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Final Admission

by Sue Brown (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 207 ratings · 45 reviews

James Trenchard is a dick. Everyone in Bingwell, Brock, and Bacon says so, and after Ethan’s first encounter with the man, he agrees. Ethan resolves to avoid James but ends up working closely with him and discovers the lawyer's hiding a secret from the world. Ethan also realizes he's falling too hard too fast. Ethan has to decide if he should help James and risk getting en...more

ebook, 214 pages

Published November 14th 2011 by Noble Romance Publishing

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Nov 19, 2011 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It's a typical Sue Brown story, emotional, angsty, with a storyline that pulls no punches. I adored James and Ethan, and I understood James, maybe because a long time ago I was in a simialr type of relationship so I understood the emotional pull of a dying relationship, even one that is so distructive. I loved that Ethan hung in there and let James do what he had to do, even though he hated it and wanted nothing more than James safe. This was a very emotional satisfying book w...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Romance rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm so torn. So rarely I read a book that makes me have to put it down because I'm genuinely upset. Once it's down, it's done. I put it down three times and even felt the need to talk about it at work. I got my HEA (unicorn, rainbows, and all) which is unusual for Sue Brown. Her HEA generally come with a few storm clouds. Final Admission felt more like a hurricane, much later I'm thinking to myself "What the fuck just happened?" I was genuinely bothered, but my friend pointed out that a good boo...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Cindi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, m-m

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Until about midway this was a 5 star book for me. It was very difficult to watch James and what he was going through. You hear a lot about abused women but you do not get the reality of a man being in the same position. You get that in this book and it's heartbreaking. Yes, James is a jerk but what he went through at home (somewhat) made up for it as far as the story goes. I felt for him and I felt for Ethan as he was trying desperately to help him. At that point, it was a great story.

Then.........more Until about midway this was a 5 star book for me. It was very difficult to watch James and what he was going through. You hear a lot about abused women but you do not get the reality of a man being in the same position. You get that in this book and it's heartbreaking. Yes, James is a jerk but what he went through at home (somewhat) made up for it as far as the story goes. I felt for him and I felt for Ethan as he was trying desperately to help him. At that point, it was a great story.

Then...... the husband goes farther than just a beating and everything went down here from there. There was very little communication between James and Ethan. While I was under the impression that there was a relationship between the two, it did not seem so. James made a decision to leave for 6 months for rehab, etc. He did not feel the need to discuss this with Ethan apparently. Ethan had to find out on his own by seeing brochures and then it was discussed a little. And no communication during that 6 months at all? No phone calls? No anything? Ethan had to find out from Lulu that James was even back in town? That he was divorced? Not to mention the fact that there seemed to be no issue whatsoever in regards to each of them hooking up with other men during that time... though only Ethan actually did it (and bragged about it apparently). They each claim to love each other... though I never did see where they said the words TO EACH OTHER... but yet they were simply going to separate for the 6 months and whatever happens happens. For me, this was no relationship. This was James expecting Ethan to pull him out of whatever he was in with the husband and for them to have a sexual relationship while James was still married. Granted, James was married to a bastard but he was still married.

But I think the thing that really irked me the most is the fact that Ethan and James are SUPPOSED to be partners... and apparently they were living together at that point... but yet James didn't feel the need to discuss a major business decision that would affect both of them. 6 months of planning to start a new business but it wasn't necessary to discuss that with his partner? Ethan's feelings get hurt... quite a bit I might add... and James brushes him off like it's no biggie. And Ethan being the (apparent) wimp that he is just lets it go. Who would want to stay with someone who didn't even trust you to keep your mouth shut about something major? After all the secrets that Ethan kept in regards to James getting abused and James and the others still didn't trust him? That would have been game over for me.

I didn't feel the love between Ethan and James. As I said, it did not come across as a real relationship in any way other than sexual. I liked both of them during the first half of the book. Even though James came across as a jerk I had sympathy for his character and what he was going through. By the time I got to about 70% on my Kindle I couldn't stand either one of them and I stopped liking the story and where it was going.

I hate giving bad reviews. I had giving bad ratings. But this one didn't do it for me. Not at all after the first half of the book.

Also, there are some major editing issues as others have pointed out. The wrong names in places, words out of place, misspelled words in others. Because it wasn't every other sentence I was able to disregard most of them. Some, I had to go back and read the sentence several times before I got what it was saying. It wasn't enough for me to demand a refund from Amazon but it was still annoying.

This is my first by this author (I think) and my lack of love for this particular book will not prevent me from reading more.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Lisa Worrall rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love Sue Brown - there - I've said it. It's out there and I don't want to take it back. I have yet to read anything of hers that has left me feeling short-changed and when I picked up Final Admission, she didn't let me down.

The Queen of Angst strikes again in a poignant love story revolving around a devastatingly all too common situation, but one that is hardly ever mentioned - domestic violence on a man. Ms Brown handles it with flair and aplomb and the utmost sensitivity.

Your heart not only...more

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May 01, 2013 Maggie Sims rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, cheating, gay, romance

I never read a book that fluctuated so much on what the final rating would be as I read through it. This is one book that would have benefited from editing. I am quite linient on editing errors for self-published books except when it makes the pages not flow well and the ideas choppy.

When I started reading it, I felt that it was hard to follow: it was a lot of 'telling' how James in a dick rather than 'showing' you and letting you come up with your own conclusion. Some of the sentences were con...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Cat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, e-books, m-m

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 28, 2012 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book revolving around domestic abuse and the ludicrous notions of the person being abused wanting to stand by the person who is on the verge of murdering them. That part of the book is very powerful and you find yourself wanting to scream at James just to get away - obviously the writing is so good because you care what happens to him.
The relationship with Ethan is another matter, why when the proverbial hits the fan does Ethan just go away for 6 months with no discussion or communicat...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Phoebe Gee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a bit torn on this one. It was well written, tragic, hot, and funny, but the way James and his family handled his situation did not mesh well with how strong their personalities were portrayed. If that makes any sense?

The instant love, and how Ethan just jumped right into the whole debacle might have put me off even more if not for my own personal experiences:

I divorced my first husband January 1996 and planned to be a happily single mother..FOREVER!!! I had my first date with my current...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sue Brown’s FINAL ADMISSION was a difficult book to read. Oh, not because it was poorly written. It was beautifully written. The subject matter is heart breaking but Ms. Brown hits the problem of spousal abuse right on the head.
I love Sue Brown because she doesn’t ever shy away from the challenging stories that are as the cliché says, ripped from today’s headlines. That does make her books exceptionally emotional and her characters often deeply flawed human beings. And that beautiful cover… it d...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Amanda Stone rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the first book by Sue Brown that I read and it was so fabulously well written that I went and bought just about everything that she had for sale on Amazon. As I was reading the book, I never really saw the secret James had coming. Sure, I knew there was a secret of some kind based on the blurb. But when I figured it out, I had to stop reading for a minute to go, "Wow! Ok, yeah, let's keep reading to see where this goes." Part of me wanted to call James stupid throughout the book, but I...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Edmonton Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars

I tried to respond to another review, the iPad app came back with 'Page not found' errors.

75% of this book was excellent. Then it is like the author didn't want the story to end, so she threw another significant event at us. This resulted in questioning the relationship. Then it jumps ahead 6 months and we find out the relationship wasn't maintained. I do not find this credible. Although, it is plausible if Ethan required the relationship to stay employed, or felt he did. We don't know all of h...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Letti rated it 4 of 5 stars

WOW... This was a pretty insane read... I felt so bad for James and at times I wanted to shake him like a rag doll, But then I started thinking and I got his character and why he allowed those terrible things to happen, I'm not saying that it was right what-so-ever it was wrong, He should have mourned the man of his past and moved on to a better future along time ago, But what they say is true Love is blind and you can do some really stupid shit when those emotions(love,guilt,fear etc.) over pow...more

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Nov 16, 2011 MandyM rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

My rating is a little biased because of my reaction to the content of this book. I work a lot with DV victims and dysfunctional families and I felt a lot of frustration with the book characters who were going through that situation. I found myself questioning the motives and actions of the MC's and Clay and finally I don't think any of them acquitted themselves well.

Having said that I think the majority of readers will really like this book. It's well written, there are some lighter and also sex...more

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Apr 18, 2012 T.A. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ethan Williams is one of the newest junior team members in the advertising firm of Bingwell, Brock and Bacon. And already, he's heard about the infamous James Trenchard. The man must be a horrible person, judging from the amount of fascinated gossip flying around about him. And he's not even a partner - just an attorney. Well, lead attorney.

So when Mr. Trenchard starts flirting with him in his first staff meeting, what's a guy to do? Fight back of course, and let the man know he's nobody's fool....more Ethan Williams is one of the newest junior team members in the advertising firm of Bingwell, Brock and Bacon. And already, he's heard about the infamous James Trenchard. The man must be a horrible person, judging from the amount of fascinated gossip flying around about him. And he's not even a partner - just an attorney. Well, lead attorney.

So when Mr. Trenchard starts flirting with him in his first staff meeting, what's a guy to do? Fight back of course, and let the man know he's nobody's fool. Except he can't really control his body's reaction to the man.

When he's forced to work a late night project with his boss and James, he gets a totally new perspective on the man. How firmly capable he is. Somehow, he comes to respect him. Which totally baffles him when James calls Ethan in the middle of the night to help him when he's drunk and injured.

What Ethan discovers, however, blows his mind. This strong, intelligent and powerful man is being abused. And allowing it to not only happen, but to continue.

As his feelings for the man continue to grow, Ethan finds himself in a quandary. Whether to let his feeling grow for a man who is involved with someone else, or stop? To fight his protective nature, or let James continue to suffer the abuse? And will James ever wise up and leave his abuser?

Sue Brown is known for taking on the difficult topics and delivering powerful and insightful stories around them. And she delivers one more time. This is an unflinching look at domestic abuse and the consequences not only for the abused but for the friends and loved ones involved. It's strikingly straightforward and unapologetic, and coldly powerful in its message.

Ethan is a love - strong, compassionate, fiercely loyal, yet so very vulnerable and honorable. He guards his heart, but is moved to give it away. Protective, he makes the perfect partner.

James, such a dear man. So many wonderful qualities - loyalty, deep and abiding love, passion. But wired so very very wrongly. He makes the reader want to shake him, then hug the stuffing out of him.

I've seen how horrible domestic abuse can be. My sister was a victim when I was a young man, and I could never accept how she could not only stay, but accept some responsibility for what happened. And defend my brother-in-law. I still shake my head, but having grown older and hopefully a little wiser, I understand the misguided sense of love and hopelessness that comes with it.

Hopefully, this work will do what some of us cannot - get through to some of those persons, men and women, who live with this horror and empower them to leave.

This is when writing makes a difference - when it touches lives. It certainly touches mine.

Tom(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Stacia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I agree with what everything Lisa Worral said about this book.Even the part about loving Sue Brown. She has yet to disappoint me.
This is probably my favorite of hers and that's a hard thing to say because her books are so good. She took a hard subject to talk about and handled it with gentle hands (minds out of the gutter)
there are a few parts in this book where I'm holding my breath begging her not to go there, she went there.
It's all about happy endings though, right? right! :-)

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Jul 24, 2012 Alba rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m

I really liked it.
I loved the story and how Jamies Story was sad reality.
What I didn't like was the resolving of the argument at the end of the book. The one about the trust issue. Ethan was damn hurt and he is a man of temper. Really, that went down way to fast.

And there was a detail that bothered me. Ethan was already 25 in the beginning. How can he still be 25 after 6 months till the hospital thing, 6 month till J. comeback and 1 year after living together?

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May 20, 2012 Kendra rated it 1 of 5 stars

I liked the concept of this book, but the meat of the book left me feeling annoyed. I couldn't feel anything other than sympathy and annoyance for the 2 MC's and then I felt that part way through the book the feelings weren't consistant. This is the second book by this author that I haven't liked and it makes me hesitant to try any of the others. Most of them seem to get good reviews so I am going to have to take it on a book by book basis.

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Aug 14, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse, contemporary, romance, m-m-romance, e-books

This was not an easy story to read. It was very emotional and full of angst. Sue Brown did a wonderful job. I enjoyed the two MC's. and found myself invested in their story right from the beginning. I thought that the author handled this very touchy subject with the utmost sensitivity.

I think my only complaint was that I found quite a few editing errors, such as missing words or misplaced words. that is why I'm only giving this one 4 stars.

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Apr 23, 2012 S.A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I loved this book. Sue Brown tackles a difficult subject with great sensitivity and avoids falling into the black/white views that domestic abuse often invokes. It's not easy to walk away from an abusive relationship.
As usual, she provides a wonderful mix of angst, snarky humour and romance in a story that I had to read in one sitting.
The cover, btw, is gorgeous.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a well-written romance.

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Jul 12, 2012 jules0623 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fabulous-friends-or-relatives, asshat-friends-or-relatives, colleagues-to-lovers, defying-death, genre-drama, established-couple, exes-that-are-not-awesome, homophobia, casual-sex-booty-call-drunk-sex, infidelity-or-temptation, relationship-m-m, married-or-committed-men, men-with-money, moving-on, rape-or-sexual-assault-or-dub-con, the-only-good-lawyer-is-a-naked-one, violence-or-torture, domestic-violence-or-other-abuse

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 28, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, why-did-i-read-this

I was looking forward to Final Admission after reading an excerpt, but the book as a whole was a let down. The characters, especially James, are not all that likeable and the plot is shambolic. The big "secret" about James was a shock, but it came early and it was downhill from there. James begins the story as a "dick" and remains so until the end.

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Jul 23, 2012 Sars rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt

Well written in places, very poor in others. The general plot was good, but the way the characters interacted irked me and the way the story jumped ahead huge chunks of time without any clear indications in the text seemed amateurish. Very disappointed as the description of the book and the reviews it has gotten had me expecting much more.

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Jul 04, 2012 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 15, 2011 Meggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: drama, romance

This story was emotionally well plotted drama. The emotions were so well written, that they made this story real. I really liked it. All the main created characters were pulling and made this story richer. The end was comical and we got an HEA. What more does a reader want.

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Oct 07, 2012 ED rated it 3 of 5 stars

I give it 3.5. A few things at the end are not plausible in my opinion. I think it was added to archive a certain amount of angst to the story. But still, it was a very good read. I love the authors ability to give as a roller coaster ride of emotions.

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Apr 12, 2012 Page Crusherz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pretty likable book. I cared about the MC's and I definitely wanted to learn what would happen. I didn't love all the secondaries, and it was hard to love the MCs sometimes, but it was a good, sometimes tough, enjoyable read.

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Feb 12, 2012 Tamarrion Lash rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

Хорошая книга. Редкий взгляд на домашнее насилие со стороны того, кто становится следующим любовным интересом жертвы.

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Nov 18, 2011 Betryal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Missing words and errors made it conflicting to rate this story and I debated on rating it lower than I had, however it was still a very good read and based on that; for that reason alone it warranted the rating I gave it.

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Mar 03, 2012 Melora rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2012

I was most annoyed by Ethan's use of the nickname Jim. I wouldn't have minded at all had Ethan even once used it while thinking about him, but the entire time we're in his head it's always James.

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Nov 26, 2011 Marsha Spence rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse-trauma

Loved, loved, loved this book. Loved the MC's and how vulnerable they both were. Loved the supporting cast. Loved the story. Just thoroughly enjoyed this!!

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About Sue Brown

Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot and has got expert at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's ma...more

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“The expression on James' face was priceless. "The pizza man wants to meet me?” — 3 people liked it

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