Genre: Police Procedural, Contemporary
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Bi (cisgender)
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
When two broken men find redemption together, will one survive to accept it?
Chance
Everyone assumed I was a magnet for trouble, or maybe I searched it out on my own. By the age of forty, I almost destroyed my life. The tragic event that changed my entire perception of myself is haunting me. When a friend is in danger, I volunteer to keep them safe and momentarily distract myself from my problems. Yet my demons keep hunting me down.
Bart
For twenty years since my divorce, I’d completely cut myself off from all physical connection with another person. PTSD has taken everything from me, and a time bomb lives in my head—ready to go off at any moment. For the most part, I’ve learned to control it. When Chance needs help learning a healthier coping mechanism, I offer my assistance, but when he’s healed, will I be able to let him go like I’d promised?
Nothing had prepared two traumatized men for each other. Can they heal and find redemption, or will the danger around them take one from the other before they realize they have more than their demons?
Warnings: Mentions of childhood sexual, physical, and mental abuses. Passive Suicidal Ideation, self-harm, eating disorders, and mental illness. These are mainly off-page, but there are detailed flashbacks and conversations of said acts. Yet if these are triggering for you, please feel free not to read the story. Your self-care and mental health are more important. Thank you.
The Review
SWAT Lt. Chance Bowers’ life is in turmoil. Does he really have a death wish? PTSD, the horrors of abuse, addiction, and the fear of everyone leaving him have ruined his life. He destroyed his marriage with Dolan Sharp, who always loved and tried to give Chance what he needed, but Chance didn’t love him the same way. Dolan moved on and Chance followed him, but now it’s truly over.
A year ago, Chance had walked into the Outreach, and Boss had turned him over to the kitchen manager, Bart Hastings. Bart had lived on the streets after his time in the military. He felt his PTSD endangered his family, and the horror of war still remains with him. He never stopped loving them, but still lives a life of solitude. The Outreach and the strip are his home away from his small apartment.
During festivities at the Outreach, a sniper puts Vega and Sierra in the line of fire, and Chance goes into action. Dolan is not happy – he thinks Chance has been taking unnecessary risks with his life. Is Chance just doing his job and protecting others? Or is he an adrenaline junkie? There’s only one person who can help Chance, and that’s Bart.
The cold case crew comes together to protect Chance, and to investigate why he is now a target – it all goes back to his own personal nightmare. Chance needs answers, but he will face his nightmares to find them. Will Chance revert back to his life of pain and self-harm, or will Bart save him?
I love that Dabney tackles difficult subjects like abuse, self-harm, self-image and triggers, and treating them professionally and positively without the intent to offend anyone. They always project positive feedback and solutions in their novels.
I also appreciated their expert understanding of the unique Dom/sub dynamic here – Bart is the perfect Dom, and Chance his ideal sub – both find what they need in each other.
The Cold Case series is about mature men, most past the age of forty. They’ve all had their share of personal trauma and disappointments in their lives, but there’s still a spark left that ultimately brings them new life and happiness.
Dabney also does an outstanding job in keeping all of the Cold Case crew involved in the story, no matter what – no one is missed. They bring out all their talents, investigative skill, and the love that they share that makes them a unique “found” family. Even though Cold Cases and Sweet Redemption isn’t exactly a cold case, it takes everyone on the Cold Case crew to lend their expertise to help Chance, as he face a narcissistic sociopath and those that follow him.
Besides the Cold Case family, there’s a new family in this book too. Bart Hastings will reunite with his own family, and they will show the love and support they give to Bart and Chance. And there’s also a new member of the SWAT team, Trey Callaghan, someone to watch for in the future.
Dabney is an outstanding author, and has created another novel that I highly recommend. In fact, the entire “Cold Case” series is spectacular. I’m ready for the next book!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
