Fortitude “Fort” McLaren has decided to end his career as a former commander and mercenary. He has joined the Ten Nations Fair to roustabout. Fort isn’t one for attachments and keeps his intimate relationships in the simple lust driven category. To discover he is attracted to a circus acrobat named Griff throws the hardened man for a loop. Fort was raised in the Straight Church, a bigoted society, where small offenses are punishable and man love is an act that is punishable by certain death. So why can’t his body figure out it’s not supposed to be attracted to Griff, a beautifully athletic man?

Griff is a man who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. He’s cocky, feisty and everything that gets under Fort’s skin. Griff will be the first to tell you he is attracted mostly to women, so his need to have Fort is his bed surprises him, but he knows his heart will never love another.

Fort’s past is standing squarely in the way of him claiming his lover. But Griff being put in harm’s way makes Fort take a hard look at his life. Fort has fought enemies before, now he must fight his own mind and allow his heart to stake claim to his new found source of happiness and love.

Strongman is book 3 in the Phoenix Rising series.

Strongman is a book about inner demons and how they play havoc on our happiness. It’s also a book about love and the strength it gives us to claim what is rightfully ours. Fort has lived a hard life where attachments can make a man weak. The attachment to Griff comes out of the blue. The younger man has the ability to make his heart pound and has taught Fort to laugh again. Griff is brave enough to not only face down Fort, but to make him own up to his feelings. He knows that if he doesn’t try they will miss their opportunity to find happiness. Strongman includes a bit of action, humor, and suspense. And the sex between Fort and Griff is hard and demanding with a slight undertone of gentleness if only communicated with mere glances. Denise Rossetti has delivered a well written and extremely entertaining story in Strongman.

Reviewed by: NeNe