.
I also liked the, I believe the phrase is penetration politics. Dare is your average hulking police alpha (as is Fraser), Finn is as you would expect. He's smaller, finer boned, prettier, gayer (or at least more openly so). Based on m/m norms you would expect Dare & Fraser to top almost exclusively. It was nice to see this trope played with.
The mystery was a good one. It wasn't too hard to figure the historic aspect of it out. It was pretty obvious, actually. But that obviousness just made the part happening in 'real-time' more interesting because you had this tantalising part of the puzzle that Dare didn't.
The writing and editing were both pretty good. I was a bit bothered by all the full names. Palladian is meant to be a pretty small town and everyone's supposed to have known each other since childhood. So I can't imagine they'd so often need a full name to identify someone. I also thought the author had a few catchall phrases she repeated (the plug & socket comparison, for example). But really these are minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things.
I'm feeling fairly torn about how I feel or how I want to rate this book. So, I'm splitting the difference with a 3 and a bit.
I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about this book. I finished it last night, with time to review it, but waited until today in order to consider my own response to it. You see, I can't decide if I didn't like certain aspects of the story full stop or if I just didn't like that it wasn't the story I wanted it to be (if that distinction makes any sense outside of my head).
Before I talk more about that let me add here that I like erotica. Not that I would qualify this as erotica, there isn't that much sex in it. But my point is that I have no problem with sex in books. I like a lot of m/m romances. I also like finding a little surprise kink thrown into either one. So, my complaint isn't based just on not liking D/s, BDSM, rope and/or pain play in the book. (Though, I have to admit, anytime a character refers to something by its name, like 'pain play,' it feels too proper to be realistic to me. It rings the same cringe-bell as stiff dialogue in my head. But that's a whole 'nother matter altogether.)
Having said all that, I didn't like the BDSM, etc. aspect of this book. I think it was probably well written; that's not my complaint. And it was kinda hot; that's not my beef either. It just didn't feel natural in the story. This is the first Z. A. Maxfield book I've ever read, so I'm not coming from a place of comparative knowledge. But to me it FELT like it was all thrown in just to catch readers from the current D/s popularity wave. I don't know if it really was, but that's how it felt to me.
You see, Dare comes home to Palladian with no discernible interest in being dominated in any fashion. Doesn't even seem to be consciously aware of the lifestyle. But on meeting up with Finn he immediately starts wanting things he's never wanted before. He allows Finn control he'd never previously even considered giving up and he does it with no discussion, explanation or even verbal request (from either party). Now, consent is very clearly established, as are stop words and such. I don't mean anything like that. I just mean there must have been some psychic communication going on for Finn to know what Dare wanted and for Dare to know Finn could/would provide it, especially on Dare's part.
I did like Dare and Finn. Don't get me wrong. I liked them. I just kept thinking that the things they were doing didn't fit the otherwise sweet romance that was trying desperately to establish itself. This is also were my 'did I just not like it' or 'did I not like that the blurb sent me in expecting something else' internal debate comes in. Either way, it was jarring to me.
Then there was the whole Fraser twist. Surprisingly, I also like Fraser. I had fewer problems with he and Finn's activities than Finn and Dare's. It felt more natural there, maybe because it had had years to develop. However, unless there is going to be a sequel that deals with Fraser and his issues I'd have to call it a giant loose end.
I also liked the, I believe the phrase is penetration politics. Dare is your average hulking police alpha (as is Fraser), Finn is as you would expect. He's smaller, finer boned, prettier, gayer (or at least more openly so). Based on m/m norms you would expect Dare & Fraser to top almost exclusively. It was nice to see this trope played with.
The mystery was a good one. It wasn't too hard to figure the historic aspect of it out. It was pretty obvious, actually. But that obviousness just made the part happening in 'real-time' more interesting because you had this tantalising part of the puzzle that Dare didn't.
The writing and editing were both pretty good. I was a bit bothered by all the full names. Palladian is meant to be a pretty small town and everyone's supposed to have known each other since childhood. So I can't imagine they'd so often need a full name to identify someone. I also thought the author had a few catchall phrases she repeated (the plug & socket comparison, for example). But really these are minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things.
I'm feeling fairly torn about how I feel or how I want to rate this book. So, I'm splitting the difference with a 3 and a bit.