Review: Whistle Blowing by Ada Maria Soto


Former Navy medic Sebastian Thompson has classic good looks and a true blue heart. But that doesn’t mean he has the confidence to make a move on the gorgeous young blond who just breezed in to the Blue Dragon Bar. Fate will play its hand, anyway. Finding the same young blond beaten to the edge of death, terrified of a hospital, Sebastian has to choose - walk away, or try to save a life.
This one chance encounter will lead Sebastian into a web of danger. Who is the enemy and who is a friend? Who will he trust when everyone has a reason to lie? How far will he go, and what will it cost, to do the right thing?
   
Whistle Blowing is 20 dollars in an old jacket when you’re broke, it’s like finding out that chocolate can lower blood pressure and help you lose weight (Oh My God - Yes, Yes it’s true Google it). It’s like that hot, sweet guy you’ve been crushing on smiling and waving at you… it is all of that and more… It’s a fantastic full length story that is F’ING FREE. (Cue Alanis Morissette music)

True confession - I started reading Whistle Blowing when I couldn’t get back to sleep at 4 in the morning. I usually don’t like stories with darker elements. Oh My God right thing to do at the worst time. … I was exhausted when I went to work. Why isn’t calling in sick due to reading all night an acceptable thing????  Ms. Soto develops the story at a nice and slow pace… this in no way means dull. I was riveted throughout the whole tale. The reader along with Daren learns to trust Sebastian. 

Because as we find out Daren has so many good reasons to not trust anyone. Sebastian literally finds him broken in a bar’s restroom and the only thing Daren is able to do is plead for no police or hospital lucky for him Sebastian is a trained military medic. Yes with a lesser writer this could be read as too contrived, but this intense start to the story left me captivated and buying every beautifully crafted word. One of the most interesting aspects for me is the medical reality of this book. Ada Soto does a phenomenal job of writing the details of not only what it takes to heal Daren but showing that it is long slow recovery. This is not your “I almost died on Tuesday but am now making passionate love to you after chasing down the criminals all with broken ribs” story. We are there during every blood soaked cleaning and every whimper of pain and horror and embarrassment of Daren’s. Sebastian though holds our hand through the journey and as he gently treats Daren we fall just as much in love as possible.  I was giddy at the romantic feelings that develop between Daren and Sebastian. We are not short changed though on the action/suspense because remember Daren was left for dead and is scared of anyone of authority. We also get great supporting characters, like Rachel, a military friend of Sebastian who reminds me of Aliens Ripley in all of her glory and FBI Agent Kim. 

  
On a side note, I do want to commend Ms. Soto for a cool sequence near the end with a bit of classic French Connection meets Inside Man. You don’t know exactly what’s coming and how the dots are supposed to connect, but you know it’s going to be good.

Without giving away too much the only flaw in my view is that I have so many questions yet to be answered. Ms. Soto has promised to write a sequel, however. It cannot come soon enough, I would even be willing to pay for this one.

As an aside you can visit her blog and she outlines where the story is going and then read some of her other posts while there the lady is freakin' hilarious.
 

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's 'Love is Always Write' event




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