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AUDIO REVIEW: Long Shadow by Elle Keaton
Hamarsson & Dempsey: Long Shadow – Elle Keaton
Niall’s known nothing but betrayal. All Mat wants is Niall’s heart; what will it take for him to coax Niall in from the cold?
Mat’s connection with Niall is tenuous. One step forward, two steps back. Since that night on the beach Niall’s been avoiding Mat like a bad case of the flu–which, ironically, most of his deputies have come down with. What will it take for Niall to believe Mat wants him for who he is?
Mat’s overworked, Niall’s unnerved, and then things really go sideways.
Will a killer destroy everything before Niall realizes they are stronger together than apart?
Long Shadow is a dual POV about a broody introvert and a somewhat patient Sheriff. Mat will have to prove to Niall he’s the man for him. The Hamarsson and Dempsey series follows the same couple as they find their way to their happily ever after.
I was very much looking forward to this sequel. The first book, Conspiracy Theory, left us with an open ending that badly needed a resolution and this second book certainly made up for it!
Long Shadow picked up from where we last saw Niall, living in a hotel when his cottage was burned to the ground. Another case of fire soon appeared and Mat suspected a serial arsonist.
I very much appreciated the fact that this is not another murder case. No one was burned. The only casualties were the building structures. Although Mat had a close call when somebody planted a bomb in his cruiser. I liked how this part allowed Niall to step up as the significant person in Mat’s life.
I also liked that Mat and Niall were not partners as is usually the case with police procedural. Mat is the sheriff and Niall is a retired cop wondering what to do with his life.
The Hamarsson & Dempsey stories have a cozy feel to them. This is probably due to the small town setting and the way the gruesome details of the crimes were toned down, in addition to warm, friendly secondary characters and as well as other ‘distinguished’ minor characters.
The author was able to build an interesting small town community and establish recurring characters that made me wish they had books of their own. One of them, Marshall Sopper (?), the doctor who loves taking in strays. The good doctor took in an army medic and his son and there’s a big story there waiting to be told.
Another character I’d love to read about is Shay Delacombe, a lawyer who had surprising connections to Niall. He had a take-charge personality and would probably annoy Niall just for the heck of it.
Admittedly, the first parts of the story meandered a bit the way Niall was meandering through town, suspecting unsuspecting RVs and taking his own sweet time deciding what to do with his relationship with Mat. ‘Glacial’ was how Mat described it.
Luckily, the sheriff had infinite patience. Shouldering on, the story picked up when things started exploding and from then on it went on a quicker pace. Niall finally pulled his head out of his ass and took action. Then the story hurtled to an HEA. It may have been fast, it was still done nicely and with a few laughs especially with Shay butting in their business.
Now I’m not sure if we will get another book. I hope we’ll get more. There’s something about this series that appeals to me. It does not go over the top with the action and suspense, the cases aren’t the type that would involved huge media coverage. Yet somehow, it’s very engaging.
The audiobook was narrated by Michael Dean. He’s one of the more enjoyable narrators out there. He delivered suspense with just the right amount of tension. He also created distinct voices for each characters, even the female ones. I especially liked how his Niall voice suited the character to a T.
The books are written in dual POVs and I liked Niall’s and Mat’s narrative voices.
Niall is the last of the Hamarssons. He tends to overthink and is afraid of trusting anybody due to a rather traumatic childhood where he was abandoned by his mother. He says little and loves his alone time very much. As tactiturn as he is with humans, he talks a lot to his dog, Fenrir. His arc wasn’t fully resolved but I guess that leaves it open for more books.
Meanwhile, Mat tends to be easy-going and open. He takes his numerous responsibilities seriously. He lives with his mother, sister and niece. I liked how he saw through Niall’s walls to the good person behind it. Then he proceeded to leap over those walls and love that person too.
These books are not standalones. There were many events from the past that were directly referred to with not much explanation. I highly recommend meeting Niall when he first landed in Piedras Island. He was so alone and grumpy.
Witness him as he slooowly open up to Mat and his endearing family. Niall had come a long way. He still has ways to go. At least now, he had friends, family and a loyal dog with him. That’s all he needs really.
P.S.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of book 1, Conspiracy Theory, here.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Headlights On Dark Roads
Artist: Snow Patrol
Album: Eyes Open
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AUDIO REVIEW: Gideon by Lily Morton
Finding Home: Gideon – Lily Morton
Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.
A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.
Then he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.
However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?
From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realise that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home.
This is the third book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.
Lily Morton is a much-raved about author among MM readers. With Gideon, I could definitely see why.
This is my first book from the author and the third book of the Finding Home series. I highly recommend starting from the beginning because Gideon and his friends are a hilariously snarky, close-knit bunch you’d wish you’re a part of.
Gideon Ramsey is a successful actor more recently known for bad behavior. He is a certifiable asshole by all accounts. He’s also very closeted. He has long been brainwashed by his manager that coming out is career suicide. He suddenly came down with a case of pneumonia and had to be looked after by a nurse.
In comes a ray of Welsh sunshine in the form of Eli Jones. Eli is a nurse whose competent skills and perennial happy nature charmed everyone. His backchat charmed Gideon who would rather eat his designer shoes than admit he loves it. Hah! As if Eli doesn’t know.
It doesn’t take long for Eli to suss out that his grumpy patient is hurting, not just from his illness, but from being abandoned by his parents at 7 and years of hiding his true self. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the book.
Eli is a person who likes to be needed and Gid is a man who felt he never belonged. It was delightful to witness how Eli brought out the real Gideon Ramsey one cheeky remark, one kind act at a time.
I loved how Eli got Gideon just like that. He never pressured him to do anything. He let Gideon decide when he was ready. He said things should be taken at their own time. And he was right. Everything came together at exactly the right time.
Blessedly, there were no contrived relationship drama. There is internal conflict within Gideon but he and Eli remained a solid pair throughout
The real Gideon Ramsey? He was a pleasure to met. Still a grump but also a loyal friend, a caring brother, a giving lover and more. Certainly more as the author gifted us with the most thorough (and a tad repetitive) epilogue ever, neatly tying all loose ends in a definite HEA.
This is a fantastic story brought to life by a fantastic narrator. I have always been a fan of Joel Leslie since I started listening to audiobooks. The man can make a scene with multiple characters sound like a radio play. And the accents! Days after I finished the book, I kept hearing Eli’s Welsh lilt in my head. He’s that good!
Gideon is the book to read if you’re up for some stories where TLCs come with sass and snark, where separations end with midnight visits and Welsh endearments, and movie stars thank god for pneumonia and dissolute living.
P.S.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Babe, You Turn Me on
Artist: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Album: Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus -
REVIEW: Say You’ll Be Nine by Lucy Lennox
Say You’ll Be Nine – Lucy Lennox
One dilapidated cabin in need of renovation.
Two stubborn men pretending to be a couple.
Three summer months to get the job done.
Four tangled legs in only one bed.
Five cameras catching it all for YouTube.
Six hundred thousand Instagram followers.
Seven nosy family members with Opinions.
Eight thousand reasons they should never fall in love.
Nine million reasons why they will.
Say You’ll Be Nine is a standalone novel.
NINE! (♡´౪`♡)
Isaac ‘Nine’ Winshed is all kinds of adorbs and sweet and gentle and shy. He would rather be hit by a train than let someone be hurt under his watch. When he was a child he didn’t want his favorite chicken, Sir Pecks-a-lot, to be eaten so he let it live in his closet.
The man lives to help other people. He wields a hammer like Thor and has the heart of Captain America. His superpower is home renovation. He vlogs about DIY projects on Youtube. The best thing about him is that he didn’t feel too good to be true. I loved how author, Lucy Lennox, made him alive and relatable.
Nine is the ninth in a family of 12. All his life, he’s been dating girls but never really felt the spark. It wasn’t until he was with Cooper when he realized something about himself. For him, it’s not the the gender but the person. And Cooper was that person.
Cooper Heath is an aspiring actor hoping to make it big in Hollywood. He’s best friends with Eli, Nine’s big brother. Cooper was the opposite of Nine in many ways. He’s witty, extroverted, very talkative and a bit dramatic. He’s highly self-reliant and doesn’t like asking for help. He’s currently back in town, living with his mom and twin brother, Jackson.
Jacks has a rare blood disorder and they needed money for a bone marrow transplant. The fastest way was to accept a sponsorship for an LGBT-oriented DIY show on Youtube where Coop and Nine pretend to be a gay couple and renovate a cabin in the woods.
Coop can’t tell his Phillips from a Robertson but he’s very social media savvy. His superpower is Instagram. The project should be easy. All he needed to do was make them look good.
Except…how NOT to fall for the very attractive lumberjack+fake boyfriend whom you were kinda crushing on since when you were a kid? The same lumberjack+fake boyfriend who’s the younger brother of your best friend and by all accounts, straight?
Things are getting real really fast!
I want to see that time-lapse video of the cabin being renovated. As Nine said, it was like watching him and Cooper fall in love. It was fantastic to see how the characters developed and their romance transition from reel to real.
I totally loved how Nine embraced everything with an open heart and an open mind. He himself admitted he was naive but he learned fast and he gave it his all. Coop was very patient with him and they talked everything out, at first. It was wasn’t until the latter part that they headed towards that notorious miscommunication+separation route.
After which we are rewarded with a grand gesture moment that was so cute and so endearingly Nine. I wished this was a movie because that scene would be so beautiful on screen.
Cooper was no slouch either. He pulled off his own grand gesture with perfect timing with the best Christmas present ever. That ending was pure ♡ ♡ ♡ !
Say You’ll Be Nine is my first book from the author and I loved it to bits! This is a contemporary, opposite-attracts, forced proximity, fake boyfriend romance with a slight enemies-but-not-really angle thrown in. There’s also the brother’s bestfriend trope and first time gay going on. Everything came together in the best way possible.
It’s pretty much guaranteed, after reading this book, you’ll want a Nine in your life too!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: You’ll Be Mine
Artist: Irma Kooper
Album: -
REVIEW: Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker
Zero Hour: Ground Zero – Aimee Nicole Walker
Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.
Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work.
Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice.
Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.
Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.
“I mean, I want you to mourn me properly, but then I want you to find an epic love. Promise me right now, Sawyer.”
Sawyer’s husband, Victor, has passed away two year ago, leaving a hole in his life. After some scandal in his old precinct, he was recruited by the SPD and partnered with the notorious Royce Locke
Everyone knows Royce Locke is an asshole. He’s quite flirty with the ladies but gave the impression that he doesn’t really care. He just lost his old partner who’s also a close friend and so very not looking forward to his replacement. It was kind of funny how their co-workers all took bets on how long Sawyer would last (one day) because Locke lost no time antagonizing his new partner.
But Sawyer was no doormat. He’s not about to throw away his new job so he sassed him right back. I loved their banter! The chemistry and tension rolled off them like waves. All these while doing good work as detectives.
Sawyer also cannot resist strays and wounded souls. He took one look at Locke and knew a cry for help when he saw one.
The romance here started insta but evolved slowly. It first appeared that Locke was straight with his sexuality hinted as bi later on. I almost didn’t like him but I really liked how the story let the two men talk candidly about whatever issues they have, whether personal or work-related.
It wasn’t easy nor did the conversations came out smooth but I appreciated how petty misunderstandings were avoided by laying it all out in the open. It also lead the way to Locke finally taking a step forward and me connecting with him.
I would have paid good money to get inside his head too. He was a mystery himself. But seeing him through Sawyer’s eyes, we see how his walls come down bit by bit. Now and again, we catch glimpses of the ‘not asshole’ Locke. Somebody who’s vulnerable and grieving. A friend who took care of his late partner’s widow. A man who adores children. It made for a satisfying momentous moment when it was time for Locke to bare his soul.
Somehow this reminds me of Hazard & Somerset but written in Somers POV. I have the audiobook and Tristan James is the narrator. He used his Somers voice for Sawyer and his Hazard voice for Locke. The book is written entirely in Sawyer’s POV and his personality reminded me of Somers. Friendly, popular but with hurts aplenty.
One thing that sets this book apart from other law enforcement/police procedural romance, is that Locke and Key worked on multiple cases. Normally, the partners would be working just one major case, almost always a serial killing.
Working on different cases in one book is a more realistic depiction of police work. It also gave the story a slice-of-life feel to it. The cases were complicated and interesting. There is enough procedural work here to satisfy any fan of the genre.
This is a great opener. There’s just the right amount of mystery, suspense and romance. The HFN ending builds the anticipation for the next book. Right now, there is a future waiting to be explored and a promise waiting to be fulfilled. The two men just started their journey together. I can’t wait till they get there!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: 1313
Artist: The Big Pink
Album: Future This -
REVIEW: Secret At Skull House by Josh Lanyon
Secrets and Scrabble: Secret At Skull House – Josh Lanyon
Ellery Page is back–and in hot water again!
Unlike everyone else in Pirate’s Cove, Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, reigning Scrabble champion, and occasionally clueless owner of the village’s only mystery bookstore, is anything but thrilled when famed horror author Brandon Abbott announces he’s purchased legendary Skull House and plans to live there permanently.
Ellery and Brandon have history. Their relationship ended badly and the last thing Ellery wants is a chance to patch things up–especially when his relationship with Police Chief Jack Carson is just getting interesting. But then, maybe Brandon isn’t all that interested in getting back together either, because he seems a lot more interested in asking questions about the bloodstained past of his new home than discussing a possible future with Ellery. What is Brandon really up to?
Ellery will have to unscramble that particular puzzle post haste. Because after his former flame disappears following their loud and public argument, Ellery seems to be Police Chief Carson’s first–and only–suspect.
***This story contains no on-screen sex or violence
Once again, Ellery Page is the prime suspect for murder. The victim was his very, very unlikable ex, Brandon Abbott. I’m sure no tears were shed for this guy who always threw shade at Ellery every chance he got.
You couldn’t help but love Ellery. Any other person would have sold the failing bookstore, packed his bags and hightailed it out of that murder island. Not Ellery. He was very determined to stick it out and make it work.
He has a tendency to not so much as work his way into things but more of stumble his way into them. Like how his play became an unexpected comedic success when it was actually written as a serious story. Or suddenly realizing his scrabble pieces were pointing him in oddly case-specific directions.
Jack Carson, the police chief, hinted here and there that there might be romantic interest in his Person Of Interest. He even outright asked him for a date. For which I’m giving a halle-fucking-luya about time! because the hot/cold treatment is killing Ellery and the rest of us poor readers here.
I know I said before I would be okay if him and Jack will just be friends. Let me add a caveat that this is as long as the author don’t string us along in the future books.
However, if these two keep on giving off those uber-tight USTs, which, for a book without anything explicit, Josh Lanyon managed to make quite palpable, I would riot if they don’t end up together.
And that ending! Put us out of our misery please!
Okay, so the mystery. I didn’t care about who killed Brandon Abbott. Like I said, the guy was an asshole. What kept me going was, first, the engaging storytelling coupled with great narration. The author always had a way of keeping me glued to the book. This is especially important because she always puts a lot of problematic characters. That’s why her books are a hit or miss for me. Mostly hit so far.
Second, I enjoyed how she made Buck Island come to life. Ellery is surrounded by characters. As in “s/he is such a character!“. I think this is one of the perks of reading cozies, you get the quirky and the cutesy.
Many of these people were native to Buck Island, The island transplants were forever seen as outsiders. Ellery is somewhere in between. His family has been in Buck Island since the beginning but he was from New York. This created an interesting dynamic between him and the rest of the islanders.
Buck Island was built by pirates. There were some historical mansions own by the original founding families scattered throughout. One of these houses was own by the Page family. Skull House was also one of these historical structures and was the site of a murder and mysterious disappearance 20 years ago.
I really liked how the local folklore and history were interwoven with the mystery. There were parallels between the past and present and true to form, Ellery stumbles into the one person connecting them all.
But you know, if you think about it, for an island this small, there seemed to be too many murderers lurking about. Do cozies, or mysteries for that matter, always have to be about a murder? Could they just be about pirate treasures instead?
At this point in time, Ellery should permanently change his FB / Twitter status to “I didn’t do it.”
P.S.
Find out how Ellery fared as a first-time murder suspect in Secrets and Scrabble book 1, Murder At Pirate’s Cove. Review here.
Read reviews of Josh Lanyon’s hits and and misses here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: I Didn’t Do It
Artist: Larry Warren
Album: I Don’t Want To Sleep Because I’m In Wonderful Colorado! -
SERIES REVIEW: The Marchesi Family by Silvia Violet
I wrote off Silvia Violet because of His True Nature, a novella that had the personality of an oatmeal. That was way back 2017. Since then, I never bothered with her works.
Then Angelo caught my attention. I was in the mood for some dark mafia-themed romance and the blurb intrigued me. So heck, why not.
The thing with this series is that, for the most part, I really didn’t care for the romance. BDSM is not my thing.
But the Marchesi family charmed me with their unconditional love for each other and willingness to die for their loved ones. No one could question their loyalty to each other.
They are portrayed as a typical close-knit Italian family who always have good food at their table. They take breakfast seriously. I almost wish I am a morning person so I could eat the smorgasbord of delights their housekeeper always prepare every morning.
The books are classified as erotica and there are a lot of sex scenes. You can just skip those if you want (makes the reading go faster too). The plot is substantial enough. There are probably some nuances to the couple dynamics I might have missed but I don’t really care.
There’s also the mafia politics, something I always loved reading about. This part worked well with romance especially how it brought the couples together. I liked how the various plotlines were integrated.
Each book features a different member of the notorious Marchesi family and the men they brought into their world of crime and cannoli.
The overarching arc is the threat to overthrow the Marchesi family by rival mafia families. The Marchesi have their allies, among which, Vinnie, who was a son of another mob boss and who was featured in a short story.
We’ll start with Lucien…
The Marchesi Family: Lucien – Silvia Violet
I never imagined the protector I longed for would be a mob boss who demanded complete control.
I shouldn’t have gone to Lucien’s office.
Once I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t leave.
He commanded me to kneel.
Beg.
Obey.
I couldn’t help myself.
One taste, and I craved more.
Lucien vowed to protect me from his enemies…
But who’s going to protect my heart from him?
Lucien is the illustrious head of the family. He’s bossy and scary AF. He’s always perfectly put together. He has a sweet tooth. He can drink until he passes out but wakes up the next morning sparkly and fresh. He is, according to Peter, ‘magical‘.
Peter is a sweet young man struggling to find a job. He was tricked by his cousin to fill in a position as a receptionist at some posh company. Little did he know, the company was own by the Marchesi.
So at Peter’s first day of work, in walks Lucien, saw the angelic new receptionist and decided, then and there, he was his. It was that insta.
Stripped of the BDSM elements, this is a whirlwind romantic fairy tale of sorts where the damsel was swept away by the prince to his castle. But instead of the prince, you get a crime lord.
Lucien is Lucien but Peter was a little to submissive for my liking. Still, you couldn’t really hate on somebody pure like him. He’s not entirely helpless and has quick wits about him. He even helped save Lucien. He was exactly what the mob boss needed in his life.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: You Belong To me
Artist: The Boxer Rebellion
Album: Promises
The Marchesi Family: Mob Boss – Silvia Violet
I let Vinnie seduce me.
I was an easy mark.
I would have granted him anything, but I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know I was setting a man up for death.
But even now I still want him, and he has no intention of letting me go.
This is pretty much a condensed version of Lucien and Peter’s story. The difference is that Tom witnessed a crime and Vinnie had to protect him. This is 40 pages of alternate sex scenes and whatever plot there is so there’s really not much of an exploration of their characters and relationship.
This would have been better as a novella than a short story. All in all, it was kinda okay.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Safe & Sound
Artist: Tonight Alive
Album: What Are You So Scared Of?
The Marchesi Family: Angelo – Silvia Violet
Cameron didn’t realize how much he loved his grandparents’ bakery until Angelo Marchesi, a man he’s hated since high school, threatened to take it away.
But Cameron owes Angelo a debt.
A debt he can’t pay…
Unless he accepts Angelo’s indecent proposal and risks finding out how thin the line between love and hate really is.
Angelo is more similar to his cousin, Devil than his autocratic brother, Lucien. The cousins are Lucien’s enforcers.
Angelo and Devil were inseparable since they were toddlers. They were both reckless and bisexual. They cover for each other, especially when one or the other is in trouble with Lucien or the police.
Angelo and Cameron had mutual crushes on each other from high school but with Angelo’s reputation being what it is, he scared Cameron away.
Cam came back to his hometown after burning himself out in the corporate world. He inherited his family’s bakery and was determined to make it work. His deadbeat dad had almost run it to the ground. Then he learned the bastard owed the Marchesis money. One day, Angelo came to collect.
Angelo and Cam’s interactions were antagonistic from the start. Angelo thinks Cam looks down on him for having the kind of family he has. Cam wants nothing to do with the mafia but he was secretly envious the kind of loving family Angelo had.
I’m not a fan of the dubcon scenes but unlike Peter who was 100% submissive, Cameron has more fire in him. It also took him longer to accept the mafia part of Angelo’s life but when he finally did, he fit right in.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Thinking Of You
Artist: A Perfect Circle
Album: Mer De Noms
The Marchesi Family: Devil – Silvia Violet
Devil is a mobster with a dangerous secret…
There’s a cop who hates him.
A cop he caught and released.
A cop he can’t get out of his mind after the one forbidden night they shared.
This is my favorite book and Devil is my favorite character in the series. Whereas Angelo was a health buff, Devil relishes a good cigar. Devil goes above and beyond to protect his family but he’s not above keeping his affair with a cop secret.
I liked the cop/criminal dynamic between Joe and Devil. Joe is actually a forgettable character in any other book, but being paired with somebody as unpredictable as Devil added another dimension to his personality. Plus, the fact that he was attracted to a dangerous man shows he’s not exactly vanilla. He also brought out Devil’s endearing mother-henning side which was fun to see.
I also liked that both men were dominant so the power dynamics were balanced. It made the tension between the two so much enticing because you’ll never know who’ll come out on top.
This book wraps the series up. The threat to the family was put to an end for good. Characters for a new series weres introduced. They piqued my interest so I’m looking forward to that.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Me and The Devil
Artist: Soap & Skin
Album: Sugarbread
I guess I was too hasty with this author. She made me care about the Marchesis so much that I read all the books in quick succession. The series is dark but has a lot of heart. Certainly no oatmeals this time.
If the new spin-off series is as good as this, I’ll probably end up binge reading it too. Moral of the story: Don’t judge an author by one bad story. Sometimes, they could surprise you.
P.S.
These Marchesis are a tight bunch so while the books could be read as standalones, it’s best read in sequence.
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REVIEW: Two Rogues Make A Right by Cat Sebastian
Seducing the Sedgwicks: Two Rogues Make A Right – Cat Sebastian
Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world.
Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on.
As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?
Congratulations to the Seducing The Sedgwicks series for reaching peak fluff-tastic adorableness in the third book, Two Rogues Make A Right!
It’s for books like this that incoherent squeeing emojis are deployed.
I mean, that cover is pure ✧♡〜ヾ(◍’౪`◍)ﾉﾞ〜 ✧♡!!!!
A perfect cover that captures the ✧♡➴✧♡。❣╰(⋈◍＞◡＜◍)╯❣。✧♡ ➴✧♡!!!!-ness of the story.
Yeah, foreheads touches ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
I will try to write a saner review now that I had the squeeing out of the way.
Two Rogues Make A Right is as sweet and gentle as an idyllic summer. It is a quintessential story of falling for your best friend. As such, there is the fear of losing a life-long friendship if romantic feelings become known. Mutual pining ensues. It is a tale as old as time, but Cat Sebastian was able to spin Will and Martin’s story into something more.
It was also about Martin coming into his own. His constant attempts to be a better person than his father ever been. His struggle to gain independence and make choices for himself. His determination to be useful in a world where an entry in Debrett’s pretty much guarantees you a lifetime of decorative lounging.
Martin came across as an almost villainous minor character in the first book, It Takes Two To Tumble. He’s grumpy and seemed to hate everybody. The second book found him in the attic, sick and cold. My sympathies were stirred. In this third installment, Martin turned out to be an utterly endearing tsundere. I really loved the scene where he spontaneously gathered posies on his way home and upon arriving, thrusted them to Will like he’s getting rid of something nasty.
Will is the kind of guy who’s free with his affections. He’s also “unspeakably loyal” to Martin and Martin knows that. I respected the heck out of Martin for steadfastly refusing to take advantage of Will’s loyalty. Even without the romantic aspect, their friendship were goals. I really loved how they selflessly took care of each other.
Martin rescuing Will from opium dens at the cost of his health. Will patiently nursing Martin back to health, telling him ridiculous bedtime stories. Them reading to each other! When Will was in the Navy, he got a tattoo on his arm with Martin’s name on it even before there were amorous feelings involved. To Will, Martin is home. Simple as that.
I want to build Will and Martin a blanket fort and keep the big bad world away from them. These are two precious dorks! Protect at all cost!
P.S.
Seducing the Sedgwicks is best experienced by reading the books in order. The series might not be 5-stars across the board like The Turners series, but It Takes Two To Tumble was also a highly enjoyable take on the Sound of Music. Read my review here.
I DNFed A Gentleman Always Keeps Score. I wasn’t connecting to the story. I will not be posting a review for it.
Cat Sebastian books here.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Fallingforyou
Artist: The 1975
Album: IV -
REVIEW: Inside Affair by Ella Frank
Prime Time: Inside Affair – Ella Frank
Xander
If I had to describe Sean Bailey, it would be: a surly, temperamental pain in my ass. Never in that equation would I ever include the word boyfriend—and not just because he’s straight.The older brother of my life-long best friend, Sean is a detective for the Chicago PD, and is also known as Detective “Dick” for being…well, a surly, temperamental pain in everyone’s ass. He also happens to be the best they have, which is why I find myself on his doorstep the night my life is threatened by an anonymous stalker.
I only wanted the name of a bodyguard; I didn’t expect for Sean to volunteer for the job. Now, not only do I have a bodyguard, I also have a fake boyfriend.
Sean
It must be so hard to be Alexander Thorne, the number one prime-time news anchor in the country, with millions of dollars and a car that costs more than my house. I mean, I’m allowed to give him a hard time about it, but when some creep decides to cross the line and go after him, they’re gonna have to answer to me.Going undercover has never been an issue in the past, so I don’t see why there’d be a problem now. Xander and I have known each other for years, so this should be a breeze. Except suddenly my stomach’s flipping when he looks my way, and my body comes alive whenever he brushes by me. I know I’m good at my job and playing a character and all, but this is getting out of hand.
I can’t be sure that either of us are playing anymore.
It’s those times where you tried this and that and nothing sticks. It’s the dreaded slump! It was only when I read the reviews for Inside Affair that I knew this is the book that will bring me out of it. Thank you GR friends for bringing this book to my attention.
The moment I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it so much I was very tempted to blow off work and just read.
This series opener had all the right ingredients. We have two antagonistic MCs, not quite enemies, just two people who barely tolerated each other. Throw in a stalker, a fake relationship, a bodyguard gig, lots of zingers and you got a winner.
The banter between Sean and Xander had me chuckling all the way. They say all kinds of annoying shit, trying to get a rise out of the other. Sometimes, they hit a particularly sensitive nerve and things get ugly.
Then… they started noticing each other.
Bam!
USTs explode!
This had the kind of expert execution that makes gay-for-you tropes so delicious. Not to mention the fake to real transition came about so naturally it left no room for doubts. The progression was a lovely slow-burn that kept anticipation high and made the feels so damn good. The aha moment was very satisfying as unfolds most especially because they had known each other for most of their lives but hadn’t really look.
And so Xander was like, “But this is Sean!!!”
Sean who was his bestfriend and ex, Bailey’s annoying big brother.
Sean who so grumpy they called him Detective Dick.
Sean who was straight and yet…
Sean who never even imagined that Xander lived in a castle with rotating floors.
Xander whose eyes, Sean suddenly realized, were a gorgeous shade of green
Xander whose face was so blinding, Sean could see nothing but him.
Now they know.
P.S.
Just a heads up: Inside Affair ends with somebody bleeding and fate unknown. Best to wait until all the books are released if you are not of fan of cliffhangers.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Your Body Changes Everything
Artist: Perfume Genius
Album: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately -
REVIEW: Ex Meridian by A.E. Via
Nothing Special VII: Ex Meridian – A.E. Via
Police Lieutenants, God and Day are under intense pressure from the chief to take back control of Atlanta’s streets.The last thing their task force needs is a pair of trained killers in town with a personal score to settle.
Take a man and strip him of his ability to feel compassion, empathy, remorse, or any of the emotions that make him human, but leave the ones that ignite rage and aggression and you have the perfect killing machine—now imagine two of them.
Code names Ex and Meridian are synonymous for ‘guaranteed death’ to international terrorists. Two broken men from the same crooked streets, recruited into an unsanctioned government program that few know about. Trained to operate most efficiently—lethally—together.
When Ex returns from an op in Bolivia to learn his little brother has been accidentally killed in a feud between drug gangs, he’s stateside before he can consider the rules he’ll be breaking, and of course Meridian is right beside him. There’s mayhem on the streets of Atlanta and the police are losing control. If Godfrey and his elite team of detectives can’t get the job done then they’d be happy to lighten their caseloads for them. And Ex nor Meridian care about doing it quietly.
“I know who you are.”The man grunted when Ex turned to leave.“You’re the fucking devil.”
Meridian walked past, glaring one final time.“Say that loud enough… maybe God will save you.”But after their first run-in with the big lieutenant and his protective husband, Day, Ex and Meridian start to reevaluate their own relationship. Wondering if they could be even deadlier if they let loose the feelings for each other that they’ve been forced to suppress for years.
Meridian’s dark eyes stayed locked on his, “A man who can fight beside the one he loves doesn’t make him weaker, Ex—it makes him more dangerous.”
No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a HEA.
Note: This title focuses on two new characters in the series. And while it can standalone, there are appearences from prior main characters.
Note: This is a partners-to-lovers, out-for-you, action romance.
Note: There are depictions of violence in this novel.
A grieving brother out for revenge.
A killer whose blood is literally cold.
An assassin who kills with a whisper.
The Devil in the house of God.
A most compelling partners-to-lovers romance that slow-burned for eight years! Squee~!
OTT action and suspense that’s perfectly balanced with the rest of the plot.
God and Day’s boys coming together with their bounty hunting friends.
Some of God’s most vulnerable moments!
Day still winning and annoying everyone with his mouthy ways.
The King brothers’ most painful memories coming out in the open.
Ruxs and Green are tested as they have never been before!
Ex seeing Meridian in the truest light.
Meridian giving Ex the world. Ex doesn’t even need to ask. ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
The baddest, toughest alpha pair of ’em all!
Meridian’s dark eyes stayed locked on his, “A man who can fight beside the one he loves doesn’t make him weaker, Ex—it makes him more dangerous.”
P.S.
Okay, so I’m addicted to this series and I’m sticking around for good or bad. Luckily, it’s mostly good. The last two books showed huge improvements. My thoughts on the rest of the books here.
Ms. V’s books here.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: This Is A Call
Artist: Les Friction
Album: Dark Matter -
REVIEW: The Assassin by M.D. Gregory
The Killough Company: The Assassin – M.D. Gregory
Gabriel Mancini represents everything Ardan Murphy hates.
He’s disloyal.
Money hungry.
‘Honor’ isn’t a word he knows.
He is also too damn handsome for his own good.
When mob boss Sloan Killough finally gives Ardan permission to find and kill Mancini, the job isn’t as straightforward as he expects. Ardan’s never had a target quite like Mancini, and the ex-CIA agent always seems to be one step ahead of him.
When their game of cat and mouse turns into something more, their heated connection changes in ways neither expects, and their history becomes irrelevant. When enemies close in from both sides, Ardan and Gabriel must choose between their budding romance and the promises made to very dangerous men…
The Assassin is part of The Killough Company series. It’s best to read this book as part of this series to understand this story fully. Please read the trigger warnings before beginning The Assassin as this book is a dark romance.
This is the kind of obsessive hate that turns raging hard ons from figurative to full on.
Ardan Muphy, assassin, is obsessed with hunting down Gabriel Mancini, hitman. You’d think they’re basically doing the same job but apparently there’s a difference as stressed by Ardan.
The two hired killers had a history together. They had crossed paths now and then. They would have been friends but then Gabriel betrayed his boss. Such disloyality was something Ardan could not abide. And he made it his mission to put a bullet in Gabriel’s head.
Gabriel Mancini is very much enjoying his cat and mouse game with his favorite Irishman. The Italian always stayed one step ahead. He will be found only when he wants to be. Which happened when he was in a ‘safe no killing zone’ where he met Arden. Who had no choice but to postpone the kill or risk a war between The Killough Company and The Norse Lords, the MC who owns the territory.
This is where the real fun starts.
I love enemies to lovers stories, especially ones where intense feelings were involved. This has been an ongoing hunt that started in the previous books so the emotions had been simmering for a long time. I especially liked the timespan because there’s nothing less convincing than an enemies to lovers story where supposed enemies fall in love after 5 minutes.
The book was very effective in making you feel those complicated, burning I-really-really-hate-you-but-I-want-you-so-bad feels that culminated in a messy fist fight and a messier hatefuck. Whether they liked it or not or even admit it to themselves, their chemistry was explosive.
It’s not just the way these two throw off fireworks that made the book so enjoyable. The mob part of the story was equally compelling. There were bigger things afoot. Crime families made their moves. Innocent lives were in danger. A birthday surprise is in the works.
Ardan’s boss, Sloan Killough and his pet Conall, had major page time. I just love these two! They still couldn’t get enough of each other. It was Conall who suspected Ardan and Gabriel will eventually find their way into each other’s pants given the way Ardan was so determined to get the guy. Conall is rarely wrong about these things.
The Assassin felt more like a transition story bridging the series to a wider world of underworld crime and motorcycle clubs. I liked how this sets up the plot for future stories and introduced the lead characters for upcoming books. I’m especially excited for Elio and Mateo’s book. These two are from the Follieri, an Italian family that had strong connections to The Killough Company.
The ending unfortunately left me hanging. It felt rush and headed towards a cliffy I wasn’t prepared for. On the upside, we will see more of Ardan and Gabriel. They will be doing their best to outsmart the CIA and (hopefully) get their HEA. Can’t wait!!!
P.S.
As advised, it’s best to start at the beginning. The Killough Company series opened with a bang so I’m sure you’ll be delighted to find out how badass mob boss, Sloan, won over his beloved pet, Conall. Read reviews of books 1-2 here.
M.D. Gregory books here.Rating
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Let Me Live / Let Me Die
Artist: Des Rocs
Album: Let The Vultures In
