Paid Leave by Hayley B James

                                                       Paid Leave by Hayley B. James

Albuquerque police officer Benji Miller made the choice to hide his sexuality and devote his life to his career. He guards his secret carefully, believing he is protecting his job and happiness. Then, during a routine traffic stop gone awry, he shoots a suspect to protect a young girl, and his life spins out of control. A department-mandated paid leave rips away the only distraction he had, and he has to deal with the unsympathetic media who criticize the police department’s every move.

One day, needing to get out of the house, Benji walks into a café, where he meets Neal McCoy—a gay man living without shame, unafraid to speak his mind or stand up against prejudice. Benji quickly falls for Neal but struggles to combine his new love interest and his career. With the media threatening the careful illusion he’s built around himself, Benji can’t stand the pressure.

Benji has to decide: sacrifice his happiness in the name of his career and an easy life, or find the courage to give up the lonely existence he knows and take a step into the unknown.

My thoughts- I bought this book without any reason. I like the blurb and thought... why not.

I love when that happens and I enjoy the book! That's always a fun surprise.

Benji is a cop. A lot is going on in the department with police shootings and the media frying the cops in papers and the news.

After Benji shoots a criminal his life is turned upside down. But then on his paid leave time he meets Neal. The coffee shop owner.

This is a book about a closeted cop and his hard windy road to finding love.

This book was well written, with wonderful scenes, and a real story line. You're rooting for Neal and Benji but so much is tearing them apart.

They have to deal with hateful people in the world, a career that isn't very gay friendly, and friends and families meddling.

It's a fun ride. I think you will really enjoy it.

Oh and did I mention Benji has a chocolate lab just like my Scrappy Doo! How can you go wring with that?

Thanks ya'll!

Crissy