The Fireman and The Cop (Ellery Mountain #1) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4 stars

When fireman Max Harrison moves to Ellery to work as the assistant to the Mayor, he still volunteers as a fireman for the town. So when the local police department’s building catches on fire, all his instincts kick in and he races into the building to rescue the last man inside. Max finds Finn Ryan, one of the three police officers to serve the small town of Ellery. Even injured, Finn finds the fireman attractive. An attraction that is returned by Max who is eager to pursue a relationship with the young cop.

But the fire turns out to be arson, and its target is Finn. With Finn at the center of the arson investigation, Max races to find the person responsible before Finn falls victim again and all hope for love perish in the flames.

Double the fun, double the hotness as R.J. Scott begins a new series with a fireman and a cop at the center of the story. Max Harrison is the older and more experienced of the two men in every aspect. He has sought out the quiet town of Ellery to escape the worst city life can offer. And almost immediately he finds Finn Ryan, local cop who grew up in Ellery and has deep roots on the mountain.

This book establishes many of the characters that I suspect will meet over the series of books to come and the author does a wonderful job of sorting out all the people and their relationship to each other. Scott never lets me down in her character development as Max and Finn are believable as well as endearing, especially Max. I look forward to more of this couple in the stories to come.

At 78 pages, however, I found this story to be a little to short to throughly explore all the elements of this story. I would love more background on Max, and the identity of the arsonist just kind of popped up out of nowhere. But the vivid descriptions of the crackling fire and the out of control blazes just intensify the drama and the anxiety the reader feels every time our main characters are in danger. The romance is sweet, and the potential for more to come makes us eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.

The Fireman and The Cop is being published by Total-E-Bound Publishing .

Cover Art by Posh Gosh. I love the landscape at the bottom, the fonts are terrific and easy to read. I only wished the models had stuck a tad closer to the characters within. One is far too young to be Max, although those suspenders are very hot.

Review of The Trust by Shira Anthony and Venona Keyes

Rating: 5 stars

Jake Anders is hearing voices, one voice to be exact. Jake hears the voice of Trace Michelson, his mentor, and the one man he has been attracted to for years. The problem is that the real Trace Michelson is dead, killed six years ago when Trace was assassinated by people and agencies unknown. The voice Jakes hears is that of the Sim implant in his brain that carries part of Trace in it. Trace Michelson recruited Jake when he was in college for The Trust, a CIA-backed agency whose “executives” eliminate rogue biotechnology operations.

Jake was in awe of Trace, a brilliant mind houses in a powerful, gorgeous body. If Trace ever knew of Jake’s long time infatuation, he never let on. Before he was killed, Trace designed the Sim chip implanted in Jake’s brain.The chip contains his memories and experiences. It’s supposed to be just data, designed to augment Jake’s knowledge. But the Sim seems so real, like talking to Trace in person so Jake wonders if Trace is still alive or if Jake really is going crazy like everyone claims. Then the Sim tells him to trust no one. And Jake decides to learn the truth about Trace and the Sim, no matter the cost, no matter where the end of the journey will find him, dead or alive. Jake will give his all to keep The Trust.

What a wild, crazy elaborate ride this book turned out to be. From the first, you enter a maze of misinformation and treachery, and like Alice, you must commit to jumping down the hole in order to reach the truth and find the satisfactory ending that is hidden behind closed doors. When we first meet Jake, he has been ambushed by a traitor. As Jake bleeds out, he throws a knife to take out his assassin and then hearing his Sim’s voice telling him to meditate, passes out. He awakes healed in a hospital bed, being touted as a superman for killing the traitor and healing himself. And from there we are off on a exciting romp from there that makes Mr. Toad’s wild ride look practically sedate. Our authors handle the past/present juggling act beautifully so we are fed only tidbits of information about the past histories of the people involved. This keeps us guessing as to who the bad guys really are as well as their motives behind the actions. And while we are certain of the identity of the main villian early on, the identities of the people who are under their control is always in question. Is it the best friend? Is it the sister or the doctor? Each reality keeps folding back on each other to keep the reader wonderfully confused right up to the end and the final denouement.

I love the character of Jake Anders right down to his long flaming red hair. Jake is such a distinctive persona, brilliant, seemingly removed from those around him, a true scientist at heart. Jake became work obsessed when he lost the most important man in his life, Trace Michelson. Jake has so many layers to him, he is as complicated and as elaborate as the conspiracy he must unravel. So Jake’s character must unfold to the reader through his inner voice and his memories as he runs the maze set before him and solves the puzzles his Sim/Trace have left behind. It doesn’t help that Jake is not sure himself what is real and what is imagined. We are as confused and uncertain as he is. That the reader is kept in the dark with Jake works to the stories advantage as we have to go down every blind alley and take every risk along with him.

Sometimes the action is fast paced, at other times the action is calculatingly slow like a chess move that will set off repercussions many moves later. I appreciated the change up in pace as it kept me guessing as to the hidden meanings behind each scene. There is a romantic element to The Trust but if that is all you are seeking in a novel, then perhaps this is not the story for you. It is there as thin threads that runs the length of the story. I really enjoyed the way Anthony and Keyes handled the romantic part of this story, that of Jake’s hidden love for Trace, a man we only get to see from Jake’s perspective. In Jake’s eyes, Trace is larger than life, his mentor, his hero, and the only man he is capable of loving. So when Jake is not sure whether the voice he is hearing is the Sim or somehow Trace himself and Jake wonders if he is sane, the reader is right there with him, hoping upon hope that somehow it is Trace himself. I can’t say more because that enters into spoiler territory but I loved the ending and so will you.

So even if mental mazes and action adventure may not be your thing, take a chance. Pick this up, stay with it through all the double crosses and ever-changing realities, it is worth it. You will love it. Trust me!

Cover: Wonderful cover by Catt Ford. Eye catching and speaks to the book within. Great job.

Reviewers Note: Shira Anthony’s Blue Notes, a contemporary romance, is a favorite of mine. See my review of Blue Notes here.

Review of Still Waters (Sanctuary #4) by RJ Scott

Rating: 4.25 stars

Adam Brooke is just coming off a Sanctuary case guarding a true slimeball and looking for some downtime when his boss pulls him into the largest investigation that organization has ever faced – the Bullen case. Sanctuary is still guarding the two main eye witnesses against the Bullen family and now the FBI wants to take over both the investigation and the witnesses themselves. Adam is to be the Sanctuary liaison with the FBI, a job he hates given the fact that the FBI forced him to resign after accusations he was “dirty”, his pain only compounded by the fact that his accusser was his Bureau partner and lover.

Lee Meyers is a straight up FBI agent assigned as the Bureau liaison to Sanctuary, an independent security agency in possession of two key witnesses to the high profile Bullen case. Lee is aware that his ex-lover, Adam, now works for Sanctuary and hopes the case will finally give him the answers to Adam’s betrayal in the past. Can Lee work past Adam’s animosity and Adam get through his anger and pain long enough to get the evidence both agencies need in order to solve the case? Or will their past bring the case down around them?

Still Waters continues the story arc of the Bullen family who are steeped deep in crime and politics. And with each book, the case against the Bullens gets more complicated with sticky threads like those of a spider’s web stretching out to larger events and more characters than initially thought. I love this part of the Sanctuary series. Just as you think Sanctuary and its agents have the case solved and the witnesses protected, another murder, another double agent or double cross pops up and all bets are off. Still Waters moves the Bullen investigation forward only to see the organization retreat in the face of insufficient evidence and increased pressure by the FBI to turn the case over to them. We still don’t know the identity of the FBI mole but as a government agency the FBI has powers of authority that Sanctuary, a private firm, does not. So the threat of the FBI takeover contributes to the mounting sense of anxiety for the reader as the book continues. The threat the FBI poses is even more dangerous considering that the two men held in protective custody are Morgan (Guarding Morgan) and Beckett Jamieson aka Robert Bullen from
Face Value. Morgan and Beckett have also become lovers to Sanctuary agents and we have come to love both couples as the saga continues.

Each new book introduces us to a new Sanctuary agent and their potential/past lover. In Still Waters, we meet Adam Brooke, a former FBI agent falsely accused of misconduct by his lover and FBI agent partner Lee Meyers. I loved Adam Brooke. Filled full of bitterness at his betrayal by the FBI and the one person who should have stood by him, his pain and loss are evident in his caustic manner and aggressive style. Adam is a totally believable character in every respect, including his love for Lee. He hates that he still has feelings for him and it makes him cold and ruthless in his dealings with those outside the firm. I think my problem with Still Waters is that where Adam seems fully realized, Lee does not, mostly due to Lee’s backstory. Lee comes across as naive and filled with an idealism for the Bureau that would be fitting in a Rookie agent. But the storyline is that he has been an agent for years. For me that naive rigid outlook of Lee’s just seems unlikely for the seasoned agent he is supposed to be. Also when Lee is promoted to the Bureau’s Internal Investigation unit early, he doesn’t realize how his actions would effect his agent partner/lover. Really? Anyone in an internal investigations unit knows how they are perceived by other members of the department. For the reader to like Lee, you must be able to empathize with him, but his actions with regard to his lover make that hard as does his continuing belief that Adam really is “dirty”. Lee just does not add up on so many levels, that at parts of the story I just wanted to see Adam dump him and find someone more worthwhile. I can’t reveal more about Lee and his situation without going into spoiler territory which I won’t do. I just wish RJ Scott had made Lee a rookie, complete with rookie mistakes. That would have changed everything for me, including his believability and my ability to like him. So let’s just say I am in love with half of this couple. Of course, it would not be a Sanctuary novel without the appearances of agents from past novels, so we meet up with Kayden and Dale again as well as Manny, their IT genius.

But the real star of this book is the Bullen Family Investigation that is being stretched over the series. So make sure you read the books in the order they are written. This is the only way you will meet the cast of characters mentioned all through the books and understand at least the starting points of the investigation. RJ Scott keeps one on the proverbial pins and needles here. Just when you think you know who the mole is and that the investigation is wrapping up, the author throws more mysteries at you. The criminals behavior is not what it should be, more shadow players are lurking in the background, and what is going on at Ops? Still Waters ends but the Bullen Families crimes are still being uncovered and nothing is wrapped up. I love that! Book #5 is called Full Circle and RJ Scott has said that Sanctuary is a 5 book series. But I can’t see how this convoluted case can be wrapped up in one book and I hear rumblings about another book with Dale and Joseph from The Only Easy Day which would make this reviewer’s day and then some. So here I am waiting in anticipation for the Bullens to be brought to justice and Manny’s story. I am confident that RJ Scott will give us another great read, and give Manny a lover worthy of such a great quirky character.

Cover: Artist Reese Dante. I love that there is continuity in using some of the same models throughout the series covers as the same characters popup in each story. Great cover, wonderful stories. Perfect matchup.

Books are in order they are written:

Guarding Morgan (Sanctuary #1) by RJ Scott

The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary #2) by RJ Scott

Face Value (Sanctuary #3) by RJ Scott

Still Waters (Sanctuary #4) by RJ Scott

Full Circle (Sanctuary #5) by RJ Scott (coming soon)

Review of Armed and Dangerous by Abigail Roux

Rating: 5 stars

“I’m sorry. The walls are closing in and I need to go. Love you.” And with that note, Ty Grady was gone leaving Zane Garrett to wake up alone after finally declaring his love for his partner. Missing Ty and his frustration levels rising by the minute, Zane prowls the hallways of the Bureau in search of anything to occupy his time. When the Bureau Chief sends him as backup to an agent on a specialty mission, Zane is astonished to find out that the agent he is meeting is none other than his missing partner, Ty. Their mission? To retrieve and escort part-time CIA operative and assassin Julian Cross (Warriors Cross) to Washington, DC to testify against his former employers whether Cross wants to or not. In this case, its definitely not. Cross won’t go.

Julian Cross retired after the events of Warriors Cross and has moved in with his love, Cameron Jacobs in Chicago. And nothing, including a couple of FBI agents is going to take him away from that. Garrett and Grady have orders that say otherwise and when the four come together, the explosions and gunfire reverberate from Chicago to Washington, DC. Fighting not only each other but agents from other agencies as more and more people pursue them across state after state, Ty and Zane must also work on their newfound relationship as the present mission and Ty’s past threaten to come between them. Sometimes being Armed and Dangerous is just not enough to see them through the dangers ahead.

Armed and Dangerous is the 5th book in the Cut and Run series started originally by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux in 2008, and in my opinion, is the most satisfying book of the series. Armed and Dangerous is a remarkable book made even more so by the fact that Abigail Roux is now writing the series alone, as Madeleine Urban has quit writing. To take nothing away from the terrific job Urban did together with Roux on the previous books, it is clear that Roux was right to carry on with Ty and Zane without her. Years of coauthoring the books have given Abigail Roux decisive knowledge of both Garrett and Grady (and their unique personalities) that the writing is seamless between A&D and Divide and Conquer, the previous novel. Only in the absence of Urban’s name on the cover does the difference between the books become apparent.

Abigail Roux is a master of location and she visits the cities where her characters reside and travel to. Roux often posts pictures of her research travels on her website. Such thoroughness and authenticity is appreciated and apparent in the way she captures the flavor of the neighborhoods in Baltimore as well as Chicago. As someone who lives in the DC area and visited Chicago, she has Chicago, Baltimore and the District spot on, including the Verizon Center and The Greene Turtle. I really applaud that extra effort in an author and thinks it contributes so much to the story that a realistically described locale can become a character all its own in a novel.

In addition to location, her descriptions of the fighting, explosions and in an hilarious scene, TSA search methods, are all so incredibly written that the story moves forward at a pace that keeps time with your heart, beating rapidly with anxiety and anticipation as the story builds to its conclusion. But its with the characters, and what characters they are, that Abigail Roux really shines.

Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are two of the most complicated (and charismatic) protagonists in a relationship that I can remember. Absolutely wonderful creations at the beginning, each has continued to evolve and strengthen as the series continued, the reader learning about them as they learned about each other, adjusting by small increments to the partnership the Bureau foisted upon them. This journey continues with A&D as Ty and Zane’s relationship reaches a new stage. The insecurities that have hounded both men and kept them from acknowledging their love are slowly let go, the men finally on the same page at the same time. To appreciate the struggles these men have gone through to get to this level, it is imperative that the books be read in the order they are written. Ty and Zane have faced down their own demons, including drugs and alcohol, as well as the Bureau’s use of their abilities and still gone forward in their relationship, to each others surprise. These men are beautifully written, each with their own unique personality and a dialog that reflects that individuality in each phrase they utter. It is no wonder that these men have rabid fans with Team Zane or Team Ty t-shirts of their own. I *cough* am a fan of both.

In each book, a layer of the past is pealed back, revealing more of one of the main characters background. Here it is Ty’s turn and some of the revelations are truly unexpected, including the real reason he joined the military. I really wasn’t expecting that one. And that is just another one of the many pleasures these books, and this one in particular, deliver. I never know what will happen next. Roux kept me guessing right up until the end and then some. I love that. Also it’s the tricks of the trade that Ty, Zane, and Julian employ to frustrate, roadblock, and totally disable those trying to apprehend them that amaze me as well. What until you get to the doorknob maneuver. Amazing.

But all the neat bells and whistles won’t help if you don’t have a great plot filled with tremendous characters. That Armed and Dangerous has in spades. Ty and Zane are joined here by Julian Cross, an enigmatic Irish assassin and his lover, Cameron Jacobs, a waiter in an upscale restaurant. Yes, you read that correctly, that would be Cameron the waiter. Definitely not a person you would expect to find paired up with such a dangerous individual as Julian Cross. But Cameron is more than his unremarkable exterior and a lovely layered character in his own right. Julian is not your typical assassin either as he comes complete with his own driver, Preston and a pair of wicked Maine Coon cats named Smith and Wesson. I have loved all of them since their introduction in Warriors Cross and was thrilled to see them brought into this story. To fully appreciate both characters, again I will direct you to read their backstory in the book I just mentioned. To read Armed and Dangerous without reading Warriors Cross or any of the other Cut and Run books, is only to skim the surface of the ocean, missing all the life, formations and depth that make up the whole. If you are already a fan of these books, you know what I mean. If you are new to the series, stop reading this and head out to get Cut and Run. No reading from the back! I know who you are!

Abigail Roux is an amazing author. Armed and Dangerous is an exemplary example of her talent. I haven’t heard if she plans to write another story in the Cut and Run series.* I can only hope she does. I need to know what happens next to Ty and Zane. And to Julian, Cameron and those darn cats. That’s what happens with great characters, they live beyond their pages and reside in our hearts. Ty and Zane do both.

*(Reviewer note: There is a 6th book coming out in August by Abigail Roux, published by Riptide Publishing. See below)

Here is the series in the order they must be read to fully appreciate the characters and the growth of their relationship:

Cut and Run, Cut and Run series #1 by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Sticks and Stones, Cut and Run series #2 by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Fish and Chips, Cut and Run series #4 by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Warriors Cross ( Julian and Cameron’s story – side novel to Cut and Run series) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Armed and Dangerous, Cut and Run series #5 by Abigail Roux

Stars and Stripes, Cut and Run series #6 by Abigail Roux due out in August

Cover: I love the covers on this series. Simple yet elegant. And yes, handcuffs appear often in this story so this is perfect. Love it.

More about the author can be found here at her blog:

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