READING: Tempest (Playing the Fool #3) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Publication date: March 9 2015
Published by: Riptide
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Funny
Rating: 

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.

While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive. 

If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.

I wanted this series to be epic, considering who wrote it. It wasn't bad, not at all, but maybe I was expecting something else entirely. Based on other Henry novels (except for Another Man's Treasure) I thought this one was gonna be jam packed with romance and angst and brilliant characters and writing. It had the last two in abundance, but didn't quite succeed in the first two. 

I really liked Mac and Henry's relationship dynamic, but we didn't get to see too much of it. Every time they met, except for a very few exceptions, Henry either ran away changing his mind about staying with Mac, was being too sexual in front of Mac in order to provoke him and not always in a good way, or indulged in self flagellation. I felt that, like Mac, we never got to see the real Henry, Sebastian, whomever. It was like Mac had a relationship with someone I didn't know, someone fuzzy that I can't quite place, and that prevented me from getting too invested in his character, and consequently their relationship.

Readers not hung up on romance will definitely enjoy this one more.

READING: The Two Gentlemen from Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Publication date: December 27 2014
Published by: Riptide
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Funny
Rating: 


Mischief, thou art afoot.

Special Agent Ryan "Mac" McGuinness is having a rough week. Not only is he on a new diet, but he's also been tasked with keeping Henry Page -- the world's most irritating witness -- alive. Which is tough when Mac's a breath away from killing the Shakespeare-quoting, ethically-challenged, egg-obsessed Henry himself. Unless killing isn't really what Mac wants to do to him.

Con man Henry Page prefers to keep his distance from the law . . . though he wouldn't mind getting a little closer to uptight, handsome Agent McGuinness. As the sole witness to a mob hit, Henry's a valuable asset to the FBI. But he's got his own agenda, and it doesn't involve testifying.

When evidence surfaces of a mole in the FBI office, Mac and Henry are forced to go into hiding. Holed up in a fishing cabin, they're surprised to discover that their feelings run more than skin deep. But as the mob closes in, Henry has to make his escape. And Mac has to decide how far he's willing to go to keep Henry by his side.

Didn't realise this book is so short!!! I'm at work, and I don't have the second one! Now what? Do I actually have to...work? Ugh.

Henry and Rock together: miracle workers. 
Even when they create realistic characters-not having washboard abs and piercing blue eyes kind of realistic-I still like them and am attracted to them because of their unbelievably charismatic personality. I am not saying that physical appearance is everything and all MCs should be crazy hot and sexy, but when you're writing a romance novel, I think it's kind of pivotal. 
Henry and Rock are very good at that; they create smart characters, with great sense of humour but most importantly, genuinely good and kind hearted people that you can't help but like.
Same with Bel in WATWS, same with Deacon in MCvA, same here with Mac. 

And then they create broken, cracked characters like Henry, who starve for good guys like Mac, but never let themselves believe they are good enough, scared to accept that yes, they can have something nice and safe in their lives.

The only thing I would say is that I didn't really get how quickly Mac went from "Shut up, I want to throttle you, you're so annoying" and "You're my witness and I'm a professional", to playing dress up and re enacting scenes from Shakespeare with Henry and basically falling in love with him. There was something missing there, I think. Maybe if they were given a little bit more time to bond (maybe a couple of chapters) their connection would seem more believable. 

Starting Merchant of Death straight away!

READING: The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen

Publication date: October 15 2014
Published by: Rennie Road Books
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Sports, Contemporary, College
Rating: 

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. 

College romance, with just the right amount of complication and angst, but not always the kind you want. Also, addictive as hell, if that's your thing. I read it in one day, couldn't put it down.

The first half of TUoTY was pretty great; I really liked the writing, I loved Rikker's voice (we mostly see his POV) he was charismatic, smart and funny. I also really appreciated how he sort of backed off and tried not to engage much with Graham even though he obviously wanted to. He wasn't whiny or clingy. Like he said, he just wanted to play hockey. Rikker was cool like that. Also, this is a slow burn romance since the whole "enemies to lovers" trope needs time to unfold, and I think Bowen hit the nail on the head with that one. Rikker and Graham's back story was also very interesting and well though out.

However, Graham's deep closetedeness started to become annoying after the first half. I started to really dislike him, he sure as hell didn't deserve Rikker. I of course appreciate the fact that coming out might be the single hardest thing in a gay man's life, but Graham took it to a whole other level. Didn't even want to be seen walking, talking with or looking at Rikker just in case his "friends" made the connection. Great friends they were, by the way. One homophobic asshole and the rest were OK with Rikker so what was the issue exactly? His family was also very very cool. He could not even say the word "gay", Rikker had to actually ask him to say it out loud. Ugh, I don't know. 
He eventually comes to his senses, but a little too late for me.

Another thing that bothered me was Bella. And no, I am not talking about the dog. Her character didn't really fit into the story at all, which I guess Bowen realized because she wasn't even mentioned towards the end. Graham's alleged best friend. She was deliberately silly and annoying, did not serve any particular story line, there was absolutely no need for her.

And finally, what kinda ending was that?? Have you ever had a conversation with someone, when they start telling you a story and then they cut mid sentence looking into the horizon and you look at them with pleading eyes like "yes, and??"
That was TUoTY's ending in a nutshell.

I loved Rikker, he had a great heart and was a genuinely good guy. I love decent and honest guys in MM books. I thought his and Graham's was going to be an epic love, but unfortunately Graham was too much of a disappointment.

READING: Boy Shattered by Eli Easton

Publication date: October 16 2018
Published by: --
Genre: Young Adult, MM, Romance, School, Contemporary, Violence
Rating: 

Brian 
You’ll make it out of here, Brian. I swear. 
I had everything—school quarterback, popular with girls, and my dad was proud of me. I told myself it didn’t matter no one knew the real me. And then I nearly died. Landon saved my life. He’s the bravest guy I know. He came out a few years ago, proud and fierce, and he ran into gunfire to help others. Me, I’m a mess. Can’t even stand to be in a room with the curtains open. But here’s the thing about losing it all: You get a chance to start over and be someone new. Only how can I move on when the two shooters who attacked our school were never caught? And why do I feel like I’m still in the crosshairs? 

Landon 
Will you kiss me? 
When I came across Brian Marshall,the hottest guy in school, dying on the cafeteria floor, I did what anyone would do. I tried to save him. His request surprised me, but I figured he needed comfort, so I kissed him on the forehead. When he survived and came back to school, he was broken in body and mind. He still needed me, and soon we were unlikely besties. But what I saw at school that day woke me up. I want to demand action on gun control, lead protests, raise my fist. I’ll tear the world down if I have to. And if I can get the man of my dreams and save the world at the same time? I’ll take it. Only I didn’t understand that the horror at Jefferson Waller High wasn’t over. 

I am lucky enough to have lived in two countries with extremely strict gun laws and I have never even came close to experiencing the horror of what Boy Shattered describes, one that unfortunately doesn't only happen in movies and books.

Boy Shattered tells the story of two teenage boys, a senior and a freshman, and their blossoming relationship in the heels of an unimaginable tragedy; two shooters invade their school and kill 42 of their classmates in cold blood.

The first half of the book was admittedly hard to read. Easton gives a chilling description of the actual shooting, along with its aftermath and the effect it had on everyone, especially Brian. Her writing was gentle and sensitive, but underneath it all, I could still sense her boiling anger, her frustration, and the utter disbelief-these things cannot still be happening, they just can't be.

A small ray of hope in the midst of all the despair and devastation, was Landon and Brian's romance. It was really sweet and had all the urgency and angst of a teenage high school romance. BS is a YA book so everything is kept pretty decent, and I liked that the romance didn't take away much from the story. That was not the point anyway. It also makes the book more accessible to teenagers and tweens who absolutely need to educate themselves on the matter as much as possible.

What I didn't particularly like was Brian's dad. I didn't buy that he was a good guy once and I certainly didn't like how he was all forgiven in the end and came back to Brian's life. I mean, his son was nearly killed in the shooting and not only did he force him to go back to that school even though he was clearly not ready, he was extremely disrespectful to the guy who saved his life, calling him obscene and derogatory names. Also, the fact that he would have beaten Brian bloody when he told him he was gay if Brian didn't manage to escape. Yeah, there was that.
I just don't see how a reconciliation between these two was even possible.

I also didn't like how Easton turned the shooting into a mystery. This should not be a "whodunit". I don't care how "brilliantly" and cunningly the perpetrators thought the shooting out. This book should be about the victims, the survivors and the way to cope in the aftermath of such a tragedy, ways to avoid it and raise awareness. The mystery was unnecessary.

Personally, like any senseless death, I find mass shootings extremely hard to accept. I can't even fathom the amount of hatred and disregard of human life someone must have in order to do something like that, it's just beyond me. These people have been called "sick", "monsters", "evil". That may be true, but people who still allow things like these to happen in a different school everyday, still allow for children to be so cruelly murdered, are even sicker and more evil. 13 and 15 year old kids with rifles and AR-15s and AK-47s? I mean, what is this?? How are so many people allowed to have that kind of weaponry at their home? And for what possible reason? I didn't even know all these types of guns until I heard them mentioned in a school shooting coverage. That's just goes to show how different my upbringing was and how, I realise now, safe I was growing up and going to school, and for that I am really appreciative.

The fatalist in me says that nothing is ever going to change. I don't see how it can. But thankfully, there are people like Landon out there in the real world who are willing to speak up and fight for what they believe in, what everyone should believe in, because saving lives is kind of a no brainer.
At least it should be. 

READING: Another Man's Treasure by Lisa Henry and J.A.Rock

Publication date: May 30 2014
Published by: Crocobear Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Contemporary, Dark, Suspense, Violence 
Rating: 

Ilia Porter is Chechen mob boss Mikhail Kadyrov’s greatest treasure. After leaving home at eighteen to escape his verbally abusive father, beautiful, selfish Ilia has lived with Mikhail, proud of his ability to bring such a powerful man to his knees to worship. But when Ilia’s father, a police captain, kills Mikhail in a raid, Ilia’s world falls apart.

Entering to pick up the pieces is Mikhail’s younger brother, Nick—impulsive, power-hungry, and dangerous. When Nick tells Ilia he’s taking everything that belonged to Mikhail—including Ilia—Ilia is too lost in grief to fight. Nick takes Ilia prisoner in the apartment Ilia once shared with Mikhail and grooms him for a very important mission: to kill Ilia’s father and avenge Mikhail’s death.

Ilia wants no part in the plot, but being Nick’s ally is preferable to being Nick’s victim, so he begins to warp himself into the monster Nick wants him to be. Hope arrives when Nick takes another captive: Patrick, a shy massage therapist who’s stronger than he seems. Patrick and Ilia must join forces to escape Nick—and to keep each other whole as Nick does everything in his power to break them.

This review is very small but I wanted to add it in here so this amazing, wonderful book could get as much exposure as possible. 

Oh my God.
This book.
Oh my God.

Another Man's Treasure is an exquisitely written book, from beginning to end.
It is dark. Possibly the darkest book I have ever read.
It is not a romance book, in any way, shape or form. There is no HEA. I would not recommend it to just anyone. I was desperately trying to find something good and positive to hold on to in the midst of all this blackness, but it just got darker and darker. And yet, I couldn't stop reading. Like a car-crush; I just couldn't look away.

What makes it a great read? The writing and the characters. Lisa Henry reaffirms herself as my favourite MM author and together with Rock they are unbeatable (see When All the World Sleeps). They have this phenomenal ability to make the reader captivated by the most gut wrenching, sorrow-filled but utterly un-relatable stories by creating such full and compelling characters. Even the monsters they create are fascinating.

Another Man's Treasure is a work of art. An evil, twisted work of art. Just like Ilia's piercing.
I felt completely devastated after reading it. My stomach was clenched the entire time, I was on edge and quite honestly, scared. 
And I loved every second of it.

READING: Crush & Burn (Cut & Run #9) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: March 18 2015
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

It’s been five years since Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett first worked together to solve the Tri-State murders, and time has been both harsh and kind. Engaged now, they face the challenge of planning a deeply uncertain future together. Zane is at the pinnacle of his career with one last mystery to solve, while Ty is at sea in a world where he’s no longer the tip of a spear.

There’s just one more hurdle in the way of their happy ever after: a traitor from their inner circle who threatens to burn their world to the ground.

Squeezed between the Vega cartel, an unknown mole, and too many alphabet agencies to count, Ty and Zane must gather all their strength and resources to beat the longest odds they’ve ever faced. To make it out alive, they’ll need help from every friend they’ve got. Even the friends who might betray their trust.

"We can still cut and run. We can open up a flower shop and sell black-market orchids from the back. Just say the word." 

I started the Cut&Run series around May this year and I went through 9 books very slowly, stretching it out, trying to make it last, savoring every word. But Ty and Zane's journey had to, inevitably, come to an end.
Before I get too emotional, I am going to keep this brief.

Cut&Run came into my life when I needed it the most. I was going through a lot of shit back then, and it seductively offered me a way out which I couldn't possibly refuse. I will always be grateful to Abigail Roux for creating these amazing characters that helped me forget my problems even for a second, and rekindled my love for reading. Despite the fact that I still think that some parts of the books were plain bad and that we, Zane fans, were left very unsatisfied in the end, I will always love this series, defend it and recommend it to anyone who would listen.

It's not a secret I didn't like Cut&Run, as in book 1. It was sloppily written, mystery and suspense were lacking and dialogue was chaotic. Even then, something about Ty and Zane made me want to keep going and continue reading. After reading the last scene when Ty leaves Zane at the hospital, which was amazing and so unlike the rest of the book, I remember thinking "There is something there, I have to give it another chance." And I am glad I did, because not only Sticks&Stones is one of my favourite books, but also because I wouldn't otherwise have these great memories of living through Ty and Zane's amazing journey. It was all about those two from the beginning for me, and it was like that until the very end. They put me through the emotional wringer: they made me laugh, they made me angry, the made me sentimental, them made me hopeful. 

Reading about Ty and Zane, from beginning to end, was an indescribable experience that I will never, ever forget, and I will always love them for it ♥

(and that's me NOT being emotional...)

Now about Crush&Burn.
Was it the rightful ending to the series? No, I don't believe it was. But then again, not many would be. 
C&B had the least amount of romance of all the other books, as Ty and Zane's relationship sort of solidified and even though it did not necessarily lose its spark, it certainly settled into a comfortable and loving partnership. Like Ty said:

“You realize we’re looking at our future, right? Two of us in a retirement home, bitching about our catheters and heated blankets.”

I really liked how their marriage played out. Short, sweet, meaningful. And it was great that they got it out of the way in the beginning, if only for the mere pleasure of calling each other "husband" for the rest of the book. I loved everything Nick-related. I am just hopeless when it comes to him, I can't seem to find any fault. Not like Ty's super hero "can't do no wrong" stints. Because Ty can be a real dick sometimes. But Nick cannot, he doesn't have it in him. He's so like Ty, but not at all like him at the same time. I guess that's why these two are best friends but if they happened to hook up, they would have killed each other day 1. I couldn't ask for a better best-friend-relationship, really. What I didn't like, but sort of ignored C&B being the last book and all, was the amount of information and exposition we were constantly bombarded with, which if you put the facts down and think logically, doesn't make much sense. And even if it did, it's certainly not suitable for a last book in a series. Making Burns and Tanner into bad guys out of the blue, the two father figures Ty and Zane had and respected above all others (even though their perfect real fathers should have been enough) was just a cheap shot, cheapened even more so by the lack of emotion by both Ty and Zane by the revelation. Yes, they were taken aback by it, but Ty had known Burns his whole life. He called him uncle and pretty much killed tons of innocent people for him. That deserved a little bit more exploration in my opinion and it was sad that it was brushed off so quickly. Zane calling the other FBI officers "family"? Um what? Since when? He himself said he didn't want to share all the case details with them because he didn't trust them 100%. Roux was so desperate to give him friends because Ty's friends are so prominent, but in the end it doesn't matter. He doesn't have to have the same relationships with other people that Ty has. That's part of his character, that's who he is. The same goes for Zane. I liked how there were a lot of trivia and references from all previous books peppered throughout C&B. Also, Ty and Zane taking the piss out of the police officers when they are handcuffed at the back of a police car, the way that car was rammed by their pursuers and them trying to get away- clear homage to C&R. Another homage was the scene in F&C when Ty tells Zane he loves him from the first time before Zane falls I don't know how many stories into a pool to save himself. Stray observations: Ty playing violin? No. Ty saying "Shut your whore mouth!" when Zane told him he doesn't like baseball? Yes. Also yes: T:“What is wrong with my salve?” N: “Last time he put that on me it peeled my skin off!” T: “That was a bad batch.” N: “You’re a bad batch!” Can I have a book with just Mara and Beverly? Thanks.

There are several other parts of the book I wasn't particularly fond of, but this review is going to be super long if I try to explain them all. Also, I don't want to leave this last review on a bummer note.
C&B was what it was, but it was still a Ty and Zane book. At the end of the day, that's just enough for me :)