The Letter Z by Marie Sexton

The Letter Z by Marie Sexton
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: erotic, M/M, contemporary


Review Copy received from Publisher

Summary:
Zach and Angelo have settled into their new lives in Coda, Colorado, finding their place in the community with the help of their good friends Matt and Jared. Zach and Angelo are also working out the particulars of their relationship, but when they make a decision Jared disagrees with, Angelo finds himself at odds with his partner's best friend. And his best friend's partner. When the four decide on a quick trip to Vegas, Angelo thinks he and Jared may be back on the right track. But a chance encounter with Zach’s ex-boyfriend will make Angelo question everything about himself and his relationship with Zach. Matt and Jared have always been there when Zach and Angelo needed help. But when it comes to sorting out their relationship, their friends may do more harm than good.

Kris’ Review:
The Letter Z by Marie Sexton is an amazing sequel to both Promises and A to Z. Shorter at 93 pages, it is as satisfying a read as the novels that predate it and treats some difficult relationship issues with realism and tact.

As a first warning, if you haven't read Promises and A to Z, or at least A to Z, you'll find yourself slightly out of you depth, and some nuances to the characters will escape you. Both prequels are delightful reads and heartily recommended, so you know what you need to do :P

Similarly to A to Z, the book's chapters are divided by first-person points of view. In The Letter Z, we are treated to Angelo's distinctive voice again, and for the first time discover Matt's point of view. It is worth mentioning that Promises is exclusively told in the point of view of Jared, Matt's partner: effectively, The Letter Z truly ties in both couples and provides insight into each one and their dynamics.

And this is what truly makes The Letter Z a fantastic read: Zach and Angelo are faced not only with working out with how to deal with Angelo's attraction to someone other than Zach, but mostly with the fallout their decision causes to their friends Jared and Matt. In addition, Zach's ex comes back in the picture and the story expounds upon how both couples come to terms with the powerful motivator that jealousy can be. Throughout the story we get alternate points of view which show how actions and reactions can be misinterpreted, but we mostly get a definite insight into how different both couples are, even though they're very close friends. All the characters are turn in turn hotheaded, stubborn, and finally forgiving, which makes for an intense and dramatic (as well as lightly comedic!) read.

In the end, the lesson we leave with is one of tolerance that we all want to think we practice as well as we preach; as Jared learns, it turns out to be much more difficult to put into practice than he thought.
The sex with both couples is sizzling, and, for my part, made even better because there is so much behind it: every word, every touch, echoes something in the previous books and makes the act that much more meaningful. There is slow sex, rough sex, making-love sex, and all of it is a pleasure to devour. There are scenes that crackle with tension and/or sexiness (the club scene comes to mind, as well as the dinner with Jonathan, Zach's ex) and it all comes together to build a novella that feels very much like a long novel with just as much character development.

As for Jonathan, he's a delight to finally meet: we heard about him a lot in A to Z, and we truly get to meet and understand him during The Letter Z. He's exceedingly human in his actions and emotions, and although you want to hate him you just can't, because Ms. Sexton paints him as a good man in the end.
Overall, The Letter Z is an amazing read that continues in the wonderful vein of Marie Sexton's series. What makes it do wonderful is the trueness of the characters and how real they feel. Their actions are rooted in reality as well, and it makes for an extraordinary contemporary working-out-the-kinks-in-our-relationship romance.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Kris!




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