The Wanderer

Doctor Jude Evans has built a safe but barren life for himself in a small western town where he pours all his passion into caring for his patients while hiding his secret yearning to love another man. Gabriel Fontenot is a drifter who is handy with a gun, prospecting for gold and trying to forget the night the letter "O" was carved into his hip. Suffering from hard living, he is cared for by Jude. When a dangerous gang threaten the gentle doctor, Gabriel becomes his guardian angel.

As the story grew to a close, I wondered just how the author would be able to finish the story and still stay true to the characters, especially Gabriel, but I should not have worried as she did an excellent job. The Wanderer is another great story that will leave fans of this author wanting more--Critter Nymph at Literary Nymphs.

This story has so many layers. Growth, finally accepting of what you are is an important one. All main characters develop in some way or another. The one I thought was most touching was the change in Jude. He undergoes a complete transformation. He starts off as a lonely, introvert person. He lives on his own, writing poetry about love. Then, when love finally comes to him in the shape of the incredibly hot Gabriel, it takes time for him to cope with his shame, his resentment for what he really is. We learn with him, we see him coming to terms with the part of him that he has hidden not only from the world, but also himself. I thought this was beautifully, subtly done.

His relationship with Gabriel was interesting. It develops slowly, and sometimes you doubt if this is even going to work, but in the end you just know they are right for each other. There is some domination love play in this book, but I thought it was quite sweet. I liked how they acted like they were somewhere else, being somewhere else. Everything you could want from sex scenes are here. They were hot, steamy and variable. In some books you feel like you are reading the same scene over and over again, with just a slightly different setting. This was not at all the case with The Wanderer. Every scene is exciting in its own, unique way--Celine at The Romance Reviews.

The Wanderer by Jan Irving resonates with love, compassion, and acceptance. The tender emotions of the novel are completely balanced by highly erotic with passionate interludes--Kathy at BlackRaven's Reviews.

When Gabriel, a drifter who is extremely ill wanders into town, Jude finds himself wanting more than he ever imagined he would. When a wealthy landowner targets Jude, danger seems to be a new way of life and it leaves his practice burnt to the ground and Gabriel helping him rebuild--Kimberley Spinney at Sensual Reads.

The Wanderer had me from the get-go by starting things off through the eyes of blind boy Mouse. Through Mouse’s “eyes” and memories we quickly learn that Jude is a loyal friend, protector and a genuinely kind soul without getting banged over the head with the sickly sweetness of it all. He is content to care for the people in his small town. It’s 1879 and he prefers the company of men but refuses to give in to his feelings for fear of destroying everything he’s built. He’s content, but his existence is a lonely one until Gabriel shows up, all smoldering looks and hard horny, alpha male. Gabriel knows the price revealing his sexuality costs, a reminder has been permanently etched in his skin, but he’s not afraid of his sexuality. He never stays in one place for too long and takes pleasure where he finds it, but Jude’s compassion and irresistible good looks draw him in and he finds himself lingering even as he becomes healthier--Lauria Chandonnay at Just Erotic Romance Reviews.

To read an excerpt and purchase The Wanderer go here.

Excerpt from The Wanderer

"Gabriel Fontenot," Gabriel offered. He stiffened when the young doctor took his wrist, touching him seemingly without fear.

Gabriel wasn't used to people not being afraid of him. Even less used to being touched.

And then, while he stared at the other man, the doctor stroked Gabriel's wrist absently. It was meant strictly to comfort, he knew that. He knew it wasn't...but his body responded because of tangled soft brown hair and gentle eyes and all Gabriel could think about was--

He yanked his wrist away, dropping his gaze. "Don't touch me!" he growled.

"Did I hurt you?" Bewildered blue eyes. Then, "Oh!"

Gabriel lifted a knee. Damnation, there was no way the man could mistake him.

A hand returned to his line of sight, startling him so he looked up and met Jude's gaze. "I was checking your pulse. May I continue?"

"But..." Gabriel let him take his wrist again, swallowing thickly. He was comfortable touching a man like Gabriel?

"It's all right," Jude whispered. He was blushing, Gabriel noted. "You helped Mouse and I'm very grateful to you."

"No child should have his back stripped." Gabriel shook his head, sickened.

"You were whipped once. I…saw that when I examined you." Curiosity and compassion were in the doctor's eyes now.

"I expected you to slap my face when you saw…" Gabriel's throat closed. He couldn't speak of it, the moment when this man touched him and Gabriel's body betrayed him.

Gabriel gazed deeply into Jude's eyes, not hiding who he was anymore with this man. Goddamnit, he couldn't help it.

***

"Breathe deeply. Good! Now exhale..." Doc Jude had his stethoscope pressed against Gabriel's bare muscled chest. He was trying to concentrate on his patient's welfare and not on the unsaid things humming between them.

Gabriel had settled upstairs in the first empty bedroom of Jude's clinic when it was clear he'd need some time to recover, though he was still being stubborn about that, seeming to think he could just continue to neglect his health.

It made Jude grit his teeth.

"Good enough for me to resume my journey, Doctor?" Gabriel cocked an eyebrow now, breaking into Jude's thoughts. "I have business I'd like to attend to."

"You only just arrived in town! Why would you want to go out and camp in the rough, a man in your condition--" Jude reiterated.

Gabriel shoved the stethoscope away. "I'm not dead yet." He stared meaningfully into Jude's eyes and added in a low tone, "Far from it."

Jude swallowed. He was trying to be professional and keep a proper distance with his prickly and mysterious new patient, but he couldn't help staring back into the dark eyes, watching Gabriel's pupils widen and devour chocolate irises, as if in primitive response to Jude's proximity.

Jude licked his lips, nervous, touched by Gabriel. "No, of course not! But if you rest and take care of yourself, I'm sure you will recover. You are very run down but the dry air here is good for the lungs."

Gabriel stood up, the bedclothes falling away and revealing his slender body, dressed only in skin tight deerskin pants. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him, just lean muscle and hard times. Jude had to drag his gaze away from his patient.

"Maybe I don't want to be cured," Gabriel growled.

"What?" Jude couldn't help but snag the larger man's arm. His belly twisted at the sensation of contact with Gabriel's hot skin. When he breathed, he caught the faint scent of Bay Rum and leather emanating from Gabriel. He felt the tension between them, the moment suspended while Gabriel seemed to weigh whether or not to allow his familiarity. "Life is precious. You can't just--!"

Gabriel yanked his arm away. His face was still pale, sweating from his constant low grade fever, but the deep rings under his eyes were gone and he wasn't rasping to breathe anymore. "I can do what I want, damn you." His gaze dropped to Jude's lips. "Damn you, Jude," he repeated, his tone meaningful, intimate.

Copyright: Jan Irving

Find The Wanderer here.

My Books

My Novellas

Outside Links

Home