Review: Finding Home

Title: Finding Home
Series: Quinn Security
Author: Cameron Dane
Publisher: Loose Id
Publication Date: 13 May 2008
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 97 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: Rhone doesn't know what he was thinking when he offered a job to the kid who picked his pocket. As time passes, though, the kid--Adam--becomes such a part of Rhone's life that he can't imaging it without him. Living together, working together, all that's missing is the reciprocation of the love that Adam feels for Rhone, but is too afraid to confess. Will they be able to move beyond their expectations of each other to find love?

Rhone is my favorite of the two. He's confident and put-together, but also somehow vulnerable. His reaction to events later in the story made me want to hug him, which is always a bonus. His obliviousness is absolutely adorable, too, and his regard for Adam is touching.

Adam is an interesting character, but ultimately not one I could really relate to. Divorced from sex, I really like him; he's so determined to make himself worthy of Rhone that you can't help but root for him. Throw the sex into the mix, though, and... well... it changes things a bit for me. His fantasies put me off a bit, honestly.

The supporting cast is fun, if few. I really like Canin and Kasey, for the little she's in the book, is appealing--again, divorced from the sex. The squabbling between the two is also charming, though not quite enough to get me past the summary to read their sequel.

The chemistry between Rhone and Adam is... interesting. I love it when it's unresolved, between Adam's quiet affection and Rhone's complete ignorance of it. When it's realized and consummated, though, is when I run into issues. The sex is admittedly hot, but the way it's led into isn't quite my cuppa.

The story itself revolves around the evolution of the relationship between Rhone and Adam, so it's very character-driven. The evolution is natural (mostly) and sweet, and the writing itself is quite nice. Although both characters present their point-of-view, it's clearly delineated as to whose point-of-view is current, rather than smushed all together and alternating by paragraph.

There are some word choices that threw me, especially in the sex talk. Penis shows up bracketed by ass and fuck. Adam is pumped full of ejaculate. The back of Adam's throat is stamped by Rhone's piss-slit. My frequent pausing to blink over that terminology threw me out of the story--more specifically the sex--more than once.

I also had to wonder at Adam's transition from virgin to sex god. Really, practically within the same sexual encounter. His technique went from zero to sixty in a handful of pages, which I found quite difficult to believe, given that his history was mostly masturbating with a dildo. It's a minor point, but it's another thing that put me off the sex.

I really did enjoy this story, despite my quibbles. Rereading it, I think I'll skip the sex, though, and just revel in the sweetness of their relationship without it.