Review: Absolution by Sloane Kennedy

Absolution (Protectors #1) by Sloane Kennedy
Amazon
Novel: 256pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: But what I felt most was the perfection of what these two men were giving me. And I knew in that moment that I would do anything to keep it. Anything. --Cole

After four years abroad, artist Jonas Davenport has come home to start building his dream of owning his own art studio and gallery. But just as he's ready to put the darkness of his past behind him forever, it comes roaring back with a vengeance.

The only thing keeping ex-cop Mace Calhoun from eating his own gun after an unthinkable loss is his role in an underground syndicate that seeks to get justice for the innocent by taking the lives of the guilty. Ending the life of the young artist who committed unspeakable crimes against the most vulnerable of victims should have been the easiest thing in the world. So why can't he bring himself to pull the trigger?

After years of fighting in an endless, soul-sucking war, Navy SEAL Cole Bridgerton has come home to fight another battle - dealing with the discovery that the younger sister who ran away from home eight years earlier is lost to him forever. He needs answers and the only person who can give them to him is a young man struggling to put his life back together. But he never expected to feel something more for the haunted artist.

Cole and Mace. One lives by the rules, the other makes his own. One seeks justice through the law while the other seeks it with his gun. Two men, one light, one dark, will find themselves and each other when they're forced to stand side by side to protect Jonas from an unseen evil that will stop at nothing to silence the young artist forever.

But each man's scars run deep and even the strength of three may not be enough to save them...

Note: This book contains M/M/M sexual content and is intended for mature audiences.

Trigger Warning : This book contains references to childhood sexual abuse.


Review

Absolute Absurdity 

I like to think I’m a connoisseur in all things M/M/M, I know what I’m looking for and I want to see the things that make it a relationship and not just something that’s only about sex. Absolution offered up an OK take on a ménage relationship but it fell short in some areas. 

Jonas Davenport has been through some things. A life on the street has taught him that humans can be downright evil and sometimes there’s no one to save you. Jonas has gotten through every hardship life has thrown at him and he’s got the scars to show for it. Now he’s making a new life for himself, leaving his demons behind and maybe getting a chance at being happy. 

Mace Calhoun has got a job to do, but why is it so damn hard to pull the trigger. Getting rid of Jonas Davenport should be easy peasy, his rage for what he’s done to children should make putting a bullet through his head a no brainer. Yet, Mace is unable to pull the trigger and he finds himself wanting to get closer to the beautiful man. Is his innocent face and demeanour hiding something more sinister. Is he just a wolf in sheeps clothing. He protects but he also attacks.  

Cole Bridgerton, his ass just shows up. I’m having a hard time understanding his place and why he shows up. His connection is that Jonas was close with his sister for a bit, and had information to share. He gets caught in the web and so on and so forth. Now he’s got to protect the man/men he’s falling for. 

Alright Sloane Kennedy, I see you. I see what you were trying to do here but I feel the content was too heavy and the relationships not executed well. In what reality can anyone comeback from someone thinking they’re a pedophile. This disgraceful thing forever hanging in the air, and the only reason Jonas is alive is because Mace was thinking with his dick and not with his head (well his big head). While there was some anger on Jonas’s part I feel like his anger wasn’t enough. In a realistic feel, this shit needed a a few weeks to settle. 

The plot devices are “meh” at best. Would have made for a better read if the relationship was the focus instead of the after school special type bad guys. The relationship, and I use that word with some trepidation because it was three guys boning. A ménage needs to be discussed and handled with care and these three were running around like chickens without their heads. I have no clue what their setup was, and the intricacies that make a great ménage. Like can two guys have sex if one isn’t there, and at one point it felt like it was going down that road and it made me uncomfortable. I wanna know the details man…. 

I can’t say I like anyone character more than the other, they all felt very one dimensional and for me easily forgettable, actually let me retract that statement. I will never forget that Mace was gonna kill Jonas because he thought he was pedophile. On god, that will stay with me. Never forget. 

Overall, I didn’t hate it but I can’t say I’m in like either. It was a fun read 🤷🏽‍♀️ and I did get through the book quickly, but as I said it didn’t quite come together for me and I don’t find the ménage relationship believable. I will be checking out the rest of series because I do enjoy Sloan’s writing style and I’m interested in these protectors. Who else will they be shooting by mistake.