His Brother’s Keeper by Ali Katz is one of those stories that linger on long past the time you’ve read the last words. Part of it is the subject matter, but a bigger part is the depth of the characters and their come-to-life personalities. Dear heaven, Sal and Jess are wonderful, both individually and as a couple. The love that they share, the still-new excitement of their being together rolls off the pages and leave me somewhat envious… I remember those days!

Then Teddy is brought into their lives; not by his choice mind you, and a whole new dimension of being together is added. Gotta love a big brother who is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that his little brother is safe. And Sal is just freakin’ amazing in that he is more than willing to do what needs to be done for both the man he loves and the kid brother.

But one of the things that made the biggest impact is that none of them are perfect and that’s more than fine.

Jess is carrying around a mountain of guilt over his younger brother Teddy and, while intellectually I know there’s really not much he could have done, I can still see why he feels as he does.  It’s heartbreaking in sooo many ways, for both Jess and Teddy, and now Sal.

Sal, being a cop, has seen so much hurt that to have it touch the man he loves is almost more than he can stand. But for Jess, and later Teddy, Sal will do anything and everything he can to protect these two even at the cost of his own happiness.  A man like that is… beyond price.

Teddy; okay wow… his life has been one level of hell after another and it breaks my heart as we discover all that he’s been subjected to.  How he managed to remain someone with a heart is beyond me but he did manage to hold onto his humanity. The strength that this young man has is amazing, but the struggles that are ahead of him are not only daunting but almost overwhelming and not only for him.

This is an extremely emotionally charged story and yes while often difficult to read, it is rich and vibrant and very memorable. This is the first book that I’ve read by Ali Katz but the mastery with which she dealt with some extremely difficult issues—abuse and teen prostitution especially—is what kept me riveted to the pages. The vividness of her characters’ personalities and the lack of ‘type’—these are not caricatures, but people whose lives we are, for a time, allowed to be a part of however peripherally—is another wonderful facet of Ms. Katz’s storytelling. And very definitely why I will be pursuing this author’s books… you can never have enough stories like this.  Kudos to Ms. Katz for this wonderful book; you’ve got yourself another fan.

Kathy K.

Book Teaser: Jess and Sal are still living the honeymoon–sex all the time and everywhere–when Teddy enters the picture. Rescuing a sullen and troubled teen wasn’t in the plans, but when life throws a curve, real men swing. Sometimes love has a plan of its own

Book Description: A Loose Id “Hot Hooks” Winner!

After six months, Jess and Sal are still living the honeymoon — sex in the hall, sex on the stairs, sex on the kitchen floor. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

Enter Jess’s little brother, Teddy.

A kid is the last thing the lovers need, especially a sullen, troubled teen with far too much baggage, but Teddy needs them. When life throws a curve, real men swing.

A kid in the house, however, means getting together is no longer just a matter of wrestling to see who’s going to top, or stashing little bottles of lube in convenient places. It takes innovation: they haven’t tried the laundry room in the garage yet. And discretion: it’s hard to be discreet if your lover crows when he comes.

Still, watching Teddy bloom makes the daily challenges worthwhile. They manage, and their little family is just beginning to take on a healthy new shape when Teddy is viciously attacked and Sal comes under suspicion.

Now, where and when take second place to if and but. The ultimate test begins as they fight to hold fast to love and family while merciless forces work to rip them apart.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.

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Source: Publisher

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Reviewed by Kathy K.”