Bashed

by Rick R. Reed

It should have been a perfect night out. Instead, Mark and Donald collide with tragedy when they leave their favorite night spot. That dark October night, three gay-bashers emerge from the gloom, armed with slurs, fists, and an aluminum baseball bat.

The hate crime leaves Donald lost and alone, clinging to the memory of the only man he ever loved. He is haunted, both literally and figuratively, by Mark and what might have been. Trapped in a limbo offering no closure, Donald can’t immediately accept the salvation his new neighbor, Walter, offers. Walter’s kindness and patience are qualities his sixteen-year-old nephew, Justin, understands well. Walter provides the only sense of family the boy’s ever known. But Justin holds a dark secret that threatens to tear Donald and Walter apart before their love even has a chance to blossom.

1st Edition published by MLR Press, March 2009.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Dark, Mystery Thriller, Gay

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.

Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”

Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.

Reviews

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.5Stars ***
Very hard to read at times but I'm so glad i did....




If you read the blurb for this you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect but nothing could have prepared me for the opening scene.
I don't normally read the Authors note at the end of books but I did here.It made that opening scene so much more powerful as it's inspired by a real life event for the Author.

Donald and Mark met at the Brig,a gay sex club where pretty much anything goes.Donald wasn't looking for romance when Mark came into his life but the two men fall hard and fast into a relationship.
One night they are walking to their car when they are assaulted by 3 men for being Gay.It's a powerful,traumatic,very well written scene that was difficult to read.
Donald wakes up to find his life in pieces.....

You also get an insight into the minds of two of the attackers,Ron and Justin.
Ron is 26,the ring leader and is a truly despicable character.Justin is only 16,has no home life and is totally lead astray by Ron.Although he didn't take part in the attack,he did nothing to stop it either.Afterwards he's tortured by guilt but his loyalties are firmly with Ron.
Add to the mix Justin's Uncle Walter who is gay and lives in the same apartment block Donald does and you have a twisted story of conflicting loyalties.

This was all the more poignant for me as I have two friends who are gay and in a loving relationship and I know first hand what they sometimes have to encounter.

This book won't be for everyone but if you want a powerful,thought provoking read I would highly recommend it....

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick R. Reed stopped by On Top Down Under on July 17th as part of the Bashed - Love Never Dies blog tour, with a guest post and a chance to win a signed copy of one of his books. Check it out here .

Full review can be found at -



Bashed tells the story of a couple who are attacked solely because they are two men who love each other. One survives but the other does not. Donald is left battling the aftermath of the attack and losing the only man he's ever loved. Mark, his late partner, starts making appearances to Donald after his death. Is he there to protect Donald? Or must the murder be solved before he can move on to the other side? The answers are made known far into the book.

Then there's Walter, Donald's new neighbor, and Walter's sixteen-year-old nephew, Justin. Walter wants Donald from the first time he lays eyes on him. Justin has a secret that can tear them apart before they ever get started.

I am going to sound like a broken record, as I've said this about most of Rick R. Reed's books - nobody writes about real issues in the gay community like he does. Bashed is heartbreaking. It will make you cry and it will anger you because you know that gay bashing does not occur strictly in fiction.

Don't go into it expecting a sappy love story. It's about as far from that as it can get. While Mark and Donald's love story is beautiful, it's tragic. Walter is there but this is more about Donald and Mark and moving on.

Another great book by Rick R. Reed.


This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for making me cry...more than once.

Why are people so mean? Why is there such hatred and injustice and grief and pain in our world? Why does it seem like some people make it through life so easily while others suffer horribly? This story is about two men who have recently fallen in love and were just starting their lives together when they are viciously attacked...just because they are gay. Donald is majorly injured and Mark is killed. The story is about Donald learning to live again, learning to live without Mark and trying to understand why his life was singled out for such pain and sorrow. You ache for him because his pain is so much more than physical and we all fear it could happen to us too. You want the bad guys to get caught and suffer. I wanted them to suffer and I did NOT want Donald to forgive them. I would not be able to forgive anyone for that kind of hate.

What I really liked about this story is that it was not all written from Donald's perspective. It was amazing to go inside the minds of the bad guys. From their view, a part of me felt pity for them, but I did not forgive them. It is easy to see why Rick. R. Reed was called the Stephen King of gay horror. He scared me...and not in the boogy-man kind of way but in the-real-world-is-a-
freaking-scary kind of place way.

Second book I've read by this man and he has not let me down yet. If you are looking for a mushy romance or erotica then move along. If you are looking for real life scenarious and "life is not always fair" situations then grab the tissues and come along for the ride.

Just one question: What are poppers Mr. Reed?

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution: contains spoilers.

Donald Griffiths is on his way home from a leather bar with his partner, Mark, late one night, when they are attacked by three youths wielding a baseball bat. When he wakes up, he finds out that Mark has been murdered and he’s totally lost, unable to even remember the attack, and unable to cope with life without Mark. Later, seeing Mark walk into his hospital room shocks him, especially when Mark tells him that love never dies, but when Mark turns around to leave, and Donald sees that the back of his head is crushed, he screams and is forced to realize that Mark is really gone.

When his sister drops him off at his apartment once he’s released from the hospital, he’s shocked to find Mark there. He discovers that as long as he doesn’t touch Mark, it’s safe to sit with him and talk to him, seeking solace in his lonely world. It takes time, but he slowly comes to realize that Mark isn’t really there and that’s why when he touches the vision, Mark disappears. But he’s truly convinced that it is Mark’s spirit and knows it to be true the night that Mark’s spirit helps him remember the attack and clearly recall what the bat-wielding young man looked like.

It’s also Mark who encourages Donald to finally leave the apartment and visit the leather bar. Donald needs some sexual relief, even though he knows it will be brief and pointless. On his first trip out, he has sex in the back room with a very willing bottom. Then it turns out the bottom, Walter, is the new guy who moved into the apartment above Donald’s. Donald isn’t interested in pursuing a relationship, but it is nice to have someone to occasionally hook up with.

What neither man knows is that Walter’s troubled nephew, Justin, is one of the young men who attacked Donald and Mark. Justin didn’t play any role in the actual abuse, but he didn’t run for help and he didn’t report it later. And when he realizes who Donald is, he’s relieved to find out that Donald doesn’t remember much about the attack.

Unfortunately, when Justin shares his news with his friend, Ronnie, the man who hit and killed Mark, Ronnie formulates a plan to silence Donald permanently.

I enjoyed this story very much, even though it was tragic and heartbreaking. The author allowed us to see a bit of Mark’s and Donald’s relationship through use of flashbacks and shared memories. I also liked the use of Mark’s spirit in the story. Who’s to say it can’t happen? It was understated, not outlandish, and really helped move the story along. And the final chapters in which Donald rediscovers his memory, and in which we see the resolution of both Justin’s and Ronnie’s role in the crime were fast-paced, causing me to hold my breath until the outcome was revealed.

There’s no “real time” romance in this story, however. There’s potential for Donald and Walter to get together for the future, but the romance is primarily the romance between Donald and Mark, and I honestly don’t know how I feel about that. On the one hand, it would be difficult to believe that a quick turnaround romance could blossom so soon after that tragedy. On the other hand, not having a current romance in the story was disappointing.

If you don’t mind a sad story that’s very well done, and you don’t mind having the romance in retrospect, rather than in the present, you should like this one. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.

[Smith Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling. Morbidly fascinating..of course I kept reading.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is as hard to read as the title makes you think. This does have a good ending. Happy? Depends on how you look at it. A lot of bad does happen in this story, but good happens too. If violence in stories bothers you, you shouldn't read this. I did skip parts from the perpetrators POV because I didn't care what he thought. I know why he hated gay men - because he hated himself for thoughts he couldn't stop. This fact comes out very early in the story.

This is a well written story with ghostly elements too. I do recommend if you like very real and true to life stories.

[Meka♥books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bashed is a hard to read hate crime against a gay couple walking to their car after leaving a club. Author Rick R. Reed did a great job accounting the characters anxiety and fears of the tauting before the attack and the anticipation of what was to come next during the assult. I was left feeling raw while reading the crime against main characters Mark and Donald. As Mark was left dead, Donald was in the in hospital battered, bruised, and frustrated with no memory of the attack.

Once released from the hospital Donald has a hard time adjusting living without his partner.

Home had certain connotations, and those had been erased by brutality and hate.

Mark comes to Donald in the form of a ghost helping him come to terms of what happened and coaching him to remember the faces of the perpetrators that assaulted them that painful night.

In an ironic twist of fate, Donald's new neighbor Walter is not only attracted to Donald but is also related to Justin, the sixteen year old and the youngest participant of the gay bashing. Walter is so smitten with Donald he uses any excuse to go to his home. One evening he took Justin to Donald's to borrow bay leaves for making chili but it's Justin who gets more than he bargain for.

His heart started hammering. His throat closed up. He wanted to cry and throw up and wasn't sure which would come first and how he would hold back either or explain either to his uncle... or to the man standing before them. It was him. One of the guys they had beat up two weeks ago. There was no doubt in Justin's mind, and, as if to confirm it, there was a cut on the man's forehead. There was an old bruise, faded to sickly yellow, on his neck. He was the same guy, standing right here before him!

Justin was a contradiction for me. He was raised by a single mother who didn't give him the attention he desperately needed as she was dealing with demons herself. However, his uncle Walter was always there present in his life, giving him advice, and spending time with him. I didn't understand why Justin felt the need to hang out with the wrong crowd and someone ten years his senior to feel validated to point of potentially jeopardizing his uncle's safety.

Bashed took me on an emotional roller coaster. I felt for Donald and what he lost. I was saddend by one of Mark's brother's behavior's at the wake

See, I wanted to say thanks for me making my little brother a fag

I was overwhelmed with feelings for Walter at Justin's actions, the state of their relationship, and aftermath for Justin.

Bashed is a well written book on hate. The author's Afterword was my favorite part of the book. It tells what inspired this story and his personal experience with prejudices. Some parts of Bashed were a bit long winded for me and more development needed to be shared be into the preps family life. Other than that this was a magnificant read. If you're into gay reads, descriptive hate crimes, and stories that could happen in real life this book is for you. Bashed gets 4.5 stars.

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)

Did you ever start reading a book and then realize as you were reading it that you’d already read it before? That happened with this one. I read the first edition a few years ago and it deeply troubled me at the time. I’m not sure what possessed me to request this book for a Flashback Friday review, but something did.

A warning. This book is about a hate crime. A gay bashing where one of the men is killed…beaten to death in the street with a baseball bat. Similar to Matthew Broderick’s character in the movie Torch Song Trilogy and other portrayals of the violence perpetrated on gay men and women in the ‘real’ world, this story reads as if it could actually have happened. As a gay man, knowing how close to the surface hate is in many people, particularly in today’s political climate, the story was chilling. It is made worse probably by my own experience when in my early twenties I was chased several blocks in the middle of the night in Manhattan by 5 men yelling things like Fag and get him…filthy queer. Luckily like Mr. Reed’s story in the afterward, I found one of New York’s finest in a subway station where I ran to try to escape. There but by the grace of someone go I, or any of the countless other gay men and women who have faced this sort of hate and lived to tell about it.

This story is powerful in several ways. It is the story of Donald, and the love of his life taken from him too soon by hatred. It is a tale of internalized homophobia in the case of the murderer, and it is a tale of the corruptibility of youth in the case of the young man, Justin, whose combination of poor family upbringing and ignorance led him to be in the wrong place with the wrong people. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like Justin, but I thought Mr. Reed did a good job writing his character.

This is not the book if you’re looking for a feel good, dancing through the flowers, happy sort of read. It is dark, it is gritty, and sadly it is all too real. I’m writing this early on election day in my country. The last year has seen a huge increase in hatred and violence driven by a particular political candidate. Will that increase in hatred lead to more real-life stories like the story in this book? Only time will tell.

I recommend this book highly. It is very well written and powerful. Be prepared…it will leave you maudlin. If it doesn’t, there might just be something wrong with you.

[Jeff Erno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Reed's Bashed is an amazingly compelling novel that depicts the brutality and aftermath of a horrific hate crime. In the opening chapter we are introduced to Donald and Mark, an endearingly devoted gay couple who are just approaching the second year of their romantic relationship. They are madly in love, and as they leave a leather bar together that love is confronted by unimaginable hatred. They are violently attacked by a group of three young assailants weilding aluminum baseball bats, and young Mark is killed. This is the beginning of the story.

From this point Reed takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride that surprises and frightens. He not only explores the mind and emotions of Donald, the surviving victim, but also Ronny and Justin, two of the bashers. I was in awe of Reed's ability to paint such clear pictures of his setting by describing seemingly minute and insignificant details. I felt as if I understood the emotions and thought processes of each character. I was astonished by Reed's command of the English language and by his impressive and expansive vocabulary. His writing style flowed, and he varied his sentence structure in a manner that skillfully avoided any appearance of choppiness or uncertainty.

Initially my reaction to the horrendous crime was to hate the criminals, but by the end of the story I felt compassion and pity for them. It was not so much hatred that fueled their violence as it was fear. They were afraid of who they were. They were afraid of the honesty and openness that Donald and Mark's love demonstrated. I yearned for healing and forgiveness to occur. I wanted Donald to stop hurting and to be happy. I wanted Mark to return.

Bashed is a story about love. It is a story about a beautiful, loving couple who are ripped apart by tragedy. It is about the consequences of homophobia. It is about the importance of providing parental guidance to our society's youth. It is about learning how to forgive. It is about having the courage to start over after you've lost everything you cared about. Bashed is a rare find. It is a book that touched my soul, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have a lot of clever words for this one either, other than that it made me angry, so angry, because the gay-bashing within happens still all over the world, and it enrages me to know that people like Ronnie exists, people who hate others simply for who they are.

I cried a lot. Donald's grief and pain, and even his numbness, all rang true.

I wanted to reach in and throttle the young men who commit this horrible crime before it happened, so Mark could live, and he and Donald could be happy.

The afterword from the author about killed me. Thank you to the cop who showed up just in time sor his story didn't end like Donald and Mark's.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an emotionally intense story this was. From the sweet beginning as the lover's leave the club, followed by the horrific attack and all the way to the end Mr. Reed's compelling writing kept me completely engaged in Donald's story. Definitely an emotional roller-coaster but well-worth reading.

[Kassa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bashed is an intense story that is likely to resonate with readers and leave a lasting impression. The subject matter is intense and relevant even as many hope the kind of hatred, fear, and violence depicted is a thing of the past. While the characterization shines in this story, the writing is unfortunately uneven with some considerable problems. If you can get past these issues though, Bashed is well worth reading. The story and characters are likely to spark strong reactions in readers and question the complexities of people.

The story starts with a violent crime. Lovers Mark and Donald are leaving a local gay club one night when three young men decide to attack them. Mark is killed while Donald survives the attack but is changed by the events. What happens next is Donald’s struggle to pick up his life shown alongside the regret and fear of one of the attackers. Switching viewpoints to many of the cast beyond just these two, the story shows the complexities of people and the lasting impact one night can have on so many.

Despite the violent attack at the start of the book, this story really is character driven. Thankfully the characters are fully developed and wonderfully complex. Donald is the main narrator as he reminisces about his past with Mark, how they met, and their hopes for the future. They were only together for a brief time – six months – so the agony of losing that love so soon haunts Donald as well. He starts to see visions of Mark, which he believes Mark is a ghost unable to let go. Whether Donald is hallucinating or Mark is a supernatural element isn’t really clarified, although Donald is convinced he’s not imaging things. This aspect of the book is interesting and important to Donald eventually being able to go on with his life. Donald changes from a strong, aggressive man depicted prior to the attack to insecure, almost passive with rash mood swings. His brief attempts to pick up his life seem to center on anonymous sex at a leather club, a habit he used to indulge prior to meeting Mark.

Contrasting Donald’s intense and emotional struggle are the scenes from Justin’s perspective. Justin is a sixteen year old boy from a bad home with no parental supervision. He falls in with Randy, an older boy with a drug habit and pent up rage. Randy, Justin, and their friend Luis, have frequently harassed gay men in the past but the instances had never escalated as they did the night they attacked Donald and Mark. Justin is a complicated young man and his depiction shows how a weak personality coupled with no self esteem and a desire for false bravado can produce horrific actions. Justin knows his actions are wrong and he knows they’re wrong while doing them but is too weak to remove himself from the situation. He has numerous opportunities to get away from Randy and bad circumstances but Justin is too desperate for Randy’s approval and wrapped up in his own teen angst to do the right thing. In fact, at almost every turn Justin knowingly does the wrong thing. The characterization of Justin is perhaps the best in the book as it shows the dynamics of a confused, angry teenager who doesn’t really want to hurt anyone but easily lets himself join a group mentality. He’s no misunderstood youth but neither is he one dimensional.

Some of the best scenes are between Justin and his gay uncle, Walter. Walter moves into the same apartment building as Donald and thus through a series of coincidences, Justin and furthermore Randy encounter Donald again. Here the character of Walter is perhaps the weakest as his view of Justin and his actions are somewhat weak and blind. Walter doesn’t really want to take the final step and parent Justin so instead he ignores a lot of the warning signs and problems with Justin. On the other hand, when the scenes are viewed through Justin’s perspective, the intensity increases and the real stability of the relationship comes through. Similarly Donald’s sister and even the subtle characterization of Randy all combine to present a stunning cast in often intense scenes.

The writing however keeps the story very fast and easy to read with Reed’s trademark economy of prose. Despite the intensity and difficult subject matter, the book never feels obsessively dark or depressing, letting the complex characterization tell the story with a minimum of extraneous description. There are some uncomfortable moments but the deft touch keeps this moving. Unfortunately the writing itself is also distracting while reading. Too often, brand placements seem to be included for no real reason. For example at the beginning, the story makes a point to say that Donald drives a Prius. This distracted me from the opening crime scene since a key plot point is about opening the car door and since the car is a Prius, why wouldn’t it have automatic locks and a car alarm on the keychain? This is a minor point I realize but this distraction is furthered when numerous brands are mentioned, taking the focus away from the actual story and focusing on a small, completely irrelevant detail. It doesn’t matter that Donald powered up is iMac, opened Firefox, and logged into his Gmail. The fact that Donald drives a Prius is not evident of his economic status nor do I think a statement that gay men, or Donald in particular, are more environmentally conscious so this level of random detail was distracting. The fact that it’s so pervasive in the story is also surprising and not to the betterment of the book.

Although Bashed is about an unfortunately common event, the complexities of the motivations, people, and reactions all allow something deeper to emerge. The tagline is “a love story” and truly this is depicted from the love between Mark and Donald, Walter and Justin, even the twisted affection between the closeted Randy and Justin, and finally the hope for new love. Despite the difficult subject matter, this story is anything but depressing. Though the book is not perfect and does have some problems, I was glad to read it regardless as I think most will be as well.

[T.M. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald and Mark leave the leather bar after a night of fun and drinking, walking wrapped in each other's arms, kissing and laughing as the story opens. The area they are in is painted as a gay friendly area, but shadows lurk in dark corners. And when Donald and Mark are attacked in one of those dark corners just as they reach their car, one life ends and four are irrevocably changed forever.

When Donald wakes up in the hospital sore, battered and with slight amnesia his sister has to tell him his lover is dead. But Mark was just there with him, standing next to his hospital bed. And as the story progresses, Donald continues to see Mark, hear him, smell him all around him. Is he being haunted? Losing his mind? Or has his recently deceased lover become his guardian angel?

Sixteen year old Justin is having a hard time dealing with peer pressure and his family drama. His best friend Ronny, is a violent homophobe, his mother is emotionally and pretty much physically unavailable, and while he has a good relationship with his uncle Walter, the fact that the man is gay is difficult for Justin to deal with at times.

All of these people interact and weave their way through each other's lives on a daily basis, not exactly realizing who each one of them truly are. Donald is slowly getting back his memory and putting faces to the horrible realizations of what happened that night, with Mark's help. But when all the puzzle pieces are in place, Donald faces the very real danger of joining his dead boyfriend.

This was a dark and graphically violent novel, that warning must be given. But the writing and the way the story was conveyed were kind of brilliant. There are multiple points of view and some sliding around from one chapter to the next, but there is no confusion. Whether you're in the mind of the grieving Donald while he tries to go on with his life, remember all the fine details of the night he'd rather forget and try to figure out if he's going out of his mind seeing Mark while knowing Mark is actually dead. Or young Justin who is so impressionable that he makes poor decisions following his friends lead and how the choices he has made morph themselves into making him physically sick at times.

What is frightening as hell about this novel is the reality of it. I don't even want to think about how many times I've seen similar stories on the news, or read them online. What was interesting for me was to see the lasting effects this particular case, even if it is fiction, had on Donald as well as Justin. How the violence of that night bleed over into their lives in the aftermath. The characters were three dimensional and tragically flawed coupled with a gripping storyline that makes this book a must read.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when everything is taken away from you in the blink of an eye? How do you pick up the pieces and move on when your foundation is shaken and nothing feels the same anymore? We watch Donald, the main character in Rick R. Reed’s Bashed, struggle with these very questions.

This is the most powerful book I’ve read from Rick R. Reed yet. Intense and gripping from start to finish, Bashed tells the story of Donald and Mark, a gay couple in love, who are the victims of a vicious hate crime while on their way home from the Brig, a leather bar they frequent. The beginning of the book is tough. Rick’s writing style lends perfectly to setting the stage, taking us through the details – as much as we don’t want to know – of the horrific attack. In fact, the entire story is so well written it’s obvious that along with the more lighthearted love stories in his catalog, Mr. Reed is a master at suspense.

In tandem with the actual event of the bashing and Donald’s story of how to go on with his life afterwards, we also see the POV of Justin, a sixteen year old kid who participated in the attack that night. Getting a glimpse into the minds of both Justin and Ronny, the main antagonist in the bashing and the one that causes the injury that kills Donald’s partner Mark, is a truly disturbing and scary thing. Justin is very much a scared kid who gets sucked into activities that he doesn’t entirely have the stomach for…But, Ronny is truly filled with hate and epitomizes the quote I chose to use above.

The way Rick ties everything together is very compelling, and I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story. In fact, my favorite scene in the book is one in which Donald talks to his sister Grace about some things he has been experiencing, and instead of thinking him crazy, as he is convinced she will, she completely stands by him and offers him some amazing words of support.

This is definitely a recommended read. And, don’t miss the Afterword, wherein Rick gives insight into where the story idea came from. For me, reading it made this powerful story even more so.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this a while ago, but it wasn't available. I emailed Mr. Reed and he got back to me stating it would be available again in the Summer. Well, I forgot about it until tonight. I picked this up and I was crying during the prologue. I cried throughout this entire book, because it happens, probably nightly all across the country.

I live in STL and my friends and I used to hang out at this one place and when we would leave we would hear taunts. I've only had to deal with those. Others weren't so lucky. We'd see windows busted out of their cars, tires slashed, and even the bartenders wouldn't let anyone leave alone. I had to go out to the car because my wallet fell out of my back pocket and I had to have an escort. Why should people have to live like this? It's 2014 people, wake up and smell the diversity! Needless to say people got so fed up with all the hatred surrounding the place we decided to take out business elsewhere.

My heart broke for Donald and Mark. I could not imagine what my life would be like if I were Donald. I'm glad that this wasn't a case of "you need to move on". I don't think I would have liked that one bit. I am glad Grace was there, but gave him space.

Justin? Yeah, Justin may be a 16 year old, but he's a bitch. A punk ass bitch. Let's go boo-hoo because your mom sleeps around. Man, eff you! What about Walter? Ugh. You make me sick, Justin. Seriously.

Why only 4 stars? I was confused on the time. Time jumps seemed to have happened and I wasn't sure how far out they were. Then there was the fact that I wanted to know more about Justin's arrest. How much time did he get? Was he tried as an adult? Does Walter still talk to him? What did Patty have to say about it?

Then I read the Afterward. I'm sorry. My heart hurts. :(

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Bashed’ is a true masterpiece; a novel about a range of human emotions and deep psychological insight, not to forget a few plot twists that had me reeling. It was a hard story for me to read and completely emotionally drained me. And as I am sitting down to try to capture my thoughts for this review, I am realizing it is even harder for me to review. My heart broke in the first chapter at the brutality of the men attacking Donald and Mark just because they are gay, and I am not sure I ever recovered from that. And as I am writing this I am beginning to think that maybe I am not supposed to recover from the pain I felt as I followed Donald through the struggle of physical recovery, then his attempt to rebuild his life and his desperate need to make sense of it all. Of course, nothing about his situation makes sense and how can anyone ever recover after losing someone they love? And yet there is light at the end of every tunnel, or so they say, and there is definitely some light at the end of this book. Not too much, which is entirely appropriate considering how serious Donald’s loss is, but there is light.


Please find my full review of the third edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much. The story was compelling, if necessarily brutal at times, the characters were sympathetic and three-dimensional, and the quality of the writing was very good. Overall, the book gave an excellent portrayal of the effects of grief and neglect, and of the power love can have.

I have three quibbles that keep me from giving the book five stars. One is that the plot is driven off a couple of pretty big coincidences. I'm not saying these things are impossible, but they were improbable enough to give me pause. The second quibble is that in a crucial part of the action, I didn't feel as if the protagonist's actions (freezing in fear instead of crossing the room for a phone) were in character (and wouldn't most people keep the phone at bedside anyway?). And third, there were a few places in which the text needed a bit more editing.

These shortcomings aside, this was an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Bashed’ is a true masterpiece; a novel about a range of human emotions and deep psychological insight, not to forget a few plot twists that had me reeling. It was a hard story for me to read and completely emotionally drained me. And as I am sitting down to try to capture my thoughts for this review, I am realizing it is even harder for me to review. My heart broke in the first chapter at the brutality of the men attacking Donald and Mark just because they are gay, and I am not sure I ever recovered from that. And as I am writing this I am beginning to think that maybe I am not supposed to recover from the pain I felt as I followed Donald through the struggle of physical recovery, then his attempt to rebuild his life and his desperate need to make sense of it all. Of course, nothing about his situation makes sense and how can anyone ever recover after losing someone they love? And yet there is light at the end of every tunnel, or so they say, and there is definitely some light at the end of this book. Not too much, which is entirely appropriate considering how serious Donald’s loss is, but there is light.


Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

I am not sure one can fully appreciate the feeling of absolute helplessness and fear a person feels when surrounded by attackers set on hurting them because of their sexuality. Bashed not only explores that idea, but does so with such truth and unflinching clarity that the reader is left shaken and affected deeply. Rick R. Reed presents a story that is more than a fictitious tale; it is, in many ways, his reality as a gay man. However, I do not think that he is simply detailing a horrific incident that befell two gay men, no, I believe the author is casting a critical eye on hate crimes of all kinds. Reed uses this example as a warning, of sorts, that there exists in this world deep-seated intolerance for any who step outside what is deemed the “norm.” Bashed is a powerful tale of love, loss, and learning to live again.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[Becky Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started "reading" this books as a text-to-speech listen while walking my dog early in the morning. The beginning terrified me to the point that when I drive down the quiet suburban streets where I was walking that morning I think I am going to come across Ronny and Justin. I can't walk down those streets anymore.
This entire book is that striking. Mr. Reed has painted a series of pictures that you can't forget. It's not an easy book to read but once started you can't put it down. My heart broke over and over for Donald, Mark, Walter, and Justin.
There are surprising twists to the story, not always in a comforting way, but always moving the story forward.
This is a masterpiece. It is full of angst and characters that will grab your heart and not let go. It's a story of what might happen to any of us, in a world where hate is allowed to flourish. After I've digested the messages for a while I will likely read the book again. Powerful. Highly recommended.

[Jen Pinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really sorrowful and made me very angry. Ronnie was a disgusting evil human being and it worries me that there are people out there just like him. Justin aggravated me continuously throughout the story with his attitude towards gays. Having such a wonderful uncle in Walter, I just can't understand how he could act like he did.

I must say that I found Donald to be too much of a wimp in his actions for the character he was supposed to be. He was a big man, the D in a D/s pair, and he didn't fight back during the attack at all. Maybe if he had Mark would have lived. The way he cowered on the bed in his room when Ronny broke in was terrible, but I was glad that he actually fought back, finally.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys angst and can handle the sorrow of character death. It was well written and the plot was well thought out. Good read!

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well told story which shows how violence affects everybody involved - including the perpetrators. I have never come across a book which so thoroughly describes the point of view of the agressor without making them sound like the victim. That`s not to say that the victims point of view is neglected with even ghostly apparitions/delusions forming part of the tale. The story also touches on how our lives connect and getting over the death of a loved one. My only criticism is the tag line -I'm not sure that I would describe it as "A love story" but that is only a minor point. In short I would recommend the book to anyone. I listened to the audiobook version and I thought that it was well narrated and easy to listen to.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

After he is injured and his lover is killed in a gay bashing incident, Donald Griffin knows he needs to grieve and move on--but why does his lover seem to still visit him? Meanwhile, his neighbor unknowingly has a connection to the assailants--and starts to develop a relationship with the reluctant Donald. This is NOT repeat NOT m/m romance. It is more a story of grief and violence, with paranormal touches and a hint of potential romance; and pretty good for what it is (3.5 stars rounded down).

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bashed is a sad story, especially since The subject matter is a real one. I can't give the author a lot of credit for creativity since the story could actually be a true story or very similar to what has actually occurred to someone. Bashed is an entertaining book yet there was nothing extraordinary about the writing, the character development or anything else.

[Barmybelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful book about a horrible crime. What makes it all the more powerful is that it's not complete and utter fantasy; sadly this is the world we live in where people can't live and let live and hate crime is all around us.

I've not read anything by this author before but after reading Bashed I will definitely read more.

[Nikko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not my taste but the storyline is great.. A really sad book..

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming, don't quite know how to put this book into words yet

[Sammy Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure one can fully appreciate the feeling of absolute helplessness and fear a person feels when surrounded by attackers set on hurting them because of their sexuality. Bashed not only explores that idea but does so with such truth and unflinching clarity that the reader is left shaken and affected deeply. Rick Reed presents a story that is more than a fictitious tale; it is, in many ways, his reality as a gay man. However, I do not think that he is simply detailing a horrific incident that befell two gay men, no, I believe the author is casting a critical eye on hate crimes of all kinds. Rick Reed uses this example as a warning, of sorts, that there exists in this world deep-seated intolerance for any who step outside what is deemed the “norm”. Bashed is a powerful tale of love, loss and learning to live again.

Donald had met the man who he was his soul mate in many ways. A man who made him feel complete and loved. While Mark was younger than Donald, he possessed a single-minded loyalty and fierce affection for the older man. Theirs was a happy co-existence with a bright and passionate future ahead until they left a bar called The Brig late one evening and ended up on a secluded street. Little did they know that the car carrying a bunch of homophobic bullies had followed them to their quiet parking spot and were intent on doing them harm.

What follows in the story is a visceral and disturbing attack that leaves one man dead and the other irrevocably changed. Without giving away too much of this incredibly well-written story, suffice it to say that a good portion of this novel then focuses on both the survivor’s heart-wrenching attempts to put his life back together and move on from the devastating attack. But author Rick Reed does not stop there. He draws us along this frantic ride of a tale by also showing us the lengths to which the psychotic basher will go to silence the remaining witness to his crime. Along the way, a young boy who is torn between the thrill of being accepted and liked by his criminal friend and the love he has for his own family will make one mistake after another with devastating consequences.

Bashed by Rick Reed is an amazing novel that dares to question why we allow such hatred and intolerance to exist in a world where everyone should have the right to be the person they were intended to be and to love the way in which they were born to do so.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, the blurb tells a lot. You basically have the meat of the story in it. And it’s a doozy.
But what you don’t have in the blurb, is the emotion, the feeling. The trauma of what happened and how it affected the victims. And how it even affected the bashers. And then knowing it was somewhat based on a true story, makes it really hit home.
Needless to say, there are super triggers in this book. There is homophobic chants, stalking, attempted murder, murder, self-defense, PTSD, and much more. So if any of this is a problem for you, please take care.
I can’t tell you how much this story destroyed me. It wouldn’t be so bad, if this kind of thing wasn’t an every day occurrence. Day after day, night after night, anyone in the lgbt community is usually targeted. And when having someone in the lgbt community as a kid in my family, it terrifies me even more. You want your friends, family and so on, to be able to find love and be happy, but why does it have to be at such a cost?
How many people go to bars every day? And I got to thinking about it. There are so many predators out there. People who just don’t care. And it’s not always the lgbt community. Sometimes everyone is a target. But you have to agree that the lgbt are more often targeted. And it saddens me because ‘straight’ or ‘cis’ people get to have the same fun or go to the same kinds of bars. And yes, some of them become victims, but why does it always have to be anyone, period? Just because we want to have a good time. Just because we are different. And it breaks me even more that this story is so true. It really is a very true story. For the thousands of victims each day. I thank the heavens for the ones who survive, but even then some of them can’t take what they’ve been through or go on with the loss of the ones who didn’t make.
And then I get irritated even more because politics and the police who don’t help as much as they should. Things that could be done to make the streets safer. Lights in dark areas, emergency buttons or something somewhere.
This is a good story, it really is. But it’s going to get at you. Probably worse than me, maybe not. Either way, it’s an emotional story and one that will put you through the ringer.

https://lovebytesreviews.com/

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald and his partner Mark were leaving a gay club one night - the Brig - when they were victims of a hate crime. A car follows them, some young me get out and they have a baseball bat. What happens is terrifying and the descriptions are visceral, authentic, and disturbing.

The next time Donald regains consciousness he's in pain, and his sister is the one who has to tell him that his partner is dead. When he returns to his apartment, he sees his dead lover. He's not sure if it's an apparition, his meds, or his conscience - why couldn't he save his partner? - but he's oddly comforted. At the same time as he longs for the appearance of Mark, Donald suffers greatly with flashes of the night that they were attacked.

One of the things that I always admire about Rick's writing style is that way that he manages to convey emotions. Grief is such a real presence in this book. When Donald is mourning his partner... the shock and the way he finds himself almost unable to feel or act is very realistic. The way that Donald finds himself moving through the days without really being able to tell if he is awake or asleep... if things are real or a dream.

The book switches POV to Justin... he's a teen with a troubled home life. It seems as though one of the only places that he is settled is at his Uncle's home. Even though he can't relate at all to his Uncle being gay... he seems to want to spend time there. It's home. It's someone who cares about him. Justin's Uncle Walter doesn't know that things are about to get very tangled up when he goes downstairs to borrow some bay leaves from his new neighbor.

In this story, the lives of Justin, Donald, and Walter are tangled together by chance and by choice. There's a surprising amount of tension built up in this short novel...I would recommend it if you're okay with the warnings.