A review by josy
Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black
5.0
After RL got in the way, I finally got to read this book one month later than I had planned. By this time, I was a bit afraid because I wanted to read Snakes Among Sweet Flowers as soon as I heard about its release and I thought that my expectations might be too high after having to wait for a chance to read it. You know what it is like, right? You are waiting (im)patiently to finally have the time to do something you desperately want to do, thinking about what it will be like, anticipating it, imagining it in all its details and when the time comes you end up being disappointed because in your mind you made that something so much bigger than it really is.
Well, I needn't have to be afraid. Snakes Among Sweet Flowers has been everything I had hoped it would be.
I started this book yesterday, just before I heard about the shooting that took place in Munich and ended with the death of 10 people, including the attacker, and many more injured. I had to set the book aside because I couldn't concentrate on it as much as I wanted to. I was too upset and unsettled. After going to bed and finding myself unable to sleep because my mind wouldn't quiet down, I picked this book up again and continued reading and it has been the best decision I could have made.
I read some of Jason Huffman-Black's short stories and I've always been surprised by how much his vivid writing would grab me, suck me in, and not let me go until I turned the last page. Snakes Among Sweet Flowers has been the same and I soon found myself absorbed in Cam's and Jackson's story to the point where I couldn't think about anything else but the events unfolding in Hog Mountain. I thought I could feel the sweltering heat, hear the cicadas at night, taste the sweet tea (which I have to say is too sweet for me, lol), and smell the food cooking in a Crock-Pot.
I really appreciated the fact that we got to see Cam's transformation from a scamming ex-con who isn't above stealing money from an elderly couple to someone who cares deeply about the people he found in this close-knit community he now lives in. This becomes especially apparent when the shit hits the proverbial fan and he does everything he can to keep those people safe.
At first, Cam is bewildered by the way of living in a small town in comparison to life in a big city where he came from. Big cities often have an anonymity to them, huge apartment complexes where you know your neighbors only by the name on their mailboxes, and where everyone cares only for themselves. Not so in Hog Mountain where everyone is involved with the other's lives. But, as different as it is from all he has previously known, Cam soon finds that he likes it and gets more and more comfortable in his old house that he sets out to turn into a home. And the more he likes it the more he finds himself unable to continue his scams. You see, Cam is not really a bad guy IMO. Despite the crimes he committed in the past, he has some morals and conscience left. For him, it has been easier to steal from people he didn't know than from people who invite him to dinner and tell him about their lives. And with the kindness, trust, and yes, nosiness, the good people of Hog Mountain heap on him he doesn't have much of a choice but to get to know them.
Then there is Jackson, the town's officer and golden boy, who is protective of his hometown and its citizens, and suspicious of the newcomer who served time in prison. Jackson doesn't trust Cam, wants to keep an eye on him in case he plans something shady, and Cam is wary of Jackson because of the experiences he has made with other law enforcements. However, over time Jackson realizes that it is possible for a person to change their way when they really are determined to do so and Cam has to admit that Jackson is not the bad cop trying to abuse his power who Cam imagined him to be.
Both MCs felt real to me with their different backgrounds, flaws, struggles, and even their transformation into the kind of person they want to be. There was no magical solution to the enemies-to-lovers-relationship and nothing easy and fluffy about it. It all came down to getting to know the other, overcoming their own prejudices, and learning to trust each other. Not something that happens overnight and certainly not something that happens without stepping out of your comfort zone. The author portrayed that very well IMO without the need to implant a huge case of miscommunication that is so often used. The undeniable lust that sparked between them almost from the beginning certainly wasn't a hindrance. But the fact that both men despised and ignored it at first, gave us the opportunity to witness a delicious slow burn.
Another fact I really liked and found refreshing was that in this story the Bible and the belief in God weren't used to condemn homosexuality like we get to see in some 'pray-the-gay-away'-stories but to show that God makes no distinctions no matter who you love.
Add to all this an amazing cover, a great host of secondary characters and a 'What-the-hell-just-happened'-moment I didn't see coming, and you have a wonderful book about second chances in life and finding love that is very well written and will make you feel like you are sitting on a porch with a glass of chilled sweet tea while you listen to the sounds of the night around you.
Well, I needn't have to be afraid. Snakes Among Sweet Flowers has been everything I had hoped it would be.
I started this book yesterday, just before I heard about the shooting that took place in Munich and ended with the death of 10 people, including the attacker, and many more injured. I had to set the book aside because I couldn't concentrate on it as much as I wanted to. I was too upset and unsettled. After going to bed and finding myself unable to sleep because my mind wouldn't quiet down, I picked this book up again and continued reading and it has been the best decision I could have made.
I read some of Jason Huffman-Black's short stories and I've always been surprised by how much his vivid writing would grab me, suck me in, and not let me go until I turned the last page. Snakes Among Sweet Flowers has been the same and I soon found myself absorbed in Cam's and Jackson's story to the point where I couldn't think about anything else but the events unfolding in Hog Mountain. I thought I could feel the sweltering heat, hear the cicadas at night, taste the sweet tea (which I have to say is too sweet for me, lol), and smell the food cooking in a Crock-Pot.
I really appreciated the fact that we got to see Cam's transformation from a scamming ex-con who isn't above stealing money from an elderly couple to someone who cares deeply about the people he found in this close-knit community he now lives in. This becomes especially apparent when the shit hits the proverbial fan and he does everything he can to keep those people safe.
At first, Cam is bewildered by the way of living in a small town in comparison to life in a big city where he came from. Big cities often have an anonymity to them, huge apartment complexes where you know your neighbors only by the name on their mailboxes, and where everyone cares only for themselves. Not so in Hog Mountain where everyone is involved with the other's lives. But, as different as it is from all he has previously known, Cam soon finds that he likes it and gets more and more comfortable in his old house that he sets out to turn into a home. And the more he likes it the more he finds himself unable to continue his scams. You see, Cam is not really a bad guy IMO. Despite the crimes he committed in the past, he has some morals and conscience left. For him, it has been easier to steal from people he didn't know than from people who invite him to dinner and tell him about their lives. And with the kindness, trust, and yes, nosiness, the good people of Hog Mountain heap on him he doesn't have much of a choice but to get to know them.
Then there is Jackson, the town's officer and golden boy, who is protective of his hometown and its citizens, and suspicious of the newcomer who served time in prison. Jackson doesn't trust Cam, wants to keep an eye on him in case he plans something shady, and Cam is wary of Jackson because of the experiences he has made with other law enforcements. However, over time Jackson realizes that it is possible for a person to change their way when they really are determined to do so and Cam has to admit that Jackson is not the bad cop trying to abuse his power who Cam imagined him to be.
Both MCs felt real to me with their different backgrounds, flaws, struggles, and even their transformation into the kind of person they want to be. There was no magical solution to the enemies-to-lovers-relationship and nothing easy and fluffy about it. It all came down to getting to know the other, overcoming their own prejudices, and learning to trust each other. Not something that happens overnight and certainly not something that happens without stepping out of your comfort zone. The author portrayed that very well IMO without the need to implant a huge case of miscommunication that is so often used. The undeniable lust that sparked between them almost from the beginning certainly wasn't a hindrance. But the fact that both men despised and ignored it at first, gave us the opportunity to witness a delicious slow burn.
Another fact I really liked and found refreshing was that in this story the Bible and the belief in God weren't used to condemn homosexuality like we get to see in some 'pray-the-gay-away'-stories but to show that God makes no distinctions no matter who you love.
"Whether homosexuality is a sin or not, if a man or woman believes that Jesus is the son of God, he or she is going to be in heaven right beside you, sitting at the Lord’s feet. And if God loves them enough to welcome them into heaven, who do you think you are to turn them away from your own home or community?"
"If we judge, then should we not be judged?" … "What if your son or your daughter should grow up to be different? What if their child sees love in a different way? Will you disown them? Damn them as something unholy?"
Add to all this an amazing cover, a great host of secondary characters and a 'What-the-hell-just-happened'-moment I didn't see coming, and you have a wonderful book about second chances in life and finding love that is very well written and will make you feel like you are sitting on a porch with a glass of chilled sweet tea while you listen to the sounds of the night around you.