-
REVIEW: Couldn’t Cheat Death by A.P. Eisen
Paul Monroe Mystery: Couldn’t Cheat Death – A.P. Eisen
Detective Paul Monroe has little room in his life for anything but work. Maintaining order and solving cases in the town of Thornwood Park keeps him busy. When Jerry Gregoria, a popular bartender and personal trainer is found murdered, there’s no shortage of suspects. It seems Jerry was busy shaking more than cocktails all over town, leaving Paul and his partner with an ever-growing list of men and women who have reasons to want Jerry dead. The deeper Paul delves into the case, the more he finds himself drawn to hotel manager Cliff Baxter, whom he hasn’t seen in years.
Cliff Baxter’s childhood crush on Paul Monroe hasn’t waned since high school. In fact, with the sexy detective conducting the investigation at the hotel, Cliff is more than happy to help. Ever since his last relationship went up in flames, Cliff has made it a rule to never get involved with a closeted man. But after Paul is threatened and things between the two heat up, Cliff decides to make an exception.
With new twists in the case popping up every day and the mayor breathing down the police department’s neck, Paul needs to solve the case yesterday. It takes a crisis for Paul and Cliff to realize what started out as something casual could be everything they’ve both been looking for but never thought to find. But if the killer strikes again, they might never get that chance.
A.P. Eisen is a new author and her debut, Couldn’t Cheat Death, book one of the Paul Monroe Mystery, showed a lot of promise. It’s the kind of book you go for if you want a light, easy, satisfying romance mystery.
Detective Paul Monroe, known in his department as Bulldog for his relentless pursuit of a case, was called to investigate the murder of a bartender from a hotel. The victim was a larger than life, when-does-he-sleep sex machine who slept with anything with a pulse so their list of suspects was a mile long. One of the first persons he questioned was hotel manager, Cliff Baxter, who turned out to be his late brother’s best friend.
First, I really enjoyed Paul and Cliff as a couple. Cliff had crush on Paul since they were teens and their shared history gave them a common ground which made the fast-paced (and also slow-burn) development of their relationship believable.
Paul is in the closet and occasionally relieves stress with anonymous hookups. Generally, I don’t like stories about being in the closet but this issue was handled pretty well. It was light on angst, no self-loathing or shame but more about a person so used to a certain way of life that he can’t be bothered much about changing it. Unless he has a very good reason to do so and Cliff, kind, cheerful and understanding, made a compelling argument. He fell naturally into place and fit comfortably in Paul’s routine. I especially liked the way they talked liked sensible adults about the whole relationship/coming out thing. So no petty squabbles or misunderstandings here, thank god!
I also liked that nobody pressured anybody about anything. Paul is a workaholic loner and very upfront with the fact that he always puts the case above anything else. Amazingly, Cliff didn’t throw a hissy fit at coming second. In fact, he was a big help in the case and had a great time while at it. Even Paul’s partner and only friend, Rob, knew when not to push even though he knew about Paul and simply told him he’ll be there when he’s ready to say it.
Case-wise, it was not the most procedural of police stories. A glaring clue tipped me off on the killer’s identity but overall, I still think it had a solid investigation to read about. I could understand why this book has high ratings in Goodreads. Even with the predictable part, the writing kept me engaged until the end. The characters were people I’d like to know more. The author wisely veered away from unnecessary conflict, focusing instead on communication. This is not, in any way, novel but it was, in a way, refreshing given the frequency miscommunications occur. I even think the story hardly had any serious conflicts. It had a straightforwardness to it that appealed to me which I hope would carry over to the next books. Because I’m there for the next one and I’d like to see where this series is heading.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: The Heart Is A Muscle
Artist: Gang Of Youths
Album: Go Farther In Lightness -
REVIEW: The Rising by Morgan Brice
Badlands: The Rising – Morgan Brice
A big storm is brewing, there’s a killer on the loose, and the ghosts of Myrtle Beach are restless. Psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his sexy cop boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato have their hands full helping the Grand Strand brace for rough surf, driving rain, and high winds as a winter storm roars toward shore.
Everyone’s on edge, and rumors are rampant about sightings of Blackcoat Benny, a ghostly omen of danger, and worse, the Gallows Nine, the spirits of nine infamous criminals hanged back in the 1700s, a harbinger of disaster. Rough tides wash the wreck of an old pirate ship into shallow waters, high winds threaten to damage an old mansion with a dark past, and the citizens of the beach town hunker down to ride out the storm.
As the skies grow dark and the sea turns wild, several men from prominent local families end up dead under suspicious circumstances. Simon’s premonition confirms Vic’s gut feeling—the killing is just getting started. As Simon tries to reach out to the spirits of the murdered men to help the investigation, he’s attacked by malicious ghosts that don’t want anyone getting in the way of their long-overdue vengeance.
With the storm hammering the coast, and new victims piling up, Simon is certain that the sins and secrets of the past are coming due, and that the murders have a supernatural link. Vic and Simon race to stop the murders against an unholy deadline, but as they battle rising tides and risen ghosts, can they save the intended victims without getting trapped themselves?
The Rising is the second novel in the Badlands series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.
Hmm…I don’t know if I’m in a slump but I wasn’t into this the way I was with the first book, Badlands.
I like Simon and Vic and appreciated that the book avoided the usual petty squabbles between couples, focusing instead on the adjustment to their new life and dealing with the fears and dangers of being in a relationship with a cop and a psychic. However, much as I like these developments, I can’t help feeling that the execution of their couple downtime felt a little mechanical a.k.a kind of blah. This is something I’ve noticed with Morgan Brice‘s books, the smexy times are not necessarily forced into the scenes but they don’t feel organic either.
The book is a great mix of police and psychic procedural, taking time to lay out the step-by-step of the investigations and Simon’s rituals. Simon had to deal with dead pirates, sunken ships, haunted houses and vengeful ghosts while Vic tackled a case of multiple suicides, murder and possibly, spirit possession. The cases crossed paths and led them to two ghosts who were bitter enemies back in the day when they were privateer and pirate. And one of them had a special connection to Simon!
As interesting as these sounded, I wasn’t surprised by any twists. I found that answers came too easily, via visions. This is convenient and welcome since it makes life easier and safer for Simon and Vic but it also makes it easier to predict the outcome. I guess it makes a nice change from the usual vague and obscure psychic visions but unfortunately doesn’t help in creating tension and excitement.
The highlights for me were the seances and these were definitely suspenseful and exciting. Narrator Kale Williams did a wonderful job creating varied voices, some pitiful and some malevolent and he was able to amp up the scare factor effectively. As if that’s not scary enough, it’s quite something to read about these events in the dead of night where spirits were summoned, witches worked their magic and a storm unleashed its fury while an actual one is raging outside right at the exact moment. Talk about realism!
What’s also fascinating about this book are the rich folklore and the magical practices that the author was able to make good use in the story, particularly through Miss Eppie’s and Gabriella’s talents, in addition to Simon’s academic background and his skeleton crew’s gifts Their hoodoo and witch magic made them formidable enemies so it’s a good thing they got Simon’s back. I want to see more of these folk magic again in the future.
Overall, The Rising had all the right ingredients but some things were bland and predictable. This could be a ME thing because many people gave it high ratings. I’d still read the next books. The Badlands series, and Brice‘s paranormal universe as a whole, has many interesting elements that I would like to explore. I’ll give this one a passing grade for now.
P.S.
Badlands books are best read in order. Review of book 1 here
Other psychic series you might enjoy:
Psycop review here
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal review here
Psychic Detective Mysteries review here
Tyack & Frayne review here
Russ Morgan Mystery review hereRating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: The Mariner’s Revenge
Artist: The Decemberists
Album: Picaresque -
REVIEW: Pros & Cons Of Deception by A.E. Wasp
Pros & Cons: Pros & Cons of Deception – A.E. Wasp
FIVE JOBS. FIVE CHANCES FOR REDEMPTION. One thing’s for sure: these men are no angels.
There’s nothing like being blackmailed by a dead man to really bring a group of cons together. The deal is simple, we do the jobs and Charlie’s lawyer wipes the slate clean for each of us, one at a time.
Job number two lands right in my lap. I’m Bond. Wesley Bond. (I can’t resist saying it that way. Blame my dad, if you can find him.) You could call me a hacker. I redistribute wealth – moving it from rich slimebags to poorer but infinitely more deserving people – and make a tidy profit as I do. My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to bring down some modern-day slave traders.
I definitely choose to accept it.
With the life of the one person in this world I love on the line, I can’t afford any screw ups or distractions. Unfortunately, my biggest distraction is my biggest asset – Danny Monroe. Danny is a leftover complication from our first job; a victim of the vicious senator we’d gotten locked up. He’s a smart, funny, gorgeous, ex-prostitute, who can’t seem to keep his clothes on. I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut around him. But I need a fake boyfriend, and Danny is the only option.
Fooling the world into thinking we’re in love will be easy; fooling myself that I’m not might be impossible.
We don’t know who the bad guy is, we have no idea how to prove anything. There’s no internet on the island, no cell service, and i’ll have only the bare bones of my gear. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to need all the help I can get.
Like it or not, we’re all in this together.
Pros & Cons is an MM version of Oceans Eleven / Leverage where a group of men with ‘special skills’ were gathered posthumously by the late Charlie Bingham, information broker and con-man extraordinaire. He ‘persuaded’ them into doing certain ‘assignments’.
Charlie’s boys:
Leonard ‘Leo’ Shook – The FBI agent goes undercover as a bartender. Had conflicting feelings about Charlie. Didn’t know whether to arrest him or ask him out. Last we know of Leo, he was getting cozy with the ‘interested party’ a.k.a Al over the phone. Hmm…
Carson Grieves – Plays the part of a Spanish-speaking groundskeeper. Still not much is known about the man. Though he’s comfortable enough with the guys to go around without make-up. Has hinted on having a very lonely life when younger but that’s about it. Argh! I need your book, Carson!
Ridge Pfiefer – Can salsa so he gets to be the dance instructor. Oho! Him and that Davis Ethan guy! Thief and diplomatic security, interesting combination. I guess they’re next.
Wesley Bond – Poses as a tech billionaire on vacay with his boyfriend. Not much of a hardship there but unfortunately for him, all his hacking genius and social engineering skills couldn’t stop the inevitable: falling in love with Danny
Castille ‘Steele’ Alvarez – the bodyguard and ex-soldier disguised as a child minder. Promptly built a child army. I liked him and Brekkie better in this book.
Breck ‘Brekkie’ Pfiefer – the younger Pfiefer twin had to spend most of the time winging it with broken toilets as the maintenance man. Proudly showed off his toolbelt to Steele who lost no time admiring it
Danny Munroe – Breckkie’s bff had to play Wes’ fake bf. All he had to do was smile and be charming. Easiest job of all, right?Charlie’s angels:
Miranda Bosley – the lawyer popped up now and then but not much page-time for her. Too bad
Josie DuPont – our international woman of mystery worked her magic in the kitchen and in the open seas. A literal lifesaver. Can’t do without our Josie.The second job involved cracking the case of a shady guest worker program in an island resort. Wes takes point but couldn’t use his hacker skills in the bat cave because the island had no internet connection. The gang flew in and infiltrated the resort disguised as workers while Wes and Danny pretended to be a couple.
One misanthropic hacker redistributing wealth could only do so much, but I was more than that now. I was part of a team. Sometimes even the good guys had to fight a little dirty. Sometimes, to bring the truth to light, you needed to employ a little deception.
Game. On.
Wes is my favorite next to Carson. He’s a digital Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and distributes the money to various charities. That’s why he never gets caught. He’s skilled at manipulating people behind his computer screens. Face to face though, his foot is constantly in his mouth. And poor Wes seems to have a special talent for pissing Danny off.
Danny came out to his parents at 17 and was kicked out of the house. He was forced to work as a rent boy in order to survive and was rescued by the gang along with Breck two years later. I loved how Danny managed to still see the good in people despite what he had been through. It makes a good contrast to Wes who was more jaded. The attraction between them started in Pros & Cons of Vengeance. Everybody knew it was only a matter of when. Wouldn’t be surprised if they started making bets.
Romance was at the forefront, touching upon the age-gap and fake boyfriend tropes. Since this involved two people I really liked, I feel more invested in it. And I was pretty happy with how it was done.
I’m guessing it’s a thing with this series that it’s going to be heavy on the relationships and light on the heist. It’s easy to forget they’re on a job with all those umbrella drinks and spa treatments. I hardly thought about it too until 75% in when things went FUBAR and adrenaline started pumping. After that, it’s one big suspenseful moment after another. Danny’s life was on the line and he’s on his own.
There’s one thing that bothered me: the coms. I totally hated the fact that everybody could hear EVERYTHING over the coms. It’s used as a gag to butt in whenever things get steamy between couples. It was funny the first time it happened to Steele and Breck but after that, ewww!
As predicted, I liked Pros & Cons Of Deception better than the first book. What it lacked on con procedural it more than made up for the lovable characters and their endearing connections. There so much growth in terms of characters and relationships. The group synced really well. Their banters kicked the book up a notch. They’re slowing becoming good friends whether they’ll admit it or not. Makes me wonder what they would do when the jobs are over. Is Leo going to arrest them? Noo!
More importantly, this sequel was just much more entertaining overall now that the set-up was established and the series hits its stride. I hope A.E. Wasp keeps the momentum going for the rest of the books.
Also, for the love of god, Wes, FIX THE COMS!
P.S.
Book 1, Pros & Cons Of Vengeance review here
Pros & Cons is best read in order. We owe it to Charlie.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Love Hope
Artist: PIL
Album: That What Is Not -
REVIEW: Cold Light by Michelle Frost
Criminal Delights: Assassins: Cold Light – Michelle Frost
Being an assassin wasn’t something Lexington Campbell ever envisioned for himself, but after spending eight years doing just that, he’s prepared to take his place at the table of his father’s motorcycle club, The Iron Heretics.
Arden spends his nights dancing on stage at Spritz, one of St. Louis’s hottest night clubs, and waiting for Lex to pass back through town. After being orphaned young, he fears letting himself get too attached to the distant, bearded Lex, even after three years of inviting the man into his bed.
When Lex finds himself with a price on his head, he unknowingly pulls Arden into the darkness with him. When things aren’t what they seem, and enemies abound, will they find themselves still standing together in the cold light of day?
This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
Cold Light reads like a Dreamspun Desire offering. Sweet and cute. Nowhere near dark. Almost a fairytale even. One where daddy bear Lex plucks his boy, Arden, from a brothel, showers him with gifts, saves him from the bad guys, finds the treasure and they live happily ever after.
Which is fine if you’re selling fluff but underwhelming if you’re advertising stories designed to disturb. And I was ready to be disturbed.
I was awww-ing instead.
They even have a lovable mutt named Pipsqueak, ffs!
I would have preferred Lex to do a few dastardly deeds. As an assassin, he did kill some people but everybody was so blase about it, you’d hardly noticed. He didn’t feel like an assassin, not because he was really, really nice to Arden but because he seemed to lack that killer instinct. I didn’t sense any danger coming from him.
There were other darker aspects present. A troubled past and an attempted sexual assault. There was also a torture scene but not gratuitous. Any resulting angst or trauma was not dwelt upon too deeply by the story.
Taking it for what it is, a daddy-boy romance with a side of MC, I think many people would enjoy this. It’s not a trope I usually go for but Lex and Arden had this fantastic chemistry going, they made the experience worthwhile. The rest of the characters were likable and interesting enough, their books, if any, might be worth looking into. Mason, Lex’s mentor, I’m shipping with Pax, Arden’s friend. Lex’s dad, Jeb, with whom he had a complicated relationship, turned out to have a few surprises of his own. On the other hand, the bad-guys were given cardboard personalities so you know right away they won’t live long.
Plot-wise, the premise was intriguing. For the most part, it was delivered well and wrapped up neatly. It could have done with some more action and suspense and also possibly, deeper exploration of Lex’s and Arden’s backstories. There was a lot of history going on that were only hinted upon so if there is a second book, I’ll gladly read it.
This is another Criminal Delights installment that’s different from what’s expected (for sure, this series never lacks surprises). I love assassin stories, the kind that leans more towards the job. Cold Light turned out to be the less killing, more cuddling variety. Luckily, I like fluff so it’s still a win.
P.S.
Criminal Delights books here
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Cold Light
Artist: Fenech-Soler
Album: Zilla -
REVIEW: Pros & Cons Of Vengeance by A.E. Wasp
Pros & Cons: Pros & Cons Of Vengeance – A.E. Wasp
*FIVE JOBS. FIVE CHANCES FOR REDEMPTION. One thing’s for sure: these men are no angels.*
There’s nothing like being blackmailed by a dead man to really bring a group of cons together. And what a group we are: a hacker, a thief, a con artist, a thug, and a Federal agent with an axe to grind. The deal is simple, we do the jobs and Charlie’s lawyer wipes the slate clean for each of us, one at a time.
Since job number one calls for some muscle, it looks like I’m up first. I’m Steele Alvarez, ex-Special Forces Close Protection Specialist (aka, a bodyguard for some not so nice guys).
After learning what the job is — taking down a seemingly untouchable senator with a penchant for beating up young male prostitutes — I’m in. No questions. A bullet ought to do the trick.
Then I met Senator Harlan’s latest victim: Breck Pfeiffer, the gorgeous hooker with a heart of gold and the soul of a fighter. One look at him and I’m gone. That kid laid me out harder than any punch ever did. I’ll do anything to protect Breck, even kill for him. But Breck doesn’t want the senator dead, he wants vengeance.
If we’re going to find a way bring down the slimebag and get the blackest mark on my record erased, I’m going to need all the help I can get.
Like it or not, we’re all in this together.
Pros & Cons is an MM version of Oceans Eleven / Leverage where a group of men with ‘special skills’ were gathered posthumously by the late Charlie Bingham, information broker and con-man extraordinaire. He ‘persuaded’ them into doing certain ‘assignments’.
It all became clear to me at that moment what Charlie’s ultimate motivation had been. These weren’t personal vendettas or petty crimes he wanted to be solved. He wanted justice, the kind he couldn’t get from inside the system
The first book, Pros & Cons of Vengeance, did a good job setting up the series and introducing the cast. I might not like George Clooney but I definitely love Charlie’s boys.
Leonard ‘Leo’ Shook – an FBI agent who’s been on Charlie’s tail for ages. I’m betting good money him and the mysterious ‘interested party’ will be hooking up soonish, maybe 5th book. And I think I know who that ‘interested party’ is.
Carson Grieves – a man of a thousand faces. The most mysterious person in the group. He’s so mysterious no one even knows his real name, age or accent. He always blends in but in this group of ridiculously good-looking people, he stands out for being plain. My favorite character. Can’t wait for his book.
Ridge Pfiefer – a thief. Kind of grumpy. The twin I liked better
Wesley Bond – hacker and master of all things tech. Social engineer. He’s my second fave.
Castille ‘Steele’ Alvarez – hitman, bodyguard and ex-Army Ranger. Doesn’t get along with Ridge but thinks Breck is adorbs.Then we have Charlie’s angels:
Miranda Bosley – tough lawyer, executor of Charlie’s will and not someone you mess with
Josie DuPont – international woman of mystery and jill of all trades. Can cook the best Mexican dishes. Teaches a class on underwater demolition. Also, not to be mess with. I think she and Miranda might be occasional bedmates.The ex-hookers with a golden heart:
Breck ‘Brekkie’ Pfiefer – Ridge’s younger twin. Fell into Steele’s lap and was happy to stay there
Danny Munroe – Breck’s friend who was dragged into the group and promptly adopted. He and Wes had that ‘I’m pissed at you because I like you dammit‘ thing going on. I’m going to love their book, I know it.Steele takes point in the first assignment. They were to bring down a corrupt evangelical senator who preaches against LGBTQ but hires and abuses rent boys whom he sleeps with and uses to blackmail influential people by secretly recording them while they do the dirty. Two of these boys were Breck and Danny.
Steele was instantly attracted to Breck the moment he saw him but unfortunately they’re the two people in the group I’m least interested in. I have no complaints about them, I just didn’t really care much so I left them in peace a.k.a tune them out when they weren’t talking about the case.
The book is written in both MCs’ POV, except for the prologue and epilogue which were in the ‘interested party’s’ and Leo’s perspectives. The premise immediately grabbed my attention with a plotline that was made for movies. A big part of the story was the romance, this is MM afterall, but I did wished there was a little bit more heist in it.
The job is what I’m all about. Like in most heist novels, careful planning is the key. The fun part was the execution. I was keen on watching their elaborate scheme unfold because it’s going to be very satisfying to witness them destroy the bad guy. They’re pulling out the big guns at the end and boy, did Brekkie had his moment!
But it was the ensemble cast that really made the book shine. Each character brought something special to the table, both in skills and personalities. I liked how each of them was given ample page-time without them taking over Steele and Breck’s story. I loved the humor, the dialogues and the grudging camaraderie of the group. Like all the best teams, they have that kind of charismatic dynamics that drew you in and kept you in. The kind that makes you go, ‘adopt me please!‘ A.E. Wasp did a fantastic job with these characters.
Overall, Pros & Cons Of Vengeance was a fun, entertaining ride that succeeded in making me look forward to future capers. Recommended if you like cons, shenanigans and other creative ways of bringing the (other) bad guys down.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Vengeance
Artist: The Nipple Erectors
Album: -
REVIEW: Prince Of Killers by Layla Reyne
Fog City: Prince Of Killers – Layla Reyne
No indiscriminate killing. No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.
These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins—and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.
Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.
In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead.
There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!
Like many Layla Reyne fans, I was super excited to start on her new series. Obviously with all the glowing reviews, my expectations were skyhigh. Now that I’ve read it, in a word, Prince Of Killers was FAST.
So fast that I was still savoring my tour of San Francisco with the Madigans before I realized it, they were already about to do the big reveal. I hardly felt the 5+ hours of the audiobook. Even with that kind of pacing, the story didn’t feel incomplete. The author was able to establish the need-to-knows, build-up, conflict and mystery efficiently. It’s just that I was lulled by the great writing and Tristan James’ narration. I had fun listening to Hawes and his siblings going about their business. Assassins going through the step-by-steps of their jobs never failed to fascinate me and I could listen to that kind of shit all day.
I was expecting many twisty and shocking events though, but there were only one or two twists that were actually surprising.
Dante Perry literally walked into Hawes’ life and I was taken aback at how easily the Madigan scion trusted this stranger. This from the leader of a family who trusted no one. Then Dante proceeded to breeze through everything.
They started sleeping together from day one and from that point on, Hawes fantasized about his getting his HEA. He knew not everyone would be as lucky as his grandparents, Papa Cal and Rose, given his line of work. Still, can’t blame a man for being hopeful. But really? Day one? His brother Holt hasn’t even finished vetting the PI.
I liked Hawes but for a master assassin, he came across as, well, not bad-ass. I know giving him ‘weaknesses’ was intentional in order to emphasized his humanity, especially to Dante, but I share the sentiment of those who gave lower ratings. Him making this poor a decision on something as major as to who he lets into his inner circle doesn’t ring true to his character. What would Papa Cal say, Big H?
All this griping aside, I have faith in Layla Reyne and gladly suspended disbelief. One of her strong suits is creating characters you can root for and their awesome family dynamics. She did it in Agents Irish and Whiskey and its spin-off, Trouble Brewing. She also did it again here. She made me rally for the Madigans. As to Dante, I need to get inside his head first. Not warming up to him yet.
Hawes for all his weaknesses and grey morality, his heart’s in the right place. His twin, Holt, best hacker in town and father of the year. Helena, their sister, now she is bad ass. A ninja moonlighting as a lawyer. Emilia, Holt’s wife, devoted mother and their on-call nurse, is a woman who can do scary things with your pressure points. Together they form a warm, cozy family who just happened to have a deadly business on the side. I really liked how they worked together which why I had a rude awakening when they finally unmasked the traitor. Tsk tsk tsk! To think I liked that character. Too bad. A great twist nonetheless.
Which made me expect a big Madigan showdown. It was anti-climactic. The boss fight was over in a snap. I nearly missed the part and had to replay it just to be sure. Oh well, they did promise not to hurt the traitor.
Prince Of Killers is a good series opener. It’s a fun, suspenseful book that promised more action-packed goodness in the future. It did not entirely not wow me but that’s par for course with many series openers I’ve encountered including LR‘s series so no biggie. I know the next book is going to be EXPLOSIVE. I am so hyped up for King Slayer because damn that cliffhanger! Also, Dante’s POV!
I recommend the Fog City series if you like high-stakes romantic suspense stories about assassins with souls and LEOs finding love outside the law.
P.S.
Layla Reyne books here.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Shot In The Dark
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: The Ultimate Sin -
REVIEW: The Wolf At Bay by Charlie Adhara
Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf At Bay – Charlie Adhara
Going home digs up bad memories, so it’s something Bureau of Special Investigations agent Cooper Dayton tries to avoid. When he’s guilted into a visit, Cooper brings along Oliver Park, his hot new werewolf partner, in the hopes the trip will help clarify their status as a couple…or not.
When Park’s keen shifter nose uncovers a body in the yard and Cooper’s father is the prime suspect, Cooper knows they’re on their own. Familial involvement means no sanctioned investigation. They’ll need to go rogue and solve the mystery quietly or risk seeing Cooper’s dad put behind bars.
The case may be cold, but Park and Cooper’s relationship heats up as they work. And yet if Cooper can’t figure out what’s going on between them outside of the bedroom, he’ll lose someone he… Well, he can’t quite put into words how he feels about Park. He knows one thing for sure: he’s not ready to say goodbye, though with the real killer inching ever closer…he may not have a choice.
I am currently on a shifter binge and Charlie Adhara’s wolves are my favorite wolves. Hers are simultaneously very wolfy and also not.
Case in point: Oliver Park. Proving that the seasick werewolf is the best werewolf.
Hints of him being not only just an alpha but quite possibly The Alpha. He did very alpha wolf things, like intimidate the other wolves into submission. That includes dogs. He’s also afraid of water, not good with boats and needs reading glasses he’s too embarrassed to wear in public. A refreshing change from the usual indestructible, tough guy specimens we normally get.
As much as I would like to see major wolf action (shifting, marking, etc), I also enjoyed the novelty of having a shifter book focusing on realism rather than the paranormal. The book felt like a very low-key commentary on the genre. They are serious about the whole werewolf business but there’s also a sense of not taking it too seriously. Cooper and Oliver constantly exchanged repartee that, among many things, made fun of wolfy stuff including the mate aspect. Which is probably what I would do too, if I suddenly find myself in the company of supernatural creatures.
Said exchange of repartee is what made the The Wolf At Bay come alive. I live for Cooper and Park’s banters! I could listen to them all day. Park is a normally taciturn person and I enjoyed the moments where Coop drew out his playful side. They just CLICKED!
“As you pointed out before, I’ve made my feelings clear. So.”
Silence. He glanced up and was caught in Park’s slow smile.
“What?”
The smile widened. “Papa, no! I luurve him,” Park said dramatically, and put a hand to his brow.
Also, ♡ porcupine ♡!
Obviously, I love Park. The man is a sweetheart. He’s good for Coop. I like it that they’re also really good friends aside than whatever else they were. And, yes!!! been waiting for it, the story shed some light on his background. Not too much but enough of a teaser for the third book. Still not fully shifting tho.
Cooper is more difficult. But I get him. I get the anxiety and the fears. He and Park talked about anything and everything, constantly dancing around the thing they actually wanted to talk about. Coop took baby steps. I wanted to hurry him along but these things need to be taken at one’s own pace. And Park, ever patient bless him, never failed to let him know he will be there every step of the way.
So here I am at the edge of my seat, on high alert for any tiny gesture or small words that spoke volumes of how they really felt. Until they finally took the plunge and it was all very ♡✧。(◍＞◡＜◍ ⋈ )。✧♡!!! (And in keeping with the character of the series, they joked about that moment later on too).
Like most book twos, The Wolf At Bay is a transition to the next installment but there’s so much more to it. It’s a story about coming to terms with the past and the present. Also a cleverly written mystery and just cleverly written overall. There were major strides in character development, romance and family relationships. The dialogues were sharper and wittier than ever.
The case was a really good one. I was completely in the dark until the end. It was complex and multi-layered, unearthing not only a literal skeleton but many other skeletons of the Dayton family and the rest of the neighborhood. It made you question, how well do you really know the people you grew up with?
This dreaded hometown visit was a long time coming. It took Park, and us, on an awkward tour of Cooper’s childhood. Coop had to confront childhood monsters, adolescent crushes and his own brother and father. There were ghosts that needed to be exorcised. The air (desperately) needed to be cleared. Everything eventually tied in with the werewolf business and it only got messier. Yikes!
All in all, The Wolf At Bay is a great second book. I loved it better than the first.
P.S.
Big Bad Wolf should be read in order. Book one, The Wolf At The Door here.
Other paranormal/shifter series you might be interested in:
Flesh And Bone
Hexworld
Soulbound
Green CreekRating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: I Love You
Artist: Under The Influence Of Giants
Album: Under The Influence Of Giants. -
REVIEW: Bleed by Joel Abernathy
Flesh And Bone: Bleed – Joel Abernathy
Vengeance.
My purpose, carved deeper into my soul than their names carved in my flesh.
Dominic.
The man who took everything from me, my own personal devil in shifting flesh.
Ursache.
My pack. The high-born family of wolves I’ve sworn my life to protect, even if my dying breath is pledged to another.
Mason…
My everything. Friend, confidant, enemy, lover. Most dangerous of all, he would become the reason I lived if I let him. He is the one thing I won’t allow Dominic to take from me. Love is not a luxury I can afford, but the sweetness of revenge has nothing on the taste of him…
I knew I would like this so much better than the first book!
If ever there was a time to use the expression “my heart was ripped to pieces“, this is it. Very apt cover there.
First, a fair warning. The MCs were tortured on and off-page, there is implied sexual abuse, transphobia, consensual knife-play, among others.
Also, very, very angsty and emotionally wrenching because circumstances were harsh and brutal but the person who was harshest to Mason was Mason himself.
Bleed picks up on the Ursache pack life 5 years after Exhale. Nicolae and Jack has established their family but Mason still felt like the perpetual outsider. He was constantly out of the loop and has yet to earn his father’s respect despite being his second after so many years. His relationship with his father was strained and antagonistic because Nicolae couldn’t spare him the affection he showed his other children. Here again, the Ursache Alpha made himself unlikable until the last part where they had the talk.
Like most Ursache, Mason is arrogant, authoritative and excelled at many things. And just like his father, at first, second and third glances, he’s a hard to man to like. Witness book one, where even the usually nice Jack called him The Prick (in fairness to Jack that was before he knew his stepson). Though nobody could deny he would do anything for his pack. What nobody knows is that he is secretly in love with his bestfriend Vasil. Secret because mating between two male alphas is frowned upon by the very traditional wolf society. What they also don’t know (and what I sensed from the get go because with a dad like Nicolae) is that Mason needs a hug. Like yesterday.
Vasil is the Ursache pack enforcer waiting for his date with the devil. It was 15 years ago, when he was a young soldier in a pack war and was caught and tortured by a mysterious sadistic psycho named Dominic, who killed his entire family. He was rescued by Nicolae and since then, he’s biding his time when he could finally have his revenge.
Unlike Mason, Vasil is well-liked by all. He is a genial fellow, a very tough soldier, a skilled fighter and trusted bodyguard. He is a loyal friend, confidant, rival and Mason’s second in the pack. The two men have been friends since childhood.
Vasil never entirely got over the nightmare and felt like he would never be whole again. He has his dark secrets which were indeed fucked up given what he had gone through but that’s the way they are, him and Mason.
“Creepy and kind of fucked, but…sweet.”
I grinned. “Is there any other way to describe our relationship?”
“Probably not,”
Hugging them both. (つˆ⌣ˆ)つ⊂(・﹏ # ⊂) ⊂(・﹏・⊂)
Bleed is almost epic in its scale. It is a story of vengeance, betrayal, family, love, friendship, responsibilities and loyalty. It is a well-conceived, well-executed friends-to-lovers romance told in both Mason and Vasil’s POV where the internal dialogues were raw and pain was a tangible presence permeating everything. And that was before actual pain was inflicted.
Bad enough that their relationship was up in the air. Worse that Mason had to sacrifice his personal happiness to save his stepsister, Ellie, and the pack. The devil came calling for Vasil, who was all ready to kill or be killed because he had nothing to lose. That’s what he thought. He was dead wrong.
The story then proceeded to earn its horror tag. Not just with one but two monsters! And it went on for months! If I thought Jack had the raw end of the deal before, fate was just downright cruel this time.
ノಥ,_｣ಥ)ノ彡┻━┻
The story didn’t end with the rescue. There was the aftermath to deal with. Battered bodies to patch up and a lifetime of scars bear.
But speaking of health concerns, how are they having sex in the shower when one is fresh out of surgery and no longer has the wolf healing ability?
That boggled me slightly but who cares. This has one of the hardest earned HEAs I’ve ever read and the boys can take whatever happiness they can get.
P.S.
Bleed is not a standalone. Flesh and Bone should be read in order. Exhale review here.
Other paranormal/shifter series you might be interested in:
Big Bad Wolf
Hexworld
Soulbound
Green CreekRating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Scars
Artist: IAMX
Album: Everything Is Burning (Metanoia Addendum) -
REVIEW: Exhale by Joel Abernathy
Flesh And Bone: Exhale – Joel Abernathy
Two men haunted by the same ghost…
Falling for “the other man” in my marriage was never part of the plan. Then again, according to Nicolae Ursache, I am the other man, and human wedding vows don’t apply. Not to werewolves.
Nicolae is a smug, arrogant alpha male stereotype–and I do mean alpha in the literal sense–but when the same people who killed my wife kidnap my teenage daughter, he’s my only chance at getting her back. The fact that Nicolae was my wife’s rightful mate means that we share a mutual interest in bringing Ellie home, but I never could’ve imagined how he planned to do it.
I will do anything to protect my daughter. Even if it means becoming the plaything, or worse, of the man I loathe most.
This dark shifter romance contains mature subject matter.
**NOTE: There is no mpreg in this universe.**
Because of the slew of enjoyable shifter stories I came across with, I grew to like the genre though I tend to avoid the omegaverse ones because there are some aspects I found unpleasant. Going in, I thought this was the usual shifter thing but to my surprise, I inadvertently found myself in an omegaverse. By the time I realized, the book has sunk its claws deep into me and wouldn’t let go. This was largely due in part to Joel Abernathy’s skilled storytelling and mostly to Kurt Graves’ excellent narration. They both did it so well, I finished the book even though I wasn’t into the main characters or the omega business.
Exhale piqued my interest with the “falling for the other man in my marriage” premise, something we don’t see often. The plot follows several threads. One was about a father’s love for his daughter who was caught in the middle of family politics. Another is about a man dealing with his wife’s loss and his hate+attraction to the man his wife supposedly cheated him with. Third, a human trying to come to grips with the fact that were-wolves exists and he was now somehow part of this world.
The story is told in Jack Mullins’ first person POV. I didn’t actively like the guy but I did feel sympathetic. He lost his wife, his daughter was kidnapped and then his wife’s other man showed up at his doorstep. Jack was whisked away to Romania and given no choice but to bond with the bastard in order to get his child back. Jack’s most outstanding feature was his devotion to his daughter, Ellie, who was trans. He would do anything for her, even mate with the man who was supposed to be his wife’s mate. He was played by two giant assholes and he did his best to make the most of the fucked up situation. He got his HEA but it didn’t feel that rewarding, IMO, given what he went through and what he turned out to be. Jack deserved better.
Nicolae Ursache is one of those giant assholes. I almost DNF’ed the book because of him. He said a lot of hateful, humiliating things so him going from hate to like to love would have been more convincing had we had his POV. He became tolerable later on but I kind of wished he suffered more.
The world-building focused primarily on the wolves, their hierarchy, conflicts, traditions and lifestyle. Magic and other supernatural creatures were mentioned in passing and ironically, this I am more interested in. I wanted the scope to be bigger than just the wolves, maybe bring in those haints or witches but well, it’s not that kind of book.
What really made me want to continue with Flesh and Bone series were the secondary characters. I found myself wanting to know more about them. Mason, Nicolae’s son, I feel sorry for the guy. Andreii, the feral pup, I want to see how he turns out and Vasil, the enforcer, I really liked his amiable personality. They have their own books so yay! I’m happy the author also gave Ellie her own romance within the stories, if not her own book, so that thread is worth following up too.
Overall, I wasn’t wowed but Exhale did it’s job well as a series opener. It grabbed my attention, kept me engaged and made me look forward to the next book.
P.S.
Other paranormal/shifter series you might be interested in:
Big Bad Wolf
Hexworld
Soulbound
Green CreekRating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Mercy
Artist: IAMX
Album: Kiss+Swallow
