2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Love Can't Conquer by Kim Fielding (199-07-24-2016)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

1) Fielding blew me away with how true-to-life these characters are! Vivid and deep. I felt I was in the room with them through every moment of the story. While there was no overt dwelling on setting, after I finished reading, I noticed I felt as if I'd visited Portland, Oregon for the first time, and that if I ever actually go, it will feel quite familiar. As a "character-driven" reader, plot is of lesser importance to me, yet this one is superb! In fact, many of the twists and turns occur as a natural, if not inevitable, result of the quirks in the characters' personalities, which makes it even more scrumptious! On style, the AU's is flawless. I shaved off one point because this book was published by DSP, and there are a number of unfortunate editorial oversights that really should have been caught. I'm thankful and delighted to have read this book (my introduction to Fielding), and even happier to offer it an Honorable Mention.

2) The darkest stories need a ray of hope, something for the reader to hold on to, look forward to. Kim Fielding delivers that here, along with characters who are completely human in their needs, wills, faults and desires.

Love Can't Conquer by Kim Fielding
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 3, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634773209
ISBN-13: 978-1634773201
Amazon: Love Can't Conquer
Amazon Kindle: Love Can't Conquer

Bullied as a child in small-town Kansas, Jeremy Cox ultimately escaped to Portland, Oregon. Now in his forties, he s an urban park ranger who does his best to rescue runaways and other street people. His ex-boyfriend, Donny lost to drinking and drugs six years earlier appears on his doorstep and inadvertently drags Jeremy into danger. As if dealing with Donny s issues doesn t cause enough turmoil, Jeremy meets a fascinating but enigmatic man who carries more than his fair share of problems.

Qayin Hill has almost nothing but skeletons in his closet and demons in his head. A former addict who struggles with anxiety and depression, Qay doesn t know which of his secrets to reveal to Jeremy or how to react when Jeremy wants to save him from himself.

Despite the pasts that continue to haunt them, Jeremy and Qay find passion, friendship, and a tentative hope for the future. Now they need to decide whether love is truly a powerful thing or if, despite the old adage, love can t conquer all."

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html