Does trauma define or motivate a person?
Homeless and rejected, Henry Sullivan arrived on the doorstep of Ryan’s Place with nothing but the clothes on his back. Life as he knew it was over. Within those walls, Henry found the encouragement and love needed to turn hopeless into hopeful. Enrolling for summer classes at his community college was the first step toward achieving the dreams he thought were lost to him. There was just one little snag: the professor standing in the front of the room taught Henry the true meaning of human sexuality.
After a crushing breakup, Professor Ezra Meyer moved to the Queen City for a fresh start where everything was new—job, home, and friends. His first challenge: prove the benefits of his biology of human sexuality course outweighed the controversy. Ezra agreed to teach the class during the summer semester at a community college associated with his university to gauge interest. There was just one little problem: Ezra had personally demonstrated the unit on Sexual Technique and Behaviors with one of his students.
Random or Fate?
It was supposed to be a harmless hookup on a night when Henry was celebrating his birthday and Ezra was trying to ease his loneliness. Fast forward six months later, the attraction blazed hotter than ever, but acting on it could have dire consequences neither man was willing to risk. Or were they? Could true love be Henry and Ezra’s ultimate reward, or were they destined to become just another sad lesson learned?
Beautiful Trauma is a story about triumph over tragedy, embracing the unexpected, and a reminder that family is more than biology. Are you looking for a feel-good romance with witty banter, toe-curling passion, and a story that stays with you long after the final page? Look no further. Beautiful Trauma is the third book in the Queen City Rogues series but reads as a standalone book. It contains sexually explicit material and colorful language and is intended for adults 18 and over.
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited
Okay, so I’m coming in late to the series, having not read the other two in the series first, and though I feel like I should’ve known who one or two people were, it didn’t take anything away from the story.
In this one, we have Henry, who was kicked out of his mothers house and erased from her life after finding out that he’s not only gay but HIV positive. Her words did more damage than her actually turning her back on him, but with the help of his best friend Geoff, he’s able to find shelter and place to belong at Ryan’s House, a shelter type place that helps folks like him.
The folks there gave him the acceptance and understanding he so badly needed and helped him put one foot in front of the other and go on. The night of his twenty-first birthday, Geoff takes him out to celebrate his first legal drink in his first gay club, and that’s where he meets Ezra.
Ezra seems a little pompous and stodgy to me in the beginning, I wasn’t sure I liked him. His dialogue was too proper and he seemed old fashioned in the way that made old fashioned seem old fashioned. Does that make sense? Anyway… I wasn’t sure about him at first and he definitely had to grow on me… but grow on me, he did…
After the hottest one night stand of either of their lives, imagine their surprise when a few months later, when Henry starts classes at a community college, and Ezra is his professor.
Now.. I’m not big on forbidden romances such as boss/employee and teacher/student, because the plot line and outcome are always always always the same… they’re forbidden, so they resist at first and then have to be kept a secret whereas one of them, normally the student gets their feelings hurt and then someone/something outs them and their jobs and reputations are threatened and in the end, everything works out and all is well….That’s exactly what happened here.
I’m such a sucker for a wounded bird though and although Henry is much younger and his age really shows in their back and forth with each other… he’s very insecure and feels unworthy, thanks to his mother, so Ezra has to do a lot of reassuring and showing Henry that he loves him. Their back and forth is a bit redundant, but I can see where Henry needs it.
What I loved….is Ezra’s parents and their unwavering support and unconditional love for not only him, but each other and Henry too. I wish everyone had parents like them. I loved Henry’s best friend Geoff and I hope he gets a story as well, as well as his friend/roommate Jess, and everyone at Ryan’s house and Maria’s Pizzaria, who all accepted Henry with open arms and accepted him for the sweet person he is.
Overall, it was a sweet read and I’m curious to see if Geoff is next. Definitely going to go back and read what I missed with the other two.
4 Pieces of Candy
Great review; now I want to read this!