STATIC

TITLE: STATIC

AUTHOR: L.A. WITT

Pages: 236

Date: 11/02/2014

Grade: 5+

Details: Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant though, Alex is suddenly static – unable to shift – and male. Overnight, he’s out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters...and to his heterosexual boyfriend.

Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex’s health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.

Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but doesn’t see how they can get through this.

Especially if he’s static forever.”

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My thoughts:

Every now and again I pick up a book that blows me away, a book that is more than a good story, a story that does more than entertain me. Some books manage to touch me on a deeper level and make me want to go out and shout the title from the rooftops, bully people into buying and reading the book now, immediately. ‘Static is one of those books.’

For starters there is the story of Alex and Damon who have been dating for two years. They have grown so close that Damon wants to marry his girlfriend, although she doesn’t seem to be as eager as he is to tie the knot. Damon knows there is something bothering Alex. She seems to have mood-swings, suffer with bouts of depression and uses alcohol to medicate herself on occasion. Damon has no idea why Alex is this way but accepts her as she appears to be, darker periods and all.

One night, after she has visited the parents she’s estranged from, Alex fails to contact Damon. Worried about the woman he loves Damon goes to her house only to be confronted by a handsome man when the door opens.

Damon is shocked to discover this man is Alex; that the girl he has been dating for two years is in fact a shifter, one of a small percentage of people capable of changing their gender depending on whether they feel male or female. Not that Damon has a problem with the idea of shifters. In a world where most people disapprove of shifters and would prefer to deny their right to live their life in whatever body they need to, Damon is among the accepting minority.

The problem is that Alex is no longer able to shift. Thanks to an implant that was forced on him without his consent, Alex is now static in his male body. And Damon is straight.

The problems Alex and Damon face are endless. Living in a world where shifting is considered an anomaly and most people only know Alex as a girl, the man Alex finds himself confronted by discrimination, gossip and bullying.

“This world is designed for people whose brains match their bodies, and fuck anyone who not only can but needs to change from day to day or hour to hour.”

Imprisoned in his male body even when everything inside him screams that he is female is almost impossible to deal with as is the thought that he is stuck in this situation thanks to an illegal operation inflicted upon him by his parents. And to top it all off there’s the fact that illegal implants can pose a health risk while removal of it is both very dangerous and not always successful. And finally there is Damon, the man Alex loves, the partner he kept secrets from, his very straight lover who may not be able to stay with him now that he’s no longer able to be female.

Damon has his own set of problems to deal with. He’s worried about his partner’s health both mentally and physically of course but there’s more. Once he gets used to the idea that his girlfriend is now male, and possibly locked into that body forever, Damon has to sort out his feelings for Alex.

“Of course he’s Alex. But he’s not. But he is.”

Damon is lucky that he has friends he can talk to, people who understand shifting as well as his doubts and confusion.

“What you need to do is stop looking for the woman you knew. Just look for the person.”

But advice, no matter how good, isn’t always easy to follow. If Damon is sure of one thing it is that he is straight. And Alex, at least for now but maybe forever, is male.

“I loved Alex and always would, but didn’t know how to love him now. What would happen when we got tired of not touching?”

Damon’s journey from confusion, through stubborn loyalty to the understanding that things haven’t really changed as much as he’d thought was breath-taking.

 “I loved him the same as I loved her because they were one and the same.”

The night when Alex discovers he has far more support than he could ever have imagined is the same night when Damon discovers that love is love, no matter what body your lover happens to be living in.

“The intimacy was still there from before this had all started, right there waiting this whole time for us to come and get it.”

This was the section of the book I read with tears in my eyes. The ending of the book put a huge grin on my face and made me happy. The scenes where it all comes together for Alex and Damon touched my heart and will stay with me for a very long time.

“I’d had to learn to navigate some unfamiliar terrain, but the desire was still there because I wanted Alex, in every way, on every level, I wanted Alex.”

This book was a compulsive read for me on every level. I loved the way in which it was written, found myself completely engrossed in the story, felt all the feelings for and with the characters and couldn’t stop reading until the very last page.

In the author’s Note L.A. Witt says the following:

“By the time I finished Static, I had a much deeper and more sympathetic understanding of people whose gender identity doesn’t fall into the culturally accepted binary of male-bodied men and female-bodied women.”

The author continues by stating that she hopes the same will be true for the reader and I can assure her that it was definitely the case for me. I can’t speak for anyone else of course, but I’d challenge anyone to read this book and not walk away with a better understanding of gender issues. I’ve no idea why it is easier for me to imagine how painful it would be to lose the ability to shift between genders than it is to imagine the feeling of living in the wrong body but for me that is how it worked. It is as if this book has removed blinkers from my eyes; as if I can suddenly see and understand things that were always there but out of focus for me.

This is the sort of book that should be required reading for everyone. Stories like ‘Static’ make a subject that is hard to deal with for a lot of people more accessible and will, hopefully and over time, create understanding and thus, a better and more tolerant world. I’m sure some will say I’m naive and overly optimistic but I have to believe that the day will come when people will be allowed to be who they need to be without the rest of the world feeling entitled to tell them they’re wrong.

The author added that she hopes her readers enjoy the story. I hope my review has made it clear how much I loved this story and the message it so eloquently shares.

MARKED

TITLE: MARKED

AUTHORS: Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend

                & Kit Rocha

Pages: 412

Date: 08/02/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: No. 3.5 Beyond

            No. 1 Thompson & Sons

            No. 1 Metamorphosis

            Received from Kit Rocha

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch - the man she loved three years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.

Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.

Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up--and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants.”

My thoughts

Reviewing and rating anthologies is hard. I don’t think it is possible to find a collection of stories by different authors and enjoy them all to the same extent. This book came close though. While I wasn’t equally in love with all three novellas there is little to separate them and all of them managed to push my buttons just that way.

I suppose comparing the three stories wouldn’t be fair anyway. I have been a fan of Kit Rocha’s ‘Beyond’ series for a while now and have managed to fall head over heels for the O’Kane’s and Sector Four. Vivian Arend and Lauren Dane on the other hand, are both new to me authors although I’ve got a feeling that is a state of affairs that’s to change in the not too distant future.

I’ll give a short review as well as an individual rating for each of the three novellas below. As far as the book as a whole is concerned I’ll limit myself to saying that the stories are well written, the characters interesting and the scenes incredibly hot. All three of these novellas will leave you with an appetite for more.

Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha (5)

Four years ago Noah Lennox promised his dying friend that he would keep his younger sister safe. And for a long time he thought he’d succeeded in doing just that. Recently Noah has discovered that rather than living away from the Sectors in safety Emma, the girl he was supposed to protect, is living in Sector Four, fully integrated in the O’Kane clan. He tells himself he only wants to make sure she’s safe, but when Noah and Emma are reunited it is impossible to deny the attraction between them. The feelings have always been there, but now that Emma is all grown up, they’ve become impossible to suppress.

Emma knows what she wants and it is Noah, it has always been Noah.

Noah knows he isn’t good enough for Emma but can’t deny the pull she has on him and is powerless against her persuasion.

“(...) giving him everything he’d never dreamt of allowing himself to want.”

When a secret Noah has been keeping for years is revealed, Emma turns away from him although it breaks her heart. But, while Noah knows that Emma no longer needs him to keep her safe, he can’t make himself stay away from her.

“There was no part of him he hadn’t yielded to her, heart and soul, past and future.”

Emma is a real O’Kane woman. She loves men but doesn’t need them. She’ll take Noah back, but only on her own terms, only in a partnership of equals.

“Laughter, love, and a lover who didn’t need to be her savior, didn’t need her helpless and at his mercy. Everything she’d ever wanted, in the one man she’d always craved.”

I may have said this before, but I guess there’s no harm in saying it again; I love the ‘Beyond’ stories. I fell in love with the post-apocalyptic setting and the O’Kane’s in ‘Beyond Shame’ and that feeling has only grown stronger with each subsequent story. There is something wonderful about a series in which strong men and women find their own balance on their own terms while living according to a high standard of honour. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with dominant, tattooed bad-boys and the women who know just how to handle them. This novella, like all its prequels was a hot erotic romance set in a dark and thrilling world where danger lurks around every corner. These stories take the reader on an exhilarating ride, always leaving us both satisfied and hungry for more.

Rocky Ride by Vivian Arend (4+)

I liked this stories in which two friends with benefits slowly come to the realisation that they want to be more to each other.

Anna Coleman is a cop who’s worked hard to arrive where she is and is very reluctant to do anything that might jeopardise her position in the department. Being seen to be dating Mitch Thompson might put her career prospects in serious danger. In fact she has one colleague who goes out of his way to tell her how inappropriate such a relationship would be.

Mitch Thompson has a bit of a reputation as a local bad boy; with his tattoos, and a penchant for bikes he exhumes danger more than ‘perfect husband material’ but Anna can’t deny that the chemistry between them is scorching.

After two months of causal but very inventive sex, Mitch is ready to take his affair with Anna to the next level but:

“Mitch Thompson had fallen hopelessly in love with the worst possible woman in town – one fighting tooth and nail against letting her real nature free.”

When Mitch convinces Anna to give a relationship a try it raises a few eye-brows but doesn’t appear to cause the problems Anna has been anticipating. And there’s no denying the two of them are good together. However when Mitch is faced with the idea that her relationship with him might cause Anna to miss out on a huge career opportunity he takes a decision that might cause him to lose everything he wants before he’s even gotten close to it.

This was a rather sweet story. I wasn’t entirely convinced by Anna’s issues as far as the risk to her career was concerned but did like the way she got her revenge. The chemistry between these two characters was scorching hot.

“I want to savour you. I want to taste every inch of you until you’re mine all over again.” – Mitch

Some exchanges between Mitch and Anna are funny;

“I’d never turn down the offer to take you for a ride.”

While there is also room for moments of wonderful tenderness:

“You can keep your fire hidden from everyone else, as long as you promise to always let it burn with me.”

In short this was a sexy and sweet story that delivers everything you might look for in an erotic romance with abundance.

All That Remains by Lauren Dane (4.5)

Centuries from now the world has gone through radical changes. A plague has killed a large proportion of humanity and those who remain live in an environment drastically altered by climate change and a society in which men vastly outnumber women.

In a small settlement called Paradise, Summer has created a satisfying life for herself. She has a job she loves, is close to the sister she wants to keep an eye on and happy with her circumstances. When she meets Charlie it is a case of lust at first sight. The only kink in what would have been a hot and carefree entanglement is Hatch; Charlie’s partner and the man who loved and left Summer.

The attraction between Hatch and Summer is as strong as it has always been, but Summer can’t bring herself to trust him or to risk being hurt by him again. If these three are going to establish a successful relationship Hatch will have to do a lot of grovelling, Summer will need to forgive and trust again and Charlie will need all his mediating skills.

“I’m not sure I’d be able to find my way back to Hatch without you.” – Summer to Charlie.

I really liked the setting in this story. I like the idea of relationships taking the form of Triads and Quarts to compensate for the surplus of men and I loved that the author took the time to illustrate that those relationships need a different form of management and compromise in order to succeed.

The interactions between the three characters were fascinating; individual traits result in sparkling interactions. Because Summer, Hatch and Charlie are different and complement each other it was easy to believe in this relationship and root for a happy ending.

I’m glad this is the first instalment in a series and look forward to reading more stories set in this place called Paradise.

THE SEDUCTION OF VALENTINE DAY

TITLE: THE SEDUCTION OF VALENTINE DAY

AUTHOR: EDEN BRADLEY

Pages: 291

Date: 05/04/2014

Grade: 4

Details: Received from Black Lace

Own

The blurb:

“She lives in a world of silk sheets, champagne, and expensive hotels...

She fulfils the deepest fantasies of the most powerful men in the world: Valentine Day is a high-class call girl, pampered and adored by her exclusive clientele.

But Valentine has a secret. Always in control, she’s never experienced true pleasure. But now, the woman who spends her life pleasuring others is about to embark on an erotic journey of her own...”

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My thoughts:

“I have never had an orgasm with a man unless he’s paying to have sex with me.”

Valentine Day – Val to her clients – is a high class call girl and has been for almost 10 years. She is good at the job and gets real satisfaction from it. In fact, being paid to be with a man is the only way she’s ever been able to achieve satisfaction. She firmly believes that this is the life for her, that her clients are the only men who can give her what she needs and that this makes her incapable of normal relationships.

Then Valentine meets Joshua Spencer. From the moment she is first aware of him something inside her reacts to his presence. And although she knows better she can’t quite bring herself to reject his approach. Just thinking about Joshua brings her to levels of arousal she’s never believed herself capable of.

“Joshua Spencer has ruined everything for me. But I’m not angry. I’m simply yearning, in a way I never have in my entire life. I’m helpless against it, this yearning.”

Being with him is even better. For the first time in her life she achieves satisfaction without the need for the exchange of money. In fact, she’s discovering levels of pleasure she has never been able to reach, even while at work.

Of course, things are never that easy. Valentine is still a working girl with clients who expect a certain performance from her. But after Joshua she’s no longer able to lose herself in her job the way she used to. And her clients notice.

“Something is missing (...) I no longer love being here.”

The first time she allows Joshua into her house, Valentine is aware she’s on a slippery slope there may be no coming back from.

“Immediately, I am lost. This is exactly what I was afraid of. This is exactly what I’ve dreamed of.”

But she’s fallen too hard to turn the back the clock. And when Joshua declares he wants to be with her even after she tells him about her profession, Valentine knows she has to make big changes.

For Joshua things are simple; they are in love with each other and if their love is strong enough they’ll overcome the issue of her past and find their way to a future together.

“That love exists despite our flaws. Despite my own flaws. Despite yours.” – Joshua

It is a lot harder for Valentine. She has to surrender to love, a force she’s never believed in. She has to accept that she is good enough for this wonderful man who has fallen for her and she has to find a way of coming to terms with her past. During her ten years as a professional, Valentine knew she had to be perfect for every single one of her clients. Learning that perfection is not a normal state of affairs takes time, and trust.

“There is no right way. (...) There is no perfect relationship. There are no perfect people. We all just flounder around and hope everything turns out okay. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I just expect you to be you, to be true to your feelings.” – Joshua

I enjoyed this book and I liked Valentine. She is a believable character. It makes sense that she never questioned her life-style while it was giving her exactly what she needed, on her terms. Just as it was logical for her to start questioning everything once she fell in love and wanted something else from life. The changes in this character were fascinating. She starts of as a self-assured professional woman only to find herself behaving like a love sick teenager when she falls for Joshua. The combination of a rotten childhood, falling in love for the first time and sudden shame about the way she’s made her living turn Valentine into bundle of nerves. But she’s never that uncertain that she doesn’t continue to push herself forward, forcing herself to face her fears and deal with them.

Joshua was almost too good to be true, but somehow that was exactly what this story needed. And his devotion to Valentine, even when he finds out about her history and comes face to face with the reality of it, gives this book the sort of fairytale like quality that can be quite nice in a romance.

This is a sex driven story, and considering Valentine’s job that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Fortunately this doesn’t come at the expense of the rest of the story which is well told, beautifully written and totally captivating. In fact, I’d say the balance between steamy scenes and character and story development was as near to perfect as any reader might hope for.

This was a good book written by an author with a real talent for writing fascinating erotic fiction.

PAYOFF

TITLE: PAYOFF

AUTHOR: L.A Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Pages: 52

Date: 04/02/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: no.6 Market Garden

            Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Tristan and Jared have got it made. When they aren’t raking in the cash together at Market Garden, they’re burning up their own sheets and getting closer by the day. But something isn’t right. Tristan’s on edge, and Jared doesn’t understand why.

Before Jason can hash things out, their services are requested by none other than Rolex. And Rolex doesn’t just want to be a bystander this time. He wants Jared while Tristan watches, and he’s more than willing to pay for it.

But Tristan’s reached breaking point, and even a huge wad of cash might not be enough to keep tonight’s arrangement from crashing and burning.”

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My thoughts:

It hasn’t been that long since I first discovered L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov, and I’ve spent most of my time since then trying to catch up with their writing. These two authors together create wonderful and very hot stories – although I have to add that their individual novels are equally as good.

This is the second ‘Market Garden’ story I’ve read and I have to admit that I’m falling head over heels for series. At first glance it might appear that maybe the world of rent-boys isn’t the most likely place for love stories. First glances, however, can be deceptive since 'Capture and Surrender'  and ‘PayOff’ most definitely are romances.

Jared and Tristan have been working as a team for a while now and are good at it. Whenever they work a client together they are able to make far more money than they could individually. On top of that the two men have grown close. They share their bodies not only with or for their clients; they find their biggest pleasure in private, just the two of them together for the joy of it.

Lately things haven’t been that great though. Something is troubling Tristan and Jared can’t put his finger on what might be wrong but fears his partner might want to end what they have together. And whatever is wrong with Tristan, he is disinclined to talk about it.

When a favourite client of theirs hires them for the night things come to a head. The man wants to bed Jared while Tristan watches. It is not the first time something like this has been suggested or even delivered, but this time Tristan can’t stand it. Interrupting proceedings may well anger the client and upset Jared, but Tristan can’t deal with the jealousy he feels while watching the man he’s developed feelings for with the client they call Rolex.

What follows is inspired, beautiful, hot and not something I’m inclined to say more about. You should read the book and enjoy it for yourself.

I enjoyed this novella. It is a short and quick read but that doesn’t mean that the reader is short-changed. We are given enough story and insight into the characters to get lost in their feelings. Tristan’s tension and his inner struggle when he finds himself torn between the demands of the job he has loved for so long and his sudden reluctance to share Jared with anyone is palatable. And Jared’s confusion at the sudden and for him inexplicable changes in Tristan is understandable, as is his fear that Tristan might be losing interest in their off-the-job relationship. The scenes that follow once the two men have revealed their feelings to each other were inspired and sexy to the extreme.

I love how these authors have managed to take a setting and subject that might well have been sleazy in the hands of lesser mortals, and create an enticing world filled with interesting and charming characters. Witt and Voinov don’t try to make the rent-boys’ work sound like anything other than what it is. Yet the reader never gets the feeling they’re dealing with something shameful or anything other than recognisable personas with feelings we all experience.

If I have one regret where ‘PayOff' is concerned it is that it wasn’t a little bit longer. Not because the story was rushed, incomplete or unsatisfying. Quite the opposite in fact. This story and the characters in it charmed me so much that it would have been a delight to spend more time with them. Fortunately I haven’t read all the titles in this series yet. One of these days I will find the time to read the ‘Market Garden’ titles I’ve missed and I have no doubt that it will be wonderful reading experience.

BONDS OF DENIAL

TITLE: BONDS OF DENIAL

AUTHOR: LYNDA AICHER

Pages: 281

Date: 03/02/2014

Grade: 5

Details: No. 5 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley      

Own / Kindly

The blurb:

It’s been twenty years since Rockford Fielding’s father punished him for kissing another boy. Now a grown man with a military career behind him, Rock continues to deny his true desires, even while working security at The Den, the most decadent sex club in town. But after a year of watching gorgeous Carter Montgomery come and go on the arms of other men, Rock can no longer resist the cravings he’s denied for so long.

Carter has just four months left on his contract with an escort agency, and he doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or afraid. Being an escort is all he knows. Adding to his confusion is the way his latest client, the sexy but stoic Rock, makes him feel things he hasn’t wanted in years.

One charmingly awkward date turns into two and soon the men are meeting off the clock. But with Rock in the closet and Carter unsure how to pursue a real relationship how can they build a future both in and out of the bedroom?

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My thoughts:

When I finished my review of ‘Bonds of Hope’ I mentioned I really wanted to read Rock’s story. The tough and standoffish man in charge of security at The Den had intrigued me more with every subsequent ‘Wicked Play’ title. Sometimes wishes come true and this one not only got fulfilled, it also exceeded all my expectations and hopes. In fact, I think Rock and Carter’s story is my favourite in this series so far.

From the very start of the book it was impossible not to fall a little bit in love with both Rock and Carter. The courage it takes for Rock to, after 34 years of denial, at last acknowledge his feelings and explore his gay nature is astounding and Lynda Aicher does a wonderful job describing the struggle inside this man. The conflict between his attraction to Carter and his need to explore that feeling, and the shame and fear he experiences just thinking about the fact that he actually is attracted to another man was both powerful and heartbreaking. Carter’s patience with the man who doesn’t seem to be able to admit to his wants and needs was tender and beautiful even before they exchanged their paid encounters for simple dates.

There’s so much angst in this story. We’re 26% into it, watching Rock’s third meeting, be it first date, with Carter before he can admit out loud, to both himself and the man he hungers for, that he is gay. But once Rock takes that first step, there is no holding him back. A weight has been lifted of his shoulders and for the first time in his life he feels as if he is allowed to be who he is.

“Each step was one more away from something and closer to another. That was always true, only this was the first time he was actively looking forward to where he was going.” - Rock

Carter’s character is equally beautiful. When we meet him we’re introduced to a confident man, not ashamed of what he does for a living and compassionate enough to take the time it takes for Rock to come to terms with his needs. It is only as the story unfolds and Rock and Carter get closer that the escort’s insecurities surface. Fourteen years in the business have left their mark. Carter may claim to be unashamed of his work he is not sure he is able to live without it. What is more, he can’t help being afraid that sooner rather than later Rock will leave him because of it. He knows that good things don’t last for people like him and it isn’t long before he is pushing the man he is falling for away, convinced that it is better to reject than to be rejected.

I loved when the roles reversed. Rock, his decision made had no doubts and was prepared to burn his ships behind him if that was what it took to live the life he was meant to live with the man he has fallen for. When Carter’s insecurities threaten to tear them apart it is Rock who has the patience and courage to do what is necessary to proof that his love is real, that he has confidence in his lover and wants to spend the rest of his life with him.

“Thank you”, he mumbled. “For what?” “Holding me”. “Anytime”. Rock said, his arms cinching tighter. “Anytime.”

The lengths Rock goes to go to in order to proof both his willing embrace of his true nature and his love for Carter had me reading with tears in my eyes.

“I’ll always come back for you. Always.” – Rock

Tears that returned when, at long last, Carter was able to believe his lover’s feelings and commitment.

“God, I love you. I don’t know how I got you, but I am never pushing you away again.” – Carter

While this series may be set around the owners of a BDSM club, this book doesn’t contain any elements of Domination and submission. And this story didn’t lack anything as a result. In fact, throwing the BDSM dynamic into this story on top of the angst and the M/M story-line would probably have been overkill. This was a perfect read; fantastic characters, a wonderful romance, a captivating and believable story and lots of realistic angst. I really couldn’t ask for more.

The knowledge that we’re nearing the end of this series leaves me kind of sad. I will miss these characters, their friendships and loyalty and, most of all, the wonderful stories. Thankfully there are two more “Wicked Play” books to come before I have to face that moment. I’ll be first in line to get my hands on them as soon as they become available.

DIRTY DEEDS

TITLE: DIRTY DEEDS

AUTHOR: S.E. JAKES

Pages: 79

Date: 28/01/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

            Reviews

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Two seasoned operatives finally meet their match: each other. 

Cillian works for the mysterious Special Branch 20: an organization that runs black ops commissioned by the British government. His specialty is deep undercover assignments with virtually no support. He’s been alone for so long that he no longer knows anything else. 

Mal’s also used to being alone. Wanted in several states and even more countries, he’s not allowed in the vicinity of any of his former Navy SEAL teammates. And his current assignment is to track Cillian in order to discover the spook’s endgame. Except he’s no longer sure which one of them is getting played. 

Cillian isn’t about to let the mission that’s consumed him for the past several years crumble because an outsider is poking around where he doesn’t belong. But Mal forces his way through Cillian’s defences—and into his heart—exposing a devastating betrayal that could destroy them both.”

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My thoughts:

The first word I see when I open this book is ‘Amsterdam’; a great start considering I lived there for over 30 years. I have to admit that even though the city isn’t described in any detail and I couldn’t tell you exactly where the story plays out, the fact that it’s set there did give this book an extra edge.

Not that this story wasn’t edgy enough without the added interest. In fact, I think the word edgy was invented to describe books like this. Mal and Cillian, two undercover agents, are both chasing the same man be it for different and personal reasons.

While Mal knows who Cillian is and more or less what he is up to, Cillian has no idea who or what Mal is. When contact between the two men is established it takes place almost exclusively through Instant Messaging. It is also highly sexual in nature, with both of them vying for domination over the other while secretly graving the potential of submission.

Mal may have some advantages over Cillian because he knows more about his opponent than Cillian knows about him, neither of them knows enough to prevent shocking revelations. Revelations that come after the men have found a need for each other they can neither explain nor deny, no matter how much they might want to. Revelations that will shock the reader and create an urgent need for the next book in what appears to be a trilogy.

This was a very well written story. The tension starts on the first page and doesn’t let up for a moment. In fact, that tension had only gotten stronger by the time I read the last word in this novella. And it is a tension that exists on all levels of this story. It is never completely clear who knows what. There is the mystery as to who is killing Cillian’s informers. And then there is the sexual tension between these two men; a tension so hot it steams of the page both during their online encounters and when they’re together.

These two men are very similar and more than a match for each other. They also seem to be made for each other, if only they weren’t on opposite sides of the same mission. I can’t wait to see how the rest of this story is going to unfold and can only hope it won’t be too long until ‘Dirty Lies’ comes out.

After I requested this book for review but before I read it I discovered this book ties into previous titles by this author – The Hell or High Water series – which I haven’t read. Don’t let that stop you from picking up this book right now. At no point while reading this novella did I feel as if I was missing vital information. In fact, if I hadn’t seen somebody else mention this fact in a review, I would never have guessed there were earlier, connected books.

I also didn’t realise this wasn’t a stand-alone title when I requested it. The way this story ends makes that fact perfectly clear though. The author leaves us with an unexpected and shocking cliff-hanger, but it wasn’t one that bothered me (and trust me I’m not a fan of cliff-hangers in general).

Although I’m more than ready to find out what happens next and can’t wait for the sequels, I have to say the story ended with perfect timing. My curiosity is well and truly awakened and my mind is running riot, trying to come up with all the possible future scenarios. Somehow I feel that whatever my mind may conjure up for me, S.E. Jakes will still manage to surprise me.