Dutch's Boy by Xavier Axelson

Dutch's Boy by Xavier Axelson
My rating: 4½ of 5 stars


Dutch’s Boy was, at the end, a deeper story than I had expected; which is rather silly, because Xavier Axelson’s first book I’d read did the very same thing. It’s very nice to know that this seems to be a facet of his writing; it’s definitely something I enjoy a lot.

In this book, Harry is tired of sitting and doing what his father tells him. He has dreams and plans that aren’t going anywhere and the frustrations this twenty-year-old is feeling are nigh onto exploding… and taking no prisoners. Thank heavens for his friend Reb; although, this too, is becoming a problem for Harry. Not Reb himself, but Harry’s feelings for his best friend. They have been changing and now friendship is the least of what Harry wants. But he knows he has to leave before he does or says something that will irrevocably change their relationship. This is the very last thing he wants.


It’s Reb’s support that allows Harry to break free; inertia is not just for objects, but something that we all have to deal with and be able to do something about. And this is a big part of what Reb does for Harry. Of course it helps that his mother is behind him too. She knows that her son is capable and that, as an adult, he needs to leave and strive to live his dream.

What makes Axelson’ book Dutch’s Boy so special is that in only 80-some pages he takes us from a beginning where Harry’s sense of hopelessness is almost overwhelming to an ending that satisfies on all levels. There were a couple of twists that I could not have foreseen, and at the time I couldn’t understand where, if anywhere, the author—or rather Harry—was headed. But once again, Xavier Axelson delivers not only a very enjoyable romance, but a story, that to me, has a deeper meaning: that taking chances to live a dream can bring the biggest rewards of all… and that is very special indeed.

[Originally posted to Dark Divas Reviews - http://www.darkdivasreviews.com/?p=4660]




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