SECOND READ
A bit over 4 stars

FIRST READ
3.75 stars ( )

Thin on plot, really, really thin on plot this book is. I felt like I was working my way through a written version of what saltwater taffy goes through when it's being stretched and restretched. If the author had gotten to the climax of the book by half way, this book would have been a lot shorter, or she really could have worked some real tension into the scene involving the man Jessie escaped from in his teens, rather than rushing through at the end.

This book probably would have worked better as a short story. ( )

Each and every one of the books in the ‘Men of Halfway House’ series so far has been an outstanding novel, an excellent character study, and so intense that I usually need a few days to “recover” – in the best possible way. ‘A Mended Man’ is no exception. In fact I think it is the best one yet. I knew going in that Aidan’s story would be powerful, and the blurb is a clear and truthful indication of the level of passion and suffering that both Aidan and Jesse face before they get their happy end. But let me tell you – reading that blurb and reading the actual story are two entirely different things.

Aidan is a detective and, as far as I can see, determined to catch every last criminal on Earth – single-handedly if need be. He is strong, quiet and withdrawn, never so much as smiles, and neither a people person nor touchy-feely in the least. Aidan is very smart and understands human motivation and “theoretical psychology” well enough, but as for reading the people who are important to him? That is a different story. It is evident from the beginning that he suffers from significant trauma, and that this is the reason he has built immensely strong walls around his heart, to the point where he can’t open up even though he desperately craves intimacy with Jessie. His struggle with himself was painful to watch, and each layer that got pulled back had me quietly cheering him on.

Where Aidan is an eternal pessimist, always planning for the worst possible case, Jessie is an eternal optimist. I have no idea how he does it, but it is so deeply ingrained in his personality that even years of suffering the most horrendous physical and emotional abuse were unable to change him. Yes, he has tough days as he deals with the trauma and the newest attack, but he never loses sight of the beauty of life, no matter how afraid he is. He has an inner strength that is simply inspiring. His support of Aidan is unwavering, his patience almost saint-like, and his determination to make their relationship work more substantial than Aidan’s emotional walls.

Multilayered characters with complicated issues are not all Jaime Reese has given me with this book. The underlying plot is suspenseful, brings back more than one old enemy, and kept me on the edge of my seat. There is the crime ring that began to emerge in book two and ended up driving Cam and Hunter (Aidan’s best friend) into witness protection. There is Jessie’s abuser – a monster of epic proportions. There are ongoing cases Aidan is involved in as a member of the newly created special task force. All of these criminals seem to conspire to make Aidan’s and Jessie’s life even more difficult.

On the other hand there are great supporting characters as well. Whether it is Aidan’s brother Ty and his son-to-be husband Cole (not Aidan’s favorite person), but they sort of get used to each other, or Aidan’s colleagues at work, they all contribute in their own ways. The quirky fellow detectives Aidan works with in the multidisciplinary task force, including the rather abrasive team leader, were wonderful additions, and I certainly hope to see more of them in future books.

If you prefer your love stories to be real and gritty, if you like seeing wounded men finding, accepting, and loving each other so they can build a new life together, and if you’re looking for a captivating, intense read that is as much a crime thriller as a deeply moving love story, then you will probably love this novel as much as I did. It is truly amazing, and I hope there will be many more! Each one may render me close to speechless between the emotional exhaustion and the spine-tingling tension, but they are so, so rewarding to read that I can’t stay away – and am not even tempted to try.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )