Payback

Reviewed by Tams

Tyler Powell’s life was irrevocably changed in a matter of minutes with one random act of violence. Just a few short hours ago, he was lying in bed with his husband, exchanging the rings painstakingly sought out for their perfection after being married for a year. Now Tyler and Spence lie broken, beaten, and dying on the floor of a public restroom. The victims of a homophobic beating.

Three weeks later Tyler wakes in the hospital, his memories are shaded, and his husband is dead. His assailants even took their beloved dog when they retreated, leaving Tyler and Spence for dead.

Officer Christian has been enamored with Tyler since the first time he saw him on the gurney in the ER, so fragile and broken, and the infatuation only grows as he spends more time with Tyler trying to solve Spence’s murder investigation. Chris wants to get to know the man who had the strength to survive, wants to keep him safe, but Tyler makes that hard by being secretive and hell-bent on getting revenge. The three assailants are still at large, but protecting Tyler from himself may be a harder job for Chris than solving the case.

This is a very dark and disturbing story. I will warn you that if you have certain triggers then this may not be the book for you. Please read the synopsis and now that Inman describes the attack in detail. That being said, it is an integral part of the story.

I really enjoyed how Inman showed Tyler as he muddled his way through life in the early days following Spence’s death. Denial, grief, anger, revenge, these are all human emotions that must be felt and dealt with in the wake of such a life-altering event. But there is also trust in another person to help you get through the ordeal, and eventually, hopefully, you learn how to love again.

I really enjoyed this story, as dark as the content was and as hard as Tyler struggled in the aftermath of loosing Spence, there was a beauty to him finding happiness again. The story is well written and gripping from the start, and kept my attention throughout its sadly poetic storyline.

I’d recommend this read for anyone that likes stories based in harsh reality with flawed characters that manage to find their way back from the edge with a little love and trust.

I was SUPER excited for this book and I was right to be! WOW! John wrote a heartbreaking story that I wasn't sure I'd come out of. What happens when the love of your life dies so horribly, in front of you? What happens when those responsible for tearing apart your life roam free? UHG! Right? Can a person love again? Would YOU seek revenge? DAMN I was all over the place with this book. Just crying and screaming (I screamed in my head I'm not THAT much of a loon) Tyler oh sweet Tyler. You come to love, sympathize, empathize, and grieve with him. Seeing this whole thing in his POV you literally feel like you ARE him and in that aspect it's a much more emotional read.