So Into You (The PI Guys #2) by S.E. Harmon is a book I enjoyed far better than the one preceding it. That one, Stay With Me, had so many flags for me I thought I was at a heavily contested football play at 4th and down at NFL Sunday.
The relationship here between PI Drew Rodriguez and Screenwriter Noah Ashley is more balanced and, frankly, nuanced.
Both have issues with their childhoods, mostly stemming from one of their parents. The traumatic wounds drive their behaviors and determine their relationships. How they maneuver through and around these emotionally laden issues and barriers each has erected (in one case, the barrier is sitting himself in a chair in the living having arrived unannounced), is wonderful to read and a pleasure to be connected to.
Drew and Noah argue over the expected trust issues, work timorously towards something real, and it feels believable. The men work as a couple and as friends.
The cases they investigate are mundane, boring, sad, and, occasionally scary.
Drewās home life mirrors just how quickly complicated things get and how they get handled. With resigned frustration that also feels as real as it comes.
The first couple makes appearances here but honestly I hardly noticed them. The real people, the ones putting in the work were right in front of me. And I was loving every bit of time I was spending with them.
So Into You (The PI Guys #2) by S.E. Harmon is a terrific realistic contemporary romance. It has people with damaged childhoods, working through their issues, and moving forward to have healthy relationships and hopefully a HEA.
I really loved them. Iām highly recommending this story. Check it out!
Screenwriter Noah Ashley has a few four-letter words for his agent when she suggests he improve his script by shadowing a PI. Still, because heās an artist dedicated to his craft and she knows where the bodies are buried, he agrees. Then he spends a little time with the gorgeous PI, and suddenly it seems like a really good plan. The PI doesnāt seem to entirely love the idea, but Noah has never been afraid to go after what he wants.
PI Drew Rodriguez is used to people depending on him. Heās the classic rock for his family. Responsible. Dependable. The classic rock would never succumb to the borderline sleazy temptation of friends with benefits, no matter how sexy that temptation is. Drew is looking for something enduring.
Despite Drewās misgivings, itās not long before theyāve got all the requisites for friends with benefits going. Friendly, good conversation? Check. Fun times in and out of bed? Check. Hot, electrolyte-sapping sex? Double check. Falling in love? Yeah. About thatā¦.
Amy Aislinās Lighthouse Bay is one of those lovely contemporary romance series thatās continues to resonate with me. Itās the gorgeous setting of Lighthouse Bay, with its small town community, with its variety of people, from itās Mayor to itās Main Street of stores ,whoās owners weāve gotten to know well through the novels.
Weāve loved the townās heartwarming displays at the Christmas season and watched, as they planned, built, and then marched down Main Street for the parades! Aislin has made us feel a part of these people and their community.
Weāre there as they work through their personal issues, cry out and get support and love when facing a health crisis, and when they decide to trust and find true love again.
These are gentle, emotionally adult novels where the people are remarkable in their love for their town, friends and family, and the often slow to romances.
Often a balm to the heart with the gentle love stories, the men here in Sweet to the Core, Dev Stone of Devās Bakery, and Clark Ricci, wildlife biologist, with a little ghostly intervention, get their own story and HEA. Itās that favorite friends to lovers trope.
Dev and Clark have been a part of the previous books as everyone is connected through friendship and family relationships. Dev has had an enduring crush on his older cousinās best friend for decades. Now in his thirties, Dev has no reason to expect their friendship to change anytime soon.
A two person POV, we have a front seat to the resigned state of Devās affections for Clark, the dreams heās letting go of, and the way heās pushing himself at the Bakery. Dev is a believable young man whoās falling into a pattern he soon wonāt know how to get out of.
Clark Ricci, is a man who loves his job, but with his friends settling down, starts to get the uneasy feeling heās missing something.
It takes his fatherās very real, financial issues to launch a change for all of them. With some ghostly assistance that points the way to the Annual Sweet to the Core Apple baking contest.
Aislinās beautifully layered characters, a community with its shops in all stages of financial growth, and a group of citizens that have come to feel like family, full of believable life situations, relationships that require communication and emotional depth, and lots of love, fill Sweet to the Core .
Itās a terrific way for this trilogy to end, however much Iād like it to continue. Or at least end on another Christmas novel.
Iām highly recommending this and all the books of Lighthouse Bay. They are lovely, heartwarming contemporary romances.
Dev has pined for his cousin’s best friend for years, but no matter how hard he wishes, Clark sees him as nothing but a friend. And it’s as a friend that Clark comes to him for help.
Clarkās father is on the brink of losing his house and the fastest way to make a quick buck is to win the $10,000 prize in the inaugural Sweet to the Core apple baking contest. Only problem? He’s never baked anything that hasnāt come out of a box.
But Dev has. As a baker, heās Clarkās best chance.
For the first time, Dev has something Clark wants. Only problem? Dev needs the prize for himself. The only thing he wantsābesides Clarkāis to buy the local lighthouse where he last spent time with his parents before they died.
Working together means opening a lot more than a barrel of apples, though. They may have found the recipe to love.
But will Dev have to give up the only connection he has left to his parents in order to have it? Or will Clark let his father down? They can’t both have everything.
Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortugaās Lone Star series is back with a second chance at love story between former young sweethearts who meet up ages later just when the timing might be right for them to get their HEA.
A longer story, Roped In has the necessary history and time that allows businessman, Jude Sharpe , to reconnect with his former love, rodeo champion , Rope Canutt, just as heās getting ready to retire.
Jude, a widower and single father to 7-year old Silas, is a man who loves his son, enjoys his job, but is missing that love he shared with his husband who died of cancer. Jude is a well-rounded character, easy to recognize, and connect with. A good man and great father.
And Silas is a utter joy to meet and read about. Especially as he changes, committing totally to the ranch and life in Texas. His goats, his chickens. Adorable.
Rope Canutt is not one of those rodeo cowboys whoās dreading retirement. Instead, Rope has listened to his body, all the injuries and steel plate in his head, and recognized that itās time to get out while at the top. Itās his last tour for his sponsors and to finish in the money.
Itās a portrait of a smart man , seasoned by years on the tour and the pain of old injuries. Itās a great character and he meshed well with his old flame , Jude.
The walks in the neighborhood in NYC, the visits in the kitchen. Itās a real pleasure watching the men get reacquainted with each otherās lives, seeing the sparks fly, and Rope start to love Silas.
The dramatic moments here are more about instances that happen in daily life. The huge decisions those that couples make when they decide they will make a future together.
The story, the romance, the family, they are all very realistic and wonderful.
Itās a perfect ending. And those that have come to love these cozy romances as well as readers who love contemporary love stories will throughly enjoy this.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but sometimes distance makes people drift apart.
Rope Canutt has announced his retirement from bull riding and is making the most of his final year on the circuit, riding the big shows and resting in between so he can finish the season on a high note. He isnāt sure whatās next for him. He has no plan yet and nowhere to go, especially since his family sold their ranch a few years back.
Jude Sharpe remembers Rope fondly from their younger days in Austin. Mostly he remembers how hot the rodeo cowboy was and how much fun they had hooking up every time their paths crossed. That was a long time ago, and Judeās been married and lost his husband to cancer in the years since theyāve seen each other. Now heās raising a son alone.
When bull riding comes to New York City, Judeās consulting firm uses their private box to entertain clients from Houston, and Jude brings his son Silas along to see the show. Rope is riding and Jude hopes to introduce Silas to a real bull rider. Theyāve each lived a whole lifetime apart, and Jude and Rope arenāt sure how much they have in common anymore. So will they be drawn to each other when their paths cross again?
The books in this series are standalones and can be read in any order.
Tending Tyler is another of Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortugaās incredibly sweet contemporary cozy cowboy romances. The beginning of the Lone Star series , thatās Texas, ranches, and cowboys, with the addition of cute kids.
Truly you canāt go wrong with those elements and these writers.
Payne and Tortuga have the local lingua and food of the heart down pat, as well as the expected community musts (WallyWorld anyone). Their affection and cellular knowledge of the people and regional landscape add such a richness to this and each story that you know immediately who authored them.
Thereās other aspects too. The instant love factor that needs a firm grounding to make us believe in it and the relationship. As well as the ability to write children, of multiple age groups, realistically.
The character of Tyler McKeehan, a NYC bartender whoās had a lifetime of loss and just undergone another heartbreaking one, is a portrait of lonely vulnerability and stasis.
The recent death of his best friend has him moving in place, from the flow at the gay bar he works at to the overtime that fills his schedule. The tragedy behind Willās death is part of the storyline I feel was underutilized by the authors.
Itās a connection shared by the other main character, rancher Matthew Whitehead. The cowboy had come to NYC for the book fair and ends up with not only boxes of books, but meeting Tyler with whom he shares an immediate bond.
And more , as his sister underwent much the same devastating loss.
With such a strong, emotional topic to help bind the men together, Iām not sure why this thread was dropped altogether. For me, it would have been a deeper journey , full of familial ties, a shared history, and growth.
Instead, for dramatic impact, we had another less developed idea. One that came, hit, then was just as quickly resolved, without much explanation or background.
A shame, because the romance. The welcoming of Tyler by the girls into ranch life, however, overwhelming, was lovely and adorable. Tyler and Matt worked without too much effort as a delightful couple that readers of contemporary romance, and lovers of cowboys, will slide into.
Payne and Tortuga bring along a cast of other fabulous characters to support the love story of Tyler and Matt. These people always make each book so much stronger.
Iām recommending Tending Tyler (Lone Star #1) by Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortuga . Another captivating cozy cowboy romance from these wonderful authors!
Bartender Tyler McKeehan feels like his whole life is on hold. All he does is work and sleep because he doesnāt know how to move on with his day to day after the shocking loss of his best friend. When he meets Matt at Lesās Bar where he works in New York, though, he thinks he might have found someone who can nudge him out of his rut. The cowboy seems to live on fast forward, but at the same time this kind, generous man makes Tyler feel wanted and safe.
Ranch owner Matthew Whitehead is just in New York for a visit. But when he runs into Tyler at Lesās Bar, he knows right away that Tyler is special. Mattās family thinks he makes snap decisions, and they worry about him, but he knows what he wants, and even after just a few days heās willing to fight to keep Tyler in his life. When Matt has to head back to Texas, he asks Tyler to come visit him and meet his kids. Soon.
Tyler doesnāt know if he can pick up and go to Texas, but he misses Mattās affection and calming presence, so when life gets overwhelming, he makes the call. Between Mattās huge, boisterous family, his children, his busy ranch, and the vast differences between New York City and Texas, Tyler wonders every day if he should go back to his old life. Matt is determined to keep Tyler right where he is, but can they overcome the odds against them and make a new life together?
I love this introduction to a new author and a universe whoās fabric is exquisitely complicated, rich with the mythologies of a multitude of cultures and nations, as well as one that has the ability to expand through portals to endless worlds as the investigations require.
Jennifer Codyās Hammer and Fist, as the Field Agentās of the IDIA refer to themselves , is not just one series but as of now, two series. Each with a different character as a focal point.
I havenāt started on the second series, Inferno (Hammer and Fist : Geminatus #1) yet. But we meet that species here and it seems that the two intersect at a horrific mystery and investigation over the investigation into the abduction of species from their home worlds and slave trafficking.
First, Sledge and Claw. Itās fantastic. The beautifully defined characters run the gamut from human (or part human) to Fae to main oneās you need to discover in these pages.
It will start with Lextalion Farrow, FA for the IDIA, Inter-dimensional Immigration Agency. Heās the main, but not only POV. Lex is a mystery that slowly unravels . A top field agent , if not the top, for a somewhat nebulous agency. What that means exactly will be sharply defined, both by his actions and words, as he moves from one investigation to another, each pointing the way to a larger , more horrifying conspiracy of species abduction and slave trafficking.
Cody has crafted some incredibly strong, multidimensional female characters that constantly change as circumstances and relationship dynamics require. To go further would spoil a wonderful element here.
The other man, who is soon to stir things up, is such a strong personality, that you can sense that he will be a bigger player in this book as it continues. He too has secrets.
Thereās Norse gods, mini gods, and a strange spelling of Nidhƶggr, which Iām sure was intentional. I really liked that.
The writing was excellent, the plotting outstanding. And while I say thereās a cliffhanger, the author makes up for it by including a sneak peek at the next in the series, Brick and Brass, which lets us know exactly how that cliffhanger was resolved.
Since we donāt have a release date for book 2, that sneak peek was greatly appreciated and virtually eliminated the angst brought on by the cliffhanger.
All good.
I suspect that we are at the start of the beginning of a foundation of a found family of sorts. It has so many magnificent possibilities.
I was grateful for that sneak peek as I said for book 2. Now I need the actual release date for Brick and Brass!
If you love fantasy fiction, and the potential for new characters, new worlds, and mysteries as well as romances?
My alphabet soup agency recruited me because of my unique blend of magic and innate talent, but those come with a steep price and itās getting harder to pay with every investigation.
I never thought Knoxville would be the place that kills me, but between someone targeting me to get me fired (or start a war; could go either way), taking on a naĆÆve new trainee, and investigating a non-human trafficking ring, it looks like I’m about to bite off more than I can chew.
The question is, can I figure out whatās going on before it all blows up in my face?
Sledge and Claw is an MM Urban Fantasy with triggers for the horrors of slave trafficking and consent issues. There also happens to be a cliffhanger ending
Review notes: at the end of the story is a brief sneak peek at the beginning of Brick and Brass that resolves the cliffhanger. FYI for all that canāt abide cliffhangers!
The Finding Home, The Complete Series, is a splendid collection. I love being able to read one story right after the other of the men of Chi an Mor, House by the Sea.
The first novel is my favorite of the collection. Thatās
š¹Oz.
It hit all my buttons, as far as a contemporary romance, and itās everything Iāve come to expect from a Lily Morton story. Itās alternatively hilarious, so believably authentic that you feel youāre actually seeing the places and people moving through the events as they unfold, smelling the lavender, feeling the salty winds drifting through the warm fields and gardens of the golden stoned manor.
So sure everything exists because they feel so real and grounded for you.
Oz Gallagher and Silas Ashworth , the Earl of Ashworth, are absolute perfection. Oz, small, fierce Irish born Londoner, with his firsts in Art History but a common background that will always insure no reputable firm will hire him, is that quick witted, smart mouthed soul . Heās instantly someone you love. An affair that deepens, page by page.
Itās helped along by Ozās instantaneous connection with Chewwy, a mournful Italian Spinione , who becomes his shadow, to our delight.
Silas, the Earl and local vet, is just as warm and charming as Oz, but in a totally different way. Heās, posh but without the snobbery. Heās Cornish, where the land and house have as deep a hold onto him as for it to be cellular. He loves his land, his people, and , everything about Silas telegraphs that immense connection through Mortonās wonderful descriptions and thoughtful dialogue.
Theirs is a slow paced romance, working through each otherās issues to arrive at a wonderful HEA and heartwarming epilogue.
Thereās so many outstanding secondary characters, many of whom we will see again in other stories, including those in this collection.
5š
š¹Milo is next. This is a more somber story as it deals with issues such as domestic abuse and itās lasting effects upon the person who suffered.
Milo Ramsey had a stutter , caused by a childhood accident, that also made him a target for bullying. This story addresses that as well. The Milo we met in Ozās novel is one thatās had some time to recover.
This story gives us the Milo we hadnāt met yet, the trauma he endured, and the journey he took to recover and recognize the characteristics of the man he loves arenāt like the one who abused him.
Itās one of self-discovery, forgiveness, and bravery.
Thereās a age difference between Milo and Niall. Miloās romance with Niall Fawcett, estate manager to the Earl of Ashworth, that is.
But itās a wonderful romance, and thoughtful story, working through all the serious issues thatās being discussed here, and what that means for Milo, first and their future.
Very satisfying. 4.75.
š¹Gideon is last.
Gideon Ramsey is Miloās older brother, close friend to Niall and Silas. They grew up together at a nearby house, close to Chi an Mor. But where Milo was kept close to home, Gideon, like Silas and Niall , was shipped off to boarding school.
Gideon became a famous actor. Hiding the fact that he was āgay ā on the advice of his toxic agent. The fast lifestyle caught up with him in his late 30ās, drugs, sex, alcohol. Until it almost kills him with a bout of bronchitis.
Enter Milo and Niall, with an intervention of sorts. A cruise and a nurse to transport him to Chi an Mor where heāll recuperate.
Eli Jones is believable as the nurse and engaging. Gideon is acerbic , dryly funny, and charming. The cruise is a great way to have them get to know each other before they land and Eli is off to another job.
I felt there could have been more in the section with Gideonās agent. That happened abruptly. The cottage visit was lovely.
I liked this story but the other two were clear favorites. The epilogue, however, was splendid! I could picture that so easily. What a grand way to send them off.
4.5š
All in all just an amazing collection of stories. I wish Chi an Mor was real and I could pay to visit. Iād be on the next plane out.
One small note just because it bothers me. Of the 3 covers. The one for Oz? Has absolutely no connection to any main character . Oz? Tiny sharp faced black haired blues eyes Irish man. Silas? Tall, black haired, blade like nose Cornishman.
The bestselling Finding Home series is now available in one collection. Set in Cornwall, the series follows a group of friends as they each find love with a lot of heat and humour along the way.
Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home.
However, when he gets there, he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone heās ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years. Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. Heās also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.
Will falling in love be enough to make Oz stop moving at last and realise that heās finally home?
Milo has been burying himself at Chi an Mor, hiding from the wreckage of his once promising career and running from a bad relationship that destroyed what little confidence he had. Niall, his big brotherās best friend, has been there for him that entire time. An arrogant and funny man, Niall couldnāt be any more different from the shy and occasionally stuttering Milo, which has never stopped Milo from crushing wildly on the man who saved him.
However, just as Milo makes the decision to move on from his hopeless crush, he and Niall are thrown into close contact, and for the first time ever Niall seems to be returning his interest. But it can never work. How can it when Milo always needs rescuing?
Content warning: There are descriptions of domestic abuse in this book.
Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards ā he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But itās starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.
Then heās laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon canāt understand. Heās sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, heās unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideonās body weight. As Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon thatās been empty for a long time.
Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that heās worked for?
As the hockey teams are making their run for the Stanley Cup in real life, I had just finished one hockey series and was in need of another when this got my attention.
Egotistical Puckboy, the first in Eden Finley and Saxon Jamesā Puckboy series about hockey players getting their HEA. Needless to say, Iām in.
I so enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance about two egotistical fantastic NHL hockey players. The long time feud, fueled by misconceptions about each other, including oneās sexuality, is so well written.
The bigger than life personalities of both D-man Ezra Palaszczuk and winger Anton Hayes, huge egos to match their vast athletic talents on the ice, itās all there on the page for the reader to love, cackle at, and ,yes, swoon over, as they warily stumble their way into a relationship and romance.
Authors Finley and James are careful that, when crafting this novel , all the important elements are brought in so it feels believable and a world we should want to invest ourselves into.
The games! The way the men fly across the ice, bodies moving, puck flashing, itās pure awesomeness. Itās hockey! You can see these games and ,when or lose (they do both), you feel the emotional impact with them.
The men themselves are layered, their pasts, their passions, their pain.
Ezra Palaszczuk is someone who appears one dimensional, on purpose, but only as a barrier to hide the damage done by negligent , borderline abusive parents and the toll it continues to take on him.
Anton Hayes has his own personal issues to work through and itās his relationship with Ez that allows him the different perspective to start on a new path and journey.
This story has so many great aspects to it. Itās a dynamic hockey book. Itās a sexy romance. Itās a thoughtful conversation about gay athletes in a major sport (see fabulous The Queer Collective element), what it means for queer youth to have representation. Itās also about knowing yourself well enough that youāre finally comfortable and feel safe to come out .
Like I said. Thereās so much to Egotistical Puckboy (Puckboy #1) by Eden Finley and Saxon James. I love this. And Iām highly recommending it.
Thereās a second story out. Iām onto that next.
Unraveling The Threads of Fate by Alice Winters is an excellently written, highly suspenseful tale that contains a lot of moments of extreme anxiety and dread. It stretches over the all events that should be happening to the people in the universe here.
I say should because a major element is that one character, Alex Coleman, school teacher, has a gift. He can see invisible threads stretching from person to person. Red threads ties a person to their soulmate. But the black threads he also sees ties them to the one who will kill them. Itās a talent heās had his entire life and one heās hidden.
In this universe, those with special gifts are tested and tracked, starting at a early age. But Alexās abusive childhood with a destitute drug dealer allowed him to evade it.
Bishop King, scion to a wealthy businessman, once was the only friend Alex had growing up, until a horrific event drove them apart.
Bishop too has a special talent. He can walk in peopleās dreams. But in Alexās dreams, heās got the power to do more, see more.
When they meet again, at Career Day at Alexās school, they set off a set of events that have a rippling effect for a multitude of characters as Alex and Bishop fight to find and change their fates, pulled along by the threads Alex is seeing.
Winters, in her inimitable manner, with wry, sarcastic, haunting, and heartbreaking dialogue and scenes gives us a scary and thrilling tale of fate altered at breakneck pace, a murderer on the loose, and two find trying to outwit both a murderer and plot they canāt understand, and deal with a abusive past that threatens them.
With alternating flashbacks that are chilling in their cruelty and ability to deliver the blows that continues to be felt in the future, and a present where dreams are nightmares of blood, black threads, and death, that the author manages to bring romance and fun into this is amazing.
All the characters are fantastic. It includes Alexās sister, Cali, who he raised. Her friends. Even the adults the surround them, good and bad.
Itās a vile and fascinating mixture.
But watching them trying to figure out how to change the date of each person and event, itās thrilling and scary and heart racing.
Alex Some people are born lucky. Then thereās me, destined to be loved by the man who knows my darkest secret. My gift has followed me my entire lifeāthe ability to see the threads of fate. I can see the red thread tying together two people destined to love one another. But my gift has another side to it. A darker side. I can also see a simple black thread tied to the fingers of those who arenāt aware of it, connecting them to the person destined to kill them. And when I look down at my own finger, I can see the red thread stretched over to Bishop King. The man who is my soul mate.
But then why is the black thread also wrapped around our fingers? Bishop is sweet and caring, and I canāt stop my heart from loving him. I just need to thwart fate before it separates us forever.
Bishop I swore to never let myself be drawn back into Alexās world, but the man is funny and charming and the moment weāre together I fall back into the familiarity we shared as teenagers. I know this time is different; heās hoping that I can help him walk through his dreams to figure out how an innocent girl is going to die.
While his dreams tell of the future, mine allow us to find the truth. But what happens when we save a life and change fateāwill it affect our own future? I canāt keep myself from falling for Alex, but what if helping him leaves one of us dead?
Unraveling the Threads of Fate is a standalone romance with action, mystery, humor, and a happy ending.
āShe couldnāt see the bigger picture. She looked at the twins and saw a problem. Thomas saw an opportunity. A divine creation. He was raising a legion of psychopaths.ā
ā Mad Man (Necessary Evils Book 5) by Onley James
Mad Man (Necessary Evil #5) by Onley James is Avi Mulvaneyās story, the other half of the mirror twins referenced above.
And every issue I had with Asaās (the other twinās book) is resolved here, the reasons for thatās storyās lack weirdly reflected in Aviās nature and the fact heās literally whatās missing from Asa. Asa has those qualities Avi will never have. Only together are they one person.
The prologue is the second half ( naturally) of how they were found and adopted. It adds those last minutiae to them as children.
Asa is the total aggressor, absolute control, all mind, and yes, cruelty. Loves to inflict pain. The perfect sadist. Thatās his half. Avi is emotion. He enjoys being hurt. Heās the masochist to Asaās sadist. Heās dependent on their twin connection. While Asaās mean in his remarks, Aviās kind, if thatās possible for a psychopath. Heās impulsive.
That Avi is āfeeling ā the loss in their separation more deeply or able to express his spiraling makes sense given which half he is. It also makes him more relatable as heās definitely more likable, even though heās still very much a killer.
Jamesā mirror twins comes with built in narrative issues demonstrated by their stories. Asaās such a undeniably alpha personality, a sadist whoās only weakness is his brother who carries those other character traits for him. Asa huntās everything, including the man heās obsessive over. Heās even able to shut out or down temporarily his link with his brother when Avi questions his decision.
Thatās unthinkable to Avi. A loss of link? Never. So while that stays true to Asa , by losing Avi, that story loses the reader to an extent.
Now in Avi , weāre back and we get another fabulous character as well. One weāve been previously introduced to. Felix Navarro. Baby brother to Jericho, now husband to Atticus.
Felix is delicate,,gender bending, highly talented fashion designer , and extremely lethal in his own right.
Heās also forceful, possessive, and supremely intelligent. In a way perfect for the man heās been crushing on. Avi Mulvaney, fashion designer and head of his own clothing empire company.
Felix is a complicated personality, with a family history of loss (Jerichoās story), his outlook and passion mask a fear of being left and insecurities over his background. Indeed, heās strong and commanding but soft and in need of a family dynamics where heās able to feel completely safe.
The two stories, Aviās and Asaās, actually fit together like the twins do, giving us a full portrait of the amazingly synergy that comes into existence between Avi&Felix&Asa&Zane. Itās not 2 + 2 but actually a whole of four. Thatās the completed āoneā at the end.
Avi woos Felix, and Felix (already a member of the Mulvaney family by way of Jericho) really learns who Avi is and understands his needs, with and away from Asa. Itās such a wild well written story.
We also get to know Felix intimately as well. His rages to his fears. His passions and aggressive side. Heās perfect. For Avi.
The mystery starts off in a startlingly different manner, with a nice twists. Thereās several cases here that the family is involved in.
Plus the ongoing Aiden/Thomas drama.
I loved this book, and it reminded me that Asaās was really a lead-in to this which, like the Prologue, completed the story for both men.
Except for the complications of length, it should have been one novel.
Together, itās outstanding the more you think about all the elements, and aspects of each mirror twin and the men theyāve chosen, who are in fact, mirrors themselves.
Stunning.
Thereās also the tiny fact thatās whispering along each story that all these characters and acts have been directed by the man who gathered them together as one large experiment.
Surely something has to come of that?
At any rate, Iām highly recommending this book and series. Heed the trigger warnings about violence. This is dark fiction and romance. The men are psychopaths.
Avi Mulvaney is many things. Son. Twin. Owner of the fashion label, Gemini. Murderous psychopath. Together, he and his brother, Asa, make one brutally efficient monster, ridding the world of predators who victimize the innocent. History proves Avi and Asa donāt do well apart, but their father has decided to test that theory.
Felix Navarro knows exactly who he is. Baby brother. Fashionista. Vigilante. While heās not happy that his big brother married a Mulvaney, the union has its perks. Like a paid internship with Gemini. But all good things come with a cost and, for Felix, thatās enduring Avi Mulvaney each day, which inevitably leads to thinking about him every night.
Felix doesnāt like Avi. Heās cocky, condescending, overbearing, and inappropriate. Heās also sexy, brilliant, and twice as lethal as Felix. Still, Felix loathes him. Even if he keeps letting him kiss him. And touch him. Even if he slipped just once. It was still hate sex, and it would never happen again. Ever.
Except, Aviās being sent to help take down a dangerous crime ring and heās ordered Felix to come along. Felix has vowed to stay strong. To remember he hates Avi. But theyāre trapped together and thereās only one bed, and itās so hard to hate Avi in the dark when heās whispering how Felix belongs to him. Felix belongs to no man, but Avi is determined. He has one week to prove to Felix that heās the exception to his rule. After all, who says no to a Mulvaney?
Mad Man is a scorchingly hot, intense, enemies to lovers, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a dirty talking, brutally vicious killer and a sharp tongued murderous fashionista who are both too stubborn for their own good. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough blood to film the final scene in the movie Carrie, and enough heat to melt your panties. This is book five in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
āāMirror twins,ā Dr. Rice corrected. āEach one the perfect mirror image of the other, right down to their birthmarks.ā The two werenāt speaking out loud, but they would smile and laugh in tandem, as if one had told the other a joke. Even though they didnāt look at each other,ā
Ah, the Twins! Asa and Avi. I knew theyād present trouble. If for no other reason then the author has created a history and background for them thatās so intriguing and compelling. Mirror twins able to communicate telepathically, that go feral when separated. Twins so much a part of each other that they often talk as one, even though as adults they have careers (one a designer, the other a architect), they are never far apart.
So to deviate from the overall combined character portrait James must weaken those very elements that pulls us to them, and makes us want to know why, whatās it like to be a half of such a unique dynamic.
Plus thereās that other defining factor. They love pain. As children they enjoyed hurting each other. So as killers, itās sheer bliss.
But this is a series about brothers and relationships. So a decision had to be made. Sacrifice the unique combined character portrait of Asa&Avi for separation and books for Asa and Avi.
I honestly think a argument could be made for two books with each brother helping the other to find or hunt down their obsession. Given that the brothers are apex predators, that would have made more sense then the plot here.
Trial separation even they didnāt believe. Behaviors that didnāt follow the pattern.
Asa is a sadist. Remember his love of pain? Ada loves to live with the power to inflict it. So his obsession will be with someone whoās will be the masochistic opposite to his sadistic nature. Thatās will be a reporter with rock bottom self image issues, and a family absolutely determined to insure he knows he never mattered.
Zane Scott, small time crime blogger whoās determined to follow his instincts that say somethingās not right with the wealthy Mulvaney family. Thatās an investigation bound to go lethally wrong.
Unless the reporter turns out to be not only delicious prey, but one who needs big time help.
Thereās a great mystery , a lot of sadomasochistic sex, which concurrently helps to develop the relationship between Asa and Zane from one of being chained to a radiator to one being handcuffed to a bed. Thereās rough borderline non – con sex, fistingā¦you name it.
Perfectly in line with Asa, and in turn, Zane.
Whatās always missing? Although heās constantly mentioned? Avi. Thereās a few texts. Some ā thoughtsā. But far too few for the scary Mirror Twins weāve come to know and anticipate. Itās as though we get Asa light.
Iām not sure what the alternative would have been, frankly, but , as the pain loving gorgeous Mirror Twins , they stood apart , even in a galaxy of star psychopaths. Separate? Merely one of a striking family of killers
Maybe Aviās book can shed some light on why the separation dulled their uniqueness so.
Asa and Zane had a great and horrific mystery to unravel. Plus the historic manner in which they dispatched the final villain was educational and satisfying. Thatās was a win!
Their S/m dynamic made perfect sense, given their personalities. You decide how comfortable you are with that sexual relationship. Definitely not a sweet romance in the framework you would think of one.
Iām recommending this as it adds to the overall series arc, family picture, and I found it entertaining and thoughtful.
Asa Mulvaney is half of a psychopathic whole. He and his twin brother live together, party togetherā¦kill together. In the Mulvaney family, murder is the family business and business is good. So, when an experiment separates Asa and his brother, Asa is forced to navigate the world on his own for the first time in his life.
Zane Scott is a small-time crime blogger, but he dreams of a byline in a major paper and his suspicions surrounding Thomas Mulvaney are about to make that dream a reality. When an invitation to a boring fundraiser lands him not beside Thomas, as he had hoped, but Asa Mulvaney, they share an intensely passionate encounter that leaves Zane trapped in a cage of his own making.
At a nearby college, a cluster of suicides isnāt what it seems. When Asaās father asks him to look into it, he sees the perfect opportunity to exploit his little crime reporter and make him fall in line. And Asa needs him to fall in line. Zane is suspicious of Asaās motives and half-convinced heās dead either way, but he wonāt say no to a chance to peek behind the Mulvaney family curtains.
As the two unravel a sinister plot, Asaās obsession with Zane grows and Zane finds being Asaās sole focus outweighs almost anything, maybe even his careerāwhich is good for Asa because loving a Mulvaney is a full-time job. Can he convince Zane that heās worth navigating a family of psychopaths and tolerating an almost too close for comfort twin? Or will Zane learn the hard way that the Mulvaney boys always get what they want? Always.
Headcase is a high heat, intense, lovers-to-frenemies, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an obsessive, calculating psychopath and a wannabe reporter who will stop at nothing to earn himself a major byline. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough killers to fill an auditorium, and enough heat to melt your kindle. This is book four in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 