Review - Afflicted II

This sequel to the first Afflicted book picks up right where the previous story left off. Dillon has just found out that Hunter’s mother is seeing his cousin, which dredges up all the pain and anger of being thrown out by his family. It’s a lot for him to deal with, and adding to the issue is the concern that his past will come between what he has with Hunter.

For his part, Hunter has trouble dealing with the rapid pace at which the relationship is progressing, and the depth of his feelings for Dillon. Used to being in control, Hunter has a hard time accepting that he can’t fix all of Dillon’s problems with his past and his family.

While “Afflicted II” is a bit more somber than the first book, it still is touched with a sense of humor, as Dillon and Hunter work to understand the feelings they have for each other, as well as deal with their pasts. Unlike so many contemporary romances, this is a very realistic look at modern relationships, and families. It avoids the cliché and schmaltzy “love conquers all” silliness and shows that two people need to work to build a relationship, no matter how strong their sexual connection may be.

The two books are very tightly connected, with minor characters from the first part popping up in the second book with little or no introduction, so you’ll want to read “Afflicted II” soon after the first book, or you’ll likely forget who some of the characters are, like I did. Like the first book, the second features very readable prose that also gets rather steamy rather often.

“Afflicted II” is available from Amazon and Smashwords.