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Home the Hard Way
Dare Buckley has come home—or at least, he’s come back to Palladian, the small town he left as a teenager. After a major lapse in judgment forced him to resign from the Seattle PD, Palladian is the only place that’ll hire him. There’s one benefit to hitting rock bottom, though: the chance to investigate the mystery of his father’s suicide.
Dare also gets to reacquaint himself with Finn Fowler, whose childhood hero worship ended in uncomfortable silence when Dare moved away. But Finn isn’t the same little kid Dare once protected. He’s grown into an attractive, enigmatic stranger who neither wants nor needs what Dare has to offer.
In fact, Dare soon realizes that Finn’s keeping secrets—his own and the town’s. And he doesn’t seem to care that Dare needs answers. The atmosphere in Palladian, like its namesake river, appears placid, but dark currents churn underneath. When danger closes in, Dare must pit his ingenuity against his heart, and find his way home the hard way.
Dare also gets to reacquaint himself with Finn Fowler, whose childhood hero worship ended in uncomfortable silence when Dare moved away. But Finn isn’t the same little kid Dare once protected. He’s grown into an attractive, enigmatic stranger who neither wants nor needs what Dare has to offer.
In fact, Dare soon realizes that Finn’s keeping secrets—his own and the town’s. And he doesn’t seem to care that Dare needs answers. The atmosphere in Palladian, like its namesake river, appears placid, but dark currents churn underneath. When danger closes in, Dare must pit his ingenuity against his heart, and find his way home the hard way.
230 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2014
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1120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
September 15, 2014
Home the Hard Way started out so well. I was reading along enjoying the novel with that oooh, this one’s gonna be good feeling when suddenly I hit a wall. There was a major change in one of the characters and after that I was so blindsided I spent the rest of the book wondering what the hell happened instead of involving myself in the story. Frankly, I’m not quite sure if the problem is me or the book. Probably it’s me. Possibly it’s both. I still can’t decide.
The plot of the book is practically a cliché, but one I very much enjoy. A cop, once the hometown hero, returns in disgrace only to take up with the man he left behind. The cop, Dare, is supposed to be the macho character while Flynn is supposed to be smaller and more delicate. There’s a mystery that brings them together and eventually everything is resolved and our two heroes live happily ever after. That’s basically the plot of and yet it isn’t. Maxfield takes our expectations, adds some major twists in the characters and completely turns the whole thing around. It’s pretty impressive writing.
My problem is Flynn. On one hand he seems to want love even though he’s scared of it. On the other hand he states quite firmly that he doesn’t have relationships, he fucks people. It’s like he’s the clichéd cop character and the sweeter character combined. It’s an interesting mash up but it never rang true for me. Instead of feeling like Flynn is conflicted, I felt like I was reading about two different people. His attitude changed from scene to scene and I never knew which personality was going to show up. Perhaps Maxfield did this to create more suspense and a more complicated character but I just felt confused. I had a hard time liking him as a result.
I did like Dare, though. His character is also quite different than what you’d expect. He’s supposed to be the macho cop who denies any softer emotions. But instead Dare fairly quickly realizes his feelings for Flynn. The change in his character happened gradually and felt natural. Yet Flynn appears to be interested in nothing but sex. That’s fine, but it’s like this between them throughout the majority of the novel. Things only change towards the end and I just wasn’t convinced by that change. It felt way too sudden. I wish there had been more sex – and not just because I enjoy some nice fornication – but because it would’ve shown how their feelings toward each developed. Flynn’s sudden change in attitude would have felt less abrupt. The ending was very sweet but I found myself thinking what, that’s it? We're just supposed accept it's an HEA? No further discussions?
In spite of my complaints, I can see that a lot of people will enjoy this novel. The town of Palladian and its inhabitants felt real to me. The characters of Aunt Lyddie and Bill Fraser were especially fantastic. I’d like to say the mystery kept me guessing but like I said, Flynn’s character had me so confused I didn’t pay much attention to it. But I think others may not share my complaints or problems.
September 21, 2025
Depressing is the main word for this one!
I like Maxfield formula for her books, characters with flaws, in this book they are disturbed, the whole city as a matter of fact, there's only one character that is the light of the story and sadly she's sick, there's more nice characters (maybe a couple) but the rest... especially the MC
I was really engaged at the begging, really nice idea, the atmosphere, the plot, but I do think it got a little lost in the development, nothing major, it kept me curious during the whole book although I was right in my suspicions, the sex scenes made me unease, not because of BDSM but it felt disjointed.
I had difficulties to connect with the main characters, perhaps one of them, but overall I enjoyed reading it.
I also listened this book, Shannon Gunn gave a wonderful performance, fully engaged, completely believable, I just loved it! Congratulations!
I like Maxfield formula for her books, characters with flaws, in this book they are disturbed, the whole city as a matter of fact, there's only one character that is the light of the story and sadly she's sick, there's more nice characters (maybe a couple) but the rest... especially the MC
I was really engaged at the begging, really nice idea, the atmosphere, the plot, but I do think it got a little lost in the development, nothing major, it kept me curious during the whole book although I was right in my suspicions, the sex scenes made me unease, not because of BDSM but it felt disjointed.
I had difficulties to connect with the main characters, perhaps one of them, but overall I enjoyed reading it.
I also listened this book, Shannon Gunn gave a wonderful performance, fully engaged, completely believable, I just loved it! Congratulations!
July 24, 2014
I’ve come to realize that sometimes Z.A. Maxfield’s version of flawed men just speaks to me; like they have an express tunnel to my heart. They can go straight there and squeeze the hell out of it. This is one of those times. I’m not saying that I don’t have issues about this book – let me get to that later – but overall, it is another story coming from Z.A. Maxfield that I ended up loving.
Dare touched my heart because of his struggle with alcoholism and his realization that the kid that used to look up at him with childhood hero worship no longer was there and he didn’t know how to deal with this. I found Dare’s stumbling to find a way back to Finn’s life compelling. It pulled me right in – especially because Dare also had a way with words that just broke me (one of my favorites: “I have loved your eyes for my whole lifetime”).
While Finn ... ah, Finn, how could I not love this strong man that emerged from ashes of his past like a phoenix? Finn’s mother was known as playing around with a lot of men (married or not) when she was alive. Then after she was dead and Dare left, Finn became an object of bullying with one incident so bad it put a mark on him. But despite the town still not accepting Finn fully, he was able to hold his head high. He had a side-business, albeit a bit secretive, in which the town’s people were willing to spend their money. He took care of his beloved aunt. He was just amazing.
The chemistry and history that pulled these two men in was strong. I had no trouble believing that each was essential for the other’s life. While the mystery that surrounded Dare’s father’s suicide and present deaths was well-written too. Even if the reveal of Dare’s father’s case was by way of Finn ‘telling’ it to us readers rather than Dare finding out by himself, but it was still a good mystery.
Now here comes my biggest issue...
I am going to start with a disclaimer. I’m NOT against BDSM or D/s tones in my books. I just don’t prefer it. I can enjoy it but at the same time I also need a strong motivation for it, if a romance story wants to introduce this in the middle. For me, D/s doesn’t always fit with the story. And the D/s tone here is one example.
I could make a guess of what the author was trying to present here with the D/s sub-plot (yes, I’m NOT calling it BDSM). Dare always found himself as some kind of protector – to the kid that Finn was and then later as a cop. However, that life took a toll on him somewhat, which pushed alcohol his way which contributed to his error of judgment back in Seattle. For Dare, submitting to Finn was a way to give control to someone he knew wouldn’t hurt him. Meanwhile for Finn, who had been left behind to defend himself, who suffered from bashing when he was teenager, who gave up his dream to leave Palladian to take care of his sick aunt, being dominant was Finn’s way of taking control. He didn’t need emotional connection to do it.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t think it fit the story. Or maybe I was expecting something different. The kind of hurt/comfort healing that came from sweet romance, probably. From the beginning, I felt that Dare didn’t exactly dream or secretly yearn for D/s kink. Even near the end, Dare said, “You can do whatever you want with me, if every so often you let me love you like that,” which somehow for me it meant that Dare cherished an emotional sexual connection with Finn more than being controlled. So what was the D/s sub plot for? I couldn’t help but think it was presented here because the sub-genre was popular. But this story would work just as well without it.
However, as you could see, despite my biggest issue, I still gave it 4 stars. It was because the D/s sub-plot did not dominate the story. There were more scenes of Dare and Finn reconnecting outside the scene, as well as those wonderful sessions of Dare and his aunt, Lyddie. Then there was the other sub-plot of Finn and Bill Fraser, one of the seemingly homophobic cops who turned out having a much more complicated relationship with Finn. That one sub-plot was as interesting. I definitely would love to read more about Bill if ZAM plans to write a sequel.
So all in all, this is a mesmerizing, rich, and complex story. And guess what, it fits my taste very, very well.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Dare touched my heart because of his struggle with alcoholism and his realization that the kid that used to look up at him with childhood hero worship no longer was there and he didn’t know how to deal with this. I found Dare’s stumbling to find a way back to Finn’s life compelling. It pulled me right in – especially because Dare also had a way with words that just broke me (one of my favorites: “I have loved your eyes for my whole lifetime”).
While Finn ... ah, Finn, how could I not love this strong man that emerged from ashes of his past like a phoenix? Finn’s mother was known as playing around with a lot of men (married or not) when she was alive. Then after she was dead and Dare left, Finn became an object of bullying with one incident so bad it put a mark on him. But despite the town still not accepting Finn fully, he was able to hold his head high. He had a side-business, albeit a bit secretive, in which the town’s people were willing to spend their money. He took care of his beloved aunt. He was just amazing.
The chemistry and history that pulled these two men in was strong. I had no trouble believing that each was essential for the other’s life. While the mystery that surrounded Dare’s father’s suicide and present deaths was well-written too. Even if the reveal of Dare’s father’s case was by way of Finn ‘telling’ it to us readers rather than Dare finding out by himself, but it was still a good mystery.
Now here comes my biggest issue...
I am going to start with a disclaimer. I’m NOT against BDSM or D/s tones in my books. I just don’t prefer it. I can enjoy it but at the same time I also need a strong motivation for it, if a romance story wants to introduce this in the middle. For me, D/s doesn’t always fit with the story. And the D/s tone here is one example.
I could make a guess of what the author was trying to present here with the D/s sub-plot (yes, I’m NOT calling it BDSM). Dare always found himself as some kind of protector – to the kid that Finn was and then later as a cop. However, that life took a toll on him somewhat, which pushed alcohol his way which contributed to his error of judgment back in Seattle. For Dare, submitting to Finn was a way to give control to someone he knew wouldn’t hurt him. Meanwhile for Finn, who had been left behind to defend himself, who suffered from bashing when he was teenager, who gave up his dream to leave Palladian to take care of his sick aunt, being dominant was Finn’s way of taking control. He didn’t need emotional connection to do it.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t think it fit the story. Or maybe I was expecting something different. The kind of hurt/comfort healing that came from sweet romance, probably. From the beginning, I felt that Dare didn’t exactly dream or secretly yearn for D/s kink. Even near the end, Dare said, “You can do whatever you want with me, if every so often you let me love you like that,” which somehow for me it meant that Dare cherished an emotional sexual connection with Finn more than being controlled. So what was the D/s sub plot for? I couldn’t help but think it was presented here because the sub-genre was popular. But this story would work just as well without it.
However, as you could see, despite my biggest issue, I still gave it 4 stars. It was because the D/s sub-plot did not dominate the story. There were more scenes of Dare and Finn reconnecting outside the scene, as well as those wonderful sessions of Dare and his aunt, Lyddie. Then there was the other sub-plot of Finn and Bill Fraser, one of the seemingly homophobic cops who turned out having a much more complicated relationship with Finn. That one sub-plot was as interesting. I definitely would love to read more about Bill if ZAM plans to write a sequel.
So all in all, this is a mesmerizing, rich, and complex story. And guess what, it fits my taste very, very well.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
July 18, 2014
3.5
I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about this book. I finished it last night, with time to review it, but waited until today in order to consider my own response to it. You see, I can't decide if I didn't like certain aspects of the story full stop or if I just didn't like that it wasn't the story I wanted it to be (if that distinction makes any sense outside of my head).
Before I talk more about that let me add here that I like erotica. Not that I would qualify this as erotica, there isn't that much sex in it. But my point is that I have no problem with sex in books. I like a lot of m/m romances. I also like finding a little surprise kink thrown into either one. So, my complaint isn't based just on not liking D/s, BDSM, rope and/or pain play in the book. (Though, I have to admit, anytime a character refers to something by its name, like 'pain play,' it feels too proper to be realistic to me. It rings the same cringe-bell as stiff dialogue in my head. But that's a whole 'nother matter altogether.)
Having said all that, I didn't like the BDSM, etc. aspect of this book. I think it was probably well written; that's not my complaint. And it was kinda hot; that's not my beef either. It just didn't feel natural in the story. This is the first Z. A. Maxfield book I've ever read, so I'm not coming from a place of comparative knowledge. But to me it FELT like it was all thrown in just to catch readers from the current D/s popularity wave. I don't know if it really was, but that's how it felt to me.
You see, Dare comes home to Palladian with no discernible interest in being dominated in any fashion. Doesn't even seem to be consciously aware of the lifestyle. But on meeting up with Finn he immediately starts wanting things he's never wanted before. He allows Finn control he'd never previously even considered giving up and he does it with no discussion, explanation or even verbal request (from either party). Now, consent is very clearly established, as are stop words and such. I don't mean anything like that. I just mean there must have been some psychic communication going on for Finn to know what Dare wanted and for Dare to know Finn could/would provide it, especially on Dare's part.
I did like Dare and Finn. Don't get me wrong. I liked them. I just kept thinking that the things they were doing didn't fit the otherwise sweet romance that was trying desperately to establish itself. This is also were my 'did I just not like it' or 'did I not like that the blurb sent me in expecting something else' internal debate comes in. Either way, it was jarring to me.
Then there was the whole Fraser twist. Surprisingly, I also like Fraser. I had fewer problems with he and Finn's activities than Finn and Dare's. It felt more natural there, maybe because it had had years to develop. However, unless there is going to be a sequel that deals with Fraser and his issues I'd have to call it a giant loose end.
I also liked the, I believe the phrase is penetration politics. Dare is your average hulking police alpha (as is Fraser), Finn is as you would expect. He's smaller, finer boned, prettier, gayer (or at least more openly so). Based on m/m norms you would expect Dare & Fraser to top almost exclusively. It was nice to see this trope played with.
The mystery was a good one. It wasn't too hard to figure the historic aspect of it out. It was pretty obvious, actually. But that obviousness just made the part happening in 'real-time' more interesting because you had this tantalising part of the puzzle that Dare didn't.
The writing and editing were both pretty good. I was a bit bothered by all the full names. Palladian is meant to be a pretty small town and everyone's supposed to have known each other since childhood. So I can't imagine they'd so often need a full name to identify someone. I also thought the author had a few catchall phrases she repeated (the plug & socket comparison, for example). But really these are minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things.
I'm feeling fairly torn about how I feel or how I want to rate this book. So, I'm splitting the difference with a 3 and a bit.
I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about this book. I finished it last night, with time to review it, but waited until today in order to consider my own response to it. You see, I can't decide if I didn't like certain aspects of the story full stop or if I just didn't like that it wasn't the story I wanted it to be (if that distinction makes any sense outside of my head).
Before I talk more about that let me add here that I like erotica. Not that I would qualify this as erotica, there isn't that much sex in it. But my point is that I have no problem with sex in books. I like a lot of m/m romances. I also like finding a little surprise kink thrown into either one. So, my complaint isn't based just on not liking D/s, BDSM, rope and/or pain play in the book. (Though, I have to admit, anytime a character refers to something by its name, like 'pain play,' it feels too proper to be realistic to me. It rings the same cringe-bell as stiff dialogue in my head. But that's a whole 'nother matter altogether.)
Having said all that, I didn't like the BDSM, etc. aspect of this book. I think it was probably well written; that's not my complaint. And it was kinda hot; that's not my beef either. It just didn't feel natural in the story. This is the first Z. A. Maxfield book I've ever read, so I'm not coming from a place of comparative knowledge. But to me it FELT like it was all thrown in just to catch readers from the current D/s popularity wave. I don't know if it really was, but that's how it felt to me.
You see, Dare comes home to Palladian with no discernible interest in being dominated in any fashion. Doesn't even seem to be consciously aware of the lifestyle. But on meeting up with Finn he immediately starts wanting things he's never wanted before. He allows Finn control he'd never previously even considered giving up and he does it with no discussion, explanation or even verbal request (from either party). Now, consent is very clearly established, as are stop words and such. I don't mean anything like that. I just mean there must have been some psychic communication going on for Finn to know what Dare wanted and for Dare to know Finn could/would provide it, especially on Dare's part.
I did like Dare and Finn. Don't get me wrong. I liked them. I just kept thinking that the things they were doing didn't fit the otherwise sweet romance that was trying desperately to establish itself. This is also were my 'did I just not like it' or 'did I not like that the blurb sent me in expecting something else' internal debate comes in. Either way, it was jarring to me.
Then there was the whole Fraser twist. Surprisingly, I also like Fraser. I had fewer problems with he and Finn's activities than Finn and Dare's. It felt more natural there, maybe because it had had years to develop. However, unless there is going to be a sequel that deals with Fraser and his issues I'd have to call it a giant loose end.
I also liked the, I believe the phrase is penetration politics. Dare is your average hulking police alpha (as is Fraser), Finn is as you would expect. He's smaller, finer boned, prettier, gayer (or at least more openly so). Based on m/m norms you would expect Dare & Fraser to top almost exclusively. It was nice to see this trope played with.
The mystery was a good one. It wasn't too hard to figure the historic aspect of it out. It was pretty obvious, actually. But that obviousness just made the part happening in 'real-time' more interesting because you had this tantalising part of the puzzle that Dare didn't.
The writing and editing were both pretty good. I was a bit bothered by all the full names. Palladian is meant to be a pretty small town and everyone's supposed to have known each other since childhood. So I can't imagine they'd so often need a full name to identify someone. I also thought the author had a few catchall phrases she repeated (the plug & socket comparison, for example). But really these are minuscule complaints in the grand scheme of things.
I'm feeling fairly torn about how I feel or how I want to rate this book. So, I'm splitting the difference with a 3 and a bit.
August 8, 2014
Okay, so I really liked this book. I liked Finn and Dare. I got lotsa good feels outta this one.
But all of this was overshadowed by my desperate need for Bill's story.
So, Z.A. Maxfield, this is a plea. Won't you pretty please with sugar on top write Bill's story? It really needs to be told.
Please.
I'm begging here.
Please?
August 3, 2014
Not your grandma’s ZA Maxfield.
Okay now to be fair, my grandmother read old school Harlequins. And there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s what you’re into.
That however, is SO not this book.
Dare and Finn are—complicated. Their relationship has secrets and folds without ending. Theirs is a multi-layered, deeply constructed romance.
ZA Maxfield brings home possibly the greatest book she’s ever written with this tale of lovers, desires and secrets. She goes to dark places and layered mysteries. I can’t laud this book enough. Truly.
Best damned book she’s written. Damn. Fricking brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Okay now to be fair, my grandmother read old school Harlequins. And there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s what you’re into.
That however, is SO not this book.
Dare and Finn are—complicated. Their relationship has secrets and folds without ending. Theirs is a multi-layered, deeply constructed romance.
ZA Maxfield brings home possibly the greatest book she’s ever written with this tale of lovers, desires and secrets. She goes to dark places and layered mysteries. I can’t laud this book enough. Truly.
Best damned book she’s written. Damn. Fricking brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
August 13, 2014
“You are my beginning and my end. You are my journey and my destination.”
Barely having a social life and managing two different jobs and additionally a leather fetish workshop Finn is living with his deathly ill aunt Lyddie in Palladian, a little hick town. Everything he craves is to belong, to belong to a family, to belong to his childhood hero Dare, who left 15 years ago and never looked behind.
Finn is a handsome guy, with his dark curls and his different coloured eyes. Nostalgic, melancholy, mournful he captivated me immediately, I really enjoyed his point of view. He is such a beautiful soul and has to deal with tons of shit the whole freaking town seems to blame him for. Despite being judged his entire life, he judges no one and doesn’t hesitate to help where help is needed. The way he deals with everything that life throws his way is simply amazing and heart-warming. Loved him to bits.
Dare has fucked up his career as a detective in Seattle, only family friendship and old ties have gotten him hired in Palladian, his old hometown. 15 years he’s been away but not that people in Palladian have been waiting for him to come back, not even Finn, who remembers his letters Dare never had answered or calls he’d never returned. Maybe he could do better than be friends with a guy who’d returned to town not because he’d wanted to, but because he had nowhere else to go.
When they meet for the first time after 15 years you immediately feel the tension between Finn and Dare. On the one hand Finn has longed to see his childhood hero again, on the other hand there’s the secret of Dare’s dad’s suicide looming between them, and some things better remain unsaid...
“I have loved your eyes for my whole lifetime.”
Finn and Dare are just perfect for each other but getting that into their stubborn heads seems to be impossible. The way they switch from flirting to hostility and back again, the way they constantly get on each others nerves was simultaneously annoying and entertaining.
The supporting characters are very unique and strong and easy to become fond of. I loved Finn’s weed smoking aunt Lyddie. She’s just awesome, her warmness and her love for her nephew touched me deeply, she cares so much for Finn
“Happiness doesn’t just come up to you and call out, Finn. You have to be prepared sometimes to just grab it as it goes by. I may be an old woman, but know what I’m talking about. Love makes your heart soar.”
“Why on earth would anyone want a sore heart?”
“Soar, baby. S-O-A-R.”
She gave his thigh a light slap.
“It feels like your heart has wings or it’s on fire or something. Sometimes you fly so high it hurts, even when it’s good. You ever feel that for one of your young men?”
A large part of my enjoyment of this book was my surprise regarding the BDSM aspect of the story and Finn’s character development. He isn’t the boy anymore he once has been and no one…. holy moly, no one knows who Finn really is! A special scene involving Finn and Bill Fraser, the seemingly homophobic police officer, left me speechless, I think my mouth hit the floor, I just couldn’t believe my eyes!
The mystery part of the novel was fun to get into, it kept me guessing until the end. I had a hard time trying to find out who the murderer was.
As always, Zam’s writing is nothing but masterful, each scene is carefully worded to bring every emotion to life, the humour, the loneliness, the happiness, the heartbreak, the love. Overall, I couldn't ask for more because this book covered it all for me, it left me shaking my head with a smile on my face. It was a hell of a ride! Highly recommended!
May 30, 2016
I think I'd forgotten how much I enjoy reading Z.A. Maxfield...
It's been a long time since I've read a book by this author. So when I stumbled across this one sitting on my e-reader I couldn't resist the temptation.
'Home the Hard Way' is a mystery with a definite romance thrown in and I love this combination. The story is set in a small town called Palladian. Small towns are another weakness of mine. I grew up in the country and lived about 5 miles outside of a small town and have spent much of my life living in small towns and anyone who's ever spent any amount of time in one knows that the expression 'if you can't remember what you did yesterday, just ask your neighbour' had to of been created by someone who lived in a small town. Truer words were never spoken. Palladian personifies that phrase. Everyone is in everyone else's business. There are secrets and lies, deceptions, affairs all the stuff that small town life is made of.
Dare Buckley left Palladian as a teenager shortly after his father committed suicide, but now he's back. For Dare, Palladian has become his last chance at redemption. He messed up big time in Seattle and it seems that in order to fix things he needs to go back to the beginning.
Being back in Palladian means a chance not only to fix his professional life but it's also his opportunity to try and find out what drove his father to commit suicide and it means a seeing Finn Fowler again. Finn was just a young kid with a serious case of hero worship when Dare last saw him. Finn's all grown up now and he doesn't need a knight in shining armor to ride to his rescue...Finn has taken control of his own life...total control.
So where do I begin explaining how much I loved this book...let's start with Dare. Dare was the golden child, Finn worshiped him, he was Finn's friend, his confidant, his protector, in a way his everything but that was then and now Dare and Finn have both grown up. Dare's a bit of a mess, he spends a lot of time seeking comfort and answers in a bottle where they can't be found and he's slowly beginning to realize that the Finn he left behind doesn't exist anymore and he just doesn't know the Finn that he's come back to. Which brings us to Finn. Yep, Finn grew up and it wasn't an easy thing but he learned the hard way that the person who was going to take care of Finn...was Finn and no one else. He's got secrets that he guards tenaciously but most of them aren't his, they just seem to revolve around him.
There was host of secondary characters who added to this small town's character. Each one of them somehow connected to the MCs and each other as is often the case in small towns. People such as Finn's Aunt Lyddie, Bill Fraser who is a story unto himself, Denise, Tony, Trent and so many others.
There were just so many pieces to this puzzle. I loved working them in my mind and sliding one piece up against the other to see which ones fit only to discover that there was yet another piece hiding somewhere. I love a good mystery and this one worked for me I was fascinated to see how everything would come together and at the same time seeing Dare and Finn's relationship reshape and reform itself to fit the men they have become instead of the boys they were, was almost another mystery all it's own.
My only disappointment was at the end I would have liked just a little more, I'd love even a story to let me know what happens next with Finn and Dare...that'd be really awesome.
I love a book that pulls me in and makes me want to be involved, has me waking up in the middle of the night so I can read a few more pages or getting up early so I can finish it and this book had me doing all of that.
It's been a long time since I've read a book by this author. So when I stumbled across this one sitting on my e-reader I couldn't resist the temptation.
'Home the Hard Way' is a mystery with a definite romance thrown in and I love this combination. The story is set in a small town called Palladian. Small towns are another weakness of mine. I grew up in the country and lived about 5 miles outside of a small town and have spent much of my life living in small towns and anyone who's ever spent any amount of time in one knows that the expression 'if you can't remember what you did yesterday, just ask your neighbour' had to of been created by someone who lived in a small town. Truer words were never spoken. Palladian personifies that phrase. Everyone is in everyone else's business. There are secrets and lies, deceptions, affairs all the stuff that small town life is made of.
Dare Buckley left Palladian as a teenager shortly after his father committed suicide, but now he's back. For Dare, Palladian has become his last chance at redemption. He messed up big time in Seattle and it seems that in order to fix things he needs to go back to the beginning.
Being back in Palladian means a chance not only to fix his professional life but it's also his opportunity to try and find out what drove his father to commit suicide and it means a seeing Finn Fowler again. Finn was just a young kid with a serious case of hero worship when Dare last saw him. Finn's all grown up now and he doesn't need a knight in shining armor to ride to his rescue...Finn has taken control of his own life...total control.
So where do I begin explaining how much I loved this book...let's start with Dare. Dare was the golden child, Finn worshiped him, he was Finn's friend, his confidant, his protector, in a way his everything but that was then and now Dare and Finn have both grown up. Dare's a bit of a mess, he spends a lot of time seeking comfort and answers in a bottle where they can't be found and he's slowly beginning to realize that the Finn he left behind doesn't exist anymore and he just doesn't know the Finn that he's come back to. Which brings us to Finn. Yep, Finn grew up and it wasn't an easy thing but he learned the hard way that the person who was going to take care of Finn...was Finn and no one else. He's got secrets that he guards tenaciously but most of them aren't his, they just seem to revolve around him.
There was host of secondary characters who added to this small town's character. Each one of them somehow connected to the MCs and each other as is often the case in small towns. People such as Finn's Aunt Lyddie, Bill Fraser who is a story unto himself, Denise, Tony, Trent and so many others.
There were just so many pieces to this puzzle. I loved working them in my mind and sliding one piece up against the other to see which ones fit only to discover that there was yet another piece hiding somewhere. I love a good mystery and this one worked for me I was fascinated to see how everything would come together and at the same time seeing Dare and Finn's relationship reshape and reform itself to fit the men they have become instead of the boys they were, was almost another mystery all it's own.
My only disappointment was at the end I would have liked just a little more, I'd love even a story to let me know what happens next with Finn and Dare...that'd be really awesome.
I love a book that pulls me in and makes me want to be involved, has me waking up in the middle of the night so I can read a few more pages or getting up early so I can finish it and this book had me doing all of that.
January 15, 2017
First, I want to thank Shari-Amor for this gift !!
3.5 stars.
Dare and Finn were good friends during their childhood but Dare left town after Finn’s mom was found drown in a river and Dare’s father committed suicide.
Decades after, Dare comes back in town as a police officer. Some things haven’t changed, like the gossips, the unanswered questions about Dare’s father suicide, the bullying Finn has to endure. But Dare and Finn have now men and Dare realizes that he can’t anymore take anything at face value. And with death, disappearances and blackmail wrecking the small town, Dare has to decide what to do with his feelings for Finn.
It’s a very good mix of romance and mystery : the plot is solid and the truth unravels nicely. My only niggle was the BDSM part. As I’m not a huge fan, it spoiled my enjoyment as I felt that it didn’t add anything to Dare and Finn’s relationship, quite the contrary.
3.5 stars.
Dare and Finn were good friends during their childhood but Dare left town after Finn’s mom was found drown in a river and Dare’s father committed suicide.
Decades after, Dare comes back in town as a police officer. Some things haven’t changed, like the gossips, the unanswered questions about Dare’s father suicide, the bullying Finn has to endure. But Dare and Finn have now men and Dare realizes that he can’t anymore take anything at face value. And with death, disappearances and blackmail wrecking the small town, Dare has to decide what to do with his feelings for Finn.
It’s a very good mix of romance and mystery : the plot is solid and the truth unravels nicely. My only niggle was the BDSM part. As I’m not a huge fan, it spoiled my enjoyment as I felt that it didn’t add anything to Dare and Finn’s relationship, quite the contrary.
December 12, 2022
Truth be told, this book bored me a little. The mystery was fine, but everything else? Meh. Dare was an unlikeable character, and also kind of dense. And he’d made detective in Seattle? Hmmm, I find that hard to believe. I wasn’t sold on his relationship with Finn, either — I liked Finn with Bill much more, not only because of their history and their compatibility, but also because I think Bill was the character with the most (sadly, unexplored!) depth here. Some of the dialogue felt stilted. Otherwise, this was an ok read to pass the time.
May 26, 2017
~ 4.5 stars ~
This was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely!! So why not 5 stars? Well... The end was a bit disappointing. One more chapter or an epilogue would have been great! I needed a tiny bit more to see how Dare and Finn make a life together.
I enjoyed Shannon Gunn's narration. He's a new-to-me narrator and I think he did a really good job! Sometimes he sounded a bit too forceful or aggressive during the sex scenes but overall, he put a lot of emotions into his voice to portray what the characters were feeling.
This was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely!! So why not 5 stars? Well... The end was a bit disappointing. One more chapter or an epilogue would have been great! I needed a tiny bit more to see how Dare and Finn make a life together.
I enjoyed Shannon Gunn's narration. He's a new-to-me narrator and I think he did a really good job! Sometimes he sounded a bit too forceful or aggressive during the sex scenes but overall, he put a lot of emotions into his voice to portray what the characters were feeling.
January 7, 2015
4.5 stars
Dare and Finn are two complex and struggling characters who haven't seen each other in years. When Dare returns to town the two old friends struggle to reconnect as adults. Dare is trying to restart his career as a cop in his old hometown, determined to find out what was behind his father's suicide 15 years before, while Finn is caring for his dying aunt in a town that holds a grudge stemming from the behavior of his long dead mother.
ZAM's writing, as always, was very good. The relationship and the mystery both took some unexpected turns and the men did not have it easy at all when it came to navigating their feelings for each other. The BDSM aspects are not heavy but there is some D/s, humiliation and rope play.
Dare and Finn are two complex and struggling characters who haven't seen each other in years. When Dare returns to town the two old friends struggle to reconnect as adults. Dare is trying to restart his career as a cop in his old hometown, determined to find out what was behind his father's suicide 15 years before, while Finn is caring for his dying aunt in a town that holds a grudge stemming from the behavior of his long dead mother.
ZAM's writing, as always, was very good. The relationship and the mystery both took some unexpected turns and the men did not have it easy at all when it came to navigating their feelings for each other. The BDSM aspects are not heavy but there is some D/s, humiliation and rope play.
February 12, 2021
3 stars
Although I love this author, this was not my favorite book of hers. The mystery was great. A real whodunnit that had me guessing until the end. But the second chance/reunited MCs fell flat.
After being apart for 15 years, Dare only came back to his hometown because he made a huge professional mistake. 15 years? And suddenly you profess your love for Finn, whom you were close to as a child. Hmmm. Dare left when he was 14 and Finn was 9, and now Dare has feelings. Nope. Didn’t buy it.
Although I love this author, this was not my favorite book of hers. The mystery was great. A real whodunnit that had me guessing until the end. But the second chance/reunited MCs fell flat.
After being apart for 15 years, Dare only came back to his hometown because he made a huge professional mistake. 15 years? And suddenly you profess your love for Finn, whom you were close to as a child. Hmmm. Dare left when he was 14 and Finn was 9, and now Dare has feelings. Nope. Didn’t buy it.
July 24, 2014
I've been a fan of Z.A. Maxfield's work since I stumbled upon her books a few years ago but had been underwhelmed with her past few efforts and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed Home The Hard Way (Edit: after looking at my past ratings I realized I was thinking of a certain other author. My bad).
This book captured my attention right from the beginning and I ended up staying awake all hours of the night, unwilling to put my reader down to go to sleep. It had me energized and wanting to know more, which made me equal parts happy that the book was so good and relieved to be off today so that I could get some extra sleep.
I was instantly drawn in to this book as I read about Finn, who had come back to live in his small and hostile home town to care for his aunt as she dealt with the ravages of cancer. Finn who, seen through the eyes of his long lost friend Dare, seemed at first to be a sensitive soul that needed saving and protection. Then there was big bad cop Dare, who'd left town as a popular and well liked boy but ended up having to slink back with his tail between his legs, not quite so popular anymore.
I was expecting the usual storyline, where Dare's love would help Finn break out of his woobie prison to become a confident butterfly while Finn's love would help Dare overcome his adversities, so call me very pleasantly surprised when popular conventions were thrown on their ear and this story morphed into something totally different. This book is not for everyone. There's very little sex and certain aspects that will surprise you about said sex. There is no insta love or a fluffy HEA. There's a mystery, but one that keeps you guessing until the end. I won't say anymore about the plot or storyline. A large part of my enjoyment of this book was my surprise at certain aspects, so I'll leave you to be surprised too (Fyi: some other reviewers have included minor spoilers in their reviews without a spoiler tag, so beware if you like surprises.)
The town and its denizens are a major part of this story, and Maxfield does an excellent job of setting the suspenseful tone. You learn pretty soon that this normal small town has some deep dark secrets but they are not revealed right away. You have to read on to find out the circumstances behind Dare's return to town (and boy was that a doozy!) and why Finn is not exactly who he seems (or is he?).
The side characters were also well written, especially the asshole cop Ben and Finn's aunt Lyddie who felt very real to me. I was shocked, titillated and saddened in turn by Ben's story and I think other readers will feel the same way.
There were a few things that bothered me while reading this book, but they were minor niggles with poor (and oft used) word choice at certain times. I also found the formatting of the ARC copy to be very off- puttiing. so I'm glad that Maxfield's excellent writing made me look past that.
This book was provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book captured my attention right from the beginning and I ended up staying awake all hours of the night, unwilling to put my reader down to go to sleep. It had me energized and wanting to know more, which made me equal parts happy that the book was so good and relieved to be off today so that I could get some extra sleep.
I was instantly drawn in to this book as I read about Finn, who had come back to live in his small and hostile home town to care for his aunt as she dealt with the ravages of cancer. Finn who, seen through the eyes of his long lost friend Dare, seemed at first to be a sensitive soul that needed saving and protection. Then there was big bad cop Dare, who'd left town as a popular and well liked boy but ended up having to slink back with his tail between his legs, not quite so popular anymore.
I was expecting the usual storyline, where Dare's love would help Finn break out of his woobie prison to become a confident butterfly while Finn's love would help Dare overcome his adversities, so call me very pleasantly surprised when popular conventions were thrown on their ear and this story morphed into something totally different. This book is not for everyone. There's very little sex and certain aspects that will surprise you about said sex. There is no insta love or a fluffy HEA. There's a mystery, but one that keeps you guessing until the end. I won't say anymore about the plot or storyline. A large part of my enjoyment of this book was my surprise at certain aspects, so I'll leave you to be surprised too (Fyi: some other reviewers have included minor spoilers in their reviews without a spoiler tag, so beware if you like surprises.)
The town and its denizens are a major part of this story, and Maxfield does an excellent job of setting the suspenseful tone. You learn pretty soon that this normal small town has some deep dark secrets but they are not revealed right away. You have to read on to find out the circumstances behind Dare's return to town (and boy was that a doozy!) and why Finn is not exactly who he seems (or is he?).
The side characters were also well written, especially the asshole cop Ben and Finn's aunt Lyddie who felt very real to me. I was shocked, titillated and saddened in turn by Ben's story and I think other readers will feel the same way.
There were a few things that bothered me while reading this book, but they were minor niggles with poor (and oft used) word choice at certain times. I also found the formatting of the ARC copy to be very off- puttiing. so I'm glad that Maxfield's excellent writing made me look past that.
This book was provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
September 21, 2014
This book has a different feel from most of this author's other stories - more complex, darker, and full of flawed characters. There are no knights in shining armor here (other than perhaps Finn's Aunt Lyddie.) Every character has made major mistakes in their life. Every one has dark places inside them, regrets, blind spots about themselves, others, and the past. I loved that about this book - I enjoy heroes, but I often identify most with the flawed main character who has to fight himself as well as life for his HEA.
Finn is the small, odd-looking, bullied home-town boy who appears trapped in his fishbowl oppressive town by the needs of his dying aunt. But as the story goes on, you find out that that's far too simple a view of such a complex character. Finn has resources that are unexpected, and the factors that hold him in his current life are as much about the past as the present.
Dare was Finn's older best friend as kids, until Dare's father's suicide drove his mother to move them out of the state. In that move, Dare deliberately let go of his friendship with Finn, which had been vitally important and yet strained by ill-defined hero worship and the deaths of Finn's mother and Dare's father. It was easier to walk away.
When Dare messed up on the job as a Seattle detective, in a moment of drink-clouded misjudgment, he needed a sponsor to find a new position. A hometown friend of his father's stepped up for him and he has come home to work for the local police force. Inevitably, he has to meet Finn again. In that first meeting, there is an echo of the older protector and worshipful follower they once were, but it is immediately clear that their current status is a long, long way from those childhood roles.
Death and vandalism in town force Dare to investigate crime in Finn's aunt's hair salon, tangling the personal with the professional. Dare feels obsessed with Finn, but he quickly discovers that the boy he remembers has gone through a lot, and taken paths to adulthood he'd never have envisioned. The BDSM in this story isn't heavy but plays a vital role in the confusion and the complexity of relationships, and not just between Dare and Finn.
This was close to a five-star story for me, but I felt like things moved too fast between the MCs somewhere in the middle. I loved some of the twists and turns, loved that the secondary characters also turned out to be living in the shades of grey, but was unconvinced that all the whiplashes of emotion, need and understanding could have happened quite at the speed with which they did. Still this is one I'll reread to see the story from the beginning, colored with the knowledge from the end.
If you like a mystery, complex and deeply flawed heroes with weaknesses, emotional BDSM relationships, and second chances, give this book a try.
Finn is the small, odd-looking, bullied home-town boy who appears trapped in his fishbowl oppressive town by the needs of his dying aunt. But as the story goes on, you find out that that's far too simple a view of such a complex character. Finn has resources that are unexpected, and the factors that hold him in his current life are as much about the past as the present.
Dare was Finn's older best friend as kids, until Dare's father's suicide drove his mother to move them out of the state. In that move, Dare deliberately let go of his friendship with Finn, which had been vitally important and yet strained by ill-defined hero worship and the deaths of Finn's mother and Dare's father. It was easier to walk away.
When Dare messed up on the job as a Seattle detective, in a moment of drink-clouded misjudgment, he needed a sponsor to find a new position. A hometown friend of his father's stepped up for him and he has come home to work for the local police force. Inevitably, he has to meet Finn again. In that first meeting, there is an echo of the older protector and worshipful follower they once were, but it is immediately clear that their current status is a long, long way from those childhood roles.
Death and vandalism in town force Dare to investigate crime in Finn's aunt's hair salon, tangling the personal with the professional. Dare feels obsessed with Finn, but he quickly discovers that the boy he remembers has gone through a lot, and taken paths to adulthood he'd never have envisioned. The BDSM in this story isn't heavy but plays a vital role in the confusion and the complexity of relationships, and not just between Dare and Finn.
This was close to a five-star story for me, but I felt like things moved too fast between the MCs somewhere in the middle. I loved some of the twists and turns, loved that the secondary characters also turned out to be living in the shades of grey, but was unconvinced that all the whiplashes of emotion, need and understanding could have happened quite at the speed with which they did. Still this is one I'll reread to see the story from the beginning, colored with the knowledge from the end.
If you like a mystery, complex and deeply flawed heroes with weaknesses, emotional BDSM relationships, and second chances, give this book a try.
dnf
October 14, 2014DNF at 60%
What started as an emotional, sweet & loving story about two childhood friends who reconnect after years apart, turned into a rhapsody on the magical powers of D/S relationships.
It might be the fact that I'm currently reading yet another book that shows how a D/S relationship can help people who suffer from severe OCD (that's Dirty Laundry for those who are interested) but if I read one more romance about the "healing" powers of BDSM or D/S relationships, I swear I'm gonna scream! If these stories are true, doctors are soon going to prescribe BDSM instead of medicine to mental patients. I can't rule out that it does help some people, but with the regularity that I come upon it in romances nowadays (I blame Fifty Shades for showing the way) you'd think BDSM is the panacea for all mental diseases.
Plus, Finn turned out not to be who I thought he was. I'm probably going to be considered narrow minded but So even the D/S part, rather than hot, felt fake and not really consistent with the heroes or their personalities (a problem other readers mentioned as well) which is the final reason I couldn't bother reading any more of this.
What started as an emotional, sweet & loving story about two childhood friends who reconnect after years apart, turned into a rhapsody on the magical powers of D/S relationships.
It might be the fact that I'm currently reading yet another book that shows how a D/S relationship can help people who suffer from severe OCD (that's Dirty Laundry for those who are interested) but if I read one more romance about the "healing" powers of BDSM or D/S relationships, I swear I'm gonna scream! If these stories are true, doctors are soon going to prescribe BDSM instead of medicine to mental patients. I can't rule out that it does help some people, but with the regularity that I come upon it in romances nowadays (I blame Fifty Shades for showing the way) you'd think BDSM is the panacea for all mental diseases.
Plus, Finn turned out not to be who I thought he was. I'm probably going to be considered narrow minded but So even the D/S part, rather than hot, felt fake and not really consistent with the heroes or their personalities (a problem other readers mentioned as well) which is the final reason I couldn't bother reading any more of this.
April 2, 2017
When Dare and Finn were kids, Finn used to follow Dare around with hero worship in his eyes. Finn was an outcast even as a child, as the newcomer to a small close knit town, and also as the son of the town prostitute. One day on the playground, Dare defends Finn from a bully and they were inseparable from that moment on. When Dare's father shocks the town and commits suicide, his mother moves them away and he cuts all ties with Finn and doesn't respond to any of his letters or phone calls. Years later Dare comes back into town with his tail between his legs because he messed up at his job in the city and now his old home town is the only place he can find work. He faces a lot of animosity inside the department because he didn't move up the ranks like the other officers. He avoids Finn in town but ends up finally seeing him at a crime scene in Finn's aunt's salon. He tries to reconnect with him and pick up their friendship where it left off but Finn is a different person than the boy he left all those years ago. He has secrets and he's much more closed off.
I really expected to love this one way more than I did. It started off great and I was really enjoying it then all of a sudden there was a BIG change in one of the characters and I felt blindsided. It was really hard for me to get back into the story after that. I thought I was really going to love Finn because I love rooting for the character that always had feelings, but Finn was so "blah". He had little to no emotion in the entire book. I feel like some of it was a defense mechanism but I wanted more out of him, and we never really got it.
Dare is the typical fallen hero type. He left his last job in disgrace, and I wanted him to find redemption in his home town. What we end up seeing from him is him repeatedly drinking himself into a stupor and ignoring everyone's pleas for him to get help, which he never does by the way! I really wanted to see him grovel a bit to Finn. The guy was Finn's hero when they were kids and he cut him off without ever answering his letters/calls, even when he knows how Finn is going to be isolated and bullied when he goes?? Not cool. And Finn doesn't even really hold it against him!
While I didn't "get" the romance between the two of them, I was actually surprised when we find out what was going on with all the secrets and when we find out who "the bad guy" is. I definitely didn't see any of that coming.
I was left wanting a bit more out of the ending. The mystery was wrapped up tight but I thought there was more that need to be said/done in Finn and Dare's relationship. I think it would have been more satisfying if there was an epilogue included that showed them working thru some of their issues for a more HEA ending. I would call this one HFN at best.
* I received a copy of this title via Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
I really expected to love this one way more than I did. It started off great and I was really enjoying it then all of a sudden there was a BIG change in one of the characters and I felt blindsided. It was really hard for me to get back into the story after that. I thought I was really going to love Finn because I love rooting for the character that always had feelings, but Finn was so "blah". He had little to no emotion in the entire book. I feel like some of it was a defense mechanism but I wanted more out of him, and we never really got it.
Dare is the typical fallen hero type. He left his last job in disgrace, and I wanted him to find redemption in his home town. What we end up seeing from him is him repeatedly drinking himself into a stupor and ignoring everyone's pleas for him to get help, which he never does by the way! I really wanted to see him grovel a bit to Finn. The guy was Finn's hero when they were kids and he cut him off without ever answering his letters/calls, even when he knows how Finn is going to be isolated and bullied when he goes?? Not cool. And Finn doesn't even really hold it against him!
While I didn't "get" the romance between the two of them, I was actually surprised when we find out what was going on with all the secrets and when we find out who "the bad guy" is. I definitely didn't see any of that coming.
I was left wanting a bit more out of the ending. The mystery was wrapped up tight but I thought there was more that need to be said/done in Finn and Dare's relationship. I think it would have been more satisfying if there was an epilogue included that showed them working thru some of their issues for a more HEA ending. I would call this one HFN at best.
* I received a copy of this title via Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
February 6, 2019
I feel like I should reread this as my tastes have changed....
This is rather spoilery, and I didn't use spoiler tags, so read at your own risk. I don't flat out say exactly what happened, but you'll get an idea from the review.
Okay, I'm ready...I think. I honestly don't know what to say or how to rate it. It started out five-star-fantastic! I was doing updates constantly because I wanted to share just how much love I had for this book, but then...it changed. At first, I didn't realize just how big a change was happening, and although bothered I was like, okay, I can deal. But then I couldn't. And I don't know if its only my issue with the whole BDSM thing, the D/s, master/humiliation thing or if it was that and the fact that it just flipped everything. Maybe that was the point. Maybe the whole point was that Dare's perspective was not reliable, he didn't know Finn like he thought. Ugh...I just don't know. But D/s, Finn's whole attitude towards sex...I wanted to vomit...after I slapped the shit out of him. Again--totally aware that that is MY issue.
I liked the idea, Dare fucking up, coming home, trying to figure out what happened, who he is, etc. I was just so completely thrown and then heartbroken and pissed about the turn that I did not enjoy the rest of it unfortunately.
I was screaming "RED!" But alas...no one listened. I don't know how I feel about any of the side characters either, except for Lyddie cuz she's awesome. Maybe that was the point.
I don't know. I love the author and will continue to read more, but I gotta look out for those damn BDSM tags.
This is rather spoilery, and I didn't use spoiler tags, so read at your own risk. I don't flat out say exactly what happened, but you'll get an idea from the review.
Okay, I'm ready...I think. I honestly don't know what to say or how to rate it. It started out five-star-fantastic! I was doing updates constantly because I wanted to share just how much love I had for this book, but then...it changed. At first, I didn't realize just how big a change was happening, and although bothered I was like, okay, I can deal. But then I couldn't. And I don't know if its only my issue with the whole BDSM thing, the D/s, master/humiliation thing or if it was that and the fact that it just flipped everything. Maybe that was the point. Maybe the whole point was that Dare's perspective was not reliable, he didn't know Finn like he thought. Ugh...I just don't know. But D/s, Finn's whole attitude towards sex...I wanted to vomit...after I slapped the shit out of him. Again--totally aware that that is MY issue.
I liked the idea, Dare fucking up, coming home, trying to figure out what happened, who he is, etc. I was just so completely thrown and then heartbroken and pissed about the turn that I did not enjoy the rest of it unfortunately.
I was screaming "RED!" But alas...no one listened. I don't know how I feel about any of the side characters either, except for Lyddie cuz she's awesome. Maybe that was the point.
I don't know. I love the author and will continue to read more, but I gotta look out for those damn BDSM tags.
August 12, 2014
Okay, this is a hard book for me to review. I really *really* love Zam's writing.
I love the way she evokes setting. I smelled the river, the tannery, the weed, and the ammonia in the hair salon. I saw Lyddie's wallpaper and every piece of art in Finn's workshop.
I love her characters--Lyddie alone was worth reading this story. Finn was a brilliant, interesting protagonist, and Dare was a unique foil for him. Bill, with his raw pain and his secrets, oh he was fascinating.
The mystery was well-told, and when it comes to the romance, I believed that Dare and Finn loved each other. However, other parts of the story were a struggle for me. In the end, I just didn't believe Finn's secret, and that made the rest of the mystery plot a hard sell for me. I still enjoyed it, I just couldn't love it the way I loved everything else about the book. But then, I'm not a mystery reader anyway, so my usual caveat applies.
I felt certain subjects were dealt with a little too after-school-specialsy, but honestly, so minor of a complaint.
Unlike some other reviewers, I had didn't really take issue with the BDSM elements in this story, the one exception being
Overall, recommended for the intriguing characters and the gorgeous writing.
I love the way she evokes setting. I smelled the river, the tannery, the weed, and the ammonia in the hair salon. I saw Lyddie's wallpaper and every piece of art in Finn's workshop.
I love her characters--Lyddie alone was worth reading this story. Finn was a brilliant, interesting protagonist, and Dare was a unique foil for him. Bill, with his raw pain and his secrets, oh he was fascinating.
The mystery was well-told, and when it comes to the romance, I believed that Dare and Finn loved each other. However, other parts of the story were a struggle for me. In the end, I just didn't believe Finn's secret, and that made the rest of the mystery plot a hard sell for me. I still enjoyed it, I just couldn't love it the way I loved everything else about the book. But then, I'm not a mystery reader anyway, so my usual caveat applies.
I felt certain subjects were dealt with a little too after-school-specialsy, but honestly, so minor of a complaint.
Unlike some other reviewers, I had didn't really take issue with the BDSM elements in this story, the one exception being
Overall, recommended for the intriguing characters and the gorgeous writing.
January 30, 2019
Who says you can't go home?
Ok we're going to see how short and sweet I can keep this because I'm revisiting a few favorites on audio at the moment. So here goes...
I first read this book back in May of 2016 and I really, really enjoyed it. Here's the link to my original review because hey, who needs to reinvent the wheel right? Original Review: Home the Hard Way
All that I'm going to add here is that the narrator for this audio book was Shannon Gunn, who happens to be a new to me narrator. If this is any indication of his work and I'm assuming it is, I'm looking forward to enjoying more audio books by this narrator and there are more than a couple of audio books narrated by Shannon Gunn that I'm definitely looking forward to.
So to keep it short and sweet this one was a definitely success, I enjoyed revisiting 'Home the Hard Way' by Z. A. Maxfield and I have found another narrator to add to my list of 'narrators I like' which in turn means...you guessed it my audio book list has magically increased.
Ok we're going to see how short and sweet I can keep this because I'm revisiting a few favorites on audio at the moment. So here goes...
I first read this book back in May of 2016 and I really, really enjoyed it. Here's the link to my original review because hey, who needs to reinvent the wheel right? Original Review: Home the Hard Way
All that I'm going to add here is that the narrator for this audio book was Shannon Gunn, who happens to be a new to me narrator. If this is any indication of his work and I'm assuming it is, I'm looking forward to enjoying more audio books by this narrator and there are more than a couple of audio books narrated by Shannon Gunn that I'm definitely looking forward to.
So to keep it short and sweet this one was a definitely success, I enjoyed revisiting 'Home the Hard Way' by Z. A. Maxfield and I have found another narrator to add to my list of 'narrators I like' which in turn means...you guessed it my audio book list has magically increased.
August 2, 2014
DNF at 53%.
I didn't like where this story went...
:(
August 5, 2014
Oh, I could read way more of these two guys. In this rainy, murky small town.
This is so delicious in how it sucks you in, revolving around a slow-burn, latent attraction between its two main characters that evolves from childhood hero-worship to very adult games. As a murder mystery unfolds around them. Maxfield has done this before… taken two troubled men and brought them together through conflict and dysfunction, shown them working through the hard shell of hurt and pain (The Long Way Home comes to immediate mind).
You know there is a world of hurt in Finn. He was that waifish, delicate boy who was always being bullied in school. Didn’t know who his father was and his mother was the town slut. He was such a target for abuse. Except Finn had a loving aunt who came to his rescue. And, in Dare Buckley, his own, personal superman. Dare was the popular jock, buffed and super confident, and going places. He was always there for Finn, championing and protecting him. Dare had the perfect makings for a cop.
But Home the Hard Way really does beg the question: ‘Can you go home again?’ Things never remain as we left them. Everything changes.
Fast forward, and this super cop returns home in disgrace for royally fucking up on the job in the big city. Back home to small town crime and recrimination. Except… this small town has its share of secrets, lies and murder, with the dead bodies all leading back to Finn. Finn, who’s grown into an enigmatic hottie, one minute lovingly caring for his dying aunt, the next in tight pants, leather jacket and eyeliner, trolling for a hook-up. And always in Dare’s line of sight. They can’t take their eyes off each other.
So delicious, this youthful hero-worship turned into adult slow-burn ache.
“You are my beginning and my end. You are my journey and my destination.”
Except… it’s what lies beneath Finn’s protective shell that wakes Dare up. All manner of kinky power dynamics start to light up the page. Throw in that small-town murder mystery with Finn as the target, and things really heat up.
This unwinds in such a smooth, easy way. Wonderful writing, but that’s no surprise from Maxfield. I’m a long-time fan. Here, it’s the twists and turns and the hidden peccadillos (pecking away) that really make this special. It’s not clean fun. The two leads are damaged and live in that gray area that is the meat of great romance novels. I had to learn to love Dare, to figure him out; he has such a hard time figuring himself out. But I love Finn, the underdog, victimized in childhood, he refuses to be a victim. He lights up a scene whenever he comes on, it’s easy to see his allure for Dare. I like how they learn to accept each other for who they are.
While this is a well-developed story— and I did get sucked into the small town dysfunction, all the secrets that come percolating up, and the second chance at love— I did have trouble with a few elements that became more obvious towards the end of the story. I would have liked some discussion about Finn’s entry into the BDSM life. He’s still very young, yet shows a depth of experience he couldn’t have learned quickly or at home, and we don’t get enough of his inner landscape to figure it out. It also felt like the story ended at the beginning, or the second beginning. I want way more of Finn and Dare, need to see how they might make it all work out in their stuffy hometown. I need to see if Finn can actually be all that Dare wants him to be. Even though these issues bring the score down a bit, I’d still recommend this as a very entertaining read.
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July 29, 2014
A review by The Blogger Girls.
This story took its time sucking me in. There is a lot going on here with people dying and mysteries to be solved, both old and new.
It starts out with Dare coming back to town with his tail between his legs. He is still determined to find out why his father killed himself all those years ago. In the middle of everything is Finn, a young guy who has basically been bullied his whole life by just about everyone in town. Most of it stems from his whoring mother, but he is also different looking with two different eye colors, being gay, etc. Dare stood up for him when they were kids, and now that he’s back, wants to jump right back into that role. Unfortunately, Dare is a bit of a closet case, though this seems mostly to have to do with his job.
Finn is such a troubled soul, with many secrets. One of which is his domination of certain members of the community. Finn is very detached, believing he never has boyfriends, only people he screws. Even though there are times when he thinks he wants more, he reverts back again. Through it all, he is taking care of his dying aunt, the only one to really show him any love. She pushes him to open his heart and look for more.
Finn and Dare have quite a time trying to restart their relationship that began as more of a hero worshiping than anything else. But the roles are a bit reversed now, or are they? Does Finn still need Dare to protect and stand up for him? Or is Dare the one who really needs it now? It was interesting to see the tables turn and Dare wanting more than master/control play. The scenes were really hot and very well done.
So this story is about starting over, second chances and learning the people you know now are not the people you knew then. Finn and Dare still seem to have much to learn about each other, and I’d love to read more about how they are getting along. The secrets and mysteries and twists and turns abound in a well-put together story. I would have liked to have seen a little more about how Finn got to where he did with the BDSM.
There are also some wonderful side characters here (Lyddie), and some not so wonderful but which I still wouldn’t mind seeing again (Bill). Poor Bill has almost as many issues as Finn but ends up not having anyone to help him in the end.
July 10, 2014
Z.A. Maxfield has created a gem of literary goodness with Home the Hard Way. She has expertly blended romantic suspense, a little friends to lovers romance, a small bit of rekindle, a slice of a super sweet love story, with a dash of bdsm kinkery. She does this in a way that it works. It works so good in fact that this is one of those books where I will think about the main characters for a long time to come.
Dare Buckley left childhood home fifteen years ago. His mother left the home where the horrors of her husband’s death would always haunt her. She took her son from the place where his father had killed himself. This also forced Dare to leave behind the one good thing he never knew he would miss, Finn.
Returning to Paladian is not the homecoming Dare would have wanted. A turn of events at his previous job has forced this move. The move and the crazy that is about to unfold in sleepy small town Paladian will put Dare face to face with Finn. With the number of years that have passed Finn and Dare are practically strangers to each other. I loved following them along as they stared over. There was so much more than just time between them.
There are a series of odd crimes in the nothingness of Paladian that has the local gossipmongers pointing many different fingers at too many different people. Dare sees the past repeating itself. Finn sees something in Dare that weighs largely on what happened in Seattle. Others see it too and it doesn’t take Dare long to see that he is his own enemy in some ways and that Finn is possibly the best cure to some of his problems. The fix is there, now Dare just has to learn to trust the man he thought he knew.
Home the Hard Way is amazingly awesome. I had no clue where the book was headed at any given time. The romantic suspense aspect kept me on my toes. The incidents from the past and how they played into the now was perfectly played. Everything that happens pushes Finn and Dare together only to have it pull them apart. The sexual tension stayed high with that. The sexual tension also worked well considering what each man wants from the other.
Favorite quote, Dare to Denise: “I know Finn’s not who I think he is. I just have to find out how wrong I’ve been.”
Dare Buckley left childhood home fifteen years ago. His mother left the home where the horrors of her husband’s death would always haunt her. She took her son from the place where his father had killed himself. This also forced Dare to leave behind the one good thing he never knew he would miss, Finn.
Returning to Paladian is not the homecoming Dare would have wanted. A turn of events at his previous job has forced this move. The move and the crazy that is about to unfold in sleepy small town Paladian will put Dare face to face with Finn. With the number of years that have passed Finn and Dare are practically strangers to each other. I loved following them along as they stared over. There was so much more than just time between them.
There are a series of odd crimes in the nothingness of Paladian that has the local gossipmongers pointing many different fingers at too many different people. Dare sees the past repeating itself. Finn sees something in Dare that weighs largely on what happened in Seattle. Others see it too and it doesn’t take Dare long to see that he is his own enemy in some ways and that Finn is possibly the best cure to some of his problems. The fix is there, now Dare just has to learn to trust the man he thought he knew.
Home the Hard Way is amazingly awesome. I had no clue where the book was headed at any given time. The romantic suspense aspect kept me on my toes. The incidents from the past and how they played into the now was perfectly played. Everything that happens pushes Finn and Dare together only to have it pull them apart. The sexual tension stayed high with that. The sexual tension also worked well considering what each man wants from the other.
Favorite quote, Dare to Denise: “I know Finn’s not who I think he is. I just have to find out how wrong I’ve been.”
July 29, 2014
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
This was an absolute gem! Way more than a romance story!!
Dare Buckley made a momentous cock up as Detective in Seattle so is returning home to Palladian with his tail between his legs. The very town he left with his mother all those years ago after his father committed suicide. Never understanding why his father killed himself he figures he will be able to poke around and look into the circumstances to see if he can discover the reason once and for all.
Finn Fowler idolised Dare as a child and was forever grateful to him when he went after the bullies that plagued his daily life. When Dare left town the day after his fathers funeral Finn never heard another word from him and is left feeling disconcerted realising the man is now back in town.
As the two men become reacquainted strange things start happening in Palladian. Death, mystery and secrets from the past are just the start of it. Finn seems to be connected to everything that happens causing Dare to realise he knows very little about the man he has become friends with again.
Finn is definitely not the same person Dare knew all those years ago.
After a tragedy whilst still at school Finn took control of his life and became master of his own destiny, literally, and Dare isn’t sure how he feels about this discovery.
This small town has secrets that entwine them all together through an event long gone and that most hoped was forgotten. Dare will have to work out who is telling the truth and what exactly happened to first save Finn’s life and then to discover whether they have a future together.
This was so tightly written that the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. There are twists and turns galore as all the old town secrets spill.
This was an absolute gem! Way more than a romance story!!
Dare Buckley made a momentous cock up as Detective in Seattle so is returning home to Palladian with his tail between his legs. The very town he left with his mother all those years ago after his father committed suicide. Never understanding why his father killed himself he figures he will be able to poke around and look into the circumstances to see if he can discover the reason once and for all.
Finn Fowler idolised Dare as a child and was forever grateful to him when he went after the bullies that plagued his daily life. When Dare left town the day after his fathers funeral Finn never heard another word from him and is left feeling disconcerted realising the man is now back in town.
As the two men become reacquainted strange things start happening in Palladian. Death, mystery and secrets from the past are just the start of it. Finn seems to be connected to everything that happens causing Dare to realise he knows very little about the man he has become friends with again.
Finn is definitely not the same person Dare knew all those years ago.
After a tragedy whilst still at school Finn took control of his life and became master of his own destiny, literally, and Dare isn’t sure how he feels about this discovery.
This small town has secrets that entwine them all together through an event long gone and that most hoped was forgotten. Dare will have to work out who is telling the truth and what exactly happened to first save Finn’s life and then to discover whether they have a future together.
This was so tightly written that the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. There are twists and turns galore as all the old town secrets spill.
October 17, 2017
I really enjoyed Home The Hard Way. It was a solid 4 ½ stars and I would have rounded up except that it needed an epilogue. A solid HEA is implied so perhaps is didn’t so much NEED an epilogue as I really wanted an epilogue.
Dare (does anyone really name their child Dare? Is it a demographic thing? I have never met a Dare in my life) Buckley befriends the 5 year old Finn Fowler on the playground when Finn is 5. Dare is 10 but he doesn’t like the older kids picking on Finn just cause his mom his the town floozy so he takes him under his wing and Dare gets to play big brother to Finn’s hero worship. Although even back then Finn’s Aunt Lyddie kept a good eye out to make sure there was no funny business cause yeah it was odd with the age difference and all. Then Dare’s father blows his brains out and his family moves away and the teenaged Dare blows off Finn’s efforts to stay in touch.
Fast forward not as many years as you would think and Detective Dare is back in his small Oregon hometown after having fucked up royally in big city Seattle. Seems Dare tends to drink too much and think with his dick – which unfortunately leads him straight inside the perpetrator of the case he was investigating. Back in small town Palladian Dare figures he’ll try to get his shit together, maybe look into his dad’s suicide which never sat right with him and reconnect with the friend he left behind – despite said friend being the town pariah and openly gay.
Finn Fowler – or Foulest as the lovely denizens of Palladian refer to him – left the small town as well until the woman who raised him – his Aunt Lyddie – became stricken with cancer. Finn returns after college to care for his aunt, run her beauty salon and work on his handcrafted leather goods: belts, book covers, whips, cock rings….the usual.
Dare and Finn are both traumatized. Dare never got over seeing his father’s brains on the chair and Finn never dealt with the numerous traumas in his life. Dare took to the bottle and Finn to a detachment from others and attaining a sense of order and control in his life through the expression of his sexuality. Both Dare and Finn seem to have done quite a bit of living to get to where they are; which is why it shocked me to learn that they were 28 and 23 respectively. Dare felt to be in his early 40’s which would have put Finn in his mid-thirties – which would have made a lot more sense. Their re-connection, their relationship is very understated but also very real and very powerful.
The sex scenes were few but seemingly well done. The whole BDSM thing isn’t my thing – so by well done I mean I wasn’t rolling my eyes….much (although again Finn came off as way older and more self-possessed than a 23 year old kid). Dare and I kind of have the same thoughts about BDSM: “None of this was anything like Dare thought it would be. He’d figured he’d get his ass spanked, or Finn would put on his scary mask. He’d figured they would play good cop and bad cop. And they’d laugh and break character and fuck. But Finn wasn’t playing; he was serious as the grave….”. And it’s more than a sexual preference for Finn, it’s his way of coping.
Home The Hard Way is equal parts romance and crime drama: why exactly did Dare’s father kill himself. The mystery kept my interest but started to take on a very distinct Ghost Story feel but without the paranormal elements. Finn’s sexuality made sense within the context of the story as did the side story with Bill fucking Frazier. Despite Bill being an unlikable character, I saw the vulnerability and the goodness in him that Finn saw and I wanted him to have his HEA too. In the epilogue in my head Dare and Finn are enjoying domestic bliss. Since Bill is such a hardcore closet case Finn hooks him up with a hot little butchy dominatrix that he meets while selling his leather fetish goods and the 4 of them go out for beers and play darts at the cop bar on weekends.
Dare (does anyone really name their child Dare? Is it a demographic thing? I have never met a Dare in my life) Buckley befriends the 5 year old Finn Fowler on the playground when Finn is 5. Dare is 10 but he doesn’t like the older kids picking on Finn just cause his mom his the town floozy so he takes him under his wing and Dare gets to play big brother to Finn’s hero worship. Although even back then Finn’s Aunt Lyddie kept a good eye out to make sure there was no funny business cause yeah it was odd with the age difference and all. Then Dare’s father blows his brains out and his family moves away and the teenaged Dare blows off Finn’s efforts to stay in touch.
Fast forward not as many years as you would think and Detective Dare is back in his small Oregon hometown after having fucked up royally in big city Seattle. Seems Dare tends to drink too much and think with his dick – which unfortunately leads him straight inside the perpetrator of the case he was investigating. Back in small town Palladian Dare figures he’ll try to get his shit together, maybe look into his dad’s suicide which never sat right with him and reconnect with the friend he left behind – despite said friend being the town pariah and openly gay.
Finn Fowler – or Foulest as the lovely denizens of Palladian refer to him – left the small town as well until the woman who raised him – his Aunt Lyddie – became stricken with cancer. Finn returns after college to care for his aunt, run her beauty salon and work on his handcrafted leather goods: belts, book covers, whips, cock rings….the usual.
Dare and Finn are both traumatized. Dare never got over seeing his father’s brains on the chair and Finn never dealt with the numerous traumas in his life. Dare took to the bottle and Finn to a detachment from others and attaining a sense of order and control in his life through the expression of his sexuality. Both Dare and Finn seem to have done quite a bit of living to get to where they are; which is why it shocked me to learn that they were 28 and 23 respectively. Dare felt to be in his early 40’s which would have put Finn in his mid-thirties – which would have made a lot more sense. Their re-connection, their relationship is very understated but also very real and very powerful.
The sex scenes were few but seemingly well done. The whole BDSM thing isn’t my thing – so by well done I mean I wasn’t rolling my eyes….much (although again Finn came off as way older and more self-possessed than a 23 year old kid). Dare and I kind of have the same thoughts about BDSM: “None of this was anything like Dare thought it would be. He’d figured he’d get his ass spanked, or Finn would put on his scary mask. He’d figured they would play good cop and bad cop. And they’d laugh and break character and fuck. But Finn wasn’t playing; he was serious as the grave….”. And it’s more than a sexual preference for Finn, it’s his way of coping.
Home The Hard Way is equal parts romance and crime drama: why exactly did Dare’s father kill himself. The mystery kept my interest but started to take on a very distinct Ghost Story feel but without the paranormal elements. Finn’s sexuality made sense within the context of the story as did the side story with Bill fucking Frazier. Despite Bill being an unlikable character, I saw the vulnerability and the goodness in him that Finn saw and I wanted him to have his HEA too. In the epilogue in my head Dare and Finn are enjoying domestic bliss. Since Bill is such a hardcore closet case Finn hooks him up with a hot little butchy dominatrix that he meets while selling his leather fetish goods and the 4 of them go out for beers and play darts at the cop bar on weekends.
May 25, 2025
Wow, Z.A. Maxfield's Home the Hard Way is one wild ride! A twisted, turning tale that never stops. There is also some intense physical romance which fans of D/s will enjoy.
The audio version of Home the Hard Way is nicely performed by Shannon Gunn. And his fans will know why he was the perfect choice to narrate this one.
The audio version of Home the Hard Way is nicely performed by Shannon Gunn. And his fans will know why he was the perfect choice to narrate this one.
February 20, 2018
This was a good book that I read for a challenge. Dare Buckley befriends the 5 year old Finn Fowler on the playground when he was 10 Finn was being bullied because his mother is a slut so he takes him under his wing. When Dare’s father kills himself his mother moves them away and although Finn wants to stay in touch he blows him off. Fast forward Dare is just screwed his job up as a detective in Seattle he is back in his hometown. Dare has problems drinking too much and whoring around so he has decided it is time to get his act together. Finn left the town as well until his Aunt got sick he returns after college to care for her. Finn runs his aunts beauty salon and work on his handcrafted leather goods: belts, book covers, whips, BDSM and other paraphernalia. Both of these men are broken from childhood traumas and they both didn't deal with them very well. Finn used BDSM to cope and Dare drank. The relationship between these two was very powerful in a dysfunctional kind of way, but I liked both of them even with their past sometimes the past shapes us and we don't know how to cope with it without hurting ourselves or others. The sex scenes in this book were good and I wanted more of them. This was my first time reading this author this book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 12, 2014
OK. Wow. Was not expecting that. I borrowed this book. I'm going to have to go buy it now. Wow.
If you like to be warned ahead of time check out Riptide's site, they are good at giving out appropriate labels.
If you are adventurous-- be surprised. 8)
This is for people who like the unexpected and are ok with stories taking an uncharted path.
This book combines standard elements in an utterly unique way. Not a happy romp romance. Not an angst fest, either. Ok, Wow. This is a book for people who like books that are different. This book is a great romantic suspense.
The mystery/suspense was one of the best I've read this year. The small town dynamics were fascinating, pulled me right into the story. This is not the usual ZAM story, it is a zebra of a different color. And I am so glad the author took the leap into new territory.
***APPLAUSE*** *STANDING O* to a brave author!!!
Congratulations on an amazingly different and engrossing story.
If you like to be warned ahead of time check out Riptide's site, they are good at giving out appropriate labels.
If you are adventurous-- be surprised. 8)
This is for people who like the unexpected and are ok with stories taking an uncharted path.
This book combines standard elements in an utterly unique way. Not a happy romp romance. Not an angst fest, either. Ok, Wow. This is a book for people who like books that are different. This book is a great romantic suspense.
The mystery/suspense was one of the best I've read this year. The small town dynamics were fascinating, pulled me right into the story. This is not the usual ZAM story, it is a zebra of a different color. And I am so glad the author took the leap into new territory.
***APPLAUSE*** *STANDING O* to a brave author!!!
Congratulations on an amazingly different and engrossing story.
August 2, 2014
Hurt- comfort to the max and such a jumbled mess of angst... But uplifting and powerful too. Beautiful and engrossing.
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