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REVIEW: Match Grade by G.B. Gordon
Criminal Delights: Assassin: Match Grade – G.B. Gordon
SOME MATCHES SPARK AN INFERNO
Eirik Haldurson is a hitman. Kidnapped at age five and cruelly trained by his captor, he is today one of the most sought-after contract killers alive. Emotional distance from his targets, brutally beaten into him until it became second nature, is now the only way he can function. Lately though, that distance has started to elude him. And when a Colombian drug cartel contracts Eirik to take out ex-soldier-turned-vigilante, Matt Moreno, distance is suddenly as close as heat to fire. And all hell breaks loose.
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.
When the series was first released 2019, I swore to read all the Criminal Delights books. There are a couple of misses and so-so stories. But most have been wins.
I finally got my hands on Match Grade and I’m so happy it’s a definite win!
In most of my reviews of the books in the series, my usual comment is that the books are not dark enough. If you give us a warning such as one above, I expect disturbing, morally grey to pitch black material.
If you put a sick, half-starved kitten in the hands of an assassin who couldn’t resist naming it after the Persian emperor in the hopes said kitty would life up to the name AND stop in the middle of an intense fuck+fight scene just to feed it, any claims to darkness are officially cancelled.
Eirik Haldurson is very good at his job. Unfortunately, his mind has other agendas. He experienced blackouts while in the middle of a hit, his brain flashing back to dark memories of him as a child being trained by a sinister individual. He’s tired of this kind of life and wanted out. Until he got a call to take out one, Matteo Moreno for a whopping $5,000,000. His retirement money right there.
Not much is known of Matteo Moreno. He’s ex-military, a member of a hunters group, owns a cabin in the woods. He also has an easy going charm that lights up the room. Eirik tried to maintain a safe distance but is fast finding it hard to follow his number one rule: Do Not Get Close.
The chemistry between the two MCs was fire and gasoline. It’s as insta as you can get but it actually worked well with the plot.
Matt saw the humanity behind the cold-blooded assassin and taught Eirik to see that the cracks in his soul are not weaknesses.
“The cracks are how the light gets in. “
My favorite part was when Eirik was trying to disappear and left his cat, Cyrus, at the shelter earlier. Then Matt popped up and brought the kitten to him.
He held his hands out, and Matt placed Cyrus into his palms. Every sensation was ramped up to max: the soft fur, the rapid heartbeat, the sleepy purr.
When Eirik looked up, Matt was watching him. “You should see your face right now, my beautiful friend. I can see your soul.”
Bless Matt for recognizing a genuine kintsugi treasure and not letting it go.
The assassin and the ex-military then teamed up to take down the Colombian drug cartel. The two had opposite working styles. Eirik was a planner and Matt was a wing it kind of guy. Happily, their styles synced perfectly together.
Everything in this story happened fast from the romance to the fights scenes but makes sense given the kind of lifestyle they have. I also liked how the pacing kept things exciting without sacrificing crucial plot points.
And speaking of excitement, there’s plenty of chaos and mayhem to be had. One complaint was that any suspense the story tried to generate was nullified by the fact that the big takedown was too easy. There was hardly any resistance and I didn’t feel any actual sense of danger. The other fight scenes leading up to the takedown were much more exciting.
I also would have liked Eirik’s and Matt’s past explored further. Enough Information was given to answer some burning questions but I felt they only touched the surface. The ending wrapped up everything nicely but left openings in case the author decided to continue their adventures. If so, I’m definitely here for more Eirik and Matt!
Match Grade might not be the kind of dark I expected but it certainly has a high body count. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, suspense thriller with a sweet romantic sideplot. Recommended if you like charming vigilantes falling in love with cat-loving assassins who read like a scholar, kiss like a poet and fuck like a god.
P.S.
Wondering if Criminal Delights is your kind of thrill? Check out reviews of other books in the series here.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Beautiful Crime
Artist: Tamer
Album: Pusher -
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Finding Fisher by M.J. James (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: The Killough Company Books 1-2 by M.D. Gregory
The Killough Company is an Irish mob headed by Sloan Killough, an enigmatic and charismatic man who has no problems getting his hand dirty. He has a nephew, Fionn who is his heir to a company compose of mostly good looking mobsters who may or may not be sleeping with each other.
Sloan likes having pets. He dotes on them and treats them as his beloved possession. He had 4 so far and most of them had tragic endings. That is until he met Conall Morrissey, co-provocateur of a brothel called Exotic Virtue.
This series starts with the story of how the boss found his forever pet. The other books feature how other members of his company found their HEA.
- The Boss – M.D. Gregory
Conall Morrissey’s life is pretty bloody easy. He helps his brother take care of the whores at The Exotic Virtue, an exclusive high-end brothel owned by The Killough Company. They might not be earning as much as the other brothels, but if they make ends meet, the Morrisey brothers can get by fine. Until they get a visit from the boss of the mob who owns it, Sloan Killough.
Sloan Killough means business. He’s brash, violent, and tough. He’s the boss for a reason and he doesn’t deal in excuses or exceptions. He visits The Exotic Virtue for a taste of his product, and when he sees Conall, he knows he must have him as his pet. When Sloan demands Conall on his knees, Conall’s horrified. He may be bisexual, but he’s not the guy who takes it. When his brother sells him like one of their whores, Conall has no choice but to submit to their boss if he and his brother wants to live.
Being a whore to a mob boss isn’t what Conall expects. He fights Sloan’s orders at every chance he gets, but the boss seems to enjoy the fights, and has no problem in teaching Conall his place. Conall promises himself he won’t give in, but with each touch and taste, he finds himself addicted to the dark, dangerous man who could rip out his throat the very moment he gets bored of him.
Trigger Warnings: This book is a dark romance. It contains triggering scenes which includes public humiliation, ownership, and violence. If you’re unsure whether you wish to read this book, feel free to contact the author for more detailed warnings.
I first met Sloan and Conall in M.D. Gregory‘s Criminal Delights story, Sinner’s Ransom, where they nearly stole the show. My interest was pique by their unique relationship. Why would a man be proud to be somebody’s pet?
I was super amused by the fact that Conall was comparing notes with a fellow Stockholm Syndrome victim, Monty, the protagonist of Sinner’s Ransom.
I knew I had to dig into this further.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Sloan knew there was something about Conall the first time he saw him. He saw the fire in him and it was lust at first sight. Conall obviously did not want to be somebody’s pet. He’s a provocateur, not a whore for fuck’s sake!
He did not want to admit, even to himself, that he found Sloan attractive. He tried to be as bratty and rebellious as he could be. But Sloan has his ways of disciplining a.k.a winning over his pet. You got to hand it to the boss, he can be quite irresistible in his own way as Conall was fast learning.
The pet aspect is iffy if you think about it too much. And please do heed the warnings. In terms of ‘dark’, there were dub-con scenes that were uncomfortable, i.e. forcing Conall to have sex in front of an audience. Language is very non-PC, a lot of pussy and whores. However, the violence was not graphic, the torture scenes short and to the point.
What makes this a winner for me was how progression of Sloan and Conall’s relationship was depicted. The development of feelings were authentic and left no doubts that the two men were a perfect match.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: At Your Command
Artist: Informatik
Album: Re:Vision
1.5. The Boss’s Christmas – M.D. Gregory
It’s been months since Conall Morrissey was taken and tortured by his boss’s enemies. But even though everyone is living in peace, at least for the time being, Connall isn’t content. Sloan has been keeping him away from business meetings, and Conall begins to wonder if Sloan is growing bored of him already.
As a peace offering, Sloan decides to take Conall to Miami for Christmas. Getting away from the cold winter weather is the perfect way to relax and help Connall forget everything that’s happened. He wants to treat his pet, but Conall seems to be slipping further away, and Sloan fears his pet blames him for his kidnapping.
Can they find a way to communicate? Or will their first Christmas be their last?
This one’s cute and fluffy. As fluffy as dark romance can be.
Sloan takes Conall to Miami for Christmas. The feelings were becoming strongly felt and obvious to anyone who has eyes. Still, Conall claims it’s just sex. He’s also being extra bratty and Sloan knew something’s wrong with his beloved pet.
A Talk is in order.
This is a fantastic epilogue to book 1. Nobody could mistake Sloan as weak but he could be a big romantic softie when it comes to Conall. The man would literally die for his pet. The Talk was squeetastic ～ ♡! They were adorbs!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: The Fall
Artist: Half Alive
Album: 3
2. The Professional – M.D. Gregory
Rourke Tormey lived and breathed for the Killough Mob. After his father doomed their family by betrayal, the only thing that kept them alive was Sloan’s leniency and trust, and Rourke made it his mission to prove to the boss that he’d done the right thing. So when Sloan asked him to run the Exotic Virtue, he worked his ass off to raise its standards and bring in more influential clientele. Falling in love with his highest earning professional isn’t part of his plan.
Forrest Brassard grew up in a foster home. He knew what it felt like to not belong and joining the Virtue as a professional gave him what he always searched for—love, even if it was only from a different man every hour. When Rourke took over, it was lust at first sight. He wanted the Irish soldier.
Their romance is forbidden. Between Rourke’s resistance and Forrest’s determination, the struggle of falling in love is one that both may lose. When a certain detective is out to bring the Killough Company crashing to the ground, they must work together with Sloan and Conall to make sure it’s her career that goes up in flames instead of the Virtue.
Rourke was the guy who took over Exotic Virtue after Conall became Sloan’s pet. He is a no-nonesense man who loves rules. Sloan trusts him completely despite aspersions being cast on his loyalty because of what his father did before.
Forrest was Conall’s ex and later bestfriend. He’s the highest earning professional in Exotic Virtue. He’s sassy, friendly and a caring big brother to the other professionals in the house.
Forrest is a sweetheart and Rourke has a good heart. Both were likable characters I would like to see have their HEA. Their story was pegged as forbidden romance but sadly, the forbidden part wasn’t as strongly played as I would have liked. I didn’t feel any apprehension that some dire consequence will befall them should they start a relationship.
I enjoyed majority of the book, mostly because there were a lot of Sloan and Conall appearances. We learn more about the inner workings of the whorehouse and the drama between the professionals.
This was actually a longer book so I had assumed there was enough page time for a proper buildup and climax. Sadly, it was not to be. For some reason, the last 20% was so rushed it left me scratching my head. Maybe the author was going for a cliffhanger but I wish the last parts were done properly.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Sugar
Artist: Garbage
Album: Not Your Kind of People
Even with a problematic ending like that I still liked all three books. The writing is easy to go through and for a dark romance, did not feel heavy at all. There was even a humorous undertone to the narrative at some points.
While it’s highly unlikely you will get a mob full of good-looking men in real life, the Killough Company boys were worth knowing. I’m looking forward to the next books and definitely, more Sloan and Conall.
P.S.
If you like dark romance, check out Criminal Delights, a series featuring stories that are not for the faint of heart. Reviews here
M.D. Gregory books here -
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Third Eye by Rick R. Reed (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Tainted Tales: A Dark Folklore Anthology for Save the Children
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COVER REVEAL: Tainted Tales: A Dark Folklore Anthology for Save the Children
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: This is the Circle by Tash McAdam (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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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: 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: Sinner’s Ransom by M.D. Gregory
Criminal Delights: Taken: Sinner’s Ransom – M.D. Gregory
Montgomery Booker has it all—good looks, an inheritance, and an endless list of hookups. He uses his social elite influence to bully, manipulate, and blackmail, and he’s not ashamed of it. Quite the contrary, he enjoys it. But when he’s kidnapped, forced into ropes and gagged, he discovers the consequences of his actions when no one cares enough to send help.
Stone and his crew have one job: kidnap a spoiled, pretty boy and hit up his rich daddy for cash. When dear old dad refuses to pay the ransom, Stone switches to plan B. The torture he delivers doesn’t have the effect he expects on Montgomery though, and Stone savors every cry that leaves his pretty mouth.
If someone finally comes for Montgomery, will he be able to walk away from the man who made him feel this kind of delicious pain? And will Stone let him?
Themes: Kidnapping, stockholm syndrome, breathplay, pain play.
Genre: Very dark gay romance, psychological fiction.This story is part of the CRIMINAL DELIGHTS series. Each book is a standalone story with the theme of dark, gay romance.
I expected this to be action-packed. I expected some BDSM or maybe blood. What I didn’t expect was this to be funny.
LOLing at Monty who could not shut his mouth even if his life literally depended on it. And he was asking for it, again literally, asking to be punched and choked and hurt and would happily suck anybody for a hot shower. Also him and Conall, Sloane’s boy, bonding and comparing notes on who’s more fucked up, the guy who wears a collar and acts like a pet or the guy who likes fucking his kidnapper. Guess who won.
I’m not even going to bother with the insta-attraction and the lack of build up because we’re talking about a spoiled rich brat who acts on impulse though Stone I would have expected to be tougher and more menacing. The guy was just too nice and lenient even if he says he’s not. His threats felt like they lack teeth and the “training” was too easy. Monty was hardly treated as a prisoner. He was locked in a stifling room. He was occasionally tied up but he was still more or less the bratty demanding brat who needed to be taught to behave. Heck, he even got his hair shampooed by Stone.
“Better?”
“Yeah.” Montgomery frowned at Stone. “Why are you being nice?”
“Aren’t I always nice?” Stone’s lips twisted into an amuse grin.
“No.” Montgomery grinned and laid his arms along the edge of the bath. He leaned closer until their lips were inches apart. “But I like it when you’re not nice too”
SInner’s Ransom was more of a kidnapping how-to than action suspense. A major part of the story is about Stone’s gang creating a ransom demand video for Monty’s father, a man who couldn’t care less about his son. The gang worked with Sloan Killough, a New York mob boss, and together they tried to make Monty a believable kidnap victim.
“The first scene will be Montgomery, struggling, crying. Everything a kidnapped man does, everything that your boy is currently not doing. He’s very comfortable for somebody who’s been kidnapped.”
He’s so comfortable he’s making suggestions! And making sure the gang gets the money!
Sloane and Conall nearly stole the show and Ardan, the assassin who appears on another Criminal Delights installment, I’m super excited to read his book.
I enjoyed this grey romance story. I liked the humor and met interesting characters. There are some elements that might not be that convincing but I still find the Stockholm Syndrome aspect believable even if it happened in a span of only a few days. And though Richard Booker would rather keep his money than save his son, Stone and his crew made sure the asshole got what he deserved. Monty got all the punishment he wanted and he finally learned how to say “please“.
P.S.
Other Criminal Delights books here
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Bellevue Bridge Club
Artist: Andrew Bird
Album: My Finest Work Yet
