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Aftermath

by Angel Martinez (Goodreads Author)

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 89 ratings · 15 reviews

Victor and Cody have the American dream - a house, two cars, upwardly mobile income, and each other - but all is not well in paradise. Cody's naïve belief in other people's goodwill led to one recent assault from which he struggles to recover. Returning to his art, he seems to find his balance, only to be betrayed by a friend and brutally assaulted again.

Victor, wracked b...more

ebook, First edition, 120 pages

Published February 11th 2010 by Forbidden Publications (first published March 2007)

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Oct 17, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance-or-erotica, mm-contemporary

Aftermath deals with what happens after rape, emotionally and physically.

Vic and Cody have been a couple for years -- it's always nice to have a story with established couple. The couple is not perfect. Cody is an artist -- he's outgoing, impulsive, and sometimes I think he can be destructive for himself, especially by letting his bastard of an ex using him. While Vic is a tender bear, but since he always puts himself as a protector, he thinks that he needs to take charge of everything, includin...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2013 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aftermath by Angel Martinez is a story about what happens to Cody Fitzroy and Victor "Vic" Szoldo after Cody is drugged, raped, and severely beaten. Both men find their lives completely blown apart, and struggle to pull the shattered fragments back into something approaching normal. Each man struggles with the guilt, emotional and physical pain, the "should have, could have, would have" complex, the nightmares, and the other terrible obstacles left in the aftermath.

Angel Martinez has written a s...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Nephylim rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm not going to go into the story because that's been dealt with in the other reviews. I want to concentrate on the telling of the story. As a writer myself I look for more than just a good story, I look for a good storyteller and I found that here. The characters are very real and very believable and the pace matches the story... choppy and fast paced in high tension scenes, slower and more flowing where it's soft or tender or just plain relief of tension for a while.

Vic comes across as a bit...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Don Bradshaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: artists, damaged-individuad, family-drama, sub-dom, rape

Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

This is a powerful story that deals with betrayal and recovery from rape. There are no actual rape scenes so don't let the subject matter put you off. Victor is a big, burly construction worker turned desk jockey. He feels the need to be the bread winner, protector and dominant of his long term partner, Cody. The pressure of Victor's career is beginning to hurt their relationship. Cody is an artist who tends to be submissive, impulsi...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: michelenjeff-reviews.blogspot.com

Shelves: m-m-romance

Rape is a crime that continues to victimize long after the act is committed. From being haunted by the memories of the act itself to suffering through the stigma of the question that the victim might have somehow been to blame for the violence is a perpetual source of torment. Cody Fitzroy taught me a lesson about making judgments.

Cody is a contradiction. He is at once charming, funny, and affectionate, yet is reckless, impulsive, and self-destructive. There was a point in time in the book that...more Rape is a crime that continues to victimize long after the act is committed. From being haunted by the memories of the act itself to suffering through the stigma of the question that the victim might have somehow been to blame for the violence is a perpetual source of torment. Cody Fitzroy taught me a lesson about making judgments.

Cody is a contradiction. He is at once charming, funny, and affectionate, yet is reckless, impulsive, and self-destructive. There was a point in time in the book that I would have believed Cody to be his own worst enemy — if that role wasn’t already being filled by his Judas of an ex-lover, Jonathan Kemp. It was Cody’s impulsiveness that set me on edge through the book, trying very hard not to criticize and blame him for his poor choices. I was guilty of persecuting the victim, but in the end, Cody Fitzroy proved his strength, and I loved him. He may be imperfect, but he is an entirely sympathetic character.

Vic Szoldos is Cody’s partner. Vic is a dominant and vigilant man who balances his innate need to protect Cody with being sensitive to Cody’s need for his own identity. Vic’s demanding career is a frequent source of contention between the two men and is a contrast to Cody’s own artistic freedom. Cody loves the nightclubs, and when he hears the music and hits the dance floor, his irrepressible nature seems to overwhelm his common sense. At one time, that had nearly cost Cody his life, and it’s the memory of that horror that triggers Vic’s protective instincts. When a truly unforgivable betrayal causes history to repeat itself, it nearly tears the men apart.

Cody and Vic try to navigate their way through the aftermath of Cody’s rape and with the help of a therapist, each of the men contemplate some truths about themselves, helping them to evolve and reinforcing their commitment.

Aftermath is a story of chain reactions, a tale of a series of events that begins with an act of duplicity and ends with a couple who are stronger for their trials. The book portrays the devastating effects of a brutal violation and the recovery that provides the basis for a stronger relationship for Cody and Vic, and does so with candor and sensitivity.

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Mar 21, 2010 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Aftermath deals with the emotional, physical, and mental problems that come after being attacked. This is not an easy book to read although the story keeps the material somewhat light and the emotional impact muted so it shouldn’t be too disturbing. Instead the book focuses on the strength of love and coming through an ordeal changed and potentially stronger. The cover art refers to the opening scene in a clever way but also to the emotional chains that both men inherit due to the attack. Unfort...more Aftermath deals with the emotional, physical, and mental problems that come after being attacked. This is not an easy book to read although the story keeps the material somewhat light and the emotional impact muted so it shouldn’t be too disturbing. Instead the book focuses on the strength of love and coming through an ordeal changed and potentially stronger. The cover art refers to the opening scene in a clever way but also to the emotional chains that both men inherit due to the attack. Unfortunately the book tackles too many issues in a very short amount of space and turns what could have been a truly piece of work into a decent story worth telling.

Victor and Cody are an established couple living together. Victor works long hours in a very hectic desk job while Cody is an artist. The two love each other very much but clash due to Victor’s long hours and Cody’s restlessness. This leads to trouble when Cody is attacked and raped. The two men must deal with the harrowing ramifications of that while discovering new facets of their relationship. Each man must decide if they are happy and want to stay together or what changes must happen.

The book begins with a light BDSM scene between main characters Victor and Cody. This establishes a casual D/s relationship between the two men but shows underlying issues. There are references to an earlier rape Cody has suffered from trusting the wrong friends and Victor has responded by being more controlling in an attempt to keep Cody safe. This causes conflict between the two men as Cody wants to feel like he can go out without disappointing the ever busy, workaholic Victor. So right away in the first scene, there are a lot of factors that come into play that are never fully explored. The D/s element of their relationship is very casual and relates mostly to sex yet Victor often carries this responsibility and dynamic further. This is a confusing and ill described aspect since Cody doesn’t seem to respond to that control unless sexually, thus making Victor’s use of such outside of sex confusing and contradictory. Furthermore this element is questionable and doesn’t actually work well in the story, making me wonder why it was included.

There are several aspects of the story – such as the D/s component – that feel thrown in and confuse the already emotionally heavy plot. From that opening scene there is another attack that Cody must suffer, though all the action is off page. This helps keep the impact muted and distant but ultimately the story itself lacks a deep emotional connection that makes the subject matter and their journey memorable. The second attack on Cody is avoidable and the warning signs are clear to all but Cody’s naïve nature allows this to happen. The fact that the man seems little affected by his first assault and allows himself to get into the same position twice is surprising and confusing. His emotional response after the second attack is so intense that it’s hard to understand how he got into that position again.

Yet if all of these issues can be forgiven, the strength of Victor and Cody’s relationship does shine. Their journey is not easy as the men individually and together must go to therapy and explore their reactions to the assault. Both men must refocus on the future and what’s important to them and Victor especially must prioritize his life. The addition of therapy is a wonderful move and showed how helpful this can be to the process. The story strays away from stereotypes in that simply love and support can heal a wounded person and the various ways the two men recover is a great addition. The ending is satisfying but felt too pat and unbelievable, especially with the dramatic action bit. This is another example of more plot points thrown in – almost randomly – without given the time and space to fully explore them. The ending is too pat and predictable, showing some surprising ignorant mistakes. For example I doubt Victor would have left Cody alone on the street after everything that happened, yet it makes for a tidy finish.

Overall this is a good story about a difficult subject. The shorter length keeps the telling somewhat light and emotionally distant from the intense emotion the characters are feeling. The contradictory elements further disconnect the reader from developing a solid connection to the characters and action, leaving the story without the impact it could have had. The writing is decent with a good outline of a plot but could have used some tight editing and a real focus on the two men, their relationship, and how it changes due to the attack. The various side elements are unimportant and distracting from the strength of the relationship and the story itself. As a fan of the author’s, this one is not one I’d read again but I still recommend it for the engaging characters and their relationship. You just might feel cheated by the length, like I am. (less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Emy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, bdsm, mm-erotica, trigger-warning

Firstly, I'd slap this book with a trigger warning. Even though the major rape scene is not explicitly described, it still makes very uncomfortable reading from a third party point of view. Exercise your own judgement before reading, especially if you have trauma in your past. It recalled some very uncomfortable memories for me.

Secondly, I've shelved this on my bdsm shelf because there are elements of a D/s relationship between Cody and Victor, though it must be emphasised that this is not a maj...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Betryal rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Sadonna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pdf, mm

This is not an easy read due to the rape and non-con incidents in the book. The villain is so awful that you're really happy to see him get his. I liked the two MCs and their relationship and the portrayal of the assault affecting both partners. I was a little disturbed that there didn't seem to be any discussion about the possibility of risk after the assault - i.e. no testing and apparently returning to barebacking. I would have thought that might be another issue/obstacle in the process of re...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, ebook, bdsm, gay, romance, done

3.5 stars. Good m/m romance about a long-term couple who struggle to recover after one of them is betrayed by a friend and assaulted. I did have a bit of a niggle about the couple not using condoms after such an assault...

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Mar 12, 2013 Alina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great, powerful story and I think it deals with the aftermath of such a horrible thing very realistically. Both Vic and Cody are really complex and very sympathetic characters. But the thing with Jonathan kind of threw me off, I mean he basically lead his friend/ex-lover Cody in the hands of rapists to pay off his own debt. And later on Cody forgives him quite easily, tells him he still loves him, like it's not a big deal? Other than that a fantastic story!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Hearts On Fire Reviews added it

Reviewed by: Don
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Rated: 4 hearts

Check out the review on http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

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Nov 19, 2011 Indigo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, bdsm

I dislike violence, I hate abuse and I abhor rape. So this has not been an easy read. Nonetheless, the story has redeeming qualities, as the main characters work through to the aftermath.

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Jan 04, 2011 Cherie Noel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another well written book by an author I have come to equate with good reading. The subject matter may challenge--it deals with the aftermath of a violent attack on one of the main characters. The difficult subject matter is handled with grace, and the reader is allowed (along with the character to truly experience a journey of healing. Bravo Angel. This is one I'm proud to have on my bookshelf.

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Jan 04, 2011 Moderatrix Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, read-2011, mm-contemporary

I've noticed that some people shelved this on their BDSM shelves and I would hate for anyone to be turned off to this book because of that. This is not a BDSM story. It's a story about betrayal, redemption, forgiveness and healing after a brutal attack. It's about how life changing events affect both the person who experienced it and the people who are there to help pick up the pieces afterwards.

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Crissy Morris marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 31, 2013 Dana Cavallon added it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

May 25, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 22, 2013 Cat marked it as to-read

May 03, 2013 Miika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 17, 2013 Saunne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 15, 2013 Aimee marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-consider

Apr 15, 2013 Jen4607 marked it as to-read

Shelves: dtr

Apr 10, 2013 Saskie- marked it as to-read

Apr 02, 2013 Eugenia Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 28, 2013 Epigenes rated it 1 of 5 stars

Mar 22, 2013 Krista rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mar 22, 2013 Kerry marked it as to-read

Mar 21, 2013 Fay marked it as to-read

Mar 21, 2013 Shanna marked it as owned

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, m-m

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About Angel Martinez

Angel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.

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