Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: Fire & Rain #4
Published: 9/2/14
Reviewed by Anne
117  ebook pages

You like m/m?  Then you should read this story.  Right now.  Please, stop reading this review, go buy this book, read it and come back.

What?  Not convinced yet?  OK, fine, let me explain to you why you should read November Rain.

First, there’s the characters.  Gruff and tough Joe is a Seattle cop.  He’s shopping for a new sweater (to wear to his ex’s wedding – ugh!) when he meets the young sales clerk, Elias.  Elias’ parents immigrated from Africa just before Elias was born.  Their bias against homosexuality has kept Elias not only in the closet, but very, very innocent.  Elias pushes Joe’s buttons in all the right ways, but before he can ask for Elias’ number, he ends up getting shot in the leg by a customer who is harassing Elias.  Elias is so drawn to Joe, and so concerned for his health that he shows up at the hospital to check on Joe.   This starts an interesting relationship between Joe and Elias.

Joe is stubborn and having a hard time dealing with his injury.  He’s not sure what to make of Elias’ eagerness and withdrawl, but he’s trying to figure it out.  Elias has more backbone than he appears to.  He knows what he is and isn’t willing to do and put up with, and he stands up for himself when needed, and wow is that a joy to read!  The sex between these two is dirty and hot, and sometimes messy and emotionally painful.

The secondary storyline is interesting, too.  It’s about Elias’s slightly older brother and his wife.  Since Elias’ parents moved back to Africa, they are the only family Elias has left.  He’s scared of their reaction if they find out he’s gay, and he’s also worried about the two of them.

Really the only complaint I can come up with is that things work out a bit too well for everyone.  And, honestly, that’s not really a complaint.  I’m fine with some sunshine and rainbows in my reading!

So, if you’re up for some really great characters who stand up for themselves and admit it when they’re wrong, along with some wonderfully smutty m/m sex, I highly recommend this book by Daisy Harris!  It’s going on my Best of 2014 list!

Even better news, it turns out this is the fourth book in the series!  What?  It stood alone just fine, but I can’t wait to go back and read the others!  Daisy Harris’ blog says that the first book, Fire and Ashes will be free until September 5!