After Hours Review: Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander

While the books we feature on the blog are what we read most of the time, you will definitely find a couple of our shelves filled with more adultish type books. Scandalous books. Books with a little more smex, and perhaps a kink or two. We know these books and reviews aren’t for everyone, which is why we’ve decided to post these “after hours.”

Dani Alexander

Self-Pub
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2012
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased

A male prostitute, a mangy cat, a murder and a maniacal mix-up that threatens his career, his impending marriage and his life. Nothing is going as planned for Austin Glass.

Austin — seems to have it all. At least on the surface. A loving fiancee. A future with the FBI and a healthy sized trust fund. He also has a grin and a wisecrack for every situation. But the smile he presents to everyone hides a painful past he’s buried too deeply to remember. And his quips mask bitterness and insecurity. Austin has himself and most of the whole world fooled. Until he meets someone who immediately sees him better than he sees himself.

As events unfold and Austin’s world unravels, he finds himself pushed into making quick life-changing decisions. But can he trust Peter or what’s happening between them when each meeting seems to be just a series of volatile reactions?

Goodreads Summary

I found this book in one of those fantastic Goodreads lists that people can vote on, easily signifying to other readers if it’s good or not. Shattered Glass just so happened to take up the very prestigious number one slot on said list, and I figured if that many people voted on this book being their fave, then it must be worth the buy.

People, it so freakin’ was.

Austin is an ambitious Denver city cop, who is working on a big case involving kidnapped children who are illegally smuggled into the country and then sold for nefarious reasons. The case has led him to Colorado’s Finest Diner, where Austin is to meet with a possible informant. The witness was a no-show, but Austin can’t bring himself to care when he spots the bus-boy, an impossibly gorgeous man wearing bunny slippers. He’s never been so attracted to someone in his whole life as he is to this red-haired, freckled face man. Not even to his fiance, a woman, who he’s set to marry in a matter of weeks. Enthralled, Austin can’t get Peter out of his mind and he sort of stalks him over the next few days. The stalking leads to more professional questioning when Austin’s case leads him right to Peter, who turns out to be the no-show informant Austin was waiting on when they first met.

Peter is a man with secrets. The two most important people to him are his “brothers” Darryl and Cai. At an early age, Peter was forced into a parenting role to take care of Cai, and Peter would do anything to keep Darryl and Cai safe. So, he sends Austin on a couple of wild goose chases and manipulates him in order to get Austin off his back. It isn’t until Cai is accused of a murder he didn’t comitt that he finally opens up to Austin and reveals all. Turns out Peter is like the Forst Knox of secrets. I’m amazed at everything Peter had to do just to survive in life. Despite Peter’s involvement in the case, Austin can’t seem to stay away. Peter comes to him for help, and the whole motely crew descends on Austin’s home like a mad flock of birds. His career goals of joining the FBI are in the crapper, his solitude is disrupted by a crazy Albanian mother and Peter may possibly not be gay. Never a dull moment in the life of Austin Glass.

Peter and Austin are the most unlikely couple I think I’ve ever read about. Their relationship had more twists and turns then a theme park roller coaster. In fact, for about half the book I was seriously concerned that they wouldn’t ever get to a sort of happy place, let alone an HEA, and that I’d have to throw my Kindle at the wall in protest. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t throw my Kindle. I’d just kick the wall instead (because what are broken bones to my beloved Kindle?). Anyway, Austin and Peter barely squeaked by to a HEA, and I loved the way it ended. Peter and Austin’s relationship in this book ain’t pretty, y’all. They both say or do things to hurt or push the other way. A couple of times I felt like my emotional gut had been punched, and I’m just the reader. I loved the progression of the relationship from purely physical at first, to manipulation for proffessional/personal needs, to needing each other so much that they’re willing to forgive all the missteps and past hurts. It was hard, and at times it was brutal, but it made the ending that much more special because they had to work so hard to get there.

The humor in Shattered Glass really stole the show. Austin is so goofy and his way of coping with things is to make everything into a joke. His inner dialogue, as well as the dialogue between him and other characters had me laughing so hard my nicely toned abs (HA! So joking on that one) were a little sore the next day. I loved the chapter (section?) titles, and they were just so… Austin Glass. I loved how the humor brought a sense of lightness to what could have been a very depressing and sad story. Oh Austin, how I love you and your dirty jokes. I’ll never look at Hump Day the same way again.

My Summary: I loved, loved, loved this book. I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the m/m romance genre. It’s hilarious, serious, scary, sad, gut-wrenching and when you think you have a handle on the story, something else will come up and you’ll be left reeling yet again. I loved Austin and Peter, and I’m so glad they had their happy ending. I will definitely, definitely be reading more of this author.

My Rating: A+