Product Description

Alex "Rigger" Roberts and Jim "Rock" South are starting to build a solid life together, even as hard as that is for a Marine and a flight nurse. They have pizza, beer, a dog, and lots and lots of communication in bed. The only thing Rock doesn't really communicate well about is his family or his past. Rig thinks that's a little strange, as close as he is to his own tight-knit, loving family, and he sets out to pry a few details out of his studly Marine. When a death in Rock's family has them leaving North Carolina for New England, Rig gets more than he bargained for. There's bad blood there, and when things boil over, Rig has Rock's back, deciding that his Marine is better off without a family like that. Things aren't exactly smooth for Rig's family, either, and a family tragedy leaves him wondering if life will ever be the same. Rig tries to deal with is problems on his own, like he always has, but Rock proves to him soon enough that it's better to have someone there to pick up the pieces. Sean Michael gives us a true slice of Jarheads life in Personal Leave, a hot and moving tale of two men who laugh, love and live together. Take some time for yourself and read it today!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #713035 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Customer Reviews

Sexy and Touching
First of all, I can't believe I couldn't get this book directly from Amazon! Anyway, this book is another in the Jarhead series. Even though this is the latest book in the Jarhead series, it does not pick up where Out of the Closet ended. In this book, Rock and Rigger have been together for a while. Both of Rigger's parents are alive, (we get to meet the oft mention Daddy Roberts), and we are granted the opportunity to meet the narrow-minded folks who spawned our stud Rock. There's still a lot of sex, but we are allowed to witness the strong bond that these two share with each other. Be forewarned though, this book (less than 200 pages) is a very short read when compared with the other Jarhead novels. I would recommend this book to any Jarhead fan who wants to know what really holds these two men together.

More of the same from the original two Jarheads characters
JARHEADS SERIES: VOLUME 2 (chronologically), BOOK 5 (written fifth, as far as I can tell)
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 6/10

PROS:
- Rock and Rig do all kinds of sweet things for each other that I don't remember (or at least, that didn't stand out) in the other Jarheads books I've read: massaging the other's back, feeding each other, etc. There's also a lot more comforting (mostly sexual, of course) in this volume because it has more drama than the others. As a result, I see the depth of their feelings for each other more plainly in this book than in the ones I've read previously.
- More "plot" in this volume than in Three Day Passes and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And yes, I did use the air quotes on purpose, because what passes as a plot in this series would be laughed off the court by most other books in the genre. Still, as I mentioned above, more crummy stuff happens to the guys in this book than in the others and thus we get to see Rock and Rig struggling through real, tough issues in life together.
- The characters are incredibly protective of each other, physically and emotionally.

CONS:
- Rock's family is nasty. REALLY nasty. Like, so nasty I wanted to punch the pages of my book as I read about them. However, Rig comes to Rock's defense around them on multiple occasions, and his dressing down of Rock's sister is priceless, especially considering Rig's usual reserve and cowboy politeness. He uses some profanity, but the non-cuss words he uses are more descriptive: "slimy," "bigoted," and "homely," to give just a few choice examples.
- Repetitive sex. And lots of it. Same roles (top/bottom), same positions, same thoughts. The worst thing about this is that the sheer pervasiveness of sex throughout the book causes the tender scenes--when one of them is comforting the other, for example--to get sort of lost in the shuffle.
- (Possible SPOILER here) The characters never say "I love you." (In any of the books in the series.) Not everyone does say that, I suppose, and there's that whole "actions speak louder than words" thing, but still. The closest they come is Rig saying that Rock was "worth leaving Texas for," and at one point, Rock responds that he's a pretty lucky son-of-a-gun that Rig DID leave Texas.

Overall comments: Again, don't read this if you're looking for a good story. This series is very much about the sex. You're likely to find this book unbearable if you're not already into the characters, and even if you are, you probably won't be able to read large chunks at a time without taking a break.

Personal Leave
Alex "Rig" Roberts and Jim "Rock" South are solidifying their lives together as partners. Easier said than done, given their careers. Rock is a Marine and Rig is a nurse. However, they always find time to show each other how much they need each other. Rock still gets irritated when Rig's momma calls and they talk for hours. Rig doesn't understand why Rock won't talk about his family. What they do understand is each other and life is good.

Tragedy strikes both men where it hurts in the form of death. While Rig has a stable family environment to be whom and what he is, a gay man with a life partner, Rock does not have that stability and Rig is shown firsthand just how unbending Rock's family is about his sexual orientation. No matter however, because Rig plans to show his Rocketman just how much he is needed and wanted right at home.

Personal Leave takes us inside Rig and Rock's relationship prior to Dick joining the couple. I found it extremely poignant at times as well as very realistic as to Rock's family's inability to accept Rig as his partner as well as their refusal to accept Rock's life choices. Personal Leave gave me cause to think of how realistic this novel actually is. Sean Michael continues to amaze me with stories of love and life and I find myself an extremely big fan of this prolific writer. Keep those novels coming!

Talia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed