Loose Cannon by Sidney Bell

So, I finished Loose Cannon by Sidney Bell the other night and I liked it, but man, do I regret finishing it in bed late at night! I had a series of nightmares most of the night—of intruders and being chased and being attacked—all of which happened to the main characters in the book.

My wife woke me up from one of the nightmares because I was shouting for help. Or, at least, in my nightmare, I was shouting for help. According to her, I was doing this very breathy 'ahhhh' thing that I do during these kinds of nightmares. That, or it sounds like I'm singing opera, she says.

Anyway, it's the first book in the Woodbury Boys series, which is a series about three young men who meet at a residential treatment facility for youthful offenders. This one sets up some of the events that culminate in the third book that I've already read—Rough Trade—though I honestly don't think these books really need to be read in order. (Except probably book 2, which I just started, shouldn't be read first.)

I'm a little conflicted about the characters in this book. I really liked both of them and I like how their relationship develops. But I don't normally like to read about characters who are conflicted or in denial about their sexual orientation. I get that's a thing a lot of folks go through (hell, I had my own years of being conflicted about being queer). I…just don't really like revisiting that level of angst in my fiction.

But Miller is such a good guy and so easy to like that I could put it aside for the most part. And I did really like how maturely Church handled his lover's hesitation about being open about their relationship. Especially considering how much emotional baggage Church has all on his own.

I think this series is fairly characterized as romantic suspense rather than straight-up romance. Parts of it are pretty freaking scary, as witnessed by it causing me nightmares.

Still glad I read it. I'd just maybe recommend reading it during the daytime. And chasing it with something fluffier before bed.

Goodreads listing