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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Physical Therapy by Z.A. Maxfield, November 6, 2009
This is almost a wrap up book; it's the sequel of St. Nacho's and following the loose strand that was Jordan, Cooper's ex. When St. Nacho's ended, there was hope for Jordan, obviously not to be again with Cooper, but at least to build again a life. And Cooper suggested to the man to come to St. Nacho's, a place that seems to heal your soul more than your body. And to St. Nacho's Jordan comes, but he is not ready to be healed; Jordan is still eating alive by the guilt and he doesn't want to be discharged. I have the idea that more punishment you bring upon Jordan, and more he would ask. This is something that was quite clear in the previous book, where Jordan insisted to live in a town where almost everyone wants for him to go away. It was quite clear in his choosing to be the "project" of a young priest, full of good will, but maybe a bit too devoted to his task. And it was quite clear in the places Jordan chose to frequent, places where the BDSM was pushed a bit too much beyond the safe boundaries of a naughty play (but in this second book this last aspect is barely hinted and it's not an important part of the story).
In Physical Therapy this destructive behavior of Jordan is brought up front from the first moment, when Jordan applies for a job as masseur in a gym, and instead of exalting his credentials, he tries to shadow them with his con past. Lucky him Izzie, the gym's owner, is not easily mislead, and Jordan finds a work and a friend in the same day... and maybe even a boyfriend. Ken is a guy who was involved in a car accident, he was seriously injured and his girlfriend died on the place. The accident was caused by a drunk driver and so Jordan thinks that, if Ken knew the truth about him, he wouldn't have anything to do with Jordan, and obviously Jordan, self-destructive as he is, tells Ken the truth... and Ken doesn't react as expected.
Many people, his family and friends, think that the accident deprived Ken of his future as a baseball professional star: he was leading toward success, with a nice girlfriend beside him; he was the first son and obviously the perfect son, of a perfect family; all was lied in front of him and not real obstacles where on the horizons. Then the accident, and all crushed down... but it were Ken's hopes that died in that accident with his girlfriend or those of his friends and family? What is that Ken really wants? It's strange, but I have the feeling that the accident freed Ken of all those constraints, letting him finally free to do what and be who he really wants. And one of the thing he wants is to be with Jordan, even if Jordan does everything to discourage him.
Jordan believes to be the one who is helping Ken to heal, and instead I have the idea that the one who is healing is Jordan, and Ken is only finally reaching for the life he wants: having no more to bear the weight of being the perfect son, the hope of the town, allows him to be a simple guy in love with another guy.
It's hard to be disappointed by a Z.A. Maxfield's book, she has a faithful and growing readership, and I believe that this one is nicely up to the previous one, St. Nacho's, maybe not so angst like that one, but still a book that will move the sentimental reader. And again a nice setting in the fictional town of St. Nacho's, a place I wouldn't have believed possible to exist till last year, when I went in California, and actually visited those small beach village, developed around their pier and where it seems that the time has another pace than the rest of the world.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful rich story!, September 20, 2009
What a delightful story this was! "Physical Therapy" is a beautiful sequel to Maxfield's "St. Nacho's" and tells the story of Jordan Jensen and Ken Ashton, two men who have both experienced a life-changing tragedy. Each has been involved in a fatal drunk-driving accident, but from opposing sides. Their relationship, as mirror images of each other, is a beautiful thing to watch develop. Throughout the book, they each struggle to learn to live again while dealing with this difficult experience.
The characters are rich and fascinating, full of all of the beauty and flaws of life. It was great to be reacquainted with the setting of St. Ignacio and the characters from "St. Nacho's", especially Cooper and Shawn.
If you like well-written and funny books full of angst, man/man love, and lots of hot love scenes, you are sure to love this one! If you haven't read "St. Nacho's" yet, I would suggest that you start with that wonderful book and then read this one. However, if you just cannot wait, "Physical Therapy" is definitely a stand-alone book and can be enjoyed on it's own.
Thanks, Z. A. Maxfield, for another great book!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Why are the best M/M erotic books written by women?, June 7, 2011
This review is from: Physical Therapy (Paperback)
As a gay man, I used to be a fan of short gay erotica, as found in such anthologies as "Best Gay Erotica" and "Friction." But in recent years, I've been turned off by most of the stories in these anthologies because they are often too kinky, focus on S&M, involve violence, or present the participants as being shallow with no lasting feelings for their partners. Recently a friend introduced me to the erotic gay novel, and I'm hooked. I've read perhaps half a dozen, and they are all written by women. Why is that? I think because women in general treat sex as going well beyond the simple physical act. Most of the gay novels I've read feature the participants as really caring for one another, and the sex itself doesn't focus just on dicks and asses, but on the whole person, including psychological components. Male writers tend to focus more on the role of dominance in a relationship, the pleasure of the orgasm, and the desire to climax. Opposed to that, what really appeals to me is a story in which the two guys spend lots of time turning each other on, talk to each other both during and after sex as though they really care, and enjoy not only the excruciating physical pleasure of the act but also the psychological involvement of deeply caring for the other person.
"Physical Therapy" is a good example of what I crave in gay erotica. Beyond sex, the story goes into Jordan's guilt feelings, based on his past actions. It's less explicit about how Ken, the other guy, happens to develop his attraction to Jordan, but the reader still gets the idea that Ken does indeed love (or least intensely like) Jordan.
One test of a good read is whether the scenario seems plausible. I was able to think that what happened between Jordan and Ken was believable. The actions of the supporting characters were also in the ballpark, which contributed to my high rating for this book. At the same time, in my limited exposure to this genre to date, I'd rate one author above Z.A. Maxfield. That is M.L. Rhodes. Her book, "Under My Skin," is the best gay erotica I've ever read. In what way? Sebastian and Dylan are very "real" people, with issues and feelings that any human being can relate to. The sex scenes are truly phenomenal and are skillfilly woven into the overall plot. I enjoyed "getting to know" both these men, and would have been happy to have either one of them as a lover.
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