Sloane Kennedy - The Truth Within

At twenty-five years old, Ford Cornell should have his whole life ahead of him but instead, the would-be artist is drowning in denial and just trying to get through each day. And the boy who once believed life was about following impossible dreams has finally come to accept that it’s really only about surviving a living nightmare… one of his own making.
But the bruises are becoming harder to hide. So is the truth…
They say bad things happen in threes.
For Sherriff Camden Wells, it’s more like fours… or fives… or dozens.
After an ugly lie destroys his career and the man he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with cuts him to the core with the ultimate betrayal, forty-year-old Cam is counting on his new job as sheriff of the quiet town of Pelican Bay to be the fresh start he needs. What he isn’t counting on is meeting a young man who makes him want to break all his own rules.
Ford’s gotten used to his role as his older brother’s punching bag and being his mother’s never-ending disappointment. They may not be the Cleavers but family is family and Ford’s seen up close and personal what happens when you don’t have anyone in your corner… or when you go against family.
Two men… one living a lie and one knocking down the walls of the closet he was forced to live in for so long. When one white-hot encounter leads to another and then another, Ford and Cam are forced to accept that their need for each other isn’t going away anytime soon. But being together means one will need to go against everything he believes in.
So which man will bend and which will break? And what will the truth ultimately reveal?

Comment: This is the third story in the Pelican Bay series by author Sloane Kennedy. Although there were some issues with the first two novels, I still feel somehow drawn into these books and that is why I've now read the third...

In this third novel, sheriff Camden Wells is new in town but he is already more than familiar with the problems that can be found at the Sullivan house, namely the way he often finds Ford with some bruising. He knows very well that is his brother Jimmy who does that, but if Ford doesn't present charges, there isn't much he can do. 

Ford knows everyone is aware of what is going on and this embarrasses him, but he still looks for his mother's approval and it is hard to have that when she seems to prefer Jimmy instead of him. Cam makes him want something different for his life but will he achieve it when he is too afraid of what his family will do if they find out he more than likes Cam?

As expected, this was a rather cheesy story from star to finish. Especially the finish, in fact Still, I feel compelled to read and see for myself what will happen, even more so when there's something about the vulnerability of the main characters when they are in the stages of falling in love. It's really too bad there are so many cheesy scenes instead of the longing and the tension I think would suit the story more.

Ford and Cam were featured in the last book, in a very secondary situation but it became clear they would end up being a couple. I actually don't mind these tactics of setting up couples from books to books and often the anticipation can do wonders for one's interest in that specific story. I've felt that in regards to these two because Ford was obviously a victim of bullying and domestic violence and Cam would be a figure of authority and I was eager to see this dynamic in a relationship. For the most part, this worked out well but the guys weren't certain of one another for some time and then, of course, it felt Ford was not on the right spot (mentally I mean) to start a romantic relationship.

I did like Ford, actually, I think the author portrayed his vulnerability quite well and his anguish at what he had felt as a teenager but was "forced" ignore and how the abuse made him feel weaker. I can, therefore, understand why Ford wasn't able to simply acknowledge Cam nor his feelings for him even though it is made to be obvious how visible the attraction between them is. I still think the author could have written things in a way that these things would be stronger but I'll have to accept her style is different.

Cam is a steadier person, he's older too so that can be a given, and he has been through situations that reinforced his own sense of self. I thought the plot would be a lot about Cam trying to protect Ford while battling his attraction to him and this was very much so, but it got to a point where this situation became repetitive and frustrating. Of course Ford would not be assertive in his attitude and this made it feel as if Cam was trying to have something while Ford didn't... in real life waiting for someone might be frustrating but life happens; in a book it can seem dull.

When things between them finally happen, I must say I wasn't that interested in their intimacy scenes... things weren't as romantically described as I imagined and there was still some contrast to what they were facing in their personal lives... I can't explain it properly, but there were so many other things to deal with, problems, conflicts, past situations which affected both protagonists that everything felt like a pile of issues, which when added to several secondary characters/situations made the book seem vague, as a matter of fact! I wish the romance had had more tension and more scenes between them, both before and after they become intimate.

At a certain point, the most complicated issues get solved, the HEA seems imminent and several secondary situations play out or are finally dealt with. Still, despite all this, the very end is increased even further on cheesiness by having two more issues with a lot of emotional relevance happening and Cam and Ford somehow managing all that. I mean, it was great to see them together and having common goals in the community but...very unlikely too. One of those cases where, perhaps, less is more.

Grade: 6/10