Driving Into the Sun
Author: Dev Bentham
Publisher: Loose ID
American release date: September 22, 2014
Format/Genre/Length: E-book/M/M Contemporary/175
pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★
When you hit bottom, you’ve no way to go but up…
Dusty Walker is about to hit bottom. Bad enough he was duped
by his boss/lover, along with a lot of other trusting souls who blindly placed
their money in Charles’ hands. Now Charles is in prison, Dusty’s license has
been revoked, and a spiral begun which can only end one way—with him crawling
back to his homophobic family in Idaho. To the father and brother who despise
him, and the mother he still loves, even after twelve years of never going
home. But Dusty has no choice. He sells most of his belongings at a flea market
and finds a ride on a ride board, heading west from Chicago.
The guy’s voice on the phone is so sexy, it gives Dusty
pause. But he isn’t prepared to meet an actual Indian named Joe Black. In
person, Joe seems rather stiff, and Dusty’s fantasies dissipate in the face of
reality. The third member of the group arrives, a very sexy cowboy. Luckily, he’s
straight, so Dusty won’t have to worry about that. Dusty isn’t interested in
hooking up, just getting to Idaho in time for his parents’ 35th
anniversary party—and to tell them the truth he’s evaded for the past year,
about himself and his living situation.
Dusty’s journey home has just begun, one he hopes will never
end. But nothing is as it seems. Why can’t he seem to quit making stupid life
choices?
At first, I thought this would be a typical strangers-meet-and-fall-in-love
romance during a road trip, but I discovered there was more to it than that as
I grew addicted to the characters. Dusty is endearingly flawed and insecure,
the kind of guy you just want to hug. Going home is a last resort for him. He’s
lost his faith in himself and his ability to control his life, thanks to his
relationship with Charles. Even when he finds himself attracted to Joe, he’s
afraid it’s his dick doing the thinking, with its propensity for falling in
love at first fuck.
This journey is not without peril, but what journey isn’t? I
found myself thinking about Dusty and Joe, even when I wasn’t reading, and I
would turn on the Kindle during commercial breaks just to keep reading about
them.
The characters are well-written, and the story has a great
deal of emotional impact. It’s easy to connect with Dusty and Joe, and to care
about what happens to them. This was a journey I’m glad I took, a real
feel-good read I heartily recommend.
