Review - Cold by Brandon Shire

Cold by Brandon Shire

m/m

Rating = 5 stars

Another beautifully written book by the wonderful Brandon Shire. I know when I open a book by this author I am not going to be blindsided by hearts and flowers but it will be a real, in your face absorption of a read. Cold therefore did not disappoint.

The story centres on Lem and Anderson and their connection when they meet in the dim and soulless place of prison.

Lem is a lifer who was convicted for the murder of his brother some twenty years ago. He is a giant of a man but a gentle one at that. He has lost all hope of ever having the life he set out to have when he was a younger man. Living his life with his love for the outdoors and the forestry job he so passionately adored but which was cruelly taken from him after he committed the ultimate crime of his brother’s murder.  Lem has accepted his punishment and will not consider any other life other that what he now has inside the prison walls. He is a man with no life, no fear and no hope. Each day he plods on with his now monotonous life, keeping himself to himself with his protective shield of fear he portrays to the other prisoners.

Anderson has served eight years in prison after being betrayed by his lover and being a party to a crime he was blinded to avoid. We meet Anderson in the final eight months of his sentence which is also the books timespan. He has spent his time keeping his head down and out of trouble, waiting for the day he can walk out of the prison walls and continue with his life. But then he comes to the attention of an inmate who will not take no for an answer which results in a barbaric episode that brings a together Lem and Anderson in an explosive connection.

OK just let me get this off my chest… I LOVE LEM! There I said it and I want to rave about with a placard proclaiming this. I just wanted to grab hold of that gentle giant and pour all my love for him in one ginormous hug. He had me in bits, absolutely so. He was so misunderstood and such a tragic soul. Little was said of his full background and why he came to be as he was so there is so much more to understand about Lem.

Anderson was the more open of the pairing and at first he was petrified of Lem after what happened in that prison corridor but after time he could not ignore the invisible pull that transpired between them. It was a slow and torturous build up to their final connection but it was blissfully portrayed when the scenes of their togetherness were read.

I loved the interaction with Anderson and his sister on her weekly visits (she is kick ass and a great secondary character!) and his mother was a force to be reckoned with. Talk about a lioness and her cubs!

The ending was a heart wrench of a read. When I was reading it I was not aware there was another book in the making (yay!) so thinking there was nothing else but what happened I was in blubs. That beautiful man and that beautiful last night have left a lasting impression on me. I thought about it for days afterwards and still now get that heart stutter of a feeling.

A wonderful read and I cannot wait for the next in the series.