READING: Part & Parcel (Sidewinder #3) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: December 19 2015

Published by: Riptide

Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense  

Rating:

Nick O'Flaherty and Kelly Abbott had their happy ending in sight when a friend’s call for help almost ended with them losing it to the blade of a knife. Now, in the aftermath of near-disaster, both men are trying to heal and move on.

Moving on together, though, is harder than either of them realized it would be. Kelly struggles with simply being a lover instead of the Doc, while Nick is mired in his recovery. The distance between them inches along in stilted silence.

Desperately seeking solace, Nick finally gathers the courage to sort through the possessions his dear friend and fellow Sidewinder teammate Elias Sanchez left him when he died. Instead of comforting memories, Nick and Kelly find a stack of letters and strict instructions from Eli that prompt them to send out a call for assistance. With Eli’s letters in hand, Sidewinder sets out on one last mission together, seeking peace and absolution from beyond the grave—and from each other.

No...this can't be how the series ends...I refuse to believe that after 12 books, this is how Abigail Roux decides to send off my favourite characters.
How sad. 😢
Granted, Part & Parcel was better than Cross&Crown, but not as good as it should be, and definitely not as good as I expected.

I appreciated the sentiment behind it, it was indeed a very moving story. Having all Sidewinder go on a spiritual journey of sorts while saying goodbye to their fallen brother in arms; it was the tear-jerker story suited to close the series. Why was Zane there, though? I get it, he is part of the gang blah blah but he is not Sidewinder, and his presence there undercut the tone of the story. He stuck out like a shore thumb, something that he even acknowledged himself in the book!
It wasn't a deal breaker though, I could easily have looked passed it if the rest of the book was OK.
It wasn't.

Part&Parcel belongs in the Sidewinder series, so I naturally expected that it would be primarily focused on Nick and Kelly. I didn't mind the other Sidewinder members being there, not at all, but I realised very early in the book that Roux didn't actually know what to do with all these characters so it was very unclear what was the point of the book : was it Nick and Kelly's relationship? Was it saying goodbye to Eli? Was it Nick dealing with his issues? Was it Nick's suddenly revealed past? Was it Ty and Zane? It was none of these things and yet all of it at once, and it didn't make for good storytelling. It was a hot mess, actually.

Nick was not the Nick I got to know and root for in Divide&Conquer and definitely not the Nick I fell in love with in Shock&Awe. To put it bluntly, we was a sad sack throughout the whole book, constantly moping and brooding. And while I completely get why (he almost died and lost a friend) and while I generally like brooding men, Nick seemed to sulk about Kelly, and how he is not worthy of him, and all this nonsense. What happened to the confident Nick? The Nick who inspired all the others with his assertiveness? Yes, he lied to them in Crush&Burn, but come on! He is Nick! His team knows him and has been trusting him blindly for years. Plus, everything Nick had to do for Bell was explained in the end, and all his friends stood by him when he was in the hospital. If Kelly decided he didn't want to be with him after this, it's his decision to make. He is a mature man who has been through wars (!) Nick telling him he is not worthy of his love, is just ridiculous and just drama for the sake of drama. No need for all that. Just a nice, heartwarming story about saying goodbye to a friend concluding the series, would have been more than enough. It reminded me of Touch&Geaux so much, the "I have to create drama out of nowhere to keep the readers interested". No. No need. Yes, feel free to create drama when it's appropriate and suits the story, but when it's out of the blue just to fill the pages with something? Nah, I don't accept that.

Kelly was no better. He was actually the queen of drama, and I wasn't digging that at all. Making a whole thing about seeing an old sex tape of Nick's? Yeah, and? So what? Was he not allowed to have a life before Kelly? And all the back and forth of fighting and making up, and fighting again and then making up again, ugh. Very annoying and didn't serve any purpose.
The way both Nick and Kelly acted, I honestly believed they shouldn't be together. Gone was the sizzling chemistry they had in Sock&Awe. Reading Part&Parcel, you'd think they were this very old couple who got tired of each other and are just looking for a way out. That is how Roux's writing felt like to me-I sensed that by the end of it all, she was exhausted and just wanted to finally finish the book (repeating patterns, phrases, jokes etc.) Also, throwing some LGBTQ+ reps in the last 10 pages, doesn't compensate for the complete character destruction and lack of story.

Finally, the sex scenes, the one potentially redeeming quality of the book, were not great. It felt like Nick and Kelly's sexual chemistry and connection were completely gone, and I personally didn't feel anything going through those scenes. We're talking about the same two people who were hotness personified at the start of their relationship in Shock&Awe. What happened??

I don't know what else to say, I am deeply disappointed in this very weak ending of one of my favorite MM series.
That being said, I will always remember its good moments, and all the reasons that made me fall in love with its characters 🌟

*** 🥇 1st place - 3 way tie between Sticks&Stones, Stars&Stripes and Shock&Awe: these books give me life, I adore them ❤️
*** 🥈 2nd place - very close second is Fish&Chips (nothing better than a submissive Ty 😏)
*** 🥉3rd place - Divide&Conquer (hello Nick :)

READING: Cross & Crown (Sidewinder #2) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: June 9 2014

Published by: Riptide

Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense

Rating:

When Nick O'Flaherty arrives at the scene of a double homicide to find he has a witness to the crime, he thinks it’s his lucky day. But when he realizes his witness is suffering from amnesia and can’t even remember his own name, Nick wishes he’d gone with his gut and put in for vacation time.

Then Nick’s boyfriend and former Recon teammate, Kelly Abbott, joins him in Boston, and Nick finds his hands a little too full as the case and his personal life collide. The witness he’s dubbed “JD” is being tailed by Julian Cross, a retired CIA hitman. To complicate matters further, JD forms an attachment to Nick that Nick struggles not to respond to as they search for the key to JD’s identity.

Trying to determine whether JD is friend or foe as they investigate the crime puts them on the trail of a much older mystery. When multiple attempts are made on their lives, Nick is forced to turn to old enemies and new allies to solve a centuries-old crime before he and Kelly get added to the history books.

 

Very disappointed 😕
I don’t think I have ever rated an Abigail Roux book below 3 stars-not even Ball & Chain which is my least favorite of the C&R series-so you can imagine my dislike for this book. And after Shock & Awe, which I absolutely adore? Ts ts how could you do this to me Mrs. Roux??

I feel like every beautiful and loving aspect of Nick and Kelly’s relationship built in just 125 pages in Sock & Awe, was torn apart in the 225 pages of Cross and Crown, and quite easily actually. I have to admit, I am not a Julian fan. I don’t know what it is. Maybe because I don’t get his relationship with Cameron (like at all), or maybe because he just blends together with all the other alpha, macho males in every Abigail Roux book. He is not something that I have not seen before, therefore he is boring to me.
That being said, Julian is the least of this book’s problems, he didn’t even register.

My issue is: what happened to Nick and Kelly’s chemistry??? And I am not even talking about the sizzling hot connection they shared in S&A. I am talking about their genuine close friendship and comradery. Their scenes felt real forced, and it felt like reading about two strangers. They lost that familiarity and ease they had in S&A and all the previous C&R books, and I never really got why. Granted, they were still trying to figure out their relationship, but they seemed to had it all figured out at the start, but now all of a sudden not so much. There was always something not quite right between them and their scenes were even awkward sometimes.
Yes, and the sex ones. 😟 Not much joy there, as I personally thought their sex scenes were cringey, and they made things even worse.

Kelly seemed to suddenly be on the fence about his relationship with Nick, even though he kept insisting he was in love with him. There always seemed to be doubt in his mind and he, more than Nick, would find a million excuses, like Nick’s work (super unfair to Nick) him living far away, to name a few, to try and justify his uncertainty. He never stopped to think that the only problem was that he was scared shitless to commit to Nick! I would much rather he admitted it, than being a whingey sook for the whole book. Again – this is not the Kelly I knew! I don’t know what came over him in Cross & Crown. Personally, I believe Roux created too much drama over absolutely nothing (or at least issues that could very easily been discussed and resolved) thus weakening the characters, and losing focus of what really mattered.

Nick was pretty much the same, but he too lost his strong and confident personality. He allowed himself to be led by Kelly’s whims, no matter how irrational. I completely disagree with other readers claiming that Nick is turning into Superman like Ty, not at all. I think the opposite, if anything. It gave me the impression that Nick was way more in love and committed to Kelly than Kelly, and that was so not the case in Shock and Awe.
Sigh.

The story was not notable, in my opinion. There was nothing engaging or interesting about the mystery and that made me not really care about any of the secondary characters who were just decorative.
I adore Nick. I loved him since the beginning – getting flashbacks from Divide & Conquer now ❤️ Where is THAT Nick? Bring him back! Or at least naturally change him for the better.

I am warning you know 👉
If you ruin Nick for me on what looks like the last book in the series, I will never forgive you 😭

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 :)

READING: Ball & Chain (Cut & Run #8) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: March 17 2014
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

Home from their unexpected deployment, the former members of Marine Force Recon team Sidewinder rejoin their loved ones and try to pick up the pieces of the lives they were forced to leave behind. Ty Grady comes home to Zane Garrett, only to find that everything around him has changed—even the men he went to war with. He barely has time to adjust before his brother, Deuce, asks Ty to be his best man. But that isn’t all Deuce asks Ty to do, and Ty must call for backup to deal with the business issues of Deuce’s future father-in-law.

Nick O’Flaherty and Kelly Abbott join Ty and Zane at the wedding on an island in Scotland, thinking they’re there to assuage Deuce’s paranoia. But when bodies start dropping and boats start sinking, the four men get more involved with the festivities than they’d ever planned to.

With the clock ticking and the killer just as stuck on the isolated island as they are, Ty and Zane must navigate a veritable minefield of family, friends, and foes to stop the whole island from being destroyed. 

2nd read (Nov 2 2018)
Ha! Who was I kidding? Of course I would re read Ball&Chain! It's a Ty&Zane book, I mean come on.

I admit, it was slightly better than I remembered. Although that probably had something to do with the fact that my opinion of it could not get any lower :/
Like I said, Zane seeing Ty for the first time after coming back from his deployment is pure perfection. In some weird way it reminded me of the first time Alexander saw Tatiana at a bus stop in Bronze Horseman. Nothing can compare to that of course, but both scenes stirred the same emotions in me. Different intensity, but still. 

Nick continues to remain awesome and cool, having the best story line, the best character development, the best lines. He even beat Ty in greatness, which is an impossible feat! For me, Ty and Nick's friendship falling apart, as interesting as it was, came out of blue. I didn't really know what brought on such huge and emotional fights between them, until they explained it in the end and it still kinda didn't make any sense. I really liked their heartfelt scenes, but what was the point of them exactly? To drive a wedge between Ty and Nick so Nick seems closer to Kelly? To make Ty drop out of Nick's life eventually so Roux doesn't have to write Ty in Nick's books? To avoid writing Ty and Zane scenes? Latter seems most possible, as Zane was a secondary character in his own book in B&C. Didn't participate in any action, always hanging back with Kelly, he even let his unbelievably claustrophobic boyfriend to traverse through an underground maze alone. Really?? I didn't really like their sex scenes either, they were just there to fill the pages.
Also as I mentioned before, what was with all the laughing and snorting and chuckling and smirking, even in situations that was just weird and creepy to do so?

B&C is 100% a Sidewinder book, Nick O'Flaherty galore. With a little bit of Grady on the side.
If you are a fan of Nick, you are not going to completely hate it.
If you're on the fence about him, don't even bother.

1st read (Jul 3 2018)
I'm so disappointed, I think I'm gonna cry :( Expected a whole lot more, being so close to the end.
I can't decide if this book is a C&R book or a Sidewinder book. I think it's neither. It doesn't do Nick and Kelly justice, it definitely doesn't do Ty and Zane justice. For sure the less romantic/sexy book out of the bunch, even with all the 

marriage proposals

The plot was almost laughable, characters went unutilized (we barely saw enough of Deuce, even though it was his wedding) and there was so much going on, and none of it made any sense. The writing brought back some not so great memories from book 1, it was very erratic and I'm pretty sure unedited.
With the exception of the first 50 pages or so (I will never forget the moment Zane sees Ty at the bus depot <3 and="" at="" average="" awesome="" best="" completely="" is="" nbsp="" nick="" pretty="" relationship="" rest="" s="" span="" the="" ty="" unmemorable.="" was="" which="" with="">
I mean, Zane was MIA for almost the whole book! He was just there so other people could go and dumb all their emotional baggage on, and him going "Yes, hm, yes" or laughing. The guys laughed A LOT on this one, even when shit was getting serious-what's up with that? 
Anyway, so when did Zane become everyone's "go-to" person for advice and personal stuff? And coming after book 7 especially, when he comes completely unhinged! Granted, some time passes between books 7 and 8, but we haven't been shown how he grew/changed AT ALL. We are just supposed to imagine it I guess, and that's that. That's ridiculous imo, and Zane just wasn't Zane in this one at all. He didn't even get involved in the action, he always stayed back with Kelly and let the others fight and be heroes. I mean, really??
It will probably be the only book in the series I am not planning on re-reading *gasp*

READING: Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: April 08 2013
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

After having their faces plastered across the news during a high-profile case, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have become more useful to the Bureau posing for photo ops than working undercover. Just as Zane is beginning to consider retirement a viable option, Ty receives a distress call from a friend, leading them to a city rife with echoes from the past.

New Orleans wears its history on its streets, and it’s the one place Ty’s face could get him killed. Surrounded by trouble as soon as they land, Ty and Zane are swiftly confronted with a past from which Ty can’t hide—one with a surprising connection to Zane’s.

As threats close in from all directions, both men must come to terms with the lives they’ve led and the lies they’ve told. They soon discover that not all their secrets are out yet, and nothing lasts forever. 

2nd read (Oct 28 2018)

Cue: one long, not-that-frustrated-this-time, sigh.
And the reason for that is because this time around, I was prepared. I knew what was coming and succumbed to the idea of minor cursing and rude gesticulation when reading T&G.

My original thoughts on Touch&Geaux still stand, although given what I know now, I was more sad than angry. After reading Roux's statement in which she basically said that after the departure of Urban she was left with no plans for Zane's character development and that she didn't really know what to do with him, it all kinda fell into place. 

In Touch&Geaux Ty was, once again, the ultimate HERO. Taking bullets left and right, saving everyone, having ex lovers coming out of the woodwork. The whole story revolves around him, all the characters gravitate towards him, the plot is made with him in mind and because of him. All the others are supporting acts, including Zane. That is why Ty&Zane's fight failed to make the impact it was supposed to, because Zane is not seen as Ty's partner, as his equal. He is seen as his side piece. But that was not always the case, and I guess that's what makes it so hard to accept. When did Zane start fading in the background and Ty started shining so blindly he obliterates everyone else? When Ty gave Zane the anchor token, I didn't think that Zane was the one grounding Ty, I thought Zane was actually weighing him down. He appears almost clingy, which is just crazy to me after all the work that had been put into their relationship. So, having that major explosion from Zane after Ty's revelations, is almost comical. Why is he even complaining, right? He should shut up and be grateful to have that young, hot, perfect man by his side. 

Well no, that's not how it works.
Ty hiding all this information from Zane, especially knowing his addictive and self destructive personality, was horrible of Ty, which he recognised a little, before he started getting all "Get over it, Garett." *eyeroll* Yes, Zane had every right to be angry, he had sacrificed so much for Ty.

When he says that he took off his wife's ring for Ty, he just broke my heart!

But on the other hand, Ty was right to tell him that he shouldn't have done all these sacrifices for Ty's sake, but for himself, and I agree. Because if Ty left for any reason, Zane was left with nothing and even worse off than he started. He should have gotten clean for himself and himself alone, he should have gotten past his wife's death for himself and no one else.
But then Ty had a line that made me see red 😡↓

"I can't sit on your pedestal". You fucking created that pedestal and you sat yourself proudly on it! And now that you've fallen off it by your own fault, you get upset by the reaction? Oh, I tell you, if I was Zane, I would have punched him, seriously.

But then everything else he said to Zane made sense and they were actually really sweet. But by the end I was thinking "Wait. Did Ty actually come out on top AGAIN??" The answer is yes, he did. Because Roux loves him, and she's always going to take his side no matter what, and it's so obvious, even though her personal bias shouldn't factor in the books at all.
Ty simply can do no wrong. And then he wonders why Zane put him on a pedestal. Pfft. 

So what is the takeaway from all that drama? That both Ty and Zane said things they weren't proud of and that Zane has to stop looking to Ty for everything, even though Ty had no problem being looked up to all this time. Because that is what Ty attributed Zane's dramatic reaction to his lies, that he depended on Ty too much.
TY LIED. REPEATEDLY. ABOUS SERIOUS STUFF. END OF STORY. Zane looking up to Ty had nothing to do with it, and to imply that it did is such a cheap shot.

I still loved reading a Tane book because I'm a hopeless hardcore fan, but if I'm being honest, after reading T&G I was very disappointed by what this series has become, a series with so much untapped potential and amazing characters :(

1st read (Jun 29 2018)

I'll begin the way all reviews for this book begin, I'm pretty sure: one long, frustrated sigh.

After drooling all over Stars&Stripes-no regrets!-I was so excited to read about my boys again. Especially since my sister warned me that something very important and heartbreaking happens in book 7. So, naturally, I was super curious and I thought what's more heartbreaking than someone close to them dying? Someone is dying in this, right? That's what I thought.
Then I started reading.
After the first scene with the photoshoot, which was admittedly more far fetched than the tiger in S&S (I mean, come on), I eased into the story, excited to read about my boys living it up in New Orleans.
I don't know if I've expressed enough how much I dig Nick, because I kinda love him. So, him being involved was definitely a bonus for me. 
All good so far, right? Right. 
I was hyper aware of everything that would give away who was dying, but my sister put me out of my misery and told me I was way off. That, and getting the whole New Orleans voodoo and magic vibe, I was pretty sure Ty had been cursed by his ex to be disgusted by Zane, or something like that. That would be devastating to Zane, for sure, especially if they couldn't find a cure blah blah
Then I read a bit more and this very twisted idea got stuck in my head: Ty was married and he never told Zane! I didn't think the specifics through obviously, but I had this sense of dread that I would be proven right. That would outright kill Zane. And me, quiet possibly. 
Then I read some more.
Turns out 1. I have a big and strange imagination and 2. none of the above happened.
When Ty revealed secret number 1, I was thinking "yeah, it's kind of a big thing, he should have told Zane, especially when things between them are so serious etc." but I didn't think it was THAT big of deal to make any significant impact. 
When he revealed secret number 2, I felt the same. At first.
I was bit taken aback because I didn't expect anything of the sort, but then I thought "wow, that's big". But again, big in a sense that it was too much to spring on to someone all at once. Especially to someone that trusts you blindly and thinks you are his entire world. Understandably in the beginning I was a bit underwhelmed by the revelation, but then reading Zane's reaction I thought "hold on, Zane is right: it is a huge deal, and he should be furious and smashing stuff all over the place".
But then again, I felt for Ty too (only a little, mind you) because Zane told him and did to him some horrible things that I don't know if I could personally ever forgive. But then again Zane was right to tell him all that, because Ty screwed up big time.
To cut a long story short, for the majority of the book I was going back and forth, debating who is right and who is wrong, something that generated some very interesting discussions with my sister, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 
So, even though Zane was breaking my heart slowly and painfully with every page, I kept reading and reading.
All this preamble actually has a point and I'm about to make it: I am trying to show you how emotionally invested a reader gets, especially a full blown Tane addict as I am, and how absolutely freaking frustrating it is for me when the resolution of something presented as such a huge deal 

Zane calling Ty a coward, telling him they're through and all that, IS actually a huge deal for books based solely on a romantic relationship

is so so poorly constructed. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't believe that after all the threats, the drinking, the brutal beatings and all things detrimental to any relationship, these two just made up after an unacceptably short period of time. Just like that. Not only Zane shouldn't have forgiven that easily no matter how much in love he was, Ty shouldn't forgive him either! Of course, I didn't want them to break up and be heartbroken for ever but Jeez, just make it a little bit more realistic. You don't have to put these two together ALL THE TIME to write about their relationship. They apparently needed to work stuff out, just give them some space. It has happened a couple of times in previous books, but then I brushed it off because even though it was equally frustrating, it wasn't as important as in this one. I don't want to take any jabs at Roux's writing, but I would love to see her take more risks with it and not just play it safe. To me personally, it was so damn annoying, it ruined the rest of the book. Even when 

Ty urged Zane to be by himself for a while and learn to live without him (the most sincere and mature words they had ever spoken), was nowhere near as emotional a scene as it should be, it was a very quick and Zane living by himself, even quicker.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when you gamble in big revelations and severe changes in relationship dynamics after 7 books, you should know how to handle your characters. Otherwise, the changes leave no impression and they lose their significance and then what is really the point?

Did I love reading about Ty and Zane? Of course I did, I'm a hardcore fan, I never denied it. And as a hardcore fan I might have lost my objectivity a little, but not so much that I cannot recognise that Touch&Geaux was, if not badly written, dangerously careless with the character development, making me one very cranky reader.

READING: Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6) by Abigail Roux

Publication date: August 13 2012
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they're living together conflict-free, work is going smoothly, and they're both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last.

When an emergency call from home upsets the balance of their carefully arranged world, Ty and Zane must juggle family drama with a perplexing crime to save a helpless victim before time runs out.

From the mountains of West Virginia to a remote Texas horse ranch harboring more than just livestock and childhood memories, Ty and Zane must face their fears—and their families—to overcome an unlikely enemy and bring peace back into their newly shared world. 

2nd read (Oct 24 2018)
My opinion still stands-I believe Stars&Stripes is absolutely adorable and I love it. 
Ty and Zane are perfect together, and in S&S they finally realise there won't be anyone else for them and that they will spend the rest of their lives together. Coming to that realisation so naturally and smoothly, made for one very sweet, very cute book. But also hot and steamy because, you know, Ty and Zane. Those 2 in this one...*fans herself* Just read it, that's all I'm saying.

Tiger, shmiger. Who cares? Yes, it was ridiculous but also kinda funny. I let myself get drawn in by the whole Texas scene so I didn't really mind, to be honest. Give me horses, Stetsons and lassos and I'm good to go! Probably what Ty was thinking as well, that's why he couldn't get his hands off Zane :P

I knew I would love Stars&Stripes right from the start. Ty waking up next to Zane playfully flicking Zane's nose while Zane was sleeping, while he was swatting Ty's hand in his sleep and Ty was chuckling, I mean how can that not melt your heart? Adorable ❤

1st read (Jun 24 2018)
I know a couple of my friends and die hard C&R fans didn't like this one, and I get why, but I couldn't help but love it. 
It was, I'm pretty sure, the most romantic book of the bunch so far. I guess that is why I liked it so much and others didn't. I never pegged myself as a big softie, quiet the opposite actually. But these two just melt my heart. They can do whatever, no matter how ridiculous, and I will find it adorable and super cute. In Stars&Stripes they were like fireworks together, every time they looked at each other I could feel how much in love they were, and the whole book from beginning to end was about that. After a year of living together and six books, I think it was necessary and they totally deserve it. To just be with each other and be completely in love. 
Loved both ↓

coming outs to their families, I must admit Ty's more than Zane's for the sole reason that we didn't know much about Zane's family until now. Zane's father's line about the gay bull is one for the ages!

Loved both sex scenes-possibly the best in the whole series ("Must be the Stetson"), loved the whole melancholic Texas vibe and Zane's accent coming out and driving Ty crazy, Zane's southern get up, the fact that they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and, because I don't want to repeat myself, everything Tane related.
Zane's utter idolisation of Ty is just phenomenal. We always see Ty through his eyes (Ty's POV are very rare) and that's why he always appears to be so cool, good at everything, very smart, loyal and honourable, hot as hell and everything anyone could ever wish for. In other words, Ty can do no wrong as far as Zane is concerned. He is completely devoted to him, and that is why I think even the tiniest misstep from Ty will absolutely devastate Zane. I don't want it to happen, but I'm afraid it will in book 7, I can see it coming :/

Granted, the story was simplistic, to put it mildly, and the tiger thing completely unnecessary and over the top. If you think about it though, aren't all story lines in C&R books very simple because they focus more on Ty and Zane's relationship? I mean, let's be honest, I am not reading this series for the amazingly complex and original story line. And after six books, Ty and Zane's relationship needed to go forward and mature, and not be limited to hard fucking and sexual tension all the time. It is natural and lovely and was described beautifully in Stars&Stripes. 

Are there really only 3 books left???? *shudder* Can't even think about that right now...

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!

READING: Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run #4) by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Publication date: October 14 2011
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Crime
Rating: 

Baltimore, Maryland, is a city in alarming distress. Rising violence is fanning the flames of public outrage, and all law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are catching blame. Thus the FBI’s latest ideas to improve public relations: a municipal softball league and workshops for community leaders. But the new commitments just mean more time Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have to spend apart when they’re happily exploring how to be more than by-the-book partners.

Then the latest spate of crime explodes in their faces—literally—throwing the city, the Bureau, and Ty and Zane’s volatile partnership both in and out of the office into chaos. They’re hip-deep in trouble, trying to track down bombers and bank robbers in the dark with very few clues, and the only way to reach the light at the end of the tunnel together requires Ty and Zane to close their eyes and trust each other to the fiery end.

2nd read (Oct 13 2018)
I pretty much have the same opinion of D&C as I did the first time. This time however, I enjoyed parts that I didn't particularly like back in May, and parts I did like back then I was like meh about now. That always happens with re-reads though; you brace yourself for the bad parts, that way they don't look that bad the second time around.
D&C is too convoluted. Important things are happening that should have been explored further but weren't because they were just too many. It's like they shoved all their ideas in a 320 pages hoping it will make for a glorious book, but it didn't.
It's not bad, but it'd be better if the content, properly developed this time, was split between two books. 

Zane realizes he loves Ty, Ty sings (!), Ty's Bronco gets blown up, new female character is introduced (a novelty for C&R books) from Ty's past and she was gone the next minute, Zane is blinded, Zane declares his love to Ty as they slow dance (I mean...), we meet Ty's friends, which is a huge, huge deal, Ty comes out to them, which is even a bigger deal, Nick kisses Ty (!!!), Zane gets his sight back, Zane and Ty are trapped under rubble in an old mausoleum, Zane declares his love to Ty (again), Ty leaves him. Plus, you know. The bombings and bank robberies or whatever. It was just too much.

1st read (May 13 2018)
Omg are you kidding me with that ending???

I still can't decide if this book is a 4 or a 5. There were a couple of moments I didn't particularly like, important moments that were brushed off casually, suffering from bad writing, and others I absolutely loved. It's never been more apparent that these books are written by two completely different people.
Let's say it's 4 and a half. For now.