4.5 starsI am a huge fan of the movie, Donnie Brasco, which, if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do so. It reminded me so much of Joshua and what he went through being so deep undercover for so long that he had trouble keeping the different persona's separate. What he had seen and endured had changed him into the person he had to be to survive in that setting. Then, he had to forget all of that and somehow return to a "normal" life.
Josh basically suffers from a degree of PTSD from being undercover in one of the worst gangs in the country. Even though he was connected through his father, he still had to work hard to win their trust, often performing killings and beatings. He even endured a few beatings of his own, as well as a forced addiction to heroin.
So, now Josh is out, though the chances are still pretty high someone in the gang world will hear about it. He goes to his uncle's ranch after rehab to recuperate and start over. He's pretty damaged and has a very low opinion of himself, which are the least of his problems.
Eli, the ranch foreman who helps retrain and rehabilitate rescued horses, sees Josh as a bit of a rescue and decides he just needs the same treatment. It doesn't always work, but the two become closer, though not right away.
Things don't always go so well for Josh and Eli. They hit a few bumps here and there, some pretty large. When they are on the right track though, things are smokin hot. Eli really knows how to handle and give Josh what he needs. Luckily, they realize this is truly the case in the end.
This was another wonderful story by Rowan, who is one of my favorite damaged character authors. While this had some sad parts, the happy ones more than make up for it.