With his brother away at a conference, alpha wolf shifter Shadow finds himself paired with IT analyst Mace, the one man he can’t stand. Stuck with the partnership due to his pack leader’s order, Shadow can only count down the days until his life returns to normal. He’s a loner. Period. No matter how much his inner beast protests.
Mace isn’t thrilled either, but can’t resist the temptation to push all the surly alpha’s buttons, even as he fantasizes about what could be. Flirting with danger, he’s determined to make the best of the situation, if he can only get Shadow to give in to both their desires.
Unfortunately, a twisted revenge-seeker has other plans. A series of events rocks the entire pack, leaving innocent people hurt and fear running rampant. Both men are thrust into the chaos, working tirelessly to track down the culprit before someone winds up dead. The pressure of trying to stay a jump ahead, with absolutely no clues, pushes them to the brink. Add in a burning hunger for each other, and their world begins to crumble around them. With no other choice, they have to trust and depend on one another in order to have a chance at solving the mystery and saving lives.
Review
Mace is re-assigned to work with Shadow on security. Shadow is cranky and surly and of course immediately attracted to Mace.
Mace has been crushing on Shadow for awhile, but has a hard time breaking through his tough outer shell to the ooey gooey center he thinks is hiding inside.
At first there is a lot of sexual tension and flirting and fighting – Shadow can be a real son-of-a-bitch – but when Mace finally pushes Shadow over the edge – watch out! The passion between these guys is hot!
There is a mystery to be solved (this is the weakest part of this story) and Shadow takes out his frustration on the men he works with and Mace, but… Mace calls him on his crap and eventually they solve the case.
I was so pleased to see that this book felt much more like the first book I had read by Cheyenne Meadows, Feline Persuasion, and not much like the last book I had read by her, Friends with Benefits.
This book was full of sultry, sweaty sexual tension between two alpha males and they were smokin’ hot!
I loved how Shadow kept “marking” Mace and making him “his” without coming out and saying it. The emotions between the two guys was sweet but felt appropriate, too.
Writing/Editing 4
Romance 5
Sex/Heat 6
Storyline 3
World Building/Characterizations 4
Overall 4.4 of 5 hearts!
PS Another amazing cover by Reese Dante – so gorgeous!
Detective James “Jim” Shea is a Seattle homicide detective who has never taken his work home with him – until now. A case has gotten under his skin and though it’s “over,” it isn’t for Jim. The emotional toll has left him vulnerable and tied to the victim’s dying father.
Meanwhile, Hollywood comes calling for a hot story, and screenwriter Griffin Drake sees the tragic case as his ticket to more serious fare than his usual action blockbusters. But to get the whole story he needs to win over the stoic and protective Detective Shea.
Neither man has had much luck when it comes to romance or long-term relationships and neither is particularly looking but there’s an attraction from their first meeting that can’t be denied. Their impromptu first date seems to have no end in sight – quickly becomes a barreling freight train of romance.
Looming problems outside threaten their relationship – death, secrets and broken trust – and they’ll have to learn loyalty to save their newfound love.
Review
We met Jim in book one. He’s the guy Matt has the one night “fling” with and with whom he is now friends. He gives Matt “tips” on being gay.
Jim’s been working on a very tough/sad case that is now suddenly being turned into a movie. (You will be surprised at who wants this done and why!)
While working on the film he meets Griff, a Hollywood director, and though he’s everything Jim swears he’s opposed to, the two set off sparks. Suddenly a short fling is looking more and more like something permanent.
**
This is almost a stand-alone in that if you haven’t read book one you wouldn’t miss much (if anything) and it doesn’t really need to be read to move on to book three. (However books 4 & 5 won’t be as impactful if you skip this one… so go on read it!)
Jim and Griff’s story is a lot different from Matt and Evan’s story and that’s a good thing. Their story is not a repeat of Matt and Evan with different names, but instead completely unique to them.
I really love Tere Michael’s characters. She’s taken a side character and made him a MC but he already had such depth that she was able to run with it seamlessly.
Griff is great. I typically don’t like Hollywood type stories but I really loved Griff and all his drama with Daisy. He was a great contrast to the tough cop trio of Matt, Evan and Jim.
Kudos to Tere for also giving us an interesting murder mystery as well. It definitely added to the story and highlighted the romance well.
I think this is another great book full of humor and wit and a sweet but realistic romance.
Audio
The narrator is JP Handler and as I have mentioned in the previous reviews, he is not my favorite. I just don’t get involved in his narrations as much as I’d like and as a result it detracts from the overall experience of listening to this great book in audiobook format.
Matt Sullivan understands labels: law student, athlete, heterosexual. He has goals: graduate and begin his career in law. One fateful night, Matt tags along with his gay roommate to a dance club and everything changes. Matt finds himself attracted to the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. All labels go flying out the window.
Aaron Mendez doesn’t believe in labels, and he’s leery of straight curious men. He makes it clear that he’ll hide his fabulous light for no one. While Aaron can’t deny the attraction between him and Matt, he is reluctant to start anything with someone who is still dealing with what this new label means–especially when that someone has a girlfriend.
Review
Matt is a straight guy (ok, he’s maybe looked a time or two, maybe more…) who meets Aaron at a club one night. He’s immediately hooked. They dance and then … sort of date for awhile, but Aaron is skeptical. He’s been burned by men “experimenting” before and doesn’t want a closet case relationship either.
At first Matt is in agreement with Aaron. He’s straight, Aaron’s gay. What was he thinking? But as they get to know one another the feelings he’s feeling don’t go away, they grow stronger.
After what feels like a long time, they do finally agree to give things a chance and thus starts the beginning of a lovely relationship.
I just love Aaron. He’s a mostly, very self assured person. And, really, so is Matt. Once we get over the rocky start their romance is just so lovely and very tender. The smexy times are hot and them as a couple is great.
I loved the GFY/OFY exploration we get to see and the evolution as Matt identifies himself as gay.
As we get to see the couple evolve over time, they only get better and better!
Audio:
Tyler Stevens is an excellent narrator. I love the emotion and rhythm of his narrations. He does a tremendous job with this and makes the story really come to life.
Sixteen-year-old Anthony Duck-Young Del Vecchio is a nice Catholic boy with a very big problem. It’s not the challenge of fitting in as the lone adopted South Korean in a close-knit family of Italian-Americans. Nor is it being the one introverted son in a family jam-packed with gregarious daughters. Anthony’s problem is far more serious—he is the only gay kid in Our Way, his church’s youth group. As a high school junior, Anthony has finally come to accept his sexual orientation, but he struggles to determine if a gay man can live as a faithful Christian. And as he faces his dilemma, there are complications. After confiding his gayness to his intolerant adult youth group leader, he’s asked to find a new organization with which to worship. He’s beaten up in the church parking lot by a fanatical teen. His former best pal bullies him in the locker room. His Catholic friends even stage an intervention to lead him back to the “right path.” Meanwhile, Anthony develops romantic feelings for David Gandy, an emo, out and proud junior at his high school, who seems to have all the answers about how someone can be gay and Christian, too.
Will Anthony be able to balance his family, friends and new feelings for David with his changing beliefs about his faith so he can live a satisfying life and not risk his soul in the process?
Review
There are a few things to know before you decide if this is the book for you.
First, this book is written as a first person present narration. For some people this is hard to read. (Read a sample before you buy it if you are picky about writing styles.) It’s well done here. It reads sort of like a diary or journal, but in the present tense, sort of like you are just glimpsing into the brain of Anthony as he goes through life.
Second, this is definitely a YA novel. There is almost no intimacy of any kind, a little bit of kissing but even a hand-job is aborted because “it’s not the right time for that”.
Third, this is all about being Catholic and/or devoutly Christian. Not just that Anthony is those things, but this is about his struggle with being gay and a Christian.
Fourth, it is written very well and would do well to be read by any young gay person or parent of a gay child who struggles with merging ideas from the church with being gay.
There were parts I really enjoyed. I loved the progression along the fear axis Anthony takes, from denial, to anger, to regret, to anger again, etcetera. I loved how supportive his family and his (to-be) boyfriend were in this struggle.
I didn’t grow up Catholic, never attended Parochial schools, did not have that vision of God as it was described in the Bible or in this book… so I couldn’t really relate to this story personally. But, I could totally see how it would be wonderful if that was your history.
As for me, I got mired down in the religious stuff and was disappointed the romance wasn’t a bigger part of the story. That’s just my personal preference.
However, knowing that this is a coming of age story about a gay boy dealing with his religion and there is a little romance thrown in, I think if you choose this book based on that information you will be quite pleased with your choice. Note: This story is very respectful of religion and does not bash any religion.
Writing/Editing 5
Romance 3
Storyline 4
World Building/Characterizations 4
I’m almost 14, so I’m probably looking at this book differently than most reviewers (they seem to be mainly adults). There were a lot of things I liked about this book, and there were things I felt irritated about. First off, I am going to admit to being an atheist, so my reaction is probably not the same as a kid who is a Christian.
I was very angry with the kids and youth leader at Anthony’s church. While I don’t understand the need to believe in some invisible god being in the universe, I do firmly in one’s right to do so as long as they a aren’t hurting any with how they express that belief. Telling people they are awful, perverted, and going to hell to suffer an eternal torment? Yeah, that’s seriously uncool. Also, being a kid is hard enough and becoming a teenager and having to deal with crushes and stuff is even harder without people adding more for us kids to have to agonize over.
I felt bad for Anthony’s family too. I could tell his family really loves Anthony, without any strings attached. To find out your kid is gay and you’ve raised him to believe wholeheartedly that to be a Christian means following doctrine so closely because it’s “the way”, only to discover you’ve unwittingly led him to soul deep despair? That had to be hard, especially given that Anthony felt as if he’d be a huge disappointment to them. I really liked how his family rallied around him, knowing that Anthony was the same “perfect” son they’d always had, and that meant he couldn’t be wrong for being born gay. That it wasn’t wrong for him to be made, by their God, to love another male.
The romance in this isn’t the usual sort found in YA books. Anthony is terrified and spends a lot of the book trying to reconcile his faith with his gayness. He’s literally terrified that he’s going to go to Hell. It’s eating him up inside. When he crosses paths with David and finds they have this as a common ground, their relationship grows. It’s based on faith and mutual respect. I quite liked how the boys’ stopped themselves from going too far with their feelings. They recognized they weren’t ready yet for sex, so stopped. I did feel awful that they seemed to feel a bit of shame, because sex shouldn’t come with a shame tag. I guess that religiously, they have issues with sex before marriage though.
The overall message that love is love, and that if God is love, he can’t hate you over love, is something I think more people need to accept. Too much hate is spread around and wars happening because people want to use God as an excuse. I don’t think if God is actually out there, he’d be too happy with that. I may not be a Christian, but I study religion (a school subject here in the UK) and Jesus seems to say a lot about loving one another and not being judgmental. This book is good for pointing out how wrong that is, using the Bible itself to show why Christians who think being gay is a sin are wrong. Every person who is even slightly religious should read it, as well as anyone who is trying to understand what the religious fuss is all about.
From the moment former LAPD detective Bobby Dawson spots Ichiro Tokugawa, he knows the man is trouble. And not just because the much younger Japanese inker is hot, complicated, and pushes every one of Bobby’s buttons. No, Ichi is trouble because he’s Cole McGinnis’s younger brother and off-limits in every possible way. And Bobby knows that even before Cole threatens to kill him for looking Ichi’s way. But despite his gut telling him Ichi is bad news, Bobby can’t stop looking… or wanting.
Ichi was never one to play by the rules. Growing up in Japan as his father’s heir, he’d been bound by every rule imaginable until he had enough and walked away from everything to become his own man. Los Angeles was supposed to be a brief pitstop before he moved on, but after connecting with his American half-brothers, it looks like a good city to call home for a while—if it weren’t for Bobby Dawson.
Bobby is definitely a love-them-and-leave-them type, a philosophy Ichi whole-heartedly agrees with. Family was as much of a relationship as Ichi was looking for, but something about the gruff and handsome Bobby Dawson that makes Ichi want more.
Much, much more.
Review
(Previously posted for the book.)
Bobby’s story! Woot!
Or should I say Ichi’s story? No, it was definitely Bobby’s story!
Woot!
An important first point: let me say that you must have read the other books for this to really mean anything to you. There are snatches of moments taken from the previous books to give you a time line so that the view as seen from a different angle makes more sense, but Ford does not “backfill” too much. She assumes you are an informed reader. (Thank you!)
This is pretty straightforwardly Bobby and Ichi’s love story. There is no mystery (those were Cole’s to solve and we see them through Bobby and Ichi’s lenses only.) We learn what makes Bobby and Ichi tick (mostly Bobby) and then we learn how they can fit together.
It. Was. Wonderful!
I absolutely loved digging deep into Bobby’s psyche. He’s a unique character, with years of experience that Jae and Cole don’t have. His history (being a closeted gay cop) must mirror what so many men of his generation experienced and it serves as a reminder for how far we (as a culture) have come along (hopefully) in our acceptance of “other” in our society. There was even a story thrown in as told by an older man who had similar experiences with his mixed marriage, that is, he was subjected to questions and cruelty as well.
Without reading this book, you may be worried that Bobby couldn’t possibly be seen as someone to trust in a long-term relationship. What Ford did was show us, by slowly peeling back the layers, just why Bobby is EXACTLY the type of guy you should trust in a long-term relationship. It was very elegantly done and felt completely organic.
Ichi’s history surprised me a bit too. There are things we find out that explain some of his personality; information about his mother (Cole’s too) and father and step-mother… fascinating. He’s an old soul and perfectly matched for Bobby.
I found the lack of mystery refreshing, not that the mysteries in Cole’s books aren’t great, but we got a chance to really focus on the characters in this book. Ford spends a lot of time developing these complex, rich characters (main and secondary) and this book show-cases that effort.
The ending was absolutely THE BEST. First, the way Jamie finds out Bobby is gay and then, the last scene at the tattoo shop… (le sigh) grab some tissues, it’s just wonderful. It feels so complete, but is just open enough that it hints at more excitement that we could see in upcoming book(s). I hope that both Bobby and Ichi (and maybe even Jamie?) will continue to play big roles in any future book(s).
Well done Rhys Ford, well done!
I highly recommend this and give it 6 of 5 hearts!
Audio
Greg Tremblay has done this entire series, so we are familiar with his deliciously growly Bobby and the exquisite way he handles all the variety of Asian accents.
I think he does another outstanding job with Down and Dirty. The emotion Bobby shows and the tenderness from Ichi are breathtaking.
I absolutely loved this audiobook and highly recommend it along with the entire series.
Two towns flank the looming Shadow Mountain. A dark myth of the Predator drifts through the dense trees, a tale Police Lieutenant Hart never paid much attention to. When one unresolved death follows another—some people dying without discernible cause while others are clearly, and often brutally, murdered—he can’t ignore it any longer. Truth may lie in myth, but this one is spread to deceive everyone. The Predator exists, but he’s not entirely human. Hart will have to find the connection between the mysterious figure and victims with only one thing in common: a faint tattoo on the backs of their necks, a mark left when someone healed their incurable diseases.
Isaac Lasko has been in love with Hart since he moved in across the street seven years ago. He’s been helping Hart renovate his home, and their friendship grows more intense with the years, but Isaac can’t help wishing for a deeper bond. When he finally breaks through the lieutenant’s armor, the mystery surrounding the Predator threatens them both. Help will come, but at a price.
Review
Hart has come back to town because his father has died. He finds the town in an uproar over a serial killer with some otherworldy elements involved.
Isaac, the neighbor, is too young for Hart (in Hart’s opinion) but Hart can’t stay away.
There is more to the story and way more to the mystery – this is a very complex book, but too much here would spoil the fun.
I found that, for me, the mystery took away from the romance and though there are definitely romantic elements to this story it was shared equally if not overshadowed by the mystery and the development of the characters themselves.
Depending on what you’re looking for this could be the story for you. If you’re interested in a “typical” paranormal romance – probably not. If you like complex story lines and twisting turning plots and a mystery with a paranormal bent – then yes, this is the story for you!
This is book one in a series and I think it’s likely that the romance may build more in book 2… but I can’t say that for certain.
Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.
A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.
Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long. When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.
“I thought those were the service bays,”
Cole said, thumbing over his shoulder.
“They’re for the traditional shop work my techs
do on a daily basis. These are my
service calls. Side project I’m doing and there’s no money in it for the guys
so I don’t really want to burden them. I figured we could work on them and, in
between, we could tinker with the Yenko if you want or wrap up the last few
details on the Drayton rig. I worked on most of it over the weekend but there
are still a few things to finish up.”
Cole stopped walking. “You’d let me work on the
Yenko with you?”
Ty nodded. “Sure, why not. I’ve seen how picky
you are with your work.”
“So it’s my reward for helping you with your
service calls?”
Ty chuckled. “Do you do tricks too?”
Cole raised an eyebrow and half smiled. “Oh, I’ve
got a lot of tricks I can show you.” He smiled at the rush of color to
Ty’s cheeks, loving the way Ty always reacted to his teasing.
“You do realize you’re an HR nightmare,” Ty
said, looking at Cole with that glimmer in his eye.
Cole’s pulse raced. “HR?”
“Human Resources. Sexual harassment, all
that,” Ty said, trying to look serious and indifferent, but failing
miserably.
Cole belly-laughed so loud it echoed in the shop. He
then stilled, straightened his shoulders, and mocked a serious tone. “I
could, of course, be completely professional and proper with you, Mr. Calloway,
if that is your preference,” he said, mimicking Matt’s formal tone.
Ty turned to face him, the mock seriousness
transitioning into something more genuine. “And I, of course,” he
said, reciprocating Cole’s tone, “would be deeply disappointed.”
He looked up into those brown eyes and smiled.
“My army of superheroes and I would be as well.” He bit back a smile
and bowed.
Ty’s low rumble-laugh shot straight to Cole’s dick.
Cole straightened. “Admit it, you like me.”
Ty raised his hand and put his thumb and index
fingertips together with only a sliver of a gap between them. “Maybe a
little bit.”
Cole
looked at Ty’s fingers then glanced back at him with a huge grin on his face.
“It’s a start,” he said before walking off to the two cars parked in
the bay.
Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.
Jason Day, brilliant designer of video games, is not only a confirmed bachelor, but he’s as gay as a maypole. One wouldn’t think being saddled with his precocious four-year-old nephew for four weeks would be enough to throw him off-kilter.
Wrong. Timmy, Jason’s nephew, is a true handful.
But just when Timmy and Uncle Jason begin to bond, and Jason feels he’s getting a grip on this babysitting business once and for all, he’s thrown for a loop by a couple of visitors—one from Tucson, the other from beyond the grave.
I’m sorry. Say what?
Toss a murder, a hot young stud, an unexpected love affair, and a spooky-ass ghost with a weird sense of humor into Jason’s summer plans, and you’ve got the makings for one hell of a ride.
Review
Jason agrees to babysit his 4-year-old nephew (Timmy) for his sister (Sally).
He has no idea what he’s getting into because Timmy is 4 going on 14 going on 40. (He’s hysterical!)
When Paul (Timmy’s missing Dad’s brother) comes into town on business, Jason offers him the house instead of a hotel.
Timmy reports that there is a ghost in the basement and Jason and Sam hear unexplained things and see some strange things, as well.
While the relationship between Jason and Sam comes together fairly easily and quickly, figuring out the man in the basement takes time and effort. Once they find out who he is, they go about solving his murder mystery.
**
This is John Inman humor at it’s best! Both the MCs as well as the myriad of secondary characters are well written and hysterical.
The one-liners really zing in this book!
I think the selling point in this story is the humor. The mystery and the romance are sort of the structure by which the humor can be displayed as they are neither “difficult” nor “angsty” nor “deep”. Which is perfect for this story.
This was a light, enjoyable, funny book with a sweet romance and a quirky/spooky mystery thrown in and… oh yeah! A ghost!
Aaron Costa’s summer was all planned. Despite having to remodel the family lake house, it would be a vacation of sorts, and he had every intention of enjoying it – until the friend who was supposed to help him got injured and left him in a lurch. He decides to take the opportunity to bond with his son and hires Julian and his roommate, Malachi, to assist.
As a broke college student, Malachi could use the money, and spending the summer with Aaron for eye candy sounds like a dream. “Look but don’t touch” becomes his motto. But when Julian starts flaking on his responsibilities and Malachi and Aaron are forced to spend long hours alone together, their mutual attraction is impossible to resist.
Aaron can’t fight the temptation sexy Malachi presents. But more than their age difference stands in their way, not the least of which is Aaron’s semi-closeted status and the fact that he’s never openly discussed his sexuality with his son. He has no idea how Julian will react when he learns his father is not only gay, he’s also dating his best friend.
Review
This is a pretty straight forward May/December story. Aaron is a contractor, fixing up his own house with the help of his son Julian and Julian’s friend, Malachi. Aaron got his high school girlfriend pregnant, so though there is a considerable age gap (16 years), it isn’t too large to overcome. At this point everyone is over 21 and well over the age of consent.
It becomes evident early on that Mal finds Aaron attractive, but Aaron tries to do “the right thing” and abstain. Temptation gets to be too much and a lot of very hot, hot sex ensues.
Meanwhile, Julian acts like an ass, discovers Aaron and Mal’s secret and Aaron breaks up with Mal for the sake of doing “the right thing”, again.
But… Aaron reconsiders and tracks down Mal and a very satisfying HFN/HEA is what we are left with.
**
I really liked the characters, Malachi especially. He was brave and hot and temptation on a stick. Aaron was a little less likable, mostly because I didn’t like how he let his son get away with acting like a douche so much of the time.
The sap in me wanted the story to end on more secure footing, we never really got to see them as an “out” couple, and it’s hard to judge the success of a relationship based on the hotness of the sex, but I got the impression that things looked optimistic for Mal and Aaron to make things work long term. Since this is the first in a series maybe (hopefully!) we will see more of them over time.
Audio:
Paul Morey does a great “growly” voice and he is a perfect choice for Aaron. I always enjoy his narrations and thought that listening to this was even better than reading the book.
At twenty-three, Dr. Liam McGregor is a well-respected astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and geologist. With no family, few friends, and no romantic prospects, he’s used to being alone. Focusing on his various scientific projects and taking care of his decidedly unusual cat help keep the loneliness at bay.
Jareth Manning is starting life over—new town, new job—after the loss of his husband. The last thing he expects is for the most absentminded, and beautiful, man he’s ever seen to take up residence in his heart. Nor did he expect to find himself a willingly humble slave to Her Imperial Highness, Empress the Cat. But Jareth has learned that love doesn’t come around often and to hold on to it when it does. Jareth is willing to be patient if Liam is willing to take a risk after being burned before. They just have to survive Liam’s past returning.
Eight years after Liam and Jareth marry, they want a child. Things don’t go well when they try to adopt, with terrible accusations thrown at Jareth. After recovering, they proceed with a private adoption, bringing home a beautiful little girl, Carinae. Then things get ugly, endangering not only Liam’s life, but Carinae’s.
Review
I want to say first and foremost : This. Is. Fiction.
Ok, now that we set the mood…
Liam is super-brilliant and gets lost in his work, thus he runs into things, knocks things over, misses social cues, breaks things, falls down… he’s a mess. His childhood sucked. His parents are in jail for their abuses of him. His work is mostly wonderful except when the other geniuses get jealous. But… he’s very lonely. He hasn’t had a great romantic history and doesn’t know what to do about that. But… he has an awesome cat and some pretty amazing friends.
Enter Jareth. Jareth is a widower. (Can I get an awwwww?) He lost his husband a couple of years ago and though he loved him dearly, he is ready to move on when he meets Liam who just hits all of his buttons. Jareth is hired as security for Liam after Liam gets attacked at work.
Jareth straight out adores Liam and Liam is entranced by Jareth.
Their romance is a slow build from simple friendship to lovers over time. While their romance is building there are things happening at work that keep Jareth busy protecting Liam and add some spice to our romantic storyline.
The second half of the story is in fact an entire second book (This is really a book one with a couple of cute novellas and then a sequel all wrapped into one novel.)
In the second half we are several years down the line and Jareth and Liam are married and looking to adopt. But… there are lots of road blocks and danger and Liam is still in need of protection.
We end with a glorious HEA and the possibility for expanding the family to four!
**
Like I said at the beginning of the review, this is fiction. There are some ridiculous things that happen to this couple that are just plain … fictional. Jareth is constantly being hauled in on accusations of spousal abuse. Numerous people (including his parents, three times!) come after Liam with guns and knives and brass knuckles. Their little tiny cat has litter after litter of sweetSiamese kittens with no other health concerns. The adopted baby’s mother inherits $263 million but still wants to give up her baby because she doesn’t want to be a single mom.
Ok. It’s a lot. But I gotta tell ya – I still loved this story. I adored Jareth and Liam together as a couple with their “science” arguments. I loved the over the top drama. I loved the ooey gooey love story and the almost super hero like qualities Jareth had. I thought the sex was hot! I loved that Liam had a pudgy belly! I loved that Jareth goes gray!
I just plain loved this book!
If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the geeky magical love fest- this is the book for you!
Blurb
