Book 826: His Compass (His #2) – Con Riley

I was a little surprised to find that there were already two additional books released in Con Riley’s His series. I read and adored His Horizon this time last year and had kept an eye out for the follow-ups, but either missed the review opportunity or totally spaced on them.

So, when I realized they were on Kindle Unlimited I grabbed both for this up-coming holiday and am glad I did. His Compass is the story of Captain Tom, who we briefly met in the first book and Nick, the seemingly wayward irresponsible deck hand who has his own backstory that provides the crises of the novel.

This one wasn’t quite as moving as His Horizon and I only mean that in the fact that I didn’t spend the following two weeks researching sailboats and sailing classes to become a sailor like we seriously spent two weeks looking at pubs and B&Bs in the south of England when I finished the last one. But that being said, I found this one utterly charming and definitely teared up on multiple occasions.

Riley does a wonderful job writing relationships and not just those between the protagonists. The relationships both on and off the page between the main characters and their respective families were so well written you could’ve left the romance and sex out of the book and it would’ve been a compelling read.

Nick tapped his temple. ‘Selective memory.’ He nodded as though that was a good thing. ‘It’s choosy, so I get to remember all the men you like better than me, but not where I left my sunglasses.’ (38)

I didn’t think Nick’s big reveal was all that big of a reveal because I felt there was a tip off early on and I just kept waiting for the ball to drop and Tom to figure it out. When he did, he of course freaked out and tried to finish what he was doing as fast as possible to get away from Nick, then realized he was being a total dick about it, and it was wonderfully lovely the way they finally talked it out.

The most compelling part of the novel was Nick’s evolution from a childhood trauma. Not only did it affect his day-to-day memory, but it also affected his ability to be the best sailor he could be. I won’t go into what it was that happened, but between an incident on the page early on involving refugees and Nick’s discovery that Tom’s brother has a brain injury that requires lifelong care it was just so well written, and the characters treated with such respect and care that I of course teared up multiple times

Rob backed away from Nick, reaching for something, his hand landing on Jude’s shoulder with an easy pat that Jude raised a hand to cover. Jude clasped Rob’s hand for a second before they both got back to what they were doing. It was a small touch, neither man even looking at the other, but something flexed inside Tom’s chest, tender like the flesh inside the mussels. That was what he wanted. (116)

I was very glad that we got the opportunity to see Jude and Rob again because SWOON. I was a little disappointed Jude’s sister didn’t make a cameo, because she was great, but it was great to revisit Porthperrin and I really hope we get to go back knowing who the protagonists will be in His Haven, book three, I have a feeling we’ll at least get a day trip there!

Recommendation: Riley is definitely moving into the top tier of MM romance books that I read. The books are a bit of a slow burn, but I am all about it. I truly enjoy the steady pacing (it’s not slow, but it’s not fast either), and the way she handles all of the characters, not just the protagonists. Every minor character has a bit of a story that adds to the main storyline, but also makes you go ohhhh tell me more! I can’t wait to read His Haven, and honestly reading this made me want to go back and revisit His Horizon again!

Opening Line: “Tom Kershaw knelt on the deck of the Aphrodite, the Greek sun toasting his back.”

Closing Line: “Tom reached for his own, the silver worn between his fingers, feeling their connection. ‘That’s my compass.'”  (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)