READING: Armed & Dangerous (Cut & Run #5) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: May 18 2012
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

Left alone in Baltimore after his unpredictable lover bails, Special Agent Zane Garrett takes his frustration out on everything in his path until he is ordered to Chicago to back up an undercover operative. When he gets there, though, he finds himself face to face with his wayward partner, Special Agent Ty Grady. They have to deal with the uncertainty lingering between them while they work to retrieve their intended mark, a retired hit man and CIA wet-works operative named Julian Cross.

Ty, once a marine and now an FBI hotshot, has a penchant for being unpredictable, a trait Zane can vouch for. Zane is a man who once lived for his job but has come to realize his heartbreaking past doesn’t have to overshadow his future. They're partners, friends, lovers, and the go-to team for unusual cases. With Cross and his innocuous boyfriend, Cameron Jacobs, in tow, Ty and Zane must navigate the obstacles of a cross-country trek, including TSA pat-downs, blizzards, their uncooperative prisoners, CIA kill teams, a desperate lack of sleep or caffeine, and each other. Ty and Zane are determined to get Julian Cross to DC in one piece, but it’s starting to look like it might be the last thing they do.

2nd read (Oct 18 2018)
Welcome to the reign of Ty Grady, everybody! Please, sit comfortably while Ty acts like the smart, strong, hot hero hunk that he is, singlehandedly saving 3 people from certain death, while Zane simply swoons next to him. 
Yes, it has started. The "Ty-can-do-no-wrong" saga. It is annoying yes, but since I am already in too deep with this series I am wiling to look past it, if only just a little, and finish the book. This Ty=God situation has started since D&C if I'm being honest, but it was a bit camouflaged by Zane's inevitable inability to do anything because of his injury, which kind of justified Ty doing all the saving and all the super heroic stuff.

That's not the case in A&D.
The more non-existent Zane's personality was, the more obvious Ty's superiority got. Zane appears weaker and less assertive than I have ever seen him. He is putty in Ty's hand, letting him take the lead in any situation, work and relationship wise. Zane is MIA in all action scenes, when he either happened to be in the bathroom, or watching over Cameron. Julian and Ty were the badasses and making Julian look like Zane, was just a low blow. Ty was clearly attracted to Julian and I don't know why, it just rubbed me the wrong way. It looked like Ty could get away with anything, even openly flirting with Julian in front of Zane. 

Ty left Zane at the end of book 4, and Zane was supposedly angry, until Ty batted his eyelashes and that was it, anger forgotten. It made for a very hot sex scene, but that's not the point. If the tables were turned and it was Zane that left Ty, there is no way in hell Zane would get away with it so easily. Just saying.

Also, some parts, mostly Ty's lines, reminded me of the irritable way C&R was written; long and inexcusable sudden outbursts between periods of quiet. And then again. We know that Ty is cuckoo for coco puffs, but it gets tiring for the reader after a while.

A&D had its good moments as well (it wasn't all bad). One line I will always always remember, and I think my favorite from all C&R books is when 

in the beginning of the book, Ty calls Zane, and Zane is furious at Ty for leaving him: Z: "I told you I loved you!" T: "And I appreciated that." It is such a Ty thing to say, it gets me every time. Absolutely love it!

The shopping scene was funny "OK, now you're just embarrassing yourself", both sex scenes were very hot, I think the 2nd is the longest one yet (pun definitely intended), and Ty's interactions with his brother are always gold. I'm a huuuuuge Nick fan, and I just love everything he's in. His scene with Zane was the best in the book, although 

out of the whole story, which was absolutely horrifying, the only thing that gave Zane pause was whether Nick had been with Ty sexually. Um, really?

 

Cameron and Julian were just meh, didn't really make an impact.
It pisses me off when this much potential is being wasted. I mean, this series could have been great, perfect even. You have these amazing characters, with such interesting backgrounds and personalities that are just begging to be explored and developed, and it sometimes feel like Roux just can't be bothered, which is a real shame. I mean, why was Sticks&Stones and Fish&Chips great? What happened there? Does it have to do with MU leaving? Probably. Maybe if she hadn't left, Zane could still hold on to a piece of his dignity, who knows?



1st read (Jun 18 2018)
A&D was a great re introduction to the series after my long break. It kinda reminded me of C&R in a way, all those hotel rooms and sexual tension. Although, this time there was no frustration, only understanding, caring and feelings. SO.MANY.FEELINGS! Ty and Zane were such sweethearts in this one, and I loved every minute of it. When Ty talks with Zane about his past relationships after sex, just melted my heart. So real and relatable, and at the same time incredibly moving. 
Julian and Cameron I liked OK, Julian more than Cameron. I didn't mind him being a civilian, but he was too vanilla for my taste, at the point of being completely uninteresting. I didn't really get why Julian was with him, but to each their own. They brought us Smith and Wesson though, so I guess they are a little bit cool.

Have already started reading Stars&Stripes, which fans are surprisingly divided about, so obviously I'm very excited. So far, nothing to be divided about-it's pure Tane gold!