Book Reviews

Book Blurb

River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like mature adults. Only his heart misses that memo.

Brent McKay hasn’t been interested in sex since his wife died two years ago. When he goes to Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle for help, he meets River Larsen, a sex surrogate specializing in reiki massage and tantric sex therapy. Brent never expected to be interested in a man, but River’s light-filled spirit, inner peace, and electric touch bring him back to life. Brent’s loyal heart is ready to commit again. But how can he convince River that love can last forever—if you just have faith?

 

The Redemption of River features a widower who surprises himself, a gorgeous hippy who thinks he’s a dandelion puff, an age gap, midlife discovery of bisexuality, foodie Seattle, a houseboat, dogs, a trip to Mumbai, and tantric secrets. (You know, the ones that let you have sex for hours. Those secrets.)

The Redemption of River takes place in part at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic and is thus book #4 of the Sex in Seattle series. It features a brand new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.

Book Review

The loss of a loved one to cancer is an especially traumatic experience. More so if the loved one is a spouse or partner, someone with whom you share an intimate life, not just physically, but also emotionally. Cancer is, at its heart, an ugly disease and it leaves the patient stripped open and vulnerable from all of the degrading side effects of the disease and the treatments. Being a caretaker to a dying loved one is more than hard. It’s an emotional roller coaster where you constantly feel as if you can’t show your true feelings, your profound grief, to the one who is suffering. Instead, you bury it all and try to remain positive and hopeful so they can fight the battle of their life.

 

It has been two years since Brent lost his wife to ovarian cancer. A disease that seemed endless in its ability to break her down physically and mentally. It’s no wonder that Brent has no sexual feelings and hasn’t even had an erection in almost three years. Luckily for him, a friend recommends the Expanded Horizons sex clinic and Brent begins seeing Dr. Halloran. Brent also takes the chance and starts tantric healing with River as his surrogate.

 

River is lost, in my opinion, although I don’t believe he knows it yet. He grew up on a Buddhist commune in Southern California with a mom who is a free spirit and content to drift along the wind. River has lived that way his whole life and doesn’t know anything different, so studying Eastern Religions in college and going to India to an ashram to study tantra is not a big deal to him. He doesn’t know how much he’s missing out on making deep connections with people until he meets Brent. Luckily, their time together as client and surrogate is short, but then they become employee and boss as Brent’s creativity and passion for life is resurrected.

 

“He closed his eyes and felt the moment, the moment Brent McKay became his lover. The stars realigned and the Earth stopped its spinning. At least, in River’s universe, they did. Something new was born.”

 

The love story between Brent and River is really beautiful but what truly pulled me into this tale is the learning I did about Ayurveda, reiki, tantra, India, chakras, and so much more. Either the author is intimately familiar with all of this or she really knows how to research. Regardless, I was hooked and it was so easy to see the true energy between Brent and River. It was easy to believe that perhaps these men had been together before in a past life. I fell in love watching them fall in love and it brought warmth to this old soul.

 

“River suddenly remembered something he’d said to Brent in India. That believing in life after death, in faith itself, was a choice.

Sounds a lot like marriage, Brent had said.

And finally, River got it. Loving someone was a leap of faith.”

 

‘The Redemption of River’ is more than worth the wait I endured after Michael and James’s story. Eli Easton is an author who writes characters of depth and stories with reality and meaning. There is so much to be found in this book that I truly felt as if I experienced my own spiritual journey… one which I believe I’ll revisit often.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 260 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	12-June-2020
Price	$4.99 ebook, $9.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-River-Sex-Seattle-Book-ebook/dp/B0892F61S6