You Know Me As Lad

This book is a perfect example of a book written by an author whose craft has evolved and become more elegant, smooth, and almost painfully gorgeous.

Sonny and Ace's story. What can I say about it? I could talk about the plot. I could talk about how Sonny is an eighteen year old new recruit running from something that I knew had to worse than the worst thing I could think of. I could talk about how Ace takes Sonny under his wing and helps him survive, and then later helps make Sonny's dreams come to fruition...because that's the basic plot.

Seems simple right? This book,though, is anything but simple.

Sonny is lost. He's adrift. Truthfully, he's in need of an anchor and Sonny not having an anchor is not a good thing. Sonny is vulnerable but tough like a stray cat who's been so beaten down that he's damn near wild, suspicious of people but also wanting to trust someone. Sonny was a beautifully drawn character whose layers and depth made my chest hurt. He's uneducated, a genius when it comes to cars, and a character that I wanted just...make everything right for.

That brings me to Ace. Ace is a protector. He's a regular guy while at the same time managing to be something more than special. He wants to make everything right and perfect and gorgeous for Sonny. He does things for Sonny that prove that he doesn't just love the man. What he feels for Sonny is beyond any definition of love. Way beyond. And Sonny's feelings are just as endlessly deep.

The writing. When I used to try and read Amy Lane's books full of heavy conflict I had a problem with what I felt was a heavy handed style. And then Miss Lane wrote "Gambling Men" and the conflict in that was wonderfully done. I thought this book would be on that level. I wasn't even close with my assumption. This author's writing style has matured like the most expensive aged wine. The writing in this book flows smoothly even with the VERY heavy nature of the main characters' relationship. This never slipped into melodrama territory in my opinion. I was so appreciative of that and impressed with it.

For me, Amy Lane's writing is in a sweet spot that only keeps getting better. I was invested in the story and the characters. I loved the first person POV aspect and how clearly unique Ace's voice was. I cared about the secondary characters and hope that the gentle giant introduced in the latter half gets his own book.

In truth there was nothing about this book I would have changed. Nothing. I recommend it more than I can say.