Sweetwater by Lisa Henry
Historical Erotic Romance/MM
Ebook, 240 pages
September 29, 2014
Riptide Publishing

Reviewed by Tori

Elijah Carter is a young man who is treated like a simpleton because he is deaf. Gay and ashamed of his sexual orientation and penchant for pain, he allows himself to be sexually abused by the owner of the local saloon, Harlan Crane.

Grady Mullins, a cattle rustler, wants Elijah too but unlike Harlan, he doesn’t want to control him. He gently pursues Elijah, trying to show him he has choices in life, but Elijah is unable to separate himself from the vicious cycle he is caught in.

When someone Elijah loves is taken from him, Elijah begins to spiral down a dark path towards vengeance and despair. Caught between love and hate, Elijah learns to take control of his own destiny and is forced to make a choice. A choice that could end his life or free him forever.

Sweetwater by Lisa Henry is a somber bittersweet coming of age story that addresses the stigma of homosexuality (both internally and externally) and the cruelty shown those with disabilities. Set in the boomtown-South Pass City- in the 1800s, Lisa Henry paints a vivid picture of life in a small western town that is only one step from extinction. You can taste the dirt and grit permeating your nose and mouth while experiencing the almost maniacal  atmosphere that surrounds a town built on greed and gold. A fast pace and clear concise writing tells us a story that appeals to our sense of justice and innate need to champion the underdog. An interesting cast of characters reside here. Not all together likable but dynamic in the realistic roles they play in this town and in the hero’s life. There are three main characters that control this story. Elijah Carter, Harlan Crane, and Grady Mullins.

Elijah Carter lost his family and his hearing to Scarlet Fever and was found and adopted by Dr. Carter, the town’s doctor. Elijah’s disability, combined with his sexual orientation and the kink involved, makes him feel ashamed and unworthy of the love and affection his foster father feels for him. He is caught on the brink of manhood, unable to step forward to complete the transition but also unable to go back to being a child. Teased unmercifully, you can’t help but feel for him and all he endures. His kink puts him into the path of Harlan Crane.

Harlen Crane, the king of this tiny fiefdom, has this town firmly in his grips. He exploits Elijah, using his sexual proclivities to keep Elijah firmly under him both mentally and physically. In the beginning you are unsure of Elijah’s complacently in this “relationship.” Their first scene together is shocking, giving thoughts that Elijah is being forced. But once you are gifted with Elijah’s thoughts you can see a small part of him enjoys the pain and humiliation Harlan inflicts, though deep down he knows this is not a normal or healthy relationship. His consent is dubious at best.

Grady Mullins, along with his cousins, are cattle rustlers and sell their ill gotten gains to the town. Like Harlan, he’s not good or evil in exact terms of black and white. He is merely surviving the best way he knows how. It’s during one of these visits to the town that Grady meets Elijah and the attraction is instant. It’s here the story begins to fall into a predictable trope-good vs evil and the prize is Elijah. However, as stated earlier, there is no concrete villain or hero in here. Everyone is a product of the era and their upbringing. Grady is slow in his pursuit, leaving Elijah unsure of his intentions.

Elijah is without a doubt the center of this story with the town and it’s characters revolving slowly around him. Though touted as a historical western  M/M romance, I hesitate to call it romance because love isn’t an emotion that comes into play. In this era, love didn’t often play a huge role in relationships. Most marriages were sought in the hopes that two would survive better against this world then one. Elijah himself isn’t looking for love; he’s looking for acceptance. Acceptance of his sexuality. Acceptance of his disability.

The mystery blends well into the main conflict and Henry does a fabulous job of leading readers to the conclusion without spoiling along the way. It’s a violent catalyst that pushes Elijah into the direction he needs to go and works perfectly with the overall dark tone of the story. My only qualm was there was a feeling of disconnection while reading it. Henry’s voice was a little to matter of fact in telling this story.  I never really was able to sink into the drama that was unfolding. We see and hear but I never felt we divulged into the emotions behind the actions and it left me feeling unfulfilled by certain events.

Regardless, Lisa Henry writes a poignant tale that will stay with you after you’ve reached the end if only to remind you that the differences we all have with in us are not to be feared but treasured because they make us…us.

RATING: C+

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