Book Review: The Fight For Identity by Andrew Grey

Title: The Fight For Identity
Series: The Good Fight, Book 3
Author: Andrew Grey
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: May 10, 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

Will Martin’s racist father, Kevin, hates Native Americans and wants to keep them off his property, never mind that part of the ranch land is sacred ground for the Sioux. When they request access for prayer, Kevin refuses—but Will doesn’t share his father’s views. Ever since he first saw Takoda Red Bird during one of the Sioux sacred ceremonies, Will has been fascinated. He grants the tribe access.

Takoda defies Kevin on a regular basis. He often sneaks to the sacred site on the rancher’s land for prayer and knows Will has seen him there. When, out of spite, Kevin places the land up for auction, Takoda knows it is time for action and bands together with Will to stop the sale.

In the fight that follows, Will gets more than he expected. He starts out helping the tribe preserve their identity… and ends up finding his own.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Solid MM romance that while it didn’t wow me, it still kept me reading.

The Set Up: Will is just home from college and doesn’t understand his father’s hatred of the Native Americans. Takoda meets Will when he’s praying on the Lakota’s sacred land and Will gives him permission for others to visit the site. Takoda and Will are immediately attracted to each other but will Will’s racist father keep the men apart?

Why I Read this Book: I’ve read the previous two books in this series and enjoyed them.

What I Liked: This isn’t a wow me romance but it was solid. Will and Takoda have an immediately sexual relationship but it slowly develops some emotional depth too. Will is particularly open with Takoda in both wanting a relationship but also about being unsure how it will work. I like that Takoda doesn’t want to make Will choose him or his father and think this showcases the character of Takoda. This isn’t an angst-filled romance or one with tremendous emotional intensity but it was enjoyable enough.

What I Also Liked: This author excels at creating a community for his leads and this book offers that too. Takoda's friends and by extension his tribe are strong characters who support Takoda and need him as well. For instance, Takoda is asked to go to the mall to help one of his best friends buy clothes for a date and this sets up a showdown with Will and his father. This is good community that I don’t think idealized or demonizes the modern day Native American lifestyle but does show it in its complexities. (Not that I’m an expert but my sister-in-law is Native American so I have some firsthand knowledge of tribal life.)

The conclusion with Will’s father isn’t going to shock anyone but it was good getting there. I liked Will’s father’s new girlfriend and how she becomes an important character in Will’s life. This is a relationship driven book, not suspense, and I enjoyed it on that level.

What I Didn’t Like: As I mentioned, this isn’t an intense romance and it’s not one I’m going to be able to pick out of the nearly 500 books I read a year but it’s solid.

Total side point here, but am I the only one who sees the cover model as being  a Tim Tebow look-alike!?

IMO: Series fans should enjoy the simple, everyday romance of Takoda and Will and new readers may as well.

J9’s Rating:

 

J9’s reviews for other books in this series:
The Good Fight, Book 1
The Fight Within, Book 2