St. Nacho's (St. Nacho's #1)

Jan 01, 2009 Eyre rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of m/m romance.

Shelves: erotica-romantica, because-i-am-a-cover-slut, i-cried-buckets, favorites, romance, gay-glbt-mm-mmf

Cooper rides into town on his way to nowhere. He's been out of rehab for three years, but the reckless and tragic events of his life are haunting him. His guilt is overwhelming, and he doesn't think he deserves love. Then, he meets Shawn. The two connect, but just when Cooper is relaxing into a true relationship, his past comes calling. He loves Shawn, but feels as if he still needs to atone for his past.

This is my first read of 2009, and I'm glad that it was a good one. Actually, good doesn't d...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Natsroshan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance

This is a good story and the fact that it is written in the first person did not bother me.
The characters are touching: i really liked Cooper and the way he's discovering himself trough the eyes of Shawn.
And that's all.

*spoilers*
What bothered me:
Shawn is a mystery and this fact won't change(I'd have liked to know more about his life...)
This story would have been better if the character of Jordan (Cooper's ex) did not steal the show in the second part of the book.
There is really 2 stories in this...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-male-protagonist, what-glbtq, how-ebook, how-series, where-borrowed, what-m-m-read, why-favorites

I am on such a roll lately. I have hit great book after great book and this one is even better than that. It's going on my favorites shelf. This is a sweet romance about a messed up guy and the man who shows him how to open his heart.

The way these two learn how to communicate and share their worlds is breathtaking. It is completely believable that a musician and a deaf man connect on a such a deep level. Shawn is not at all what I expected and he is SO much better for it. He's Mr. Perfect. He's...more I am on such a roll lately. I have hit great book after great book and this one is even better than that. It's going on my favorites shelf. This is a sweet romance about a messed up guy and the man who shows him how to open his heart.

The way these two learn how to communicate and share their worlds is breathtaking. It is completely believable that a musician and a deaf man connect on a such a deep level. Shawn is not at all what I expected and he is SO much better for it. He's Mr. Perfect. He's so patient and serene. He's at peace with himself. He's such a great contrast to Cooper, who's at war inside.

Cooper is also a sweet, beautiful man, and it takes him the whole book to see it. But the angst isn't angsty. It's very real and believable, and it's not at all surprising that he would feel and act the way he does based on what happened only a few years ago. I spent much of the book thinking, (view spoiler)

The guys in St. Ignacious are really great and quite amusing. Maybe a little too perfect, but that's okay. It's what Cooper needed. The situation was more believable than another book I read recently where someone was given a free room above a bar in exchange for kitchen help. I'm not exactly sure why, but this one seemed possible to me.

I loved that it isn't the kind of, "I'll die without you," kind of book, either, and yet their love is intense and beautiful. I also loved the ending, although there's one piece that some might feel is too convenient: (view spoiler)

My favorite part/quote was a little more than 2/3rds of the way through (medium spoiler): (view spoiler)

This is a story about redemption and love and forgiveness and it was done beautifully. (less)

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Jan 04, 2011 UKSandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Nov 16, 2010 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, romance, contemporary

It would have been 5 stars if, at one point, Cooper's past lover (Jordan) hadn't stolen all the attention away from Cooper and Shawn. It would have been 4 stars, if that hadn't been a smart way to make me understand how important Shawn's positivity was for Cooper.

A few years before while they were drunk, Cooper, the narrator, and Jordan, his best friend and lover, had caused a car accident, where a little kid was killed. It was Jordan who was driving, after Cooper gave him the keys, so it was J...more It would have been 5 stars if, at one point, Cooper's past lover (Jordan) hadn't stolen all the attention away from Cooper and Shawn. It would have been 4 stars, if that hadn't been a smart way to make me understand how important Shawn's positivity was for Cooper.

A few years before while they were drunk, Cooper, the narrator, and Jordan, his best friend and lover, had caused a car accident, where a little kid was killed. It was Jordan who was driving, after Cooper gave him the keys, so it was Jordan who went to prison, and in the meantime Cooper, after rehab, traveled the country, running away from the guilt. But it's like the sun goes down when Cooper, after having found a new life and love - with Shawn - in St. Nacho, decides to do the right thing and goes back to help his best friend Jordan, who's just come out of prison. Sometimes people decide to do what is good for their conscience but not what is good for themselves. It was so frustrating!

The author does a great job in describing the positive effect a place can have when you need to heal your scars: you could feel the air, the sea, the salt, the sun of the town. When Shawn is introduced, you feel like you want to be one of his friends. Shawn is deaf and Cooper's (wasted) talent is in his violin, but the two are so well suited that they overcome every obstacle, because they don't need to be verbal to communicate with each other.

The narrator is Cooper, so we never know what Shawn is thinking (and I wanted to know, I wanted to know everything about him). Shawn is an angel, always understanding, never judging, pushing Cooper to do what's right, but he knows where he stands, he fights for what he wants, and he never prevaricates.
He is in total contrast to Stan, the pastor who's trying to help Jordan rebuild his life. Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced against those who exhibit a religious fervor, but it was like the pastor was trying to save Jordan to make a point, not because he was really interested. He was like a black hole, sucking away the energy, while Shawn was radiating warmth.

The sense of guilt of Cooper and Jordan is a heavy weight and it makes for a difficult read, if you feel the angst like me, but you have hope, because you know that Shawn is somewhere between the lines, even if he's just in Cooper's thoughts, and he might save you.

It's a beautiful book. Jordan is going to be the protagonist of the sequel and I hope that Shawn will steal away his time. I want a Shawn-filled book!
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Jan 09, 2009 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lindsay by: Eyre

Shelves: homoerotic-romances

I liked this book, but I think it would have been better if it hadn't been written in first person. I wanted to know what was going on in Shawn's mind too. Shawn fasinated me. There is still so much that was unanswered about him. That drives me crazy!
3 to 3.5 stars

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Jan 04, 2011 Heather C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, m-m, read-2011, series

When I 1st started this book I really didn't think that I would like it and that I wouldn't like Cooper. But about halfway in my feelings changed. I finished this one in one sitting. Short read.

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Oct 08, 2011 Vio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful, romantic, really-really-good, touching, highly-recommended, sweet

Cooper and Shawn they were dreamy my heart fluttered when they first met on the patio, that first glance at Shawn's hand was vivid and beautiful. The interaction between them while Cooper plays the violin is exquisite, all those little glances, touches are so tender and romantic. Then the "kiss" when Cooper rides off so bittersweet I cried. Jordan I wanted to shake, hug and kiss him better, he was such an emotional wreck, all that desperation and self destruction was painful and so sad, I wish h...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-fiction

Cooper’s a violinist with a painful past. He speaks to the world through his music. He meets Shawn a determined flirt who wants him and wants in. For the first time in a long time, Cooper wants to communicate, but Shawn’s deaf. From Loose Id.

I’ll admit, there was a little eye rolling along with secret glee when I read the synopsis for this book. Oh the angst and drama, be still my heart, I am a bit of a sucker for this in a book!

The characters were likable and the premise was an interesting one....more

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Mar 05, 2011 David Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great read from Z.A. Maxfield, an author I will definitely come back to for some really solid writing, interesting and rich characters and a really great story. This novel was recommended to me because of my interest in deaf culture and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the writing style and the whole book just flowed from beginning to end.

My only reservation was I wondered what Shawn saw in Cooper to be so head-over-heals for him from the start, so much so (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Gabbi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Gabbi by: Eyre's review

Shelves: hot-man-love

I liked this book. I hate that it was in first person. Not that I have anything against it, but I believe it would have been better in 3rd. There was things left unsaid in the end in my opinion, but I still found it enjoyable.

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Jan 02, 2011 Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Very excited....my first series of 2011!! :)

So, this begins my foray into a full length m/m romance series. Coming exclusively from the PNR and UF genre, I have to say it was a little hard getting used to it. I do so love my paranormal elements, but it didn't take long, and before I knew it, I was enjoying the story so much I didn't want to stop reading it.

I really loved the characters of both Cooper and Shawn. They found each other, started a relationship pretty quickly, but it was a really nic...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Camille rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-rom-erotica

This book annoyed the ever-loving sh*t out of me and I almost DNF-ed twice or three times.

It is the Jackson Pollock of emo-porn.

The characters are as flat as the artist's canvas and the pluralistic plot lines and varying prose styles are a similarly terribly disordered mess.

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Apr 12, 2013 Kukko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-az-author-challenge, 1-app-nook, mm-whips-and-kisses, z-2013, 2013-amazeballs, 2013-fave, a-contemporary, a-erotic, a-romance, character-musician, character-student, sex-mix-m-m, z-disability, z-religion

Loved this! The main characters were well-defined and consistent, and the story stayed focussed.

Cooper has been homeless for 3 years - haunted by a tragic mistake and a wasted opportunity. Outwardly, he looks like the typical "bad boy" with his dark hair, tattoos and piercings. Inwardly, he is being consumed by guilt and lacks confidence in himself. Shawn is clean-cut, blond, confident, centered, gorgeous….and disabled. I loved Shawn - when he fell for Cooper, it was immediate, without angst and...more

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Dec 30, 2012 DaisyGirl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance, i-own, m-m, other-steamy, romance-contemp, m-m-bingo-round-6

3.0 Stars

Cooper Wyatt has spent the last three years running from a painful past. He's a transient biker riding from town to town working odd jobs and playing his violin for tips. He avoids getting comfortable with anyone and rarely stays anywhere for longer than three days. That all changes, however, when he stumbles into St. Nacho. Shawn Fielding is part of a deaf theater group at the nearby college. He is immediately drawn to Cooper and falls hard and fast. It's ironic that music is Coop's co...more 3.0 Stars

Cooper Wyatt has spent the last three years running from a painful past. He's a transient biker riding from town to town working odd jobs and playing his violin for tips. He avoids getting comfortable with anyone and rarely stays anywhere for longer than three days. That all changes, however, when he stumbles into St. Nacho. Shawn Fielding is part of a deaf theater group at the nearby college. He is immediately drawn to Cooper and falls hard and fast. It's ironic that music is Coop's communication currency because the one man he wants to communicate with can't hear his music. As Shawn and Coop navigate their way, Coop must learn to come to terms with his past and move on. St. Nacho's is a tale of the healing power of love.

This book had me from the get go. I was riveted and thoroughly enjoyed the first half. I loved reading about the romance that blossomed between Coop and Shawn in St. Nacho. When Coop left and returned to River Falls, however, the story took a dive IMHO. The second half of the book was all about Jordan and Coop. While I empathized with their plights to atone for their past sins and live life on the straight and narrow, it completely eclipsed Shawn and Coop. In fact, there was no Shawn and Coop. Coop chose Jordan over Shawn. Period. I expected to see Coop reconsider that decision at some point but he never did. Rather, it was Shawn who came after him. Shawn's appearance in River Falls was just sad. He was basically a wall flower to the Coop and Jordie show. Ugh! I hated that. Shawn was the best part of this story and he got such a raw deal. It would've been one thing if Coop had chosen Shawn at some point and then Shawn became the pillar of support in Coop's quest to "be there" for Jordan. But, nope. Coop never made that choice. In fact, he outright chose Jordan ... repeatedly. So much so that when Jordan tried to have sex with Coop that night, I half expected Coop to give in. I never felt that Coop put Shawn first or even reciprocated his feelings. Shawn told Coop he loved him but never got that in return. Coop didn't even sign it at the end. Pathetic.

Bottom line: what started out as a riveting and promising romance between Shawn and Coop ultimately fell flat when their "romance" was overshadowed by the co-dependent, icky, "sorta BF" relationship between Coop and Jordan.(less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Charly rated it 4 of 5 stars

A difficult read, but worth it if you’re willing to put up with some heartache

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- Gorgeous, heartbreaking story of a man forced to face the destructive demons of his past. This is almost more of a coming of age story (not a coming OUT story...Cooper's been out for years when the book starts) than a romance. There IS romance, of course, and sex too, but the story is much more than a simple recounting of two me...more A difficult read, but worth it if you’re willing to put up with some heartache

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- Gorgeous, heartbreaking story of a man forced to face the destructive demons of his past. This is almost more of a coming of age story (not a coming OUT story...Cooper's been out for years when the book starts) than a romance. There IS romance, of course, and sex too, but the story is much more than a simple recounting of two men meeting and falling in love. It's more like one man meeting his mate and then struggling to become the person his partner deserves.
- Beautiful writing, particularly toward the beginning. I'm not sure whether the level of writing drops off near the middle of the book or I simply became accustomed to it and stopped registering shock every few sentences. In the first several chapters, though, I had a hard time reading quickly because I encountered phrase after phrase that pulled me out of the story because they were written so well. Much of Maxfield's writing is surprisingly pithy and lyrical.
- Not a lot of sex, and compared to most other m/m books I've read, not very graphic sex, either. This puzzled me at first, when I was still thinking of the book as a simple romance, but once I began to see the direction of the storyline, I admired Maxfield's restraint in this area.

CONS:
- I didn't enjoy how much of the story was devoted to Cooper's friend and former lover, Jordan. At the same time, though, I understand that the problems he creates serve to strengthen Cooper and Shawn's relationship and illuminate each of their personalities in a number of difficult situations. There's a redemptive ending to Jordan's plotline, but I had to force myself to read about him because I was continually frustrated by Cooper's inability to escape him.
- Couldn't help cringing at the "un-PCness" of some references to Shawn's (and his friends') deafness. But the book is told in first person from Cooper's POV, which provides a hint of an explanation / excuse for this. "Separate the character from the author" and all that.
- The cover art. Yes, both of the young men on the cover are lovely, and the photography is top-quality, the spacing and light and shadow and all that are good, blah, blah, blah. But the guy in the background is not just the same MODEL as is on the cover of Evangeline Anderson's Slave Boy; he's in the same POSITION. Like it's the same picture, but on this cover a necklace has been Photoshopped onto him and on the Slave Boy cover it's a collar.

Overall comments: A well-written and emotionally affecting book that I'm still thinking about days after having read it. If you're looking for light-hearted romance with superficial conflict and a perfectly rosy conclusion, this is probably not the way to go. St. Nacho's is a drama, but it's worth a read if you're looking for a tale of growth and redemption.(less)

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Jul 09, 2012 piranha rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

i waited for a long time to read this because it came highly recommended, and i usually wait until the hype dies down so i can be fairer to a book (i hate hype). i saved it up for when i wanted something special.

good setup; really liked the start, and the various characters. very well written; st. nacho's comes to vibrant life right away. first person viewpoint doesn't bother me (there are many ways to make that work well). stopped liking it when the romance between sean and cooper gets...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Molli B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, m-m, part-of-a-series, read-in-2012

Hmm. I liked this but didn't love it. I'd give it a 3.75 rounded up to 4. I usually reserve 3s for books that have some issues but which I manage to power through anyway, and this didn't have any of the grammar/writing/editing issues a lot of stuff does these days. So it's better than a 3, but just not quite a 4.

I'm not really sure what left me feeling lukewarm in the end.... Maybe just that I liked the characters but didn't love them, liked the storyline but didn't love it, and didn't love the...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Cindi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, z-a-maxfield, m-m, series

I am a big fan of this author. I've read several of her books and have enjoyed them all. This series seems to be highly recommended but for some reason I shied away from it until now.

The first half of the book was amazing. Watching Cooper and Shawn as they got to know each other and as their relationship grew. I absolutely loved it. The second half? Not so much. While I understand that Jordan is a major part of who Cooper is and what made his character the way it is, I could not warm up to Jord...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Gerry Burnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For someone who apparently began writing in 2006, Z.A. Maxfield demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity in almost every aspect of her writing. Her characterization of the St. Nacho’s cantina, delivered in a very few words, captures the essence of a layback “hangout” so familiar to all of us who are reformed barflies like Cooper: the friendly but world-wise bartender; the booze stained carpet and smell of same; and the slightly melancholy atmosphere over all. The ideal setting for a story lik...more For someone who apparently began writing in 2006, Z.A. Maxfield demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity in almost every aspect of her writing. Her characterization of the St. Nacho’s cantina, delivered in a very few words, captures the essence of a layback “hangout” so familiar to all of us who are reformed barflies like Cooper: the friendly but world-wise bartender; the booze stained carpet and smell of same; and the slightly melancholy atmosphere over all. The ideal setting for a story like this.

However, where her light really shines is with her characterization of Cooper, a complex mix of a talented and sensitive musician inside a cynical, crusty exterior of his own creation, and a past that he has been putting miles behind in an attempt to outrun it in his mind. Consequently, St. Nachos is just another stop in quest to find ‘nowhere.’

Enter Shawn, a profoundly deaf boy who ‘hears’ Cooper’s cry for help above the ‘noise’ that surrounds him, and in response to this Cooper is drawn to him as drowning man is drawn to a life raft. However the ride isn’t free, for Shawn exacts a price of tender love and affection from Cooper that, given his past, is not easily given.

So what’s so special about that? Well, for one thing it’s all credibly done, right down to the turmoil that Cooper feels inside; the quandary this presents to Shawn, who with limited communication must understand this to move the relationship; and the faith one boy has in the other. This requires not only considerable insight, but discipline to pace it all just right.

The final test comes when Cooper’s past catches up to him in the person of Jordan, his childhood sweetheart, and who ostensibly took the rap for a child’s death that occurred with Cooper in the truck. Once again the characterization of Jordan is remarkably credible as the emotionally arrested ‘adolescent’ grasping for straws in people—particularly a smarmy lay-preacher shopping for souls—and a convenient depository for his guilt.

The story also holds together remarkably well, except toward the end with the introduction of additional characters who are not so well defined. Moreover, some of these characters, i.e. Mary Lynn the librarian and Bill the cop, don’t fit in comfortably. Moreover, their sudden appearance seems slightly contrived.

Nevertheless St. Nachos is an engrossing and heart-warming read from beginning to end, and highly recommended as an endearing love story.

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Jan 24, 2010 Geoffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance

I'm not the first to mention that I almost didn't pick up this book due to the name. I'd read the blurb a few times but 'St. Nacho's' just sounded too odd. (It probably doesn't help that my partner's family nickname is Nacho, but there you are ...) But, on a whim, I picked it up and I thought this was a fantastic read.

The three main characters were well written and multi-dimensional. The story took some unexpected turns - especially when the main character, Cooper, returns to his hometown and le...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I think I might have been one of the very few m/m readers who didn't really like Crossing Borders, the debut novel by this author. I'm not going into the reasons for that here, but it did make me wary of buying any of the new ZA Maxfield releases as they came out. However, never let it be said that I allow one book to completely turn me off an author, and so, I was persuaded to give this one a go. I'm so glad that I did, because otherwise I would have missed out on what turned out to be a terrif...more I think I might have been one of the very few m/m readers who didn't really like Crossing Borders, the debut novel by this author. I'm not going into the reasons for that here, but it did make me wary of buying any of the new ZA Maxfield releases as they came out. However, never let it be said that I allow one book to completely turn me off an author, and so, I was persuaded to give this one a go. I'm so glad that I did, because otherwise I would have missed out on what turned out to be a terrific book.

The book begins with our hero and first person narrator, Cooper, arriving in the sleepy Californian town of Santa Ignacio. Cooper is a broken, scarred (both inside and out) man, who has spent the last three years running away from his past, flitting from town to town, getting into trouble and moving on after a few days. Cooper immediately warms to Santo Ignacio or St Nacho's as the townspeople affectionately call it, and decides to stay for a few days, taking a job in the kitchen of a local gay bar. Throughout his self imposed exile Cooper has had only one consolation: His love of music and especially his violin. Even these feelings are bittersweet as they are a reminder of how he has thrown away his talent by getting kicked out of prestigious music college. Also working at the bar is Shawn, a young deaf man. Cooper is attracted to Shawn but unwilling to act on that attraction because he can't make any commitments and sees himself leaving town in a few days. Shawn, however, has other ideas and seduces Cooper, forcing him to face his past and consider that settling in St Nacho's may not be such a bad idea after all.

I have to admit that I liked Cooper a great deal. I love an angst filled hero and Cooper certainly fits that type. He is full of self-loathing about his past and the way he behaved and believes that he is beyond redemption. However, he is anything but the stereotypical 'angry young man'. In fact, rather than anger there is resignation as though Cooper believes that he deserves to be judged and treated badly. He expects the worst and when the people of St Nacho's treat him with respect and friendship he is initially wary but also secretly relieved and touched. Cooper is naturally submissive and finds it difficult to even look people in the eye, a character trait which provides an interesting contrast to his tough biker boy image with his tattoos and piercings and leather jacket.

There is an inversion of stereotype too with the character of Shawn. He has a forceful, dominant personality which belies his slender, pretty boy looks. Shawn is a driving force in Cooper's life. He refuses to allow Cooper to push him away, using gentle, implacable techniques to get Cooper to open up to him and the sections of the book where Shawn uses 'texting' to get Cooper to tell him about his past were heartfelt and beautiful. If I have any complaints about Shawn it is that he was just a bit too perfect. In fact the only imperfection was his disability. For pretty much all of the book Shawn can do no wrong: He is understanding, thoughtful, gentle; he seems to know exactly what Cooper needs or knows exactly what to say. This rang a little false for such a young man as he never seems to make any mistakes or do anything wrong. In a way this was as a result of never knowing what he was thinking. Perhaps had we been privy to his private frustrations of Cooper or even seen some reaction other than patience and understanding in his dealings with him then he might not have come across as such a saintly figure. All this didn't impact on my liking Shawn; how could I dislike such a compassionate, wonderful man? In fact, whilst reading, I didn't even notice that he was a little too perfect. It wasn't until afterwards, whilst thinking through this book that I realised that perhaps Shawn is a little idealised.

The book is divided neatly into two parts: The first part deals with Cooper and his gradual healing of spirit in St Nacho's. The second part follows Cooper as he returns home to face his past and make peace with those he feels he has wronged, especially his best friend and past lover, Jordan. These two parts seemed to flow easily from one to the other - a necessary part of Cooper coming to terms with what has happened and who he is. I felt that the secondary characters in the second half were better realised, more rounded than those in the first half, especially that of Pastor Stan and Cooper's sister, Julie. I may have felt slightly frustrated at the turn of events which led to Cooper returning home, but I got the impression that was how the author wanted us to feel because Cooper feels it too.

One of the highlights of this book is ZA Maxfield's lyrical, evocative prose. She has the ability to take emotion and describe it succinctly, packing in feeling in every line. Take this wonderful example from the beginning of the book where Cooper is thinking about his past and how that impacts on his talent as a violinist:

This was the greatest of all my crimes, and every time I played I felt retribution on my neck like a breath. I had been given a real and apparently lasting gift by the gods, and I had thrown it away. Even though I carried my violin everywhere, it was only a reminder of what could have been. My fingers flew through the first of what would be a number of exercises, followed by classical pieces, followed by mariachi songs.

If I’d lost my gift, it would have been justice. If I’d lost my soul, my guilt would no longer haunt me. I still had both of those. I’d simply lost my humanity and everything else along with it that ever meant a shred of anything to me. And Santo Ignacio was as good a place as any to wallow in the knowledge of that.

Time and time again as I was reading, I was reminded of how well this author writes. Her effortless prose drew me in and kept me captivated until I finished the last word.

I think you may have gathered by now that I really liked this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it. You may wonder whether I had any problems with it, since it was such a great read and has become firmly ensconced on my 'keeper' shelf. Well, the slight niggle with Shawn's character certainly went some ways towards preventing a top mark. The other minor annoyance was that the book ends with a few loose ends, particularly relating to what Cooper is going to do with his life. However, I did notice a sequel coming up, involving Jordan as the main character, which may answer some of the questions or tie up a few loose ends.

Overall, this is a wonderful, emotional read and gets a well deserved grade of 'Excellent'. I'm embarrassed that it had taken me so long to try this author again - an author who is now firmly on my auto-buy list.
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Jun 29, 2012 mw138 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disability, opposites-attract, m-m-romance

2.5 stars

I have to be honest, I felt like I read two books in one. The first half of the book centered around Cooper arriving at Santo Ignacio's and falling in love with Shawn, the deaf busboy. I really enjoyed watching their romance bloom. Then in the second half, Cooper's old friend, Jordan, comes into the mix and just messes everything up. I found Jordan to be very whiny, irresponsible and unaccountable. Granted, I understood his plight to a certain extent(view spoiler)...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Kerry sullivan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-fiction

This is a well though out story of self discovery and redemption. Cooper has been running a long time and to start with you think he has not dealt with his tragic past and that Shawn is going to help him get past it but you find out when he goes home that actually he is in a good place he just need to cut himself some slack. I have to say I didn't like Shawn to start with just because he was pushy and a little arrogant but what kept me reading was the fact that he was very believable and the fac...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Weasel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, m-m-romance, first-person, gay-main-char, romance

3.5 stars. This is a tough one. I guess I could say I really liked the characters, but I didn't especially like the book. That's not to say that I really felt like I knew any of the characters. The characters in Santo Ignacio, where roughly the first half of the story takes place, are kind, generous, likable, and so on, but the reader never really gets to know any of them. Even Shawn, the love interest, is a complete mystery. Besides his physical description and the fact that he's deaf, really a...more 3.5 stars. This is a tough one. I guess I could say I really liked the characters, but I didn't especially like the book. That's not to say that I really felt like I knew any of the characters. The characters in Santo Ignacio, where roughly the first half of the story takes place, are kind, generous, likable, and so on, but the reader never really gets to know any of them. Even Shawn, the love interest, is a complete mystery. Besides his physical description and the fact that he's deaf, really all we know is where he works, that he goes to school, and that he has a sister with a white Camry. Cooper, our narrator, is kind of all over the place, which is to say it takes a while for a consistent character to emerge, and it was very unclear to me in the beginning what sort of book this was going to be. The BDSM references were a bit off-putting, as it made me wonder if that was the how the sex scenes were going to go. Thankfully it was not. Even at the end of the book I felt this little nagging feeling that all the bits of Cooper's backstory don't quite fit together chronologically. Cooper's narration also suffers from what I think of as a peril of the first person, the serene-panic. In other words, there are points where Cooper is on edge, panicing, hyper alert, about to fight, or what have you, and yet the scene is relayed in a calm, serene voice that doesn't really fit the action. While one can make the argument that it's appropriate if one thinks of the story as being told by a narrator who's looking back on it from a better place, I don't think it's good storytelling.

The second half of the book, after Cooper returns to his hometown to be there for his ex who's struggling after getting out of prison, didn't really work well for me. Cooper's sister and the woman from the library are okay, but I really didn't like Jordan. (Knowing the next book focuses on him puts me right off reading it.) I was constantly waiting for the shoe to drop with Pastor Stan, or as I thought of him the entire time, Pastor Bad-Touch. He gave me the creeps. But perhaps the bigger problem is that while in the first half, in which the angst is deep and dense, it feels as though Cooper has been through an endless string of unspecified, but very bad experiences which have left him with countless scars. However, in the second half, there is only "the accident". Everything has focused in on this accident as if it were the one sole cause of everything and all those other implied experiences have fallen away. So while at no point did I really consider abandoning the book, and I did like the main couple, it doesn't leave me with any particular interest in reading any more in the series.(less)

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Feb 21, 2010 Amara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, kindle, reviewed, contemporary

So far, I have really like all the Z.A. Maxfield books I’ve read. I really enjoyed this one as well. I was hesitant when I saw that it was in first person POV, I don’t really care for those. This one actually worked ok for me.

I took to both Cooper and Shawn right away. I really enjoyed watching Cooper discover himself after such tragedy, and watching Shawn lead him along the way. These two were terrific. I do wish I knew more about Shawn’s history though. I did find that lacking. I wasn’t thrill...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series

I liked this book from the beginning, wanting to find out about Cooper and his past and how he ended up at St. Nacho's drew me in. I loved the interaction between the characters at the bar, and kinda wished more would have been focused on all of that, because I think that would have been entertaining. I liked Shawn, but found it hard to really connect with him at first because of their lack of real communication. Cooper and Shawn just seemed so different and didn't feel like they really fit toge...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Heidi Cullinan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pick-it-for-me-challenge

What I loved about this book was how it wasn't what I expected. I adored both Shawn and Conner as characters, and I loved their interactions. I loved that Shawn was deaf but that he was the stronger character, the more self-assured and self-possessed. I loved the way he pursued Conner but also how patient he was with him. I loved how Conner was so completely broken without being angsty or whiny. I felt his struggles were very real but also accessible; his root situations weren't ones all of us c...more

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Apr 02, 2010 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-fiction

OK. I’ll admit it. The cover of this book got me. It’s rare I buy a book based on its cover, but the guys on it are really hot.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a well-written book (and the first I’ve read by this author).

Santo Ignacio is a sleepy little beach town on the west coast. Known as St. Nacho’s by its inhabitants, it is a place where people can slow down and find themselves.

Cooper has been running from a painful past working as a waiter and playing his viol...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Stupid title for what turned out to be a surprisingly good book.

I bought it primarily because the main character (Cooper) is a violinist. It's ostensibly a romance between Cooper and Shawn, who is deaf. So there's an interesting, if probably done before, set up. And it's very well executed. It's a very short book (only 140 pages) but I found myself getting really emotionally invested in the characters.

The book is really about Cooper's journey to get over his past and look forward to the future...more

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