Review: Asylum by Robert Winter (Pride and Joy #2)
Note: This ARC was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.
I was fortunate enough to have read and reviewed September, the first in the Pride and Joy series, in May of 2017 and listened to and reviewed the audiobook for it last month. The book was what introduced me to Robert Winter's writing, and I was so impressed with what I read that I immediately followed it with what was then the second book in the series, Every Breath You Take, when the series was published by Dreamspinner Press. I'm not entirely sure about the timeline of events, but the rights to both those books were reverted to Winter and he's gone on to not just self-publish the books but also to have them become starters to two separate series--September for the Pride and Joy series and Every Breath You Take for the Nights at Mata Hari, which has a more suspenseful feel. The latter series already has a second book, Lying Eyes, which is on my to-be-read list, and now, the much-awaited follow-up to former series is set for release. With me being as affected as I was with its predecessor, this new book had lofty expectations to meet--and Asylum aptly surpassed every single one of them.
Twenty-one-year-old Hernán Portillo fled his home country of El Salvador, fearful that an infamous and dangerous gang which had already harmed him once was out to finish the job. The journey to freedom was a treacherous one fraught with events that continue to haunt him. Being an illegal immigrant in Provincetown, Massachusetts limits Hernán's options when it comes to employment, making him vulnerable to those who prey upon the desperate. The last thing he expects is to find help in the form of a man whom he rescues after a drunken tumble into the sea. Who would have thought that the rescuer later becomes the one needing to be rescued? But if anyone was up to the job it would be nearly thirty-year-old Colin Felton, whose work with an initiative focused on providing assistance to immigrants to the United States makes him the perfect person to help Hernán. Colin goes above and beyond to get Hernán closer to being granted asylum, but Hernán is wary, not wanting to be beholden to anyone. He knows all too well what it's like to have someone demand payment for services rendered.
Asylum isn't necessarily a quick read nor is it a light one, and it was the perfect novel to spend a few hours with on a holiday. Robert Winter's has, once again, given readers with two main characters that are worth becoming emotionally invested in. Hernán and Colin piqued my interest from the moment their paths crossed, and then I wanted to get to know them even more as the individuals they were before they were the couple that they had developed into. Colin was introduced in September, and I was happy to see that this second book gave him the opportunity to find his own way to happiness with a significant other. That doesn't mean, though, that readers need to read the books in order. They can be read as standalones, although if I'm being honest, I'm going to recommend both of the books, so you may as well read them one after the other because there are spoilers in this follow-up regarding the main characters in the series starter. With exceptionally strong writing, a substantially enticing story, and a cast of characters that certainly keeps everyone else on their toes, Asylum easily gets five-plus stars. ♥
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”Hernán kissed Colin’s palm and said, “And you are my friend and my lover. You’re passionate and funny. You love Doctor Who and you love sex toys. There’s so much you keep locked away inside but still you let me see it. I want everyone else to see it too. To know my Colin. I’m screwing things up but I’m trying, I really am. Don’t give up on me. Please.”
I was fortunate enough to have read and reviewed September, the first in the Pride and Joy series, in May of 2017 and listened to and reviewed the audiobook for it last month. The book was what introduced me to Robert Winter's writing, and I was so impressed with what I read that I immediately followed it with what was then the second book in the series, Every Breath You Take, when the series was published by Dreamspinner Press. I'm not entirely sure about the timeline of events, but the rights to both those books were reverted to Winter and he's gone on to not just self-publish the books but also to have them become starters to two separate series--September for the Pride and Joy series and Every Breath You Take for the Nights at Mata Hari, which has a more suspenseful feel. The latter series already has a second book, Lying Eyes, which is on my to-be-read list, and now, the much-awaited follow-up to former series is set for release. With me being as affected as I was with its predecessor, this new book had lofty expectations to meet--and Asylum aptly surpassed every single one of them.
Twenty-one-year-old Hernán Portillo fled his home country of El Salvador, fearful that an infamous and dangerous gang which had already harmed him once was out to finish the job. The journey to freedom was a treacherous one fraught with events that continue to haunt him. Being an illegal immigrant in Provincetown, Massachusetts limits Hernán's options when it comes to employment, making him vulnerable to those who prey upon the desperate. The last thing he expects is to find help in the form of a man whom he rescues after a drunken tumble into the sea. Who would have thought that the rescuer later becomes the one needing to be rescued? But if anyone was up to the job it would be nearly thirty-year-old Colin Felton, whose work with an initiative focused on providing assistance to immigrants to the United States makes him the perfect person to help Hernán. Colin goes above and beyond to get Hernán closer to being granted asylum, but Hernán is wary, not wanting to be beholden to anyone. He knows all too well what it's like to have someone demand payment for services rendered.
Asylum isn't necessarily a quick read nor is it a light one, and it was the perfect novel to spend a few hours with on a holiday. Robert Winter's has, once again, given readers with two main characters that are worth becoming emotionally invested in. Hernán and Colin piqued my interest from the moment their paths crossed, and then I wanted to get to know them even more as the individuals they were before they were the couple that they had developed into. Colin was introduced in September, and I was happy to see that this second book gave him the opportunity to find his own way to happiness with a significant other. That doesn't mean, though, that readers need to read the books in order. They can be read as standalones, although if I'm being honest, I'm going to recommend both of the books, so you may as well read them one after the other because there are spoilers in this follow-up regarding the main characters in the series starter. With exceptionally strong writing, a substantially enticing story, and a cast of characters that certainly keeps everyone else on their toes, Asylum easily gets five-plus stars. ♥
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Read my reviews for the Pride and Joy series:
September (book one) - five stars - My Review
Asylum (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)
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Release Date: 02 April 2018
Date Read: 30 March 2018
Learn more about Robert Winter.
Pre-order Asylum on Amazon.
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