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REVIEW: The Unlikely Pair by Jax Calder
Unlikely Dilemmas: The Unlikely Pair – Jax Calder
What happens when you find yourself stranded in the wilderness with your political enemy?
Getting stranded in the freezing wilderness with my archenemy wasn’t on today’s to-do list. But somehow, that’s where I’ve ended up.
Harry Matheson, my political rival, has always been smarmy, arrogant, and entitled. It figures that even this plane crash has barely ruffled his well-coiffed hair.
It’s all fine, though, because our pilot has gone to call for help and rescue should be imminent.
Fast forward a few frigid hours…
Umm…maybe it’s not so fine, because it appears our pilot is part of an international terrorist group intent on kidnapping us.
Now Harry and I have to flee through the wilderness—together.
Unfortunately, being adept at political debates and parliamentary procedures doesn’t exactly prepare you for the basics of finding food, keeping warm, and evading the local wildlife while playing high-stakes hide-and-seek with armed terrorists.
The only way Harry and I have any hope of surviving is to stick together.
The problem is, the line separating hate and love has begun to blur, and the last thing I need is to fall for my enemy.
The Unlikely Pair is an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a romp through the political wilderness where hearts, quite literally, go off the beaten path.
The Unlikely Pair is a fantastic follow‑up to Jax Calder’s contemporary romance series Unlikely Dilemmas. It stars bitter political rivals Toby Webley of the Labour Party and Harry Matheson of the Conservative Party.
Toby, best friend to former Prime Minister–turned–Prince Consort Oliver Hartwell (The Unlikely Heir), ends up on a flight to Norway with Harry for a climate convention. When the plane crashes, the two find themselves stranded in the Finnish wilderness.
Forced to rely on each other to survive brutal temperatures and dense forest, they take shelter in an isolated cabin and learn everything from fishing to chopping wood to setting snares. With only one bed, sharing body heat becomes a necessity then a pleasure— even if their political views remain irreconcilable.
I love my enemies‑to‑lovers romances intense, and this one is chef’s kiss! The tension sizzles, the snark is razor‑sharp, and the banter is hilarious. The cherry on top of this delightful treat is the decade-long secret pining simmering beneath all that mutual loathing.
The forced proximity is a fabulous, shifting from survival cuddles to casual cuddles as they go from barely civil to domestic. I’m not a fan of wilderness‑survival scenes, so those parts dragged a bit for me, but Toby and Harry’s chemistry kept things exciting. They were a joy to read!
Making a politician — especially a Tory — a likable romantic lead is no small feat, but Jax Calder pulls it off. Harry shines here in ways that contrast beautifully with his portrayal in the first book, revealing layers Toby, and me, can’t help but find appealing.
Their evolution from enemies to lovers is handled with such natural, deft progression that I was completely sold. The author pulled out all the stops in the climactic Parliament scene, and my heart just burst with happiness! The epilogue is ridiculously cute!
One niggle, though, the part of the group responsible for the plane crash was basically handwaved away. Maybe it’s a set up to Book 3, but I thought they would have been more concerned about it.
The Unlikely Pair is a feel-good story of politics, survival, and slow-burn romance where opposing views and mutual attraction make for compelling bedfellows. Overall, most likely to win your vote!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Strange Bedfellows
Artist: Michael Sarcona
Album: VerityP.S.
Unlikely Dilemmas books can be read as standalones but the Prince of Wales is inviting you to tea.
Witness Callum charm the prime minister and the rest of Britain in The Unlikely Heir.
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THE UNLIKELY PAIR: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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COVER REVEAL: The Ultimate Save by Felice Stevens
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PROMO BLITZ: Guardian by Beth Christopher
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RELEASE BLITZ: PAH! by E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose
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RELEASE BLITZ: Burning Enemies by Mina Elwood
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PROMO BLITZ: Crimson Codex by Ava Mari Salinger
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RELEASE BLITZ: Evan by Lark Taylor
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BOOK TOUR: Wards and Warlocks by A.K. Nevermore (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE: A Job Well Done by Rose Maefair (Excerpt)
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SERIES REVIEW: Isaac & Dallas (Light & Shadow Duet) by N.N. Britt
Light & Shadow: Isaac – N.N. Britt
In the heart of Sin City, two men on opposite sides of the law collide in a dangerous game of power, passion, and betrayal.
Isaac Thoreau, the son of a notorious crime boss, has spent nine years behind bars for his father’s murder. Driven, cunning, and unfeeling, he’s now back to claim what’s rightfully his. But when an enigmatic security guard named Hawk is hired to work at his nightclub, Isaac finds himself distracted… and inexplicably drawn to Hawk, despite his best efforts to resist.
Special Agent Dallas Bradley’s mission is infiltrate the Hellhounds and bring their leader, Isaac Thoreau, to justice. Posing as Hawk, Dallas is determined to uncover the secrets of the Thoreau criminal empire. But as he delves deeper into Isaac’s world, the lines between right and wrong blur, and soon an undeniable attraction grows between the two men, forcing Dallas to question everything.
Walking away before he’s compromised would be the smart choice, but Dallas can’t resist Isaac’s magnetic pull, even if it means risking his life.
As love and duty clash, only one question will Isaac and Dallas survive the fallout?
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Isaac is the first installment of the Light & Shadow Duet. It can not be read as standalone. This is a dark MM mafia romance that explores various sensitive subjects like violence, abuse, PTSD, etc.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Another Life
Artist: Motionless in White
Album: Disguise
Light & Shadow: Dallas – N.N. Britt
Prepare for Betrayal and Redemption in Sin City.
As the leader of the Hellhounds and a valued member of the notorious Thoreau crime syndicate, Isaac has it all: power, money, fear. Falling for someone has never been on his radar. But for the first time in his life, Isaac thinks he’s found someone he can truly trust—the mysterious security guard who shattered through his icy defenses and became the one person Isaac could be himself with.
Until everything goes up in flames.
Dallas Bradley has been treading an unstable line of deceit between righteousness and criminality. Isaac Thoreau’s world is slowly turning him into Hawk, the man who doesn’t exist, the man who’s ready to do bad things to survive and remain close to Isaac. But when a dangerous deal goes south, in order to save Isaac’s life, Dallas is forced to reveal the devastating truth—he’s a Special Agent sent to infiltrate the Hellhounds and bring down Isaac.
Heartbroken and enraged, Isaac can’t stand the man who betrayed him so deeply. However, when it’s clear Isaac’s fate is prison, Dallas strikes a bargain with his boss: help save Isaac from life behind bars and keep Dallas undercover to clean up the mess.
Isaac hates Dallas more than ever, but to escape the crosshairs they must work together once more. As tempers and stakes flare in the streets of Sin City, Dallas will risk everything to redeem himself in Isaac’s eyes. But can their undeniable connection survive when trust has turned to ash?
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Dallas is the second installment of Light & Shadow Duet. It should be read after Isaac. This is a dark MM mafia romance that explores various sensitive subjects like violence, abuse, PTSD, etc. Length: 65,000 words. Alternating POV.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Light
Artist: N3wport feat. Dianna
Album:
Light & Shadow Duet by N.N. Britt is the series opener of the dark mafia romance series of the same name.
The first part is Isaac, where we meet Special Agent Dallas Bradley as he starts his undercover job as Hawk, infiltrating the Thoreau crime syndicate led by Isaac Thoreau, the son of the notorious mob boss whom he killed. Isaac paid the price for murdering his abusive father, and his stint in prison further traumatized the young man.
Hawk had to get close to the leader, first by working as the night club bouncer and then climbing the ranks high enough to be included in Isaac’s inner circle. But Isaac was not what Hawk expected, and he soon found himself getting very personal with the boss,
The second part is Dallas, where, after an ATF bust where the gang was caught running guns, Dallas had to negotiate hard to save Isaac. Trust broken but left with no choice, Isaac had to go against everything he stood for and work with Dallas and the FBI.
Dallas and Isaac have that intense push-pull I always enjoy in well-delivered enemies-to-lovers romance. Both are solitary men who found a deep connection that put each of them in danger. The sexual tension is sizzling, the need for secrecy and the threat of being caught heightening the electric mood.
Isaac is a compelling combination of power and vulnerability, having survived sexual abuse as a child and more trauma in prison, then strengthening the criminal organization he inherited. He’s touch-averse and touch-starved, cold to most, but a well-liked leader of his gang, a Robin Hood who took care of his men and their families.
Dallas is a veteran at undercovers, but this job, a.k.a. Isaac, got under his skin and had him questioning his identity and loyalties. As Hawk, he became Isaac’s lover; as Dallas, he was Isaac’s only chance of avoiding prison. He won’t let Isaac go back, knowing it would cost Isaac his life with so many enemies inside.
While the plot was gripping, the writing was something of an acquired taste. It’s in the 1st-person present tense and a bit too flowery for my liking, with metaphors that could be considered poetic. They detract from the story because I found them unnecessary or better suited to a historical romance
However, there’s a great balance of romance and the rest of the plot, with the cliffhanger of Isaac ending the first book in such an explosive way. The second book continues with the tightly paced plot, still as intense, Isaac hurt and conflicted over the betrayal and Dallas’s Hail Mary rescue.
I say the second part is more suspenseful and more twisty turn-y with Dallas and Isaac jumping through hoops of fire. There were so many hurdles thrown their way, I was left wondering how this would end happily. Our only guarantee that this is an HEA is that this is romance. The author saved it till the very last, a bit bittersweet but still resolutely hard-won and satisfying.
Light & Shadow Duet is a stirring tale of forbidden passion between two men on opposite sides of the law. The prose takes getting used to but, overall, slow burn yet fiery, dark and angsty yet thrilling!
P.S.
Light & Shadow must be read in order.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Light & Shadow. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
LIGHT & SHADOW: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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