Moving Mountains (Separate Ways #3)

Title: Moving Mountains
Authors: Laura Harner
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Art: n/a
Buy Links:Buy LinkAmazon, ARe
Genre: contamporary m/m, thriller
Length: Novel (63 k words)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 rating stars

A Guest Review by Feliz

Summary Review: This third book in the series takes the heroes on a journey that might be too painful and demand too high a toll for them to ever reach their destination.

The Blurb: It’s easier to move a mountain than escape the past.

After the ultimate betrayal results in the death of his lover, Jamie Mainwaring looks to the past for answers, and discovers his entire life is a lie. When uncovering the truth leads to a more devastating loss, there’s only one place he can turn for understanding.

When former-detective Remington left the police department, he never looked back. Now, his glory-stealing ex-boss is dead, leaving Remy’s real name scratched in the dirt at the brutal murder scene.

Two years ago, Miguel Rojas left New York in the back of his best friend’s car, in real danger of falling victim to the same addictions that left his twin sister in bed with the drug lord he’d been deep undercover investigating. When she shows up looking to make amends, misplaced guilt mixed with curiosity open old wounds.

While Remy returns to his police department roots to track down a killer, Miggy and Jamie team up to find the bones from Miggy’s past and bury them once and for all.

The truth shall set you free—except when the past is determined to claim you.

The Review:  After a series of devastating revelations Jamie Mainwaring’s life lies in ruins–his career, his relationship, his family, even his social status are all blown to pieces. He takes refuge at the only place he figures he’ll still be welcome: in Phoenix, Arizona where Jamie’s former lover Remy lives with his boyfriend and partner, Miggy, and their adopted son, Toby.

No sooner has Jamie arrived than events start coming thick and fast. Remy gets involved in a case with his former department that claims all his attention and most of his time, and Miggy’s long-lost sister shows up on Remy’s and Miggy’s doorstep, claiming to want a family reunion. As Remy is otherwise engaged, Jamie and Miggy form an unlikely alliance in order to lay Miggy’s past to rest.

But there’s still a lot of unsolved business between Remy and Jamie, and Miggy’s and Remy’s relationship, while built on mutual strong affection, friendship, and trust, is still far from stable. With all the chaos and mayhem around them, how will those three men sort the threads that tie them all together?

This book placed me in quite the dilemma, because while I fell in love with Remy/ Jamie in the first book and rooted for them to get back together, I also came to adore Miggy during book two and couldn’t help cheering for Miggy/ Remy too, as what they built together was strong, real and beautiful. (Well, I don’t want to be too spoilerish, but the author solved this problem for me, if in a heartbreaking and unexpected way.)

Once again, the characters and their emotions were what carried the book. I bought them, each and every one, their motivations, their hangups and insecurities, their pain and their joy. This book wasn’t as heavy on the sex as the previous two; however, the few erotic scenes in here were precious in both their execution and their forwarding the plot and the characterizations. Skillfully written and as captivating as the emotional tension that permeated the book.

Also, I found the background mystery better executed this time, if still far-fetched and requiring suspension of disbelief, especially in regard to Remy’s involvement with his former department. The sleuthing Jamie and Miggy did, though, that was cleverly done and thrilling.

Heartfelt emotions, interspersed with fast-paced action, made this book a moving read and a worthy continuation to powerfully written series.

The ending, though, was one of the strongest I’ve ever come across, a hell of a cliffhanger and a beacon of hope rolled in one. Normally, I hate cliffhangers and avoid series that resort to that plot instrument like the plague, but this time, the author got me cold–I can’t wait to read book four.

Highly recommended!