Length: 38,000 words approx.
Cover Design: Winterheart Design
Executioners Series
Blurb
Joker, what a misnomer, but Jackson Webb’s friends were idiots. He’d joined Executioners almost three years earlier after the lead singer King caught him playing his guitar behind his garage. It broke up the monotony of his life, but once he got bored, he’d move on to another distraction. He wasn’t nice. He sure as hell wasn’t friendly. He was what he was, his friends handled his attitude and standoffish nature just fine. At thirty-eight he was pretty sure he was too stuck in his ways to change shit now.
Demetri “Dem” Urban was settling into a new life in the middle of nowhere. Okay, he was hiding from everyone in a kitchen as far removed from his five-star kitchen back in New York as he could get. Gideon invited him to stay with him and his wife for a while just until he could get everything back on track. He didn’t see it happening, but he had to admit the scenery wasn’t bad even if the man had the personality of a rabid, man-eating bear. Dem did like a challenge and that fit Joker Webb perfectly.
Author's Note: This story contains scenes of a violent nature, mentions of rape and torture (All off page from characters pasts) and severe abuse. If you, as a reader, find this objectionable or triggering in any way, you can skip this story without losing the transition to the next book.
4 Stars!
Joker is book 2 in the Executioners series and while I suspect that it would be better read in order, the author provided enough background information regarding Gideon and Harper and the rest of the Executioners, who were introduced in book 1, that I never felt lost. Also, please read the author's note before reading, some themes dealt with throughout the story might be triggering, even if there's nothing overly graphic.
Joker (Jackson) has a horrific past. His father abused his mother until she finally disappeared when Jackson was 8, he decided it was Jackson's turn, until Jackson had enough and killed his father when he was 16. After getting out of jail, he worked at his garage until he joined the band. He cann't stand to be touched and hates abusers, who he gladly pummels whenever he finds one. At 38, he's set in his ways and doesn't expect to find love.
Dem's life hasn't been all that great, either. Mostly because he has a degenerative disease that affects his hips and pelvis and forces him to use arm braces to help him walk. This doesn't affect his sunny disposition or stop him from going after what he wants, in this case, Jackson, who he fell for from the moment he saw his picture at Gideon and Harper's house, where he lives.
Even if Jackson doesn't seem too keen on being pursued, Dem is determined and he'd do just about anything to get his man. However, Joker is equally determined to keep Dem at arm's length, certain he's damaged goods and how could a gorgeous man like Dem want him when he's covered in scars and burns? What Jackson doesn't seem to realize is that Dem doesn't want perfect, he just wants someone that can look past the weakness in his legs and treat him like a normal man.
Jackson's story is heartbreaking, but the angst was somewhat offset with Dem's stalkerish behavior. The book was both angsty and fun at the same time. I loved Dem, he was awesome and he more than proved to Jackson that he really was interested in him. I liked Jackson, and I felt so bad for him, but sometimes I just wanted to shake him a bit and make him see that resistance was futile. LOL There was no way that Dem wasn't winning him over with his charm. While I felt they had a lot of chemistry, the too-rough sex, especially with Jackson's past misgivings that he would end up being like his father, didn't quite work for me. Perhaps if it'd been more varied, maybe?
Anyway, this was an enjoyable read. It was fun and sweet and angsty with a great cast of characters I'd love to read more about. Recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
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J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT romance and fiction. She lives with a constant diverse cast of characters in her head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. she lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure she does them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and she makes sure her characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more she wants from telling her stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.
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