Category: cop/crime

Posted on

Murder and Mayhem by Rhys Ford

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6468

murder mayhemBlurb

Dead women tell no tales.

Former cat burglar Rook Stevens stole many a priceless thing in the past, but he’s never been accused of taking a life—until now. It was one thing to find a former associate inside Potter’s Field, his pop culture memorabilia shop, but quite another to stumble across her dead body.

Detective Dante Montoya thought he’d never see Rook Stevens again—not after his former partner’d falsified evidence to entrap the jewelry thief and Stevens walked off scot-free. So when he tackled a fleeing murder suspect, Dante was shocked to discover the blood-covered man was none other than the thief he’d fought to put in prison and who still made his blood sing.

Rook is determined to shake loose the murder charge against him, even if it means putting distance between him and the rugged Cuban-Mexican detective who brought him down. If one dead con artist wasn’t bad enough, others soon follow, and as the bodies pile up around Rook’s feet, he’s forced to reach out to the last man he’d expect to believe in his innocence—and the only man who’s ever gotten under Rook’s skin.

Review

This another amazing work by Rhys Ford! Rook is a thief, trying to get clean, but stuck in the middle of family drama “that keeps pulling him in”!

Dante is the cop on the case – at first determined to put Rook behind bars, but later determined to keep the man in his bed.

It’s a wonderful story of enemies to lovers with that special, emotionally charged twist that Rhys infuses into all her work. Rook is such a great character – warm hearted, giving, loyal, and totally unaware of how awesome he is.

Dante is the tough, alpha figure who knows a gem when he sees it. He won’t let Rook slip through his fingers and he’s lucky enough to get Rook’s crazy family, too.

The sex scenes were amazing, the love story so sweet and the action/mystery compelling.

I enjoyed the pop-culture references and laughed out loud many times. It was great seeing Alex again and catching up with him a bit. I also LOVED the pet names they had for each other… so adorable!

I can’t wait for this to be an audiobook – it’s going to go up with my Cole McGinnis stories as those books you just read/listen to again and again.

5 of 5 hearts

5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Enforcing Emory by Mickie B Ashling

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6419

EnforcingEmoryBlurb

Olympic figure skater Emory Lowe falls in lust the moment he lays eyes on his new neighbor, hockey player Nikolai Vetrov. On the surface, Nik is a typical badass enforcer, intimidating and dangerous, on and off the ice. The only son of Ukrainian immigrants, Nik has been groomed from childhood to fulfill his father’s dreams of seeing him in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Igor guides his son toward that goal with a controlling—and abusive—hand, steering him clear of anyone who might ruin his chances.

Although Emory is the US National Figure Skating champion, he’s in-your-face gay, and his audacious persona rubs Nik and his family the wrong way. Raised by supportive and loving parents, Emory is Nik’s polar opposite in every way but one—his desire to succeed. Underneath the fluff and glitter beats the heart of a fierce competitor, and this side of Emory’s personality begins to close the distance between the two athletes.

While the attraction is one-sided in the beginning, Nik finds himself responding to Emory’s flirting. But before the incongruous pair have a chance at any sort of relationship, they must survive the pressures of career, separation, and most importantly, Igor’s ruthless homophobia

Review

Emory and Nik meet when Nik moves into the neighborhood. Emory is a teenager living at home and training for the Olympics. Nik is a professional hockey player in the minor leagues (or whatever word they use in hockey).

Emory is 18 and Nik 20. Both still live with their parents. Both fathers are bigoted – though Emory’s dad gets over it and Nik’s dad is psychotic. Nik is engaged to a woman and in denial of his sexuality (and a gay-virgin!) and Emory is super-flamboyant to the extreme and NOT a virgin.

The boys feel instant attraction and though it is fairly dangerous for Nik , they begin a relationship. There is a lot of drama about the families and their approval. Danger surrounding Emory’s Olympic games and his risk as a homosexual in a homophobic country. Danger surrounding Nik’s career (hockey) and his coming out to his father. Lots of steamy sex. Some very sweet and tender moments between the boys. And a nice if unrealistic ending that will make you smile.

The storyline of this novel is unique in that the relationship develops fairly quickly so most of the struggle is the couple working out how they can be together given the obstacles they face.

I enjoyed Nik and Emory but the fathers felt a little too much like caricatures to feel real. Though I enjoyed the resolution it felt a bit rushed at the end and a little too “easy”.

All in all it was a good book and I enjoyed it.

4 of 5 hearts

4

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Fire and Ice (Carlisle Cops book 2) by Andrew Grey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6398

FireAndIceBlurb

Carter Schunk is a dedicated police officer with a difficult past and a big heart. When he’s called to a domestic disturbance, he finds a fatally injured woman, and a child, Alex, who is in desperate need of care. Child Services is called, and the last man on earth Carter wants to see walks through the door. Carter had a fling with Donald a year ago and found him as cold as ice since it ended.

Donald (Ice) Ickle has had a hard life he shares with no one, and he’s closed his heart to all. It’s partly to keep himself from getting hurt and partly the way he deals with a job he’s good at, because he does what needs to be done without getting emotionally involved. When he meets Carter again, he maintains his usual distance, but Carter gets under his skin, and against his better judgment, Donald lets Carter guilt him into taking Alex when there isn’t other foster care available. Carter even offers to help care for the boy.

Donald has a past he doesn’t want to discuss with anyone, least of all Carter, who has his own past he’d just as soon keep to himself. But it’s Alex’s secrets that could either pull them together or rip them apart—secrets the boy isn’t able to tell them and yet could be the key to happiness for all of them.

Review

Carter is the police partner of Red who we met in book one, Fire and Water. Donald is a social worker who has hooked up with Carter in the past, but walked away from him before they got started as a couple.

Carter rescues a boy, Alex, from the site of a domestic disturbance only to find out he’s been abused and is now an orphan. Donald is called in to help place him in the system, but both men fall in love with Alex and have a hard time letting him go.

Meanwhile, Carter knows Donald is more than his icy façade and wants to break through to the real man he’s had glimpses of before.

Donald is guarding his heart and his secrets but can’t help but be enthralled by both Alex and Carter.

In the end – when an amazingly convenient solution presents itself – we see the formation of a new family and a very HEA.

**
I thought this was better than the first book (and I liked the first book) and I really liked Carter and Alex and the story they shared. I thought Donald was a little harder to like and found his reluctance to share frustrating.

Overall it was a good book and I recommend it to fans of Andrew Grey and fans of men with kids stories.

4 of 5 hearts

4

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Trowchester Blues by Alex Beecroft

Riptide Presents
http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/trowchester-blues

TrowchesterBlues_500x750_0Blurb

Michael May is losing it. Long ago, he joined the Metropolitan Police to escape his father’s tyranny and protect people like himself. Now his father is dead, and he’s been fired for punching a suspect. Afraid of his own rage, he returns to Trowchester—and to his childhood home, with all its old fears and memories. When he meets a charming, bohemian bookshop owner who seems to like him, he clings tight.
Fintan Hulme is an honest man now. Five years ago, he retired from his work as a high class London fence and opened a bookshop. Then an old client brings him a stolen book too precious to turn away, and suddenly he’s dealing with arson and kidnapping, to say nothing of all the lies he has to tell his friends. Falling in love with an ex-cop with anger management issues is the last thing he should be doing.
Finn thinks Michael is incredibly sexy. Michael knows Finn is the only thing that still makes him smile. But in a relationship where cops and robbers are natural enemies, that might not be enough to save them.
Review

Fintan is an ex-fence who lost his lover 5 years ago and re-made himself as an honest bookseller in Trowchester.

Michael is an ex-cop with anger issues who is divorced and has moved back to Trowchester to exorcise the figurative ghost of his abusive father now that he’s died and left him a house.

Together these guys are real. They are authentic and real and sincere… just real. They both have some issues to overcome, and they do a lot of personal growth in this novel. I also really liked that nothing came along to “fix” them – not their relationship or anything else – but they made realistic progress as they learned new lessons.

There wasn’t a lot of sex in this book, but what was there was very hot.  The two have a lot of chemistry and the intimate scenes are very well written.

Alex Beecroft is a new author to me, and I am so very impressed with her work. Her writing is lyrical and poetic without being flowery and pedantic. I found myself bookmarking and highlighting many phrases. An example: “Sure, sex was a fine thing, but a fight at the end of which the pair of you were more lovingly entangled than ever, that was closer to being one flesh, one soul, than anything else.”

I found the supporting story – the non-romance part- to be engaging and moving as well. Michael finds a homeless girl to help, helping him to deal with some of his past insecurities. Finn struggles against getting pulled back into his old life and has to make some amazingly tough decisions that ultimately set him free.

All in all a great read from a new author and a happy beginning to a new series!

5 out of 5 hearts

5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Job Hunt by Jackie Keswick

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6372

JobHuntBlurb

You don’t greet your new boss dressed like an underage rent boy. But when Jack Horwood—ace hacker and ex-MI6 operative—opens the door to Gareth Flynn, he’s too busy to worry over details like that. And anyway, his potential new boss is his former Commanding Officer – the same guy Jack has had a crush on since he was seventeen. So he should understand, right?

When he applied for the job in Nancarrow Mining’s corporate security division, Jack had hoped for peaceful days repelling cyber attacks. Maybe a bit of corporate espionage on the side. His plans didn’t include rescuing abused children, hunting pimps, or dealing with his overly protective and hot-as-hell boss, Gareth Flynn.

Walking away is not an option. Jack never takes the easy way out. More than that, meeting Gareth raises old ghosts that Jack needs to put to rest. Rescuing kids. Taking risks. Saving the day. Jack can do all that – but deciding what to do about his attraction to Gareth isn’t the sort of cloak-and-dagger game Jack plays well. Yet Gareth, strong and smart and always on hand when needed, might be Jack’s salvation.

Review

Jack used to be under Gareth when they both served in the military. Jack got out of the military because he couldn’t hide his attraction to his officer any more. Now Gareth is out as well and went searching for and found Jack on the outside. Gareth wants Jack both as his work partner and hopefully more.

The couple quickly moves from heated attraction to attempts at consummation that get interrupted time and again.

The rest of the story is the spy/mystery stuff and I will tell you that I honestly skimmed it and wasn’t that interested in it.

I like romance and read romances. There is nothing wrong with this book – per se. But it is mostly a suspense/spy/thriller with some romantic elements thrown in. Not my cup of tea.

I thought having their sex interrupted time and again was frustrating and unnecessary – the sexual tension had been eased early on in the story and it was only “penetrative sex” that they lacked at this point. There wasn’t a lot of emotional attachment gained when they do finally get around to “doing it” and I was disappointed.

Jack tells Gareth he loves him early on in the story and then emotions and feelings are never really discussed again.

Again, this is great if you are in the mood for a spy novel – it’s like a gay James Bond! – but that wasn’t what I was looking for when I read the blurb.

The writing was excellent and the characters interesting. If you are looking for a spy novel – pick this one! If you are looking for romance – keep looking.

Overall 2.75 of 5 hearts

3

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Family Jewels by MJ O’Shea

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6318
FamilyJewelsBlurb
Corbin Ford, aka the Nightwatchman, named for the antique pocket watches he leaves behind at jobs, has been in the cat-burgling business for years. His father was. His grandfather was. His mother is still one of the most renowned thieves. Corbin likes his high-profile heists, priceless paintings from private collections, artifacts from museums, but his favorite? Jewels. Sparkly, beautiful jewels. If they’re famous, better yet.

Interpol agent Luke Eldridge has one goal and one goal only: to catch the Nightwatchman. Luke’s been after him for months, but getting the slip time and again is getting embarrassing. Luke has never even laid eyes on the bastard, but he’d happily strangle him. And then arrest him.

When Luke meets Corbin, the man of his dreams, he falls hard and fast… only to catch Corbin red-handed with his hand in a jewelry case at the scene of the highest-profile murder that’s rocked the international world in years.

Review

SPOILER WARNING AT THE END OF REVIEW

Corbin is a thief, he meets Luke in a bar, they hook up and find each other irresistible. Their one night stand goes on and the next thing you know – boyfriends! But… Luke is not the businessman he pretended to be and is in fact a policeman on the lookout for Corbin!

When Luke finds out Corbin agrees to help the police solve a murder in exchange for leniency but when the time comes to face the trial can Corbin go through with it?

**

I really enjoy MJ O’Shea’s writing. I loved Corbin and Luke and really loved their bumbling attempts at being emotional with one another. The sexual tension and the tension surrounding the mystery were great. I don’t know how believable the interactions were (in terms of cops and robbers) but it wasn’t a stumbling block.  Up until the very end I really, really loved this book.

For me the big stumbling block was this………(SPOILER ALERT)

*

*

*

*

There is a huge cliff hanger at the end of the book that gives us neither a HEA or HFN! I hope and pray there is a sequel but none has been listed as far as I can see.

To me – if there is no sequel – I have to lower the rating of this from a 5 to 3 (maybe even lower) because I was devastated by the ending!

I couldn’t believe we were left hanging there with our dear couple separated – possibly never to be together again.

What we are left with is not nearly satisfying enough and it was painful.

So….

I generously give this a 3 in the hopes that there is a sequel awaiting us.

3

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Claw (Gothika Volume Three) by Kim Fielding, Eli Easton and Jamie Fessenden

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6254

ClawBlurbs

Gothika: Volume Three 
Beasts lurk in the shadows of wild and forgotten places and in the hearts and souls of men. They are the stuff of dreams and nightmares, but are they feral and savage, or just misunderstood? Creatures of myth and legend stalk these tales of dark desire and animal passions. Three men come face-to-face with such creatures and find they are much more than they seem. While there is danger, there might be unexpected benefits as well, if they can accept the impossible and dare to venture into the primordial regions where nature and the beasts still reign. Three acclaimed authors of gay romance explore the boundaries between man and beast and the place where their worlds overlap.

Isolation by Jamie Fessenden
When Sean’s marriage breaks up, he returns to his hometown, hoping to find the childhood friend who meant everything to him in his teens. He finds Jack living in a cabin, surrounded by the forest he always loved, and the two begin to tentatively repair their damaged relationship. But a large animal has been seen prowling around the edge of town, and soon Sean comes face-to-face with the beast. Jack insists the creature isn’t dangerous—it’s been coming around the cabin for years. It isn’t long, however, before Sean discovers a far more disturbing connection between his friend and the beast.

Transformation by Kim Fielding
After being caught in bed with another male student in 1886, Orris Spencer is declared an abomination by his wealthy father. Orris is promptly banished from their Fifth Avenue mansion and sent across the continent to Oregon. Now Orris must try to find a place for himself on his brother’s farm and figure out how to deal with life as a pioneer. When he’s called on to help protect the livestock from a predator, he’s not at all certain he’s up to the task. Then he meets Henry Bonn, a strange and intriguing man who lives in a cabin in the hills. Orris’s attraction to Henry may not be an abomination—but it may prove a greater danger than banishment.

The Black Dog by Eli Easton
Constable Hayden MacLairty is used to life being dull around the tiny hamlet of Laide on the north Scottish coast. They get occasional tourists, “monster hunters” interested in the local legend of the Black Dog, but Hayden thinks that’s only a myth. A rash of sheep killings, a murdered hiker, huge footprints, and sightings of the Black Dog force Hayden to rethink the matter. With the help of Simon Corto, a writer from New York doing research for a book about the Black Dog, Hayden tries to figure out why the enormous hound is reappearing. Hayden finds himself strongly attracted to another person for the first time in his life. But between the danger stalking the hills, Simon’s inevitable return to New York, and Hayden’s mother’s illness, true love may be more of a phantom than the Black Dog.

Reviews

All three of these stories are very dark but strive to leave us with a happy ending.

In Isoloation two former lovers are reunited but things have changed and the question remains as to what secrets can be told and how will they be handled.

I didn’t care for this story as much as the others – I wanted a more concrete ending to satisfy the romantic in  me.

2 of 5 hearts

Transformation is an historical tale in Oregon (yay!) of farmers and hunters living in the wildneress.  I loved the historical aspect of being gay in the 1800s and though I was sad by the decisions that separated the brothers (both sets) I loved the overall joy that Orris and Henry found together.

4 of 5 hearts

Black Dog was my favorite in this series.  It was a fully fleshed out short story about a man who doesn’t know his own families secrets and when he finds out he has to make some tough decisions.

Eli is one of my all time favorite authors and this story is just as amazing as her longer stories.

5 of 5 hearts

Overall 3.5  of 5 hearts

3.5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

 

Posted on

Saving Samuel (Manchester Ménage #1)-Nicole Colville

Publisher: Hidden Pleasures

Police officer Milo and Fireman Daniel have been dating off and on for six years, but it always seems more off than on. Just when their relationship reaches breaking point, someone enters their lives, unknowingly helping the confused couple work through their differences.

Falling in love with the man Daniel rescued and who Milo is investigating as a potential arson suspect isn’t a conventional start to any relationship, especially one which includes a mysterious blond who’s afraid to stop running. But they both see what didn’t work out as a couple, could work out as a ménage.

Daniel and Milo unite to help save Samuel, but quickly realise he’s not the only one being saved.

With so many obstacles in their way threatening to destroy the future they desire, all three have to fight to create a bond too strong for anyone or anything to break.

  
Let me start by pointing out how much I liked the cover. I don’t know if it was the color, or the fact that it was the fireman wearing his gear looking hot, but I really liked it.  The characters were wonderful, I just couldn’t get enough of reading about these characters. For some reason, Milo was my favorite of the three. Then it was sweet Daniel and even sweeter and gentle Samuel. 

These three men’s personality is so different from each other but they fit together perfectly. It was clear from the beginning of the story that Daniel and Milo are deeply in love with each other but their personalities caused these two men to bump heads.  Daniel wanted more from his relationship with Milo. It wasn’t that Milo wasn’t willing to give Daniel what he needed, he simply couldn’t because he didn’t quite understand how, you know? 

Then Samuel enters their lives. One would think that the timing was bad to bring a third into a rocky relationship but in this case, this particular third was exactly what the two men needed. They saved each other. Samuel endured a past filled with abuse, both physical and sexual at the hands of his kidnappers. First Daniel and then Milo became his saviors and gave him the newest, sweetest lease on life.

I loved this book, these characters. Ms. Colville did the best job of crafting them. Their dialog and the storyline was amazing. This is a new author to me, brought to my attention completely by chance. I truly enjoy the all male ménage storyline and she did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life for me. I am really looking forward to reading the second book in this series. I was so excited to see that Dalton would get his story. I really liked his character. This is a great start to what to what is looking to be a brilliant series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️AMAZING⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Posted on

Payback by John Inman

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6004

 

paybackBlurb

When Tyler Powell’s life is torn apart by an unspeakable crime, the need for vengeance takes over. Every moment of every day, as he tries to pull his shattered existence together again, it’s all he can think about—revenge.

Will he give in to his rage and become the very thing he hates most? A killer?

Only with the help of Homicide Detective Christian Martin, the cop in charge of his case, does Tyler see the possibility of another life beginning—the astounding revelation of another love reaching out to him. A love he thought he would never know again.

Will he let that love into his life, or is he lost already? Is payback more important to Tyler than his own happiness? And the happiness of the man who loves him? Tyler is determined to find a way to exact his revenge without sacrificing all hope for a future with Christian, but it will be difficult—if not impossible—and in the end he might be forced to make an unbearable choice.

Review

This and books like Head On show the width and breadth of John Inman’s talents.  He can write crazy, fun, goofy stories like Serenading Stanley and then turn around and tear your heart out with stories like this.

Payback is the story of a man who loses his husband to gay bashing and then seeks retribution.  It is dark, and hard to read at times, but very, very good.

I highly suggest reading reviews ahead of time – there are a lot of triggers in this book, but if you want something to move you – give this book a try.

5 of 5 hearts

5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Rack and Ruin Audiobook by Charlie Cochet Narrated by Mark Westfield

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6303

Rack&RuinAUDMedBlurb

New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly immerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

Review

Chaos in THIRDS land.

The Coalition has a mole from inside THIRDS and some Therian is killing humans. And if that isn’t enough, things inside THIRDS are in chaos as well.

Dex and Sloane are navigating their budding relationship. Sloane is trying to get the rest of his team to pull it together and leave personal business at home. Dex is trying to help Cael with his feelings for Ash. Letty and Rosa are … okay, they’re fine. Taylor is sexually harassing EVERYONE. The new guy Levi might be hooking up with Lou, and Dex has to plan for his pre-birthday-party-party. It’s a lot to deal with.

In this installment we get to see a lot of Sloane and Dex and most of it is really, deliciously, ooey and gooey. Sloane even purrs! (Wait til you read that part – so fantastic!) They seem solidly on the forward track until… well… Sloane runs … again. Dex inadvertently moves the relationship forward and Sloane isn’t prepared for it, so Sloane takes off for a bit, but eventually, with the help of Ash (of all Therians) figures out what a good thing he has in Dex.

The sex is super hot and Dex and Sloane as a couple are hilarious. (My favorite is the closet scene: “This isn’t what it looks like. I dropped some change, it rolled under the closet door, and when I went to pick it up, my clothes fell off. True story.”)

Ash has something going on in his life that is making him distance himself from Cael and Cael is heartbroken and making potentially fatal mistakes as a result.

When the dust settles and the bad guy (for the moment) is disposed of, we’re left with a cliff hanger. We’re going to have to wait til next YEAR to see what happens – that Charlie Cochet, she’s naughty!

Now, we can all probably guess the outcome, but in addition to the main worry, we also have to worry about Cael and Ash – will Ash ever figure things out and get it together enough to be with Cael?

And, really, what is going on with Calvin and Hobbs? Inquiring minds want to know.

Overall, this was a wonderful third installment to the THIRDS series and I really enjoyed it. There was lots of Therian shifting which I like, Sloane acting like a happy kitty, which I liked and some tricky spy stuff, which I like.

Audio

Mark Westfield narrates this entire series and I love his work.  I think it’s great how he augments the sound for microphone or telephone etc and his delivery is great.

5 of 5 hearts

5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n