760 Miles by AE Lister

Just when Jimmy thought he'd outrun his past, meeting Oscar and being drawn to him in ways he never really thought about sends them both on a journey that neither of them will forget... 

From the 760 Miles blurb:

How far would you travel for one man?

The very last thing Jimmy Downing needed was a skinny traveling partner who acted half his age with a chip on his shoulder and no idea how the real world worked, because Jimmy had a lot of experience with the world and he wanted no part of it anymore.

He was trying his best to be an honorable man after two decades of being outside the law. He’d stolen things. He’d killed people in the name of survival. He’d helped other men do horrible things. But now he was keeping his head down and trying to live under the radar. T’wasn’t his fault that Oscar needed someone to show him right from wrong, give him something to eat on the regular and try to keep him out of trouble, so he didn’t end up making a mess of his life the way Jimmy had. Maybe that was what being a good man was all about.

Except the things Jimmy wanted from this twenty-one-year-old man were far from respectable, and he couldn’t stop thinking about them, especially when Oscar Yates of the big brown eyes, cackle of a laugh and insatiable appetite for anything grilled over an open fire insisted on pushing all his buttons.

How was Jimmy going to last the 760 miles to Port Essington without giving in to those needs Oscar called to with the hint of a smile and a smart-assed curse? Because if Jimmy did give in, it would mean both of them living outside the law and never having the chance at a decent life again.

Heather's Review:

AE Lister is magic... they take whatever world they write and immerse  you in it... this time it's an epic historical tale, featuring a former outlaw and the young man who captures his attention, in more ways than one... 

It's told entirely from Jimmy's POV in a first person style, and at the beginning I craved to have more of Oscar's POV, but his character became more expressive once you got into the story and I felt like I was sinking into their world through Jimmy's eyes...  and oh my goodness, those eyes!

760 Miles is not a typical historical.  What it is, though, is a well researched love story that not only features a journey taken by two men, but also one taken by the reader...you feel transported back in time, witnessing the wildness that is northwestern Canada - the truly wild west... 

This book doesn't shy away from true history, offering a gritty reality and dangerous journey, however some of the side characters, particularly Cal and Miss June offer a welcome respite from the discomfort and difficulty.  The reality is that in 1906, being gay was a crime, and that very much affects the characters and their journeys.   This book, like most of AE Lister's work also brings an element of BDSM to the table and it works perfectly with the characters personalities and place in life... 

760 Miles sucked me in and dragged me bodily through every mile - once you start on the journey you won't want to stop until Oscar and Jimmy do...I am so looking forward to future Northern Horizons installments and I'm certainly hoping for more glimpses of Jimmy and Oscar!

Rating: 5 Stars