Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Rialto

SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds #8

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE:  December 16, 2019

BLURB: Someone has it out for Rialto.

Ian Banner is loving his hectic life. He’s newly married, ready to start a family, and opening a new restaurant. All his dreams are coming true.

The last thing he needs is a problem with his restaurant.

But when one attack after another comes, he grows convinced he has another enemy.

Ian tries to handle things by himself, but his friends are soon drawn in when the attacks become violent. That’s when Ian realizes the target isn’t Rialto. It’s him.

Rialto is the final installment in the Unbreakable Bonds series and features sexy times, Daciana snuggles, overprotective family, fire, and of course, code names. 

REVIEW: This book was bittersweet. This is the last time will read about these wonderful men in their adventurous, chaotic, dangerous and lovely lives. But this finale is the series on the sweetest of high notes

The dynamic duo of Jocelyn Drake and Rinda Elliott brought Lucas, Snow, Rowe and Ian together for one last adventure before they settle down to live out the rest of their days as happily married fathers. That is unless Rowe and Noah a.k.a. the Master of Mayhem find some trouble for them all to get into.

Ian is the sole focus of the final installment in the series. As with the rest of the books in the series featuring him, this centers his past life. Ian’s character—to me—is the toughest. I say this because this man survived a horrific ordeal to become the man that he is today. But of course, even from the grave it seems that the man responsible for his horrific pass is still finding ways to intrude on the happiness and success that he has made for himself.

Ian’s story has always rip my heart apart. I love the story because in this book, Ian is able to confront, not one from, his past. Not only that, but he’s proved to Lucas, Snow and Rowe that he’s much tougher than they—and even he— realized. 

He truly came to his own in this book and it may the rest of his family finally sit up and take notice that he’s not someone who needs to be wrapped in cotton, insulated from the evils of the world. He prove to them that he was able to handle himself and to protect them if needed and times of extreme danger and it was a glorious thing to finally witness.

The love these men have for each other practically leap off the pages of this book. It is beautifully written; the characters a vivid, bursting with energy that makes each word of each sentence of each paragraph a treat. The action, adventure and romance of these stories are extremely well written; they immediately grab your attention and hold it from the first page read to the very last.

You’ll experience a roller coaster of emotions with this book. You’ll go from having a lump in your throat from heartbreak to having you laughing out loud at their antics to feeling joy at their triumphs.

This book will linger indelibly on the brain long after you finished reading it.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Here Without You (One Voice #2) by Mia Kerick

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6035

here without you Blurb

With all of his scratched and dented heart, Nate DeMarco wants to be two places at once, but he’s been forced to make an unbearable choice. Having barely survived high school, Nate and his boyfriends, Casey Minton and Zander Zane, are ready to move forward. Casey and Zander have left home to attend Boston City College. Nate remains in New Hampshire to protect his volatile younger sister from their increasingly violent, alcoholic uncle. Nate suffers with anger, resentment, and loneliness as what he wants battles against what he feels he must do.

Separated, the young men fight to stay in contact. But they are faced with separate issues. Casey copes with residual fear from having been bullied in high school. Zander obsesses over the establishment of One Voice, the gay-straight alliance at Boston City College. And Nate fights for his sister’s survival. Meanwhile, the intensity of the boys’ relationship increases, both sexually and emotionally.

Nate’s effort to live two lives leads to tragedy, which threatens to blast their relationship apart before they can adjust to the changes in their lives. They must find their way back to a united path before it’s too late.

Review

You have to have read book one for this to mean much to you.

In book one our three MCs have faced bullies and won! Now they are 18 and off to college… well Casey and Zander are. Nate has stayed at home to take care of his [bitchy] sister Cindy and keep her safe from his [evil] uncle.

If anything, book one was Casey’s story and this is Nate’s.

Casey and Zander are in school and there are a few hurdles: Casey is still really nervous in crowds, especially around girls/women. Zander wants One Voice to make it big, right NOW, but has to organize his priorities straight or lose what’s really important.

Nate, however, is facing depression, loneliness and hopelessness and most of it without support.

Cindy just won’t let up. She pushes and pushes and pushes and the results are an abusive uncle who takes it all out on Nate.

When Nate tries to take time for himself it’s harder to go back each time. He feels pulled in several directions and has no one to turn to for unbiased support.

Finally, things come to a head and Cindy ends up hurt. Nate spirals out of control and the boys think things have actually come to a heart-breaking end.

Luckily their love is stronger than that and they manage to pull Nate back from the brink and keep their “throuple” (a threesome couple) alive.

**

Wow. Book one was hard to read and this one is harder? The emotions are deeper and even more difficult because there is the more “adult” side to their lives.

I absolutely loved the way Mia Kerick handled their growing relationship intimacy. It was, again, suitable to the age (maybe now we’d call it Young Adult) and still felt really authentic and yet very touching.

It was so hard to read Nate’s part in this. He was suffering so much and felt so alone. When he finally gives in and lets the boys back in to his life it’s so beautiful.

I loved Zander’s family and Casey’s family absolutely rocked!

I think there is a book three in the works and I hope it’s Zander’s turn to take the lead.

I can’t wait for the next installment, but this felt very satisfying on its own.

PS LOVE the cover!

All in all 5 of 5 hearts

5

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