Amor Prohibido

Why the heck not? This is a fun, fresh read from another new author on the m/m scene. I never know what the boundaries are between a really long short story and short novella, but AP is in there somewhere. It has chapters, so you can plan to spend some time with appealing characters and a world that I, at least, have never encountered before and I’m betting most readers won’t have, either.

Plot summary:

Jacob Freehan has no job, no man, and no motivation. In pain both from ending a long-term abusive relationship and a severe back injury, he escapes to the sunny seaside town of Puerto Morelos, Mexico for a little yoga, a little R&R, and possibly a place to quietly end his own life.

Pakal is a centuries-old immortal Mayan spirit guide who has been charged with getting Jacob on the path toward healing. Romantic involvement with a spirit charge is strictly forbidden, and it has never been a problem…until now. Pakal sees something special in Jacob, but failure to keep a rapidly growing attraction at bay could result in Jacob losing his life and Pakal being condemned to the Underworld forever…

Excerpt:

Their interactions were so comfortable and easy that Pakal had to remind himself repeatedly that Jacob was his spirit charge, not a friend. Not a lover. Every now and then Jacob?s warm, chocolatey gaze found Pakal?s, and it was as if he were a better man just for having borne witness to that soulful stare. Gods, what he wouldn?t give for them to be just two ordinary mortals. Pakal shoved the foolish longing aside, but it was insistent, like a hungry stray dog.

Eleven hundred years was a long time to be alone.

The gentle breeze playfully ruffled Jacob?s hair while he chatted about his favorite music (techno), his feelings about animal cruelty (con), his feelings about American football (pro), and his favorite foods (Chinese pork buns, and Swiss cheese fondue). Pakal, in turn, discussed the local culture, the history, and the cave formations. Many times he caught himself assisting Jacob in a far too friendly manner, and each time their bodies touched Pakal was overcome by the sensation of their being so?in tune, with each other. He would almost swear their pulses beat in the same rhythm. Yet through it all, Jacob?s posture was still overly controlled. Tight.

They were plodding carefully through a large corridor of stalactites and stalagmites that gave the appearance of a giant shark?s mouth, when Jacob stepped absently and slipped. Pakal grabbed Jacob from behind, just narrowly preventing him from being impaled on the business end of a sharp, vertically jutting piece of rock. Many a tourist had landed at the nearby clinic for such accidents.

?Shit.?

?I warned you to be careful of where you stepped. It?s slippery in here.? Pakal?s breath was heavy, and he was panting right in Jacob?s ear. His heart thudded against the thinner man?s back. Their bodies vibrated together as if they shared the same skin. They were dangling over a great precipice just then, and for the life of him Pakal was too caught up in the thrill to truly care about the consequences. He tightened his grip around Jacob?s naked waist and his light slipped from his fingers into the water. It was stupid. It was dangerous.

It was too late.

The thought was interesting, but fleeting, as Pakal?s hand dipped inside of Jacob?s loose, surfer-style swim shorts.

?Holy, Jesus. What are you doing?? The words held a note of obligatory protest, but even as he said them Jacob?s ass pushed into Pakal?s crotch, and his forearm and head came to rest against the curve of the cave wall. Both men breathed heavily, totally in sync.

?Keep it down,? Pakal whispered. Gods, Jacob?s cock was smooth. Deliciously soft and hard at the same time. ?You?re so tense. I?m helping you to loosen up.?

Jacob?s breath hitched. ?Someone could come by here any minute.? Yet even as he said it, Jacob?s hard length fucked faster into Pakal?s wet fist. His dick was perfect against Pakal?s skin; it was long and thin, with only a small amount of soft hair at the base. Pakal?s fingers strayed for a moment to roll Jacob?s weighty sac in his hand, and he longed to feel it inside of his mouth.

?Better be fast, then,? Pakal breathed.



Review:

Two things impressed me about AP, the setting and a unique plot twist that I can’t say anything about without giving the whole thing away.

The setting alone is worth reading AP for. A lot of books in a lot of genres have handled mythological themes and elements, like the Percy Jackson books currently burning up the YA magical adventure market. Those books, like most, seem to deal with various Western mythologies. Likewise, I’ve read (or read of) a few that deal with aspects of Chinese or Japanese culture. AP depends on Mesoamerican mythology, and in my opinion it provided a wonderful backdrop against which to tell the story of forbidden love between a mortal man and an immortal spirit guide. In a genre where ‘paranormal’ too often means vampires or werewolves, that Carrington headed in a completely differently direction heralds good things for subsequent publications.

There were a few minor editorial issues, but those aren’t the writer’s fault. This is Carrington’s first m/m publication, and I can tell she’s one to watch for in the future, especially if you like paranormal romances.

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