Review of Physical Therapy (St. Nacho's #2)

 by Z.A. Maxfield

4 Stars

When Jordan Jensen moves to St. Nacho’s he has one goal in mind: starting over. He wants to reconnect with best friends Cooper and Shawn yet is uncertain of his welcome. He has the skills to get a job, but isn’t sure any prospective employer can get past the time he spent in jail for alcohol-related vehicular homicide. He’s past the worst part of his life but knows it will haunt him forever. So Jordan plans a life of quiet service. One thing he knows for sure: finding love is entirely too much to ask.

On the first day of his new job, Jordan meets Ken Ashton. Ken has every reason to hate Jordan for his past and only one to seek him out: Ken's baseball career was shattered in a drunk-driving accident. But for some reason he can’t explain, Ken needs Jordan’s touch and finds healing within Jordan’s warmth and strength. Jordan wants to give Ken everything his new partner needs.

Without entirely understanding it, Ken and Jordan develop a powerful emotional and erotic connection, but Ken must help Jordan find the faith to trust it. Unexpected help comes from the people of Santo Ignacio--and the town itself--a place where Physical Therapy can be a path toward spiritual healing and powerful, passionate love.

This is the 2^nd installment of the St. Nacho’s series, and we think it is a great emotional read.  There is something about how ZA Maxfield has written this book that draws you in form the first chapter.

Let’s start with Jordan, this is such a different Jordan that we saw in the first book.  That Jordan was self-centered, self-involved, greedy, and unremorseful.  This Jordan, he is changed.  After prison, and getting his degree sees that he can give back to society, he still harbours huge guilt, the thoughts that he will never be good enough and an unrealistic view that he will always be atoning for his mistakes, but he wants to try and have a life.  He moves to St. Nacho’s the idealistic seaside town hoping to start fresh in his life.  Taking a job at t local gym he find himself working with Ken.  Ken is recovering form a life-changing accident caused by a drunk driver that claimed his best friends life.  These two men are drawn to each other and the hurt and heartbreak they both feel for their situations.

There is so many good and not-so-good things in this book.  We are so happy that Jordan is getting his life together, but it is heartbreaking hearing his internal dialogue of self-worth.  He feels he doesn’t deserve anyone. And Ken is so so so so SO ANGRY.  He is stuck in this loop of what his life was like, and where it is now, and the reality that he wasn’t truthful to his family about who he really was, a gay man. And the heat between theses two is hot, and yet, so sad.  They are so drawn to each other, comforted by each other, but neither really want to be tied to each other. 

If you have read anything by ZA Maxfield, she creates a fantastic world of secondary characters and Physical Therapy doesn’t disappoint.  From Izzie, the gym owner, to the local cops and the red hat ladies, they are all unique and distinct and create a whole world in St. Nacho’s.  And re-visiting with our friends from the first book, is so fun, I love seeing that  a year later they are still happy and settled. 

Although we clearly loved this book, there were a few things that made us skim.  Jordan’s internal-dialogue.  We understand his pain, and his guilt over his mistakes, but wished that through this journey he could see that he is worthy of love, and hold onto Ken, instead of always keeping him at arms length.  Then there is the piece about Jordan’s attack – and honestly we felt there wasn’t really settled.  Yes, they changed the person that did it, but it was all off page.  

All in all, Physical Therapy is a great 2^nd book in the St. Nacho’s series.  We truly weren’t fans of Jordan in the first installment, but he is trying so hard to pay for his sins that you can’t help root for his happy ever after, and Physical Therapy delivers!