Into the Light (Clear Water Creek Chronicles, #1)

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Into the Light (Clear Water Creek Chronicles #1)

3.26 of 5 stars 3.26 · rating details · 221 ratings · 54 reviews

Clear Water Creek Chronicles #1

Sheriff Sean Keller hides a terrible secret - he watched a heinous crime committed eighteen years ago and did nothing to prevent it. Now he finds himself face to face with Eden Gray, the victim of that crime, who is now not so much the boy anymore, but the man. Eden makes Sean sit up and remember those forbidden desires he thought he had lock...more

ebook, 151 pages

Published January 29th 2011 by Silver Publishing (first published January 28th 2011)

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Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton

Best M/M Romance Published in 2011

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Feb 24, 2011 Damon Suede added it

I can't give this a Goodreads "rating" because I can't decide how to rank it arbitrarily.

I wrestled with whether I should post this, but in many senses I'm going to review the editing of this book because I believe the single biggest factor to the outcome of this book was the editorial guidance, or lack thereof.

This book left me in a quandary. On the one hand, I love Scarlet Blackwell's writing... all of her skill is brought into play here. The two main characters make sense on paper, the tensi...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Feliz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, cops-detectives, jw, m-m

I wished I had never read this book. How can a rape victim be blamed for what happened to him? How can the one who let the rape happen come out healed from his guilt, and the victim remain broken, and this be sold as a HFN - or HEA? This was horrifying, even more so since it was very well written - the good writing concealing the terrible message this transports.

Read the review at reviewsbyjessewave.com

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Mar 13, 2012 Serena Yates rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

This story asks two very interesting and extremely difficult moral questions. The traditional black-and-white answers are easy, but the author has created a set of characters, neither of whom conform to the traditional pictures of ‘good’ and ‘evil. The lines here are blurred, the entire area is gray, and that makes it very difficult to know what is right and wrong or to judge the men entangled in this web of their own making. An interesting moral dilemma to say the least.

First, we have Sean. His...more This story asks two very interesting and extremely difficult moral questions. The traditional black-and-white answers are easy, but the author has created a set of characters, neither of whom conform to the traditional pictures of ‘good’ and ‘evil. The lines here are blurred, the entire area is gray, and that makes it very difficult to know what is right and wrong or to judge the men entangled in this web of their own making. An interesting moral dilemma to say the least.

First, we have Sean. His part of the story is all about what happens to the accessory of a crime who may blame himself for not helping a rape victim eighteen years ago, but has equally never faced up to the consequences of that crime. Sean is that man. He is now a sheriff, has become an ‘upstanding’ member of the community, but cannot enjoy the fruits of his labors because he still feels guilty. And, unless he can find a way to confess and be forgiven, he will never be happy. He cannot have close friends because they might find out and expose him. His is the life of a coward who lives in fear of his own shadow and, worse even than that, covers that fear with anger.

Second, we have Eden. He is not exactly the typical victim in the way he behaves. A fact that infuriates Sean, but then, it is not the sheriff’s decision to say what the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ way of behaving are. From everything we know about Eden, he was always a little on the flamboyant side, so it didn’t surprise me that he tries to cover up his pain by overcompensating. He behaves as if nothing happened. When he finally breaks down and we get to see the ‘real’ him, the pain and desperation (not surprisingly) are enormous.

Both of these men have a deeper truth which is the cause of their inability to deal with each other. For Sean, it is his attraction to Eden, combined with the abject fear that he is gay. His truth is that of many a gay man in denial and he recognizes it as the rape is about to happen: “Sean knew deep down in the bottom of his psyche what this hatred and malice was about, and he hoped that beating it out of Eden would beat it out of himself.” For Eden, it is the attraction he feels for Sean and the resentment that Sean wasn’t his first; he puts it somewhat crudely: “No game," he said. Just that the one guy I would have been interested in taking it from that night didn't give it to me."

I am not saying that Sean doesn’t deserve to suffer. He does. But he also deserves forgiveness once he mans up and proves that he is sorry – in a way that is meaningful to the man he wronged. Painful as it is, that takes up the final third of the book and left me, if not happy, satisfied that these two men may, over time, be able to heal each other.

On the whole, this is a book that made me think about some of the ‘automatic’ knee-jerk reactions we have, even to situations that aren’t as clear cut as we would like them to be. A love-hate relationship is always difficult to understand, but this story valiantly tries. It is not a light read, and doesn’t gloss over any of the raw ugliness of hatred and anger on both sides. But if you are interested in a somewhat unusual look at forgiveness and how tough it can be to obtain, give this book a try.
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Oct 05, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-mm-read, ebooks-i-own, cops-hitmen-military-pi, abuse-of-some-sort, crazy-killer-on-the-loose, enemies-to-lovers, novella-length, ridiculous-but-i-still-read-it, read-in-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3 stars

Oh boy. Where to start. This whole review is one big spoiler so don't continue reading if you don't want to read any.

1. Sean was a bully in high school and made Eden's life hell. Sean and three of his buddies went to beat Eden up, but one of his buddies took it a step farther and raped Eden. The other two joined in but Sean simply watched because he couldn't leave due to shock or whatever. After this Eden moves away and Sean keeps this information to himself for the next 18 years with the...more 3 stars

Oh boy. Where to start. This whole review is one big spoiler so don't continue reading if you don't want to read any.

1. Sean was a bully in high school and made Eden's life hell. Sean and three of his buddies went to beat Eden up, but one of his buddies took it a step farther and raped Eden. The other two joined in but Sean simply watched because he couldn't leave due to shock or whatever. After this Eden moves away and Sean keeps this information to himself for the next 18 years with the exception of his best friend Paul.

2. Eden moves back home and Sean is now the Sheriff and he plans on pretty much ruining Sean's life. That sounds all fine and dandy except Eden randomly throws himself at Sean and wants to get laid. For someone that was scarred for life by the rape he sure wants Sean's dick.

3. Paul. I'm not 100% sure the guy was straight. I'm thinking he carried some kind of torch for Sean. Yes, he was his best friend. Yes, he wanted the best for him and didn't want his career ruined when Eden moves back into town. What does the moron do? He starts out by talking to him, then harassing him, then hitting him and there's a stray bullet, then choking him, then shooting him. Seriously? Like he didn't even give him time in between the last choking and shooting for Eden to even get home but he makes the comment about how he basically didn't learn anything from the threat before that. I was confused.

4. "I hate you. I will never stop loving you." Ummm...what the hell? The last time I checked I do NOT love the person I hate. I'm not sure how that even works out to be quite honest. This is said in different variations throughout the book between Sean and Eden.

5. I don't know what it was about this book but the thing that annoyed me the most was how Eden continuously kept using suicide as a way out. Yes he had the shit beat out of him by the guy he was crushing on in high school and said crush stood back while his three buddies gang raped him in an alleyway and did nothing to stop it and didn't reach out to him for 18 years. I don't personally know any rape victims (that I'm aware of) so I'm not going to say I know how they react to things because I don't and that would just be offensive. However, I can understand a rape victim considering suicide as a way to stop the pain. Eden makes it clear he tried to commit suicide at least once a year since it had happened and failed each time. So what does he do at the end when he's basically free to investigate what he has going with Sean? Packs his shit up so he can crawl away to some hole and kill himself. So what does Sean do? "Oh no Eden, you can't leave because you'll kill yourself. If you leave today to kill yourself then you can guarantee I will kill myself tonight." Okay...so that's not how it was said, but that's the jist of it. I can honestly say I've never been with another person that has made me want to end my life because we're no longer together for whatever reason so I don't completely understand the two of them pulling this stunt. There's nothing preventing them from being together (other than Eden still being a rape victim with his emotional wounds) yet they're both willing to off each other instead of figuring it out. The whole suicide cop out thing just really annoyed me. If it had been worded or used differently throughout the book I could have handled it better, but it was just thrown around so casually. Like it would be brought up at lunch with a buddy. "Oh hey Sue. Yeah, we broke up so I'm going to kill myself later. Would you pass the salt?" No thanks.

6. Sean kept the rape a secret for 18 years. 18 years is a long ass time to keep something hidden. Eden comes into town, Sean wants to do the dirty with him, does it and ends up being talked into confessing knowing he could potentially face jail time and lose his job as Sheriff. Umm...that's fine if it makes you sleep better at night but if you kept it to yourself for 18 years, wouldn't you think it would take longer than a few weeks to a few months (the time line wasn't really established) to decide you want to spill your guts?

So I've been kind of harsh in this review and I probably shouldn't have but well...there you have it. All in all it wasn't a bad book. I read it in pretty much one sitting while fielding phone calls here at work. I will continue the series because one of the other books is about Sean and Eden again so I'm interested in seeing what happens...even though I'm sure it'll be one big screwed up mess.(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Alina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely amazing!
I really think Ms Blackwell did a fabulous job with portraing both Sean and Eden.

I dunno, maybe I've read different book or something, but I didn't see anything that might have implied Eden had somehow called the rape upon himself, or that he's been the one to blame or something equally ridiculous. The only person seriously saying that was Paul and it's obvious the guy had just lost it somewhere along the way, because I don't see any other reason for his violent reaction. I r...more Absolutely amazing!
I really think Ms Blackwell did a fabulous job with portraing both Sean and Eden.

I dunno, maybe I've read different book or something, but I didn't see anything that might have implied Eden had somehow called the rape upon himself, or that he's been the one to blame or something equally ridiculous. The only person seriously saying that was Paul and it's obvious the guy had just lost it somewhere along the way, because I don't see any other reason for his violent reaction. I really wish we'd had a better insight in his psyche, because his motives weren't all that clear to me, but personally I think he subconsciously nurtured a crush on Sean, so he's been jealous of Eden, plus he'd had only seen the guilt-induced part of Sean's life, he'd seen him suffering, so maybe that's why he resented Eden so much from the start, which escalated dramatically as Sean and Eden's relationship progressed. Eden himself had said it was his fault, but that was obvious it's just part of his psychological trauma and no one took it seriously and sure not Sean.

I loved the premise of the story, because it's always fascinating for me to watch how such a horrendous crime could affect one of the participants. It's sadly obvious how it affects the victim, but for that to be a turning point for the assaulter, when he realises just what he's just done and is now forced to live almost two decades carrying this guilt - it was done very tactfully and realistically, imo. I also loved how Eden didn't act like a victim at first, putting on his bravado and provoking Sean, who's been wondering why Eden didn't look broken, but then he's got to see a glimpse of real Eden and it's all the more terrible, compared to his earlier flippant facade.

The whole progression of their relationship, the painful push and pull, the slow revealing of all the secrets and the final purge - that was so good, I couldn't put the book down. Breathtaking really.

The ending's been just right - I've read the sequel already, so I knew the guys will get their ultimate HEA (with a wedding, no less :)), but here we're left with the hopeful note which feels like a beginning of a road to recovery for both Eden and Sean.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Jeis added it

Shelves: awful

The curious thing about this book is that although Eden is the victim of the horrendous crime, the book shows Sean as the good guy here and Eden as somewhat bad guy that torment Sean with his unfortunate decision in the past. One could think that such scenario would be palyed differently, with Sean finally admitting his guilt not only to himself and doing something constructive about it - because what good it does to just wallowing in self-pity? What's the point of his dramatisation if it doesn'...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Stephanie M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, scarlet-blackwell, silver-publishing, ongoing-series

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

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Apr 17, 2012 Fonzie rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody, not even my worst enemy

It was the single most sick and horrifying book I have ever read. If it were possible, I would give it negative stars.

What Damon Suede wrote in his review covers it pretty much, although you can't only blame the editors. It must've been completely obvious to the writer what she was writing about.

And what she wrote about was the rape of a 17 year old boy who came back home after 18 years and got victimized and raped once again.

Here, a few quotes from the book:

"Shut the fuck up, whore," Sean spat....more

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Apr 10, 2012 Ery added it

Like many other reviewers, I was torn in rating/reviewing this book. I think I'll hold off on assigning the stars until I ponder this piece more. this is a short story, but it left an indelible impression on me. I'm sure I won't be able to fully express my thoughts on this book, but here goes nothing.

First- the blurb does not have a warning, and it should. A strong one. In bold red font. <mild spoiler> This book contains semi-frequent violence, strong emotions, and rape <mild spoiler>...more Like many other reviewers, I was torn in rating/reviewing this book. I think I'll hold off on assigning the stars until I ponder this piece more. this is a short story, but it left an indelible impression on me. I'm sure I won't be able to fully express my thoughts on this book, but here goes nothing.

First- the blurb does not have a warning, and it should. A strong one. In bold red font. <mild spoiler> This book contains semi-frequent violence, strong emotions, and rape <mild spoiler> . In addition, these events do not occur in a fantasy world, but in a fairly realistic setting. This changes the tone of the story in that events are not softened or blunted by knowing they aren't real (even if you know it is fiction). This story holds no punches.

The Good
This story is all about love/hate, and the author excels at not only conveying that, but drawing you into the web of emotion. I felt both emotions for both characters, strongly, at various time throughout the story. I loved, and detested, both characters. Keep in mind I often empathize with bad guys in crime novels, though. There were not many moments in which my chest wasn't constricted in sympathy/pain, that I wasn't truly nauseous from the story line (even knowing what was going to happen as the basic plot was fairly predictable), or i wasnt simply hanging on every word. The author told this story from an unusual narrator, which offers the reader a unique (and controversial) perspective. In these respects, the author was very successful.

The Bad
I felt that certain portions of the book were completely unrealistic, had little basis in reality, and - in parts - were laughable. Finally there was no depth provided for secondary characters and in fact no explanations were provided for twilight zone-ish actions.

The book was high drama all the time and it and felt like a tele-novella or parody of an extreme soap opera.

The Ugly
As I mentioned above, the character perspective offered was an unusual choice. While I'm sure this was rather intentional, this perspective left a bad taste in my mouth. I literally felt ill after reading this story and I'm no stranger to dark fic. For further information, please refer to Damon's review as he provided a lengthy and detailed opinion on this matter. I agree with Damon that the perspective chosen resulted in the cartoonization (made up word alert!) of one of the characters and that a greater depth or insight into that individual is need.

I can't say that I would recommend this book, but I can say that you should have a strong constitution should you choose to do so. That being said, I will certainly check out another story from this author, as she was quite successful in stringing me along whether i wanted to go or not. This book was like standing on the train tracks looking into the lights of an oncoming train - yet being unable to move.
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Jan 01, 2012 Page Crusherz rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read some of the reviews before reading this novel, so I went in with my eyes open. I admit, I felt like I was going to be made of tougher mettle than the other readers. I don't mind scenes of violence or rape, and I can philosophically analyze books with a suspension of disbelief and ethical reality, but this book was very upsetting to me.

The scenes of rape and violence were understandably upsetting, but what did it for me was the way the author handled Sean's attitude/guilt after his role in...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2.5 kisses

At the age of seventeen, Sherriff Sean Keller was the witness to a horrific crime, one he didn’t participate in, but one in which he was just as complicit because of his inaction. Sean could’ve intervened, he could’ve gone to get help, he could’ve reported the crime afterward, but he didn’t. His cowardice and silence were every bit as much a defilement of Eden Gray’s humanity as the physical violation was an abuse of Eden’s body.

Sean was a teenage bully who, along with three of his bud...more 2.5 kisses

At the age of seventeen, Sherriff Sean Keller was the witness to a horrific crime, one he didn’t participate in, but one in which he was just as complicit because of his inaction. Sean could’ve intervened, he could’ve gone to get help, he could’ve reported the crime afterward, but he didn’t. His cowardice and silence were every bit as much a defilement of Eden Gray’s humanity as the physical violation was an abuse of Eden’s body.

Sean was a teenage bully who, along with three of his buddies, repeatedly made Eden the target of their hatred. Sean instigated the taunting and the violence every bit as much as his gang did, but his reasons for doing so were very different. Sean’s aggression and anger were the things he used to hide his true feelings. The violence was Sean’s way of denying his other physical needs, desires Eden inspired but that Sean wanted very much to refuse.

For eighteen years, Eden went missing, his family disappearing from Clear Water Creek, and in that time, Sean, though tormented by his feelings of guilt, managed to carve a life for himself out of the remains of that one tragic night. His terrible secret kept safely between him and the one other person left in Clear Water Creek who knows exactly what happened that night—Sean’s best friend Paul—but then secrets do have a way of finding their way out of the shadows. When Eden returns to exact vengeance, Sean’s life as he knows it will end.

I have to give Into the Light full marks for its premise. Rape and its devastating after effects are not easy topics to address. This story begins in typical Scarlet Blackwell fashion, drawing the reader immediately into the promise of a potentially explosive confrontation between victim and abuser, introducing compelling, yet dysfunctional and emotionally damaged characters, something Ms. Blackwell does so well. But what began so provocatively soon declined into a story that overshot its plausibility for me.

Ms. Blackwell bravely chose to make her victim an unsympathetic character, which in turn made it very difficult to connect with him, or feel any sort of empathy for him. His abrasive and aggressive behavior is designed to mask his pain, of course, but his psychological damage didn’t translate well in his actions. Eden continues to be victimized throughout the story, this time more due to his own actions and behaviors than by anything Sean does to him. Eden plays like the bully against the respectable and virtuous Sean, turning the tables on their roles. There is no insight introduced to illustrate for the reader the way Eden’s life has played out over the years of his absence, so when Eden returns to town driving a Porsche, the picture of physical perfection, it’s difficult to make that necessary connection between his past trauma and his present.

In turn, Sean then becomes the sympathetic character, and in doing so, he becomes the victim. And to an extent, that worked for me. I liked Sean, but the problem with that is I didn’t want to like Sean. I wanted to feel for Eden, the true victim in the story, and that just didn’t happen. I love a good redemption story. I’m a firm believer in atonement and second chances. How much should the man suffer for the crimes of the boy? Ultimately, Sean does end up trying to make amends for his actions all those years ago, but the issue for me is that he doesn’t. He does suffer from the guilt and anxiety of his actions (or inaction) all those years ago, but the reader doesn’t get the picture that it has hindered Sean in any way. Sean gets his happily-ever-after, or at least, his happy-for-now, out of a situation that just doesn’t feel acceptable. Sean gets exactly what he’s always wanted, which feels very much like he’s being rewarded for his transgression.

The love story between these characters was ultimately unbelievable for me because of its disturbing dysfunction. The relationship between Sean and Eden made me squeamish, there’s no other way to describe it. I wasn’t invested in the two men, nor was I invested in their connection to each other. Simply put, it all just felt terribly wrong. Add to that Sean’s friend Paul, whose motivations and actions were nothing less than puzzling, and I was lost.

I’m such a big fan of Scarlet Blackwell, which makes this review particularly difficult to write. I give the author the utmost respect for always pushing the emotional envelope with her characters. But this one, unfortunately, only worked for me to the extent that the premise held so much potential. There’s no doubt this is a controversial story, it simply lost me in translation, which is a complete and total anomaly where Ms. Blackwell is concerned.

Reviewed By: Lisa(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Td rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark, angst, not-for-me, in-the-closet, rape, enemies-rivals-to-lovers, wusses-beware

From the reviews I read after reading the book I can understand where both sides are coming from. Definitely not for everyone and if you're looking for romance even in the middle of this train wreck, I don't think you're going to find it. One of the reviewers asked the question: how can a rape victim be blamed for what happened to him? The sad thing is that it happens more often than not, especially when the victim doesn't behave as a "victim should"...whatever that means. That was pretty realis...more

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May 13, 2013 Birte rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jeez, I don't even know where to start with how wrong this book is, the only way I got it finished was some kind of morbid fascination. Which is why I'm giving it 2 stars at all to begin with. Because even though I was shaking my head out of disbelieve throughout the whole book, I still couldn't stop reading. It's like an accident where you can't stop to look at it.

So let me get this straight: Sean takes part in a crime that destroys Eden's life, yet everyone only can think about how poor Sean m...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Kerry sullivan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-fiction, romance, thriller-suspence-mystery

This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm

I have very mixed feeling about this book! although I did really like the book as a whole, because it pushed the emotional envelope and didn't pull its punches, I found it left a nasty taste in my mouth and I also felt it was a little rushed at times. I think it would have been better if it was a little longer and taken a little more time in building to the car crash ending. This really was uncomfortable to read at times, well most of the time, bu...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Neet rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can now understand why there has been such a hostile reaction to this book. You either love it or hate
it based on the subject matter.I happen to think that scarlet blackwell has written a sad and heart wrenching story of two emotionally damaged men. Seann was a bully in high school who ran with a gang of angry young men.who all loved tormenting out and proud Eden.things come to a head when one day when sewn witnesses but does not participate nor stop acts of violence so.heinous that it haunts...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Natsroshan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance, challenge-mm-az-author-2011, series

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

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May 11, 2012 Cathy Brockman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorite-authors, favorites, m-m

: I really love this series. I actually started out of order with Fade to Black and fell in love with the characters. I was surprised with the idffereent characters but loved both Sean and loved to hate edne as well.Well maybe not hate but I did want to slap him to his sennces quite a bit. I wasn’t disappointed at all. I loved Sean and finding out about his past and his love for Eden Gray. I actually was happy at first that Eden and Sean got together wanting Sean to have happiness and to make pe...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Janet rated it 1 of 5 stars

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

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May 14, 2011 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Dec 22, 2012 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting this book.
1. Excellent plot.
2. Outstanding chemistry.
3. Heart felt struggles.
4. Smooth read
5. I did not want to put the book down.

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May 06, 2012 jules0623 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bisexuals-are-not-unicorns, character-death, cops-firemen-paramedics, enemies-to-lovers-or-hate-sex, break-up-and-make-up, gay-for-you, homophobia, in-the-closet, relationship-m-m, series, timey-wimey-flashbacks, violence-or-torture, rape-sexual-assault-dub-con

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

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Feb 28, 2012 Raevyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 25k-to-45k-words, contemporary, enemies-to-lovers, hurt-comfort, law-enforcement, m-m, m-m-series, 2012

The reviews for this book are all over the place. (view spoiler)

It IS a tough read, but I still w...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance-or-erotica

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Eighteen years ago, while still at school Sean Keller becomes a witness when his friends performed a crime to his high-school nemesis, Eden Gray. Sean knows deep down, his cruel and bullying attitude towards Eden in high school is a result of his fear for being attracted to Eden. Now, Eden is back to the town, taunting Sean of his old coward ways ... and Sean wonders if he will ever makes Eden forgives him and tells him the real truth of his feeling.

This is probably THE MOST DIFFICULT Scarlet Bl...more Eighteen years ago, while still at school Sean Keller becomes a witness when his friends performed a crime to his high-school nemesis, Eden Gray. Sean knows deep down, his cruel and bullying attitude towards Eden in high school is a result of his fear for being attracted to Eden. Now, Eden is back to the town, taunting Sean of his old coward ways ... and Sean wonders if he will ever makes Eden forgives him and tells him the real truth of his feeling.

This is probably THE MOST DIFFICULT Scarlet Blackwell's story that I have ever read. It definitely leaves me UNSETLLED. And believe me, I have read them all. These are few of the reasons.

(1) One, because of the dark history that connects Sean and Eden. Sean was a bully towards Eden in high school, and one night, his friends ended up gang-raping Eden, while Sean stood and watch. HUGE WARNING!!!: the raping scene is present, written for several pages. It makes me feel squeemish; not a huge fan of blatant raping scene in a story that is supposed to be romance. I'm not very comfortable of a relationship based on something that dark.

(2) Two, it's the state of Eden's turbulent complicated personality -- he is a victim of a rape. Later, it is clear that this event makes him tormented, unable to function in a relationship well, AND suicidal. Even if he claims to be in love with Sean, he also hates the other guy for not stopping the rape 18 years ago. And unfortunately, this story is written with Sean as narrator (in 3rd person view), so I don't really know what Eden is thinking and feeling -- other than during his interaction with Sean -- and I wonder if he has deep love enough to finally able to forgive Sean. All I can think of is that this relationship will probably needs a lot of therapy sessions to work ... no matter how the end is written here (which seems to be a start of an HEA).

(3) Three, Paul's character. I can't explain a lot without spoiling everything, but I just don't know whether his whole being is necessary to add more drama to the story. Believe me, the nature of Sean and Eden's interaction is already difficult to begin with without adding this character into the mix. AND, there are times that Paul seems to take the focus out of Sean and Eden, and I don't like it.

... This is not a traditional love-story. It's more complicated, that's for sure. It will challenge you whether you believe that "love does conquer all", especially if the love is connected to something that takes one's dignity so cruelly and makes that man broken for 18 years. You will probably like it or hate it.

Me, I would like to congratulate Ms. Blackwell for being bold enough to write a story like this. It is definitely NOT going to be easily forgotten. Even know, hours after I finished, I still wonder about how Sean and Eden will make it. That is why I give 4 stars, because it makes me think and react to the characters ... even if I swear, reading this is NOT an easy task to get to the end. Not with the feeling I have for it when I'm finished.(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 adrienne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-fiction, meh, waste-of-time, shorts

usually kind of like this author but this book left me with one descriptive word: ridiculous.

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Feb 06, 2011 Meggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Now this story.... what a troubled hard plot, so full of tragic feelings and regret...so heart wrenching feelings. I would give 5 stars but... I have a feeling like something is missing... more like the ending of this story didn't gave me the satisfaction of completed read.
Anyway the story is full of emotions and deep hurt feelings. Definitely hard plot!!
I will totally fallow this series because I didn't get the feeling the the case is closed, lol if we talk in metaphors^^ and I don't regret buy...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Wave rated it 1 of 5 stars

I think that the author was short-sighted at the very least to present the story in such a way that the victim was victimized yet again. This is exactly what the courts do to rape victims who are treated like debris and blamed for causing their attacks.

I have read and reviewed many books by Scarlet Blackwell and I like her writing for the most part however, I couldn’t let this one go without at least expressing my own personal opinion and horror at the shameful treatment of a rape victim in Into...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-books, 2013-books-read

Wow, I'm not sure which was more emotionally confusing the book or the reviews, I normally try not to read other reviews until I've written mine, but because of how I felt at the end of this book I thought it might help me sort out my thoughts on the book if I read some...yeah big mistake. I don't know how or why but in spite of whatever might be wrong about this book and I agree that there are things wrong. I still couldn't put it down. There were times that I was furious with Sean and wanted t...more

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May 30, 2012 Jess Candela rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf, m-m, read-in-2011

I tried to read Just Desserts and then this one, thinking I might appreciate the angsty story more if I first enjoyed the sweet one (yes, sorry, pun intended). I mean no disrespect to the author or her fans, as everyone has different tastes (thank goodness!) but clearly her books just don’t work for me.

I gave some real thought to why all four books I tried turned out to be DNFs, and perhaps the conclusion I reached might help explain the underlying difficulties with this book. Her characters str...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Betryal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **** 4.5 **** Major spoilers on this review.

Hmm so much controversy on this book which prompted me to insert my own view and comments on this one, but I'll start with saying: VERY POWERFUL STORY.

I say this about this book cause it's what's common fact these days and that's bullying. We see it everyday whether in real life or on the news, we read of it on all venues and we know of it and everyone has been subjected to it in one form or other in their daily lives growing up or currently. You can...more

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Apr 27, 2011 ED rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 from me. This love story is sort of unbelievable. The Sheriff's story is interesting though. It shows what peer pressure can do to a young person, and also that some people can change. The original concept of the story is ok, but over all it just did not feel aright. The third main character in the book did not help. His actions where so unrealistic. But hey, it must be difficult for authors to come up with something new. I can not imagine how hard it must be.

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Into the Light (Clear Water Creek Chronicles #1)

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