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o que eu vou fazer da minha vida agora que eu terminei essa série????
honestly, if pressed to actually critize things in this book, solely this one, it'd be the same issues the entire series has and that i'm willing to overlook but will discuss here anyway. yes, suspension of disbelief is a thing you need to have to read these at all. yes, there's inconsistencies galore. yes, some things are overdone, yes it's almost entirely character driven, and the characters themselves aren't as fleshed out and consistent as they should be.
BUT I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!!!
honestly this series was FUN, i giggled, i kicked my feet, i paced, i wanted to smash my kindle and i punched my bed a couple of times. i don't care if this reads like fanfiction because I Love Fanfiction and we should be allowed to have uncomplicated and entertaining things waiting for us at the end of the day.
i have many things to compliment, too. reading two burly, strong, badass men still be silly-in-love is FUN and rare to find. i don't care if the mysteries were weak and if some things had way too much weight put on them only to not even be important later on. it was fun to read about agents and missions and any number of excuses for those two to be badass and strong and flawed, both as characters (lol) and as people. i don't care if their families were charicatures, the grady's made me tear up and cackle. i don't care about the absurdity of some of the injuries the G's endured, it's not like i wanted them to be hurt anyway.
and man, if nothing else, this series had some of the most interesting sex scenes i've ever read and let me tell you, when it comes to writing sex scenes (and reading them, obvs), it seems that sometimes there's only so much people can come up with. and tbh, the last couple of books it felt a little bit like they just Had to be there for Reasons instead of actual Plot Motive, but even so, they were still entertaining. AND VARIED!!!!!
alas, same as anything that you read to much of in a row, some of the overdone aspects tire a little the further along you go on your reading journey, but i'm still so very much entertained and satisfied with this series. i think i might reread a couple of them, but not all. so that does say something veeery positive about them. i only ever re-read absolute favorites.
this is a five star read for me, because there was just no way in hell i wasn't going to be absolutely delighted by gay federal agents, i mean, c'mon. those who know me, know.
honestly, if pressed to actually critize things in this book, solely this one, it'd be the same issues the entire series has and that i'm willing to overlook but will discuss here anyway. yes, suspension of disbelief is a thing you need to have to read these at all. yes, there's inconsistencies galore. yes, some things are overdone, yes it's almost entirely character driven, and the characters themselves aren't as fleshed out and consistent as they should be.
BUT I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!!!
honestly this series was FUN, i giggled, i kicked my feet, i paced, i wanted to smash my kindle and i punched my bed a couple of times. i don't care if this reads like fanfiction because I Love Fanfiction and we should be allowed to have uncomplicated and entertaining things waiting for us at the end of the day.
i have many things to compliment, too. reading two burly, strong, badass men still be silly-in-love is FUN and rare to find. i don't care if the mysteries were weak and if some things had way too much weight put on them only to not even be important later on. it was fun to read about agents and missions and any number of excuses for those two to be badass and strong and flawed, both as characters (lol) and as people. i don't care if their families were charicatures, the grady's made me tear up and cackle. i don't care about the absurdity of some of the injuries the G's endured, it's not like i wanted them to be hurt anyway.
and man, if nothing else, this series had some of the most interesting sex scenes i've ever read and let me tell you, when it comes to writing sex scenes (and reading them, obvs), it seems that sometimes there's only so much people can come up with. and tbh, the last couple of books it felt a little bit like they just Had to be there for Reasons instead of actual Plot Motive, but even so, they were still entertaining. AND VARIED!!!!!
alas, same as anything that you read to much of in a row, some of the overdone aspects tire a little the further along you go on your reading journey, but i'm still so very much entertained and satisfied with this series. i think i might reread a couple of them, but not all. so that does say something veeery positive about them. i only ever re-read absolute favorites.
this is a five star read for me, because there was just no way in hell i wasn't going to be absolutely delighted by gay federal agents, i mean, c'mon. those who know me, know.
ABSOLUTE INSANITY!!!!!
this was SO GOOD!!! i was super scared to read this book because i saw reviews saying how angsty it was but tbh i didn’t even cry i this??? family drama hits much more close to home, but yea, it was indeed angst, and it was so very interesting!! liam was fascinating btw!!
i also love love LOVE how this series put little breadcrumbs across the installments and then we find out what stuff was really about, it’s so good!!!
i literally don’t think i could be more in love with this series and it was amazing to have zane more fleshed out the past couple of books and understand him even better, he was indeed less layered than ty and have that explored in this way the past couple of books just made me respect the author so much!!
i need people to discuss these books with because they’re seriously GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!!
this was SO GOOD!!! i was super scared to read this book because i saw reviews saying how angsty it was but tbh i didn’t even cry i this??? family drama hits much more close to home, but yea, it was indeed angst, and it was so very interesting!! liam was fascinating btw!!
i also love love LOVE how this series put little breadcrumbs across the installments and then we find out what stuff was really about, it’s so good!!!
i literally don’t think i could be more in love with this series and it was amazing to have zane more fleshed out the past couple of books and understand him even better, he was indeed less layered than ty and have that explored in this way the past couple of books just made me respect the author so much!!
i need people to discuss these books with because they’re seriously GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!!
what makes this series so immensely fun it’s that it just doesn’t take itself all that seriously and i mean this as the biggest possible compliment.
some aspects are so damn absurd, but it just makes sense because of course this type of thing would happen to ty fckng grady, you know???
but it’s not just the outlandish and great humor that gets me, it’s also the romance and tenderness??? which i NEVER saw coming!! how the hell are fbi agents this soft and sweet and warm??? and still thorough badasses!!! well written and with enough substance that it all feels so genuine!!!!!
the family feels in this one, though. the gradys always brought the warmth and fuzzies on, but now the garretts come to play with some more Drama and boy did i shed some Tears.
bur anyway, what matters is this: how the hell does abigail roux come up so many different and well-written and sexy sex scenes!!?!?!?? how the hell!?!???!???? this book basically only had like? one? or maybe two??? but this book is still sexy all the time?? is it because vulnerability and badassery are just always sexy??? who knows?? i sure don’t!!!!!!
some aspects are so damn absurd, but it just makes sense because of course this type of thing would happen to ty fckng grady, you know???
but it’s not just the outlandish and great humor that gets me, it’s also the romance and tenderness??? which i NEVER saw coming!! how the hell are fbi agents this soft and sweet and warm??? and still thorough badasses!!! well written and with enough substance that it all feels so genuine!!!!!
the family feels in this one, though. the gradys always brought the warmth and fuzzies on, but now the garretts come to play with some more Drama and boy did i shed some Tears.
bur anyway, what matters is this: how the hell does abigail roux come up so many different and well-written and sexy sex scenes!!?!?!?? how the hell!?!???!???? this book basically only had like? one? or maybe two??? but this book is still sexy all the time?? is it because vulnerability and badassery are just always sexy??? who knows?? i sure don’t!!!!!!
4 ouch stars
this was a painful read.
this absolutely wasn’t a this-is-so-bad-it-hurts read. i mean, it kinda was, but not in quality. this is was really well-written and gritty account on a bunch of physical altercations and a character i love relapsing into deep addiction.
i was so excited after the previous book that i refused to read the summary because i didn’t want any spoilers, but it still wouldn’t really let me know how difficult it was to read about dominic lose the war to his addiction and go on a spiral. i actually don’t advice anyone that struggles with addiction to read Cash Plays, it was rough.
it was still a really good read, even if i had to skim the pages sometimes (which docked a whole star for me), i’m still in love with this author’s work, though, and i’m already devastated that they apparently haven’t been active since 2020 (hope to god she’s alright).
the way dominic managed to articulate how difficult it was to be put on a pedestal, how he feels he’s not allowed to have bad days, is something i understand all too well... and then this book ended on a worrying note, specifically after all the progression of character for both levi and dom, and how deeply in love they are by this point. both made this a devastating read, to be honest.
but, again, i’m super excited to see where the next book is going and so happy that this series embodies so much of what i love about cop thrillers.
this was a painful read.
this absolutely wasn’t a this-is-so-bad-it-hurts read. i mean, it kinda was, but not in quality. this is was really well-written and gritty account on a bunch of physical altercations and a character i love relapsing into deep addiction.
i was so excited after the previous book that i refused to read the summary because i didn’t want any spoilers, but it still wouldn’t really let me know how difficult it was to read about dominic lose the war to his addiction and go on a spiral. i actually don’t advice anyone that struggles with addiction to read Cash Plays, it was rough.
it was still a really good read, even if i had to skim the pages sometimes (which docked a whole star for me), i’m still in love with this author’s work, though, and i’m already devastated that they apparently haven’t been active since 2020 (hope to god she’s alright).
the way dominic managed to articulate how difficult it was to be put on a pedestal, how he feels he’s not allowed to have bad days, is something i understand all too well... and then this book ended on a worrying note, specifically after all the progression of character for both levi and dom, and how deeply in love they are by this point. both made this a devastating read, to be honest.
but, again, i’m super excited to see where the next book is going and so happy that this series embodies so much of what i love about cop thrillers.
“Darren, your family needs you.”
“You are my family.”
4 i-cried-my-little-eyes-out stars
i feel kinda bad for being this surprised by it, but this was considerably better than the previous two books in the series.
this time, we have andreas and darren own family dramas coming to their own climaxes, keeping themselves sane and able to be there for each other only one of the considerably big challenges in a book that, also like the previous installments, only tales place through a pretty small window of time.
fast paced, action packed and tear jerking, Reckless Behavior is everything i wanted this series to be, with badass cops dealing with high stakes under high emotional strain, but still being there for each other and deeply in love. manly men who still hold hands!!! istg could swoon!
a very satisfying read specially given how much i genuinely wanted to love this series (and now i do a little).
“I'm not looking for a nice guy, Levi. I want a good guy. That's way more important.”
5 i'm-freaking-out stars
this book was SO GOOD!!! oh my god?????
we're back again with levi and dom, around three months have passed since [b:Kill Game|35138461|Kill Game (Seven of Spades, #1)|Cordelia Kingsbridge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496392824l/35138461._SY75_.jpg|56463659], with their relationship developing nicely as they come together slowly as lovers. there's another pretty cool whodunnit going around, while everyone (except levi and dom) carry on as if the seven of spades killer really is dead.
there were so many things in this book that got me so excited that it's a little hard to focus and write a coherent review, lol. imma try anyway and give 3 reasons for my utter satisfaction.
first off, the mistery itself. we have the clasic the killer could be anyone around you tense setting, which is set in such a cool atmospheric way, that i keep analysing every single side character each time they're on the page, trying to figure out myself who could be the killer, and bro, the fact that i can't figure it out (same as levi!) makes this book so much more exciting and fun to read, i'm over the moon.
and secondly! rebel, the best girl to ever be. it's rare to read a book featuring a dog-character that didn't feel a bit like a self-fulfillment indulgence for the author. rebel is a personal protection dog, which is so badass in itself, and she features in some of the coolest and sweetest scenes in Trick Roller, i love her to bits.
third, but not least, is the way dominic and levi are slowly trusting each other and building this sweet rapport, which just tugs at the heartstrings, and their intimate scenes! holy shit.
He knew that Dominic would release him in a second if asked, and that certainty was why he was able to enjoy this, why he could take pleasure in indulging Dominic’s display of raw physical power.
how the heck did Riptide Publishing kept managing to find authors with the stemiest smut i've ever read??? it's insane. not only is this series so good so far, but [b:Cut & Run|5199022|Cut & Run (Cut & Run, #1)|Madeleine Urban|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327894486l/5199022._SX50_.jpg|5266173], [b:The Wolf at the Door|36480253|The Wolf at the Door (Big Bad Wolf, #1)|Charlie Adhara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515447921l/36480253._SY75_.jpg|58190977] and [b:Risky Behavior|33411778|Risky Behavior (Bad Behavior, #1)|L.A. Witt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485237460l/33411778._SY75_.jpg|54168946] are all crime series with m/m couples with great chemistry and compelling misteries. which is insane. i never payed much attention to publishers before, and all of these books are a bit old by now, but i might just check out other authors Riptide has got in their roster.
i don't understand how both Kill Game and Trick Roller are less that 300 pages long, and i mean this in the best possible way. the pacing is so good and so many things happen but they never feel rushed or that things are progressing too fast. i have no idea how kingsbridge pulled that off, because it's rare for me to finish reading anything feeling this excited, i am in love.
A week earlier, Dominic couldn’t have imagined Levi describing him as trustworthy under any circumstances. Now he felt the same way he did when his sister Angela’s cat—a standoffish bastard with a wicked set of claws—came to him for petting while regally ignoring everyone else in the room.
5 perfect-detective-romance stars
this was SUCH a satisfying read!! man, m/m whodunnit’s remain my most favorite genre of the year, just when i feel at a loss of what to read next, it seems i manage to find a new solid series to splurge on.
Kill Game tells the story of homicide detective levi abrams and bounty hunter dominic russo, as the two of them circle each other throughout the hunt for a serial killer operating in las vegas. levi is a jewish man wading through a dying relationship with someone very different from him, while dominic (an italian-american who also bartends) finds himself questioning the pace he’s been currently living his life as a 31yo.
although this book was supposedly more on the short side, the story didn’t feel rushed at all. i’m left feeling like a have a good grasp of the main characters, the few side ones were sufficiently fleshed out and interesting, the pacing of the romance and the crime solving was solid and not over the top in the slightest. just about everything i could’ve hoped for!
plus, dominic is yummy and levi is all prickly and adorable and there’s even a cute dog thrown in the mix, just what else should a girl need from a sunday read???
the thing with tal bauer books, i think, and i'm not sure if this is a problem? or a preference thing: too much detail. my mans was going at it, detailing every single thing in the war, the submarine happenings, every place and thing got a description of its own in a way that my eyes swam over the page and i was so anxious to get to what was actually happenings, the mysteries, that i skipped a bunch of paragraphs.
this is something i try very hard not to do, sometimes i read so much that i get anxious and distracted and either skip parts or downright don't absorb them.
THAT being said!!! i absolutely LIVED for sasha and sergei, i didn't care as much about adam and faisal (tho they're sweet) and i adored how jack and ethan's love was stable and growing steadier by the day, so MAN was i invested in sasha and sergey, i was suffering for not having a clear idea how sergey looked or even his exact age, i cared so much about him!!! this is something that made me pertty frustated, i had a good idea how everyone else looked, kinda making up the ones that we didn't have acurate descriptions, but my man sergey deserved better.
i kinda suck at this review thing, but i just wanna write up my thoughts for myself, so bear with me.
also man, i was tired of SUFFERING for a while there!!! everything went wrong alllll the tiiiime and i just wanted to see things RESOLVED!! but man this series got me feeling a lot of things, even like, PAIN!!! which is something that can make me drop a book like it's scalding hot. it was just like pulling a thorn out, it hurts as hell, but you can't look away. wait that sounds bad. i don't mean this necessarily in a bad way. i just don't like to suffer while reading, ok? but i was invested, i was entertained, there was no way in hell i was not gonna drop this.
and bauer is pretty damn impressive writer and researcher, not to mention he self-publishes, so i gotta say that i think this is the best self-published series i've ever seen in terms of editorial work, research, and consistency. it could've gone lighter on the details (the reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me), but i have mAD respect for bauer and will probably read more stuff from him in the future.
this is something i try very hard not to do, sometimes i read so much that i get anxious and distracted and either skip parts or downright don't absorb them.
THAT being said!!! i absolutely LIVED for sasha and sergei, i didn't care as much about adam and faisal (tho they're sweet) and i adored how jack and ethan's love was stable and growing steadier by the day, so MAN was i invested in sasha and sergey, i was suffering for not having a clear idea how sergey looked or even his exact age, i cared so much about him!!! this is something that made me pertty frustated, i had a good idea how everyone else looked, kinda making up the ones that we didn't have acurate descriptions, but my man sergey deserved better.
i kinda suck at this review thing, but i just wanna write up my thoughts for myself, so bear with me.
also man, i was tired of SUFFERING for a while there!!! everything went wrong alllll the tiiiime and i just wanted to see things RESOLVED!! but man this series got me feeling a lot of things, even like, PAIN!!! which is something that can make me drop a book like it's scalding hot. it was just like pulling a thorn out, it hurts as hell, but you can't look away. wait that sounds bad. i don't mean this necessarily in a bad way. i just don't like to suffer while reading, ok? but i was invested, i was entertained, there was no way in hell i was not gonna drop this.
and bauer is pretty damn impressive writer and researcher, not to mention he self-publishes, so i gotta say that i think this is the best self-published series i've ever seen in terms of editorial work, research, and consistency. it could've gone lighter on the details (the reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me), but i have mAD respect for bauer and will probably read more stuff from him in the future.
”The dark’s not so bad,” Doyle had said. “It’s a promise that you made it. That tomorrow is on its way.”
this book is good. as in, proper good stuff. i have this clear image of the main characters, of their faces and voices and how they take things in, and learning about them little by little is so good and satisfying. i Did figure out the killer in this book on their very first appearance, which is mildly annoying and honestly made me drop a star from this, but C.S. Poe is still a masterful writer and i was salivating for the next book in this series.
will check’s this author’s other work.
this book is good. as in, proper good stuff. i have this clear image of the main characters, of their faces and voices and how they take things in, and learning about them little by little is so good and satisfying. i Did figure out the killer in this book on their very first appearance, which is mildly annoying and honestly made me drop a star from this, but C.S. Poe is still a masterful writer and i was salivating for the next book in this series.
will check’s this author’s other work.