Just when I was relieved that Ms Glenn was over her big man/small man stint it turned up in this book. I'll admit that it wasn't dwelled on the way it was in her Tri-Omega series but it was there just the same. Rourke is the gay player type. Billy is a closeted man that has had a crush on Rourke for years. Billy has suffered countless beatings from his older brother somehow believing that if Clem beat him that Rourke would be safe. The story flowed well and was an enjoyable read. I would have given the book 4 stars but the insta-love, hidden under the guise of the Blaecleah Legend, and the fact that half the story took place in one night was hard to swallow. I did like the way Billy planned to atone for his wrongs and the way he took some control over Rourke. ( )

While this second story in this series was very different form the first, I liked it just as much. The close link to the first book allows another look at how Asa and Lachlan fare, now that they are married, while the full focus remains on the next pair, Billy and Rourke.

Billy is abused, gets beaten on a regular basis, and thinks he does it all to protect the man he has loved for years from his abusive and slightly mad brother. The thought that Rourke might well be able to protect himself and Billy as well never even enters his head. This shows how deeply ingrained his low self esteem really is. When something good does happen to him, he is sure it cannot last, and almost turns it into a self-fulfilling prophesy. I held my heart the entire time!

Rourke is the quintessential hero: strong, protective and clueless where the finer inter-personal skills are concerned. When he - finally- realizes that Billy is not only innocent, but abused, he wants to take charge. Only, Billy doesn't let him. That gives him something to chew on and only when he has dealt with that is there any hope for the true partnership they both want.

I liked the way their relationship develops, even if it is very quick (only for Rourke, Billy has known all along). I loved the fact that Billy and Rourke protected each other and hated how slow Rourke's family and the sheriff were on the uptake when Billy gets threatened one last time. This, however, is very realistic: people mostly see what they want to see. It made the final tense pages all the more interesting. Like in the first book, the secondary characters came alive for me as wella. I can't wait for the next installment. ( )