Review: Unforgivable by Elle Keaton (Accidental Roots #6)


Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Other Worlds Ink in exchange for an honest review.

Stuff. An all-encompassing word. For Cameron, Ira suspected it covered everything from childhood bullying, to parental neglect if not outright abuse, abandonment, and now the very real and recent homophobic bashing. And yet here he was, vibrant, pursuing his dreams, making a living, being an amazing human being. Ira couldn't believe he'd caught Cameron's attention. Cameron deserved much better than him. 
Ira wanted to deserve Cameron. 

It's been almost a year since I first started reading Elle Keaton's Accidental Roots series, and with each book that the author has released, it's a series that's become a favorite of mine. And now, with the sixth novel less than a week away from its publication date, I've found my favorite book in the series so far! Unforgivable could easily be labeled a second-chance romantic suspense story, but Keaton's Accidental Roots books aren't what I'd consider "easy" reads. There's an intensity to every single one of them, almost as if there's a thrumming that I feel as the main characters not only figure out themselves and their potential relationships but also whatever case or crime demands the attention of one or both of them. With this latest book, neither of the main characters is in law enforcement, but that doesn't mean trouble isn't out to find them, and I'm not just talking about the criminal kind! From the prologue to the epilogue, this book had me absolutely engaged and invested.

Two years ago, forty-three-year-old Ira Fragale left behind the life he had been lead for more than two decades, moving from the hustle and bustle of New York for Skagit, Washington, the same small town his late father was living in before he was killed. He lives in a small cabin, barely able to get back to his love of painting, working instead in the local coffeehouse and taking home college-aged boys for hook-ups. He's a reputation for being prickly and no one knows ever been to his tiny cabin. The one person who seems to even care about him is the same guy he spent an unforgettable weekend with and summarily rejected thereafter--Cameron McCulloch. Cam is twenty years his junior yet is a far gentler and wiser soul. He knows he's hurt the guy, not only with his keeping his distance but also by parading his conquests around the bar Cam works at. Maybe it's high time he move on from his feelings for Ira, but when a current rash of hate crimes and a twenty-year-old unsolved murder intersect, both men may be pushed together in order for justice to finally come to pass for these men.

What I mentioned in the previous paragraph doesn't even begin to encompass everything that happens in this novel! Both Ian and Cam have back stories that are rather heartrending and in Ian's case, it explains why he is the way he is now as a resident of Skagit. Does it excuse his being a jerk? No, but the man redeems himself several times over. I wish I could explain succinctly explain how he does it and how everything ties together, but I'm not evil enough to even dare to spoil this fantastic read for anyone. The author has weaved a wonderful tale of redemption and absolution and the triumphant power of love, whether it be familial, platonic, or romantic. I desperately need more from the townsfolk of Skagit, especially since there already appear to be, at the very least, two potential couples I'm itching to read about. Unforgivable is a five-plus-starred 2018 favorite. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Accidental Roots series:


Storm Season (book one) - four stars - My Review
No Pressure (book two) - four stars - My Review
Spring Break (book three) - 4.5 stars - My Review
As Sure as the Sun (book four) - five stars - My Review
River Home (book five) - five stars - My Review
Unforgivable (book six) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 18 May 2018

Date Read: 12 May 2018

Learn more about Elle Keaton.

Pre-order Unforgivable on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

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