Title: Reign Over Me
Author: Rebecca Brochu
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Pages: 96
Characters: Spencer, Dmitri
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kisses: 4.25
Blurb:
They’ve circled each other for years and now things are about to heat up.
Spencer is stunned the day an older boy named Dmitri takes him firmly by the hand and intertwines their lives. Spencer hangs on Dmitri’s every word and order for years until the vicious lies of an outside party cause Dmitri to throw Spencer violently from his life. Heartbroken, Spencer is pushed almost to the breaking point until a mysterious stranger offers him the chance of a lifetime. With nothing left to lose, Spencer accepts.
Years later, the two are reunited and Spencer is forced to make a difficult choice. Should he continue on with the life he has fashioned and turn Dmitri away once and for all? Or should he take one final chance on the only man who has ever made his heart race?
Review:
This is the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Brochu and it definitely won’t be my last. I really liked the ability this author has to write intense, interesting characters. I was immediately swept up into the lives of her characters and I enjoyed watching them resolve their differences and make a life together. Since I think the blurb does an excellent job at describing the book, I won’t rehash it. But I will point out the reasons why I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s work.
I couldn’t help but love Spencer. He’s had a hard life and has been pushed away and hurt from the people he loved. Even though he has a very tough time of it, he’s still a strong character and I loved his determination to better himself and make something special of his life. I admit that Dmitri was a harder sell for me. At first, Dmitri takes the young Spencer under his wing, but he never truly showed Spencer his feelings for him. When he pushes the young Spencer away my heart broke for him. Now, I kind of understood the teenaged Dmitri’s reasoning for cutting Spencer out of his life, but my heart broke for Spencer from some of the treatment Dmitri gave to him. In the end, I did believe Dmitri redeemed himself and I ended up liking him, but it was Spencer who stole my heart and the story for me.
One of the things I really appreciated about this book was the personal growth both of these characters go through. Spencer in particular, grows from a beaten down young teenager to a more confident, self-assured man. I liked that he was finally able to take charge of his life and take up for himself. Even the stubborn and dominant Dmitri does his own personal growth in the book. He evolves from an untrusting, arrogant teenager to a still arrogant man, but he’s able to see his faults and he owns up to them. I liked how he fought for Spencer’s forgiveness and I ended up really liking them as a couple in the end.
The story itself also is smoothly told and the story is fast-paced and interestingly told. One thing I do feel compelled to point out is: Reign over me is told in 3rd person, present tense. I know this might distract some readers, but honestly after a page or two I didn’t notice it very much. I really enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to reading more books written by this author in the future.
Reviewed By: Gabbi
