The White Knight by Josh Lanyon

Blurb:

Actor Sean Fairchild has a not-so-secret admirer: a psycho stalker who thinks taking out the sexy, shy young actor will leave the world a better place. His manager insists Sean needs protection, and Sean’s beginning to think he’s right.

It’s a Hollywood cliché: the hot and handsome bodyguard. But in the case of LAPD Detective Daniel Moran, it’s all true. Dan is everything Sean ever wanted in a leading man, but Dan’s kind of an old-fashioned guy. It’s his job to keep Sean safe and in one piece — happy is someone else’s problem.

As tension mounts, Sean can’t help turning to Dan, while Dan is finding it harder and harder to say no. Their only chance of a happy ending is if Dan can keep Sean alive — but what happens when he uncovers the secrets Sean is trying hard to conceal?

 

 

 

Review:

While I may not be a rabid fan of Lanyon’s, I’m pretty sure he could write funny witticisms about the phone book and I’d happily buy it.  Very few authors could simultaneously write a prequel and a sequel to an existing book and have it work so beautifully as “The White Knight” does. The book starts when Sean is involved in an accident while working on a movie overseas. Suffering from a case of very temporary amnesia, Sean calls out for the first thing he knows is absolutely real and true – Dan. When the man he loves appears though, the tension between them is obvious and Sean struggles to remember how and why they ended up so far away from each other. His memories drift from third person to first person as he remembers how they met and the events leading up to their separation. Once he remembers though, there is still the question of his accident and if he and Dan can repair the damage their relationship has suffered.

The previous book left some obvious questions about how Dan and Sean met, the circumstances of his previous stalker and Sean’s somewhat unstable past. This book clears up all questions and ties everything into a neat and thoroughly satisfying ending. Even with the multiple changing viewpoints and past and present scene changes, the plot is well written with almost seamless shifts. The continued characterization of both Sean and Dan added more depth to their burgeoning relationship while exposing the numerous flaws both men posses. One reason Lanyon’s characters are so wonderful are the flaws and problems they have. The author is not afraid to write a thoroughly flawed personality yet there is a charm to both men that have you rooting for them – flaws and all.

Sean is easily a favorite with his vulnerability and open fears of his past. His mental instability and history of medical problems has left a real fear of the word “crazy” and anything resembling medication or therapy. Sean depends on the safety Dan represents as well as the close intimacy between the two men. Although Sean makes numerous mistakes and often has knee-jerk reactions, not to mention he’s not afraid to fight dirty, he does realize his motivations and can be brutally honest with himself and Dan about his actions and reasons. At the core lies a genuinely honest and good-hearted man who has some significant problems and likely will for the rest of his life. However his love and devotion to Dan will always bring him back to where he belongs.

Dan is a strong but thankfully not silent type. He’s the rescuer and knight-in-shinning armor that Sean adores and he revels in. Dan never downplays Sean’s fears and problems and often deftly handles the heavy emotional toll this must take.  Though Dan is clearly no saint himself, he is the strength of the relationship. Dan’s careful handling of Sean was lovely to watch even as Sean struggled with his actions and reasons, as well as the real and perceived problems in their relationship. Dan’s own tug of war to protect himself, yet continued to support and protect his younger lover shows the conflicting emotions that Dan suffers from. One of the best aspects of both men is that they are brutally honest and never lie or prevaricate. Any problems that exist are of their own making and not invented drama for story progression.

Without a doubt I loved this revisit to Sean and Dan from beginning to end. The focus was mainly on the past, present, and future state of their relationship, which no doubt will please fans immensely. The excellent characterization, wonderful writing, vivid description and most of all, Lanyon’s ability to illicit emotion and connection to the characters easily rate this as one of his keepers. Although there’s no doubt that future problems will exist for Sean and Dan, the core of their commitment to each other is clear and genuine. As a sequel/prequel to “The Dark Knight” this easily can be read alone but the characterization and storyline works much better if you’ve read the previous work first. Either way, this is a must read story.

 Get it HERE!

 

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