Series: Revolutionary Heart
Volume: 2/?Publisher: Janice Jarrell
Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Romance
Length: 78 333 words
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮
After a tumultuous struggle with his feelings and with himself, Colin Campbell finally settled down and for months has enjoyed a satisfying, blissful life with Josh. Unfortunately, peace and joy can't last forever, because fate has completely different plans for two lovers. When the Charlottesville authorities agree to the neo-Nazi march, from the very beginning it is known that it will not be a peaceful manifestation, but a real struggle for survival for all those who at that time will be nearby. due to that fact, all police officers are put in a state of readiness, including the university police, and hence Colin himself.
However, this is not all that fate prepared for Colin and Josh, because the police officer is forced to take part in an informant program designed on the one hand, to help students detained for drug offenses in cleaning their record, on the other hand, to arrest a drug lord who is distributing his goods at the university. Colin is supposed to be responsible for everything from behind his desk, but Josh is well aware that his lover will do almost anything for students, so there's simply no way there won't be any problems.
However, this is not all that fate prepared for Colin and Josh, because the police officer is forced to take part in an informant program designed on the one hand, to help students detained for drug offenses in cleaning their record, on the other hand, to arrest a drug lord who is distributing his goods at the university. Colin is supposed to be responsible for everything from behind his desk, but Josh is well aware that his lover will do almost anything for students, so there's simply no way there won't be any problems.
"Love's Magic", the first volume of "Revolutionary Heart" series, definitely deserved praise because of the psychological depth of that story presented by Janice Jarrell. However, "Love's Trials", the second part of this series, is even better and goes even deeper into the psyche of our protagonists. This time, the author focuses primarily on the subject of a brush with death and, as a consequence, serious health problems. It is worth noting that she makes use of this plot element to the maximum, as she presents it on many planes. And let's add that throughout the story she remains true to her characters and their personalities. The first of the mentioned planes is the impact that the serious damage to health has on a person directly affected by it. The reader witnesses how a proud, confident man slowly changes and pushes his loved ones away. A tough guy who has never needed any help, suddenly becomes dependent on another person, and worst of all, on a person whom he would like to spare this kind of experience, which naturally doesn't remain without consequences for his psyche. The second aspect of the problems raised in this volume is the impact that the possibility of losing a loved one has on an ordinary person. Therefore, we are presented with a whole range of negative emotions connected with such an event, as well as its possible consequences. The next plane consist of the impact of dramatic events on the relationship and adversities with which characters have to deal not only as individuals but also as a couple. Janice Jarrell shows that events that change people and pose a serious challenge to the psyche are of great importance also in the context of interpersonal relationships, such as love relationship and friendship. Finally, I will add that the author from the beginning to the end in a really excellent manner showed the personalities of all her characters, as well as the psychological problems with which they have to struggle after what happens to them.
A few words I would also like to write about the subject of anti-Semitism raised in "Love's Trials", which is all the more important because it directly affects our lead characters. I admit that I did not expect the author to lead the story in such a way as to refer to this extremely serious problem to such a large extent, so I was really positively surprised. In a very dramatic and moving manner she showed the enormity of human hatred, which can destroy another human being not only physically but also mentally. It is very important in this context that Janice Jarrell presented the influence of anti-Semitism not only on people with Jewish roots, but also on people close to them, such as colleagues, friends, lovers. I must admit that describing the neo-Nazi march, the author moved me to the core many times, and Colin's words: "[...] I sleep beside a Jewish man every night!" are engraved in my memory deeply enough that I will remember them for the rest of my life, as in my opinion they contain much more meaning, than one might think.
I believe it is also very important that "Love's Trials" is not only a novel about love and its problems, but a moving story about true friendship. Janice Jarrell not only stressed how lucky Colin and Joshua are to have David and Nate at their side, but she also showed the reader how extremely important friends are and how supportive they could be. They are our eyes when there's something we can't see, our ears when we don't hear a sound, our understanding when we can't rely on our own. They are also our conscience, anchor, guidepost, alarm siren when something bad happens. They are part of us. And this kind of friends we see in "Love's Trials", exactly this kind of friends David and Nate are. And so, although the novel focuses on Colin and Josh, these two supporting characters also play an incredibly important role in this volume, and hence we can fall in love with them once again, maybe even more than while reading "Love's Magic".
Finally, I have to mention one thing that I already noticed in the previous volume of the series, thing that in "Love's Trials" was presented by the author in even more detail. Namely, what I have in mind is the fact that Colin considers both his Irish ancestry and Joshua's Jewish roots as extremely important. It really captivated me, because if from the first volume of "Revolutionary Heart" we knew that Colin is proud of his Irish origin, in this part of the series we also see that he is equally proud of the Jewish blood flowing through his lover's veins. You can even say he is in love with that fact, just as he is in love with everything that makes Josh who he is. It's something really beautiful. What's more, one can't miss the fact that in "Love's Trials" our two lead characters often exchange assurances of love in the languages of their ancestors, which is almost magical. At this point, I must add that this somewhat small gesture clearly stresses the uniqueness of Colin and Josh both as individuals and as a pair. In this way, the author undoubtedly conquered my heart even more than before.
To sum up, I consider "Love's Trials" to be truly perfect. This novel is full of psychological depth, various violent emotions, honest, strong feelings, and it also touches incredibly important topics and makes us fall in love anew with the characters, who already stole our hearts. It is a moving and beautiful story that one will remember for years. It is simply magical.
Headcanon: Even after Colin feels much better, Josh massages his leg at least once a day.
Fanfiction idea: With Colin in mind, Josh signs up for a massage course. Colin wants to somehow thank him for it, but since he has no idea how, he asks all his friends for help. Unfortunately, he is very picky and rejects all their ideas one by one.
AU idea: Josh, a young, promising psychologist, moves to Ireland, where he gets a really good job. Unfortunately, he often commits many, usually funny, cultural faux pas. One day he attracts the attention of a greatest city playboy, Colin. Colin decides to help a handsome psychologist settle in his beloved country, and get into his pants. He doesn't even suspect that Josh will get into his heart instead.
Here's some more about:
My name is Janice Jarrell. I am a retired grandmother who lives in Seattle, WA. I have two children and three grandsons. I've been writing gay romance since I was twelve years old, only back then it wasn't called ‘gay romance’. In fact, it had no name at all. It was the fifties, and it was worth your life to admit to being gay, let alone confess to being a girl who constantly fantasized about relationships between gay men. Hell, I didn't even know what a homosexual was. I lived on a farm out in the sticks in a tiny Michigan village and I’d never, to my knowledge, even heard the word. I just knew I loved the thought of boy on boy romance. I just knew that there was something hot going on between Tom Corbett and his Space Cadets and all those guys on ‘Combat’.
I wrote slash fanfiction for 30 years, writing over 337 stories, some as short as 100 words (a drabble) some as long as a series which was over 119,012 words. I enjoy writing my stories. I enjoyed the feedback I received from my readers. It was a creative release I’d been searching for my entire life and I blessed the Internet for leading me to this artistic oasis for my spirit.
Love’s Magic was my very first step into writing my own characters. I will always be grateful the slash fanfiction community for nurturing the budding author until she was ready to blossom into a fully realized novelist. It’s been an amazing thing to watch the gay community’s growth over these past twenty years. My own journey has echoed theirs in many ways, and I’m grateful to all those gay activists who fought to give the gay community the rights and privileges they always deserved.
I’m also grateful to the gay romance community, readers, authors, publishers and promoters, who are making these, my retirement years, the most creative ones of my life. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, walking, hiking, knitting, crocheting, and weaving.
I'm very excited about the upcoming release of my second contemporary gay romance novel, Love's Trials. Those of you who fell in love with Joshua and Colin in Love's Magic are in for a treat because they are the STARS of Love's Trials, though they may not thank me for it given the very difficult 'trials' they are about to face.
Book Title: Love's Trials (Revolutionary Heart, Book 2)
Author: Janice Jarrell
Release Date: October 12, 2018
Blurb
After half a lifetime spent in short-term liaisons that allowed no intimacy, charismatic Irish police officer, Colin Campbell, found the love of his life. Dark-eyed, steady Joshua Abrams burned through Colin’s emotional barriers and taught him to look at life through new eyes, eyes that made room for the love and closeness he had always denied himself. Deeply in love and completely happy, their life together remains idyllic and their fiery passion for each other seems limitless.
They survive the Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' riots, though not without scars. But later that month Colin’s position with the campus police force places him in charge of an informant program designed to crack a dangerous drug ring. Fully aware of the risks, he swears to Joshua that he will oversee the program without becoming directly involved. But Colin's promise begins to crumble when he becomes the only one who can save a young Nigerian exchange student from a deadly drug lord.
They survive the Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' riots, though not without scars. But later that month Colin’s position with the campus police force places him in charge of an informant program designed to crack a dangerous drug ring. Fully aware of the risks, he swears to Joshua that he will oversee the program without becoming directly involved. But Colin's promise begins to crumble when he becomes the only one who can save a young Nigerian exchange student from a deadly drug lord.
Excerpt
Colin drew in a breath. He released Joshua, then took his hand and drew him toward the couch. "Sit with me a minute. I need to tell you something."
Joshua shook his head as he fell onto the couch beside Colin. "You're going to do it," he said. "You're going to be part of the drug investigation."
Colin's eyes widened. "Lenny! That jackass called you?"
Joshua chuckled and shook his head. "No," he said. "C'mon! Lenny would never do that. No. I was expecting it." His fingers tightening on Colin's. "I knew you couldn't say 'no' to them. Once they started waving the students in front of you it was a done deal."
"You mad at me?"
"Oh, hell no! Are you serious? Why would I be?"
"I know this whole operation worries you."
Joshua looked past Colin to the windows of their house, past which the Rivanna river flowed. "You can't base the way you do your job on what might or might not make me nervous," he said. "You have to do what you think is right." He turned back to Colin. "And I know you always will."
Colin leaned in and kissed him. "I didn't tell you the best part! David's going to partner with me. They want us to develop a set of prerequisites for the students' participation. It's…," he shrugged and wrinkled his nose, "it's paperwork. It's grunt work. It's no big deal."
"I see," Joshua said. "So there's absolutely no chance that you'll end up involved on a deeper level. Zero. None. Nada."
Colin lifted Joshua's hand to his lips. "Josh…," he began, then stopped. It no longer surprised him when Joshua seemed to read his thoughts and often even his fears, and since he couldn't bring himself to lie, Colin was now left with little choice. He sighed and looked somewhat sheepishly into Joshua's dark eyes. "Well…," he began.
"Yeah," Joshua interrupted. "That's what I figured."
"I promise you this," Colin said, pulling him closer. "I swear to you that I will resist any attempt to get me into the field. I will absolutely handcuff myself to my desk."
Joshua's face twisted with doubt, as he returned Colin's gaze, then he shook his head in resignation. "Colin, I believe you. And I truly believe you'll hold to that—"
Colin nodded.
"—right up to the moment when one of them says the words ‘student in danger’."
Colin's eyes fell.
"And thirty seconds after that," Joshua said, "there'll be a white streak where Colin used to be."
"Josh—"
"Don't bother denying it," Joshua said. He leaned in to press his lips to Colin’s then sat back, his eyes locking, once again, with the honey-green eyes of his lover. "You're the Man of La Mancha, Colin. You hear the call of glory and off you go. You don't even think about consequences to yourself. You never have. You only care about doing what's right." As he spoke this last his dark brown eyes closed and his head dropped.
"Josh, please..,"
"You are who you are, Colin," Joshua continued. "That's why you're the man I love."
Colin touched his cheek.
"And no matter how this thing turns out," Joshua continued, "I would never, ever want that man to change."
About the Author
I wrote slash fanfiction for 30 years, writing over 337 stories, some as short as 100 words (a drabble) some as long as a series which was over 119,012 words. I enjoy writing my stories. I enjoyed the feedback I received from my readers. It was a creative release I’d been searching for my entire life and I blessed the Internet for leading me to this artistic oasis for my spirit.
Love’s Magic was my very first step into writing my own characters. I will always be grateful the slash fanfiction community for nurturing the budding author until she was ready to blossom into a fully realized novelist. It’s been an amazing thing to watch the gay community’s growth over these past twenty years. My own journey has echoed theirs in many ways, and I’m grateful to all those gay activists who fought to give the gay community the rights and privileges they always deserved.
I’m also grateful to the gay romance community, readers, authors, publishers and promoters, who are making these, my retirement years, the most creative ones of my life. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, walking, hiking, knitting, crocheting, and weaving.
I'm very excited about the upcoming release of my second contemporary gay romance novel, Love's Trials. Those of you who fell in love with Joshua and Colin in Love's Magic are in for a treat because they are the STARS of Love's Trials, though they may not thank me for it given the very difficult 'trials' they are about to face.
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RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE
This is Janice Jarrell. I just don't have the words that could possibly thank you enough for this review. You gave me goosebumps and left me weeping into my morning coffee. You GET it. And believe me that's more rare than one might have thought. I plan to print out this review and frame it. It speaks to the heart and soul of Love's Trials AND to the heart and soul of why I wrote it.
ReplyDeleteMy inspiration came from a retired police officer who shared with me the kinds of 'trials' experienced by police officers... especially big, tough, alpha-male types like Colin... when they suffer this kind of injury. He was outraged that the after effects of such a devastating injury were often ignored and encouraged me all the way to include Joshua's story as well as Colin's. He was my mentor in this endeavor. And I will also share this review with him. I feel sure he will also be in tears.
Thank you from a very grateful heart.
Thank you with all my heart for sharing your "Love's Trials" inspiration with me. Reading the novel I felt it must be true that for all those alpha-males dealing with the injury that makes them dependent on others must be extremely hard, just as you showed it. I am really happy to know that I get it right as I always try to understand others, because that is who I am. I think that people learn not only from experience but also from novels like yours. You met someone who shared those "trials" with you and you shared them with your readers. People sometimes forget that some works of fiction are based on real life events and they treat them as a simple entertainment while they should think about the real meaning behind these books.
DeleteThank you once again for all you did for me simply by writing "Love's Trials" and writing this comment. It is really important for me.