I shouldn’t have been surprised, but well, I was: Afflicted is one of the most romantic novels of this year, meanwhile maintaining the slightly ironic and dry style that I had the chance to experience with this author in the past. A classic hustler themed novel, with the addition of the disability, both of them theme that could have made this a sugary story, and instead are dealt in a way that clicked them perfectly in balance.

Hunter is a blind; not particularly wealthy, he has his own business that allows him to comfortably live, but nevertheless he sometime feels alone; a chance encounter with an escort leads to a night of paid sex, but well, it was good and Hunter enjoyed it, pity he has not enough money for a repeat.

Dillon has long stopped to work the street, and he is actually well-off enough to stop even the escort services, but when he meets Hunter, it’s like an epiphany; Dillon’s best friend, and probably first love interest, was his blind cousin, and Dillon has never forget him. In a time in his life when he feels the need for a change, looking at the past makes some things more beautiful and nostalgic than expected. Hunter brings back good memories and Dillon wants to relive them.

Another unexpected side of the novel was the good sex, so much that this is probably more an erotic romance than a contemporary romance; Hunter and Dillon enjoy sex, Hunter almost considers it a way to feel Dillon even more, and having sex with Hunter is for Dillon a way to feel something at all, sex for him wasn’t pleasure for a long time. As expected, removing the sight from the equation, Hunter gives a lot of importance to the other senses, and I liked that Hunter is frank and open, the fact that Dillon has an hot body is important, cause Hunter feels him with his hands, enjoys Dillon’s body with all his body.

Afflicted is first in a series regarding Dillon and Hunter, so I’m still not sure of what the final ending the whole plot will have, but for now, Dillon and Hunter are leading towards a quite traditional happily ever after, and that was good, I enjoyed a lot the combination of erotic plot with romantic (happily for now) ending.

Amazon: Afflicted (Volume 1)
Amazon Kindle: Afflicted (Volume 1)
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1480289817
ISBN-13: 978-1480289819

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


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