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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
St. Nacho's by Z.A. Maxfield, April 22, 2009
This review is from: St. Nacho's (Paperback)
Cooper is a man in flight from himself, or maybe from a man he doesn't like and doesn't want to be no more. From a good family, a little genius of the music, Cooper had all the chances to be someone good and successful; instead he was a trouble kid and later an even more trouble man. Drugs and alcohol didn't help, but even when he was wasted he still had something good in him, something that prevented him to drunken drive; unfortunately the same thing wasn't in his lover and Cooper was in the car when they had an accident and killed a little kid. From that moment on Cooper is a runaway, trying to be as far as possible from his past. Then he arrives to Santo Ignacio, California; the places is like a little heaven in the hell that is the world for Cooper; and in this little heaven Cooper finds an ever more little paradise in St. Nacho's cantina, a gay club along the beach with a crew that is almost a family. A family that welcome Cooper inside their home and arms. They are so overwhelming and open that Cooperf finds himself delaying day by day his departure, above all since one member of the family, Shawn, has a personal interest in Cooper, even if they are a very unlikely pair.
First of all the obvious: Cooper is unable to express his feelings, above all with his body, the only time when he lets go something is when he is playing his violin; Shawn is deaf and he needs the physical touch, sometime he is even forceful when people physically avoid him, since for him is like shutting the only communication channel. Then Cooper is the classical bad boy, leather, tattoo, piercings and bike, he is not at all the reassuring type. Shawn has the face of an angel and his disability leads people to try to protect him, to always pair him with the good boy next door.
But the appearance could lead to big mistake, since nor Cooper or Shawn are what they seem. Cooper is a submissive for nature, he loves to be gentle manhandled and almost to be coaxed to do the right thing; he really needs someone that for once, doesn't let him go since it is the best thing for him to forget, but instead forces him to face his biggest nightmares. On the other hand Shawn is not the docile and sweet man everyone thinks he is; he has a strong streak and he likes to lead and to be a little forceful, but in bed than in life. Between Cooper and Shawn it's not a classical D/s relationship, but for sure it's a power game, a fragile balance of allow and forbid.
The story has a very involving development, with some nice and unexpected turn of event; it has also a various and interesting bunch of side characters, like all the St. Nacho's family member, and Stan, the apparently good priest: watch out as the author turns the man from steady and strong supporter to spoiled baby to whom someone has stolen his latest shiny toy. I like also that the author, in the three books I read by her, has never replayed the same character, always managing to have a different story with its own original heroes, even if they all live in sunny California.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Above all, Z.A. Maxfield is a fabulous writer, June 2, 2009
This review is from: St. Nacho's (Paperback)
I think I read some statistic years ago that the majority of gay fiction and television was consumed by heterosexual women. I have many theories for why that is but I'm one of them. Whether that makes me more or less qualified to write this review, I don't know but that's up for you to decide. I stumbled upon this book when I was getting to know the world of ebooks and found a recommendation for another book by Z.A. Maxfield through a messageboard. It's called Drawn Together, also an EXCELLENT read. Anywho, after loving both Drawn Together and Crossing Borders I was a big fan of Z.A. Maxfield. She writes characters convincingly and makes you care about what happens to these men. St. Nacho's was no exception.
At first I almost didn't read this book because of the title, I'm not going to lie but I'm glad I did. This is the story of a 28 year old man named Cooper running from his past. Biking from city to city trying to find what makes him human. He stops in a little California town and meets Shawn, a angelic looking 22 year old man who immediately intrigues him. Everything Cooper (and the reader) think we know about Shawn is immediately turned upside down and Cooper finds a piece of himself that he's long thought was lost.
I absolutely loved how these men fell into their relationship and I loved how Z.A. writes Cooper as so much more than just the bad guy who rolled into town. This relationship is further deepened by the fact that Cooper was once a gifted violin player accepted to Julliard and Shawn is deaf. They learn to communicate in a way neither of them ever have before and after finishing this book I was really touched. I guess this book goes down as gay erotica but I would call it gay romance. Yes, there were some very hot scenes but at the heart of this book was the love between these two men.
I suggest you read this and ALL of Z.A. Maxfield's other books, they are fabulous!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended as an endearing love story, February 8, 2010
This review is from: St. Nacho's (Paperback)
For someone who apparently began writing in 2006, Z.A. Maxfield demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity in almost every aspect of her writing. Her characterization of the St. Nacho's cantina, delivered in a very few words, captures the essence of a layback "hangout" so familiar to all of us who are reformed barflies like Cooper: the friendly but world-wise bartender; the booze stained carpet and smell of same; and the slightly melancholy atmosphere over all. The ideal setting for a story like this.
However, where her light really shines is with her characterization of Cooper, a complex mix of a talented and sensitive musician inside a cynical, crusty exterior of his own creation, and a past that he has been putting miles behind in an attempt to outrun it in his mind. Consequently, St. Nachos is just another stop in quest to find `nowhere.'
Enter Shawn, a profoundly deaf boy who `hears' Cooper's cry for help above the `noise' that surrounds him, and in response to this Cooper is drawn to him as drowning man is drawn to a life raft. However the ride isn't free, for Shawn exacts a price of tender love and affection from Cooper that, given his past, is not easily given.
So what's so special about that? Well, for one thing it's all credibly done, right down to the turmoil that Cooper feels inside; the quandary this presents to Shawn, who with limited communication must understand this to move the relationship; and the faith one boy has in the other. This requires not only considerable insight, but discipline to pace it all just right.
The final test comes when Cooper's past catches up to him in the person of Jordan, his childhood sweetheart, and who ostensibly took the rap for a child's death that occurred with Cooper in the truck. Once again the characterization of Jordan is remarkably credible as the emotionally arrested `adolescent' grasping for straws in people--particularly a smarmy lay-preacher shopping for souls--and a convenient depository for his guilt.
The story also holds together remarkably well, except toward the end with the introduction of additional characters who are not so well defined. Moreover, some of these characters, i.e. Mary Lynn the librarian and Bill the cop, don't fit in comfortably. Moreover, their sudden appearance seems slightly contrived.
Nevertheless St. Nachos is an engrossing and heart-warming read from beginning to end, and highly recommended as an endearing love story.
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