Reckless, Romantic Visions in a Pressure Relay

Posted January 16, 2018 by shooting in Book Review / 13 Comments

Reckless Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): After too many years of putting his job first, Detective Andreas Ruffner is getting his priorities straight. He’s ready to spend some quality time with his adult kids, not to mention come clean about some things he should’ve told them a long time ago. And introduce them to his partner and boyfriend, Darren Corliss.

But in a heartbeat, a family dinner turns into Andreas’s worst nightmare. When the dust settles, one of his kids is hurt, and the other three have been abducted.

Andreas is going to find his kids, and nothing, not even a broken ankle, is going to stop him. Thank God for his sharp, level-headed partner . . . who has a crisis of his own pulling him away when Andreas needs him the most. As both men try to support—and lean on—each other, they get no closer to finding the kids. And the longer the children are missing, the less likely it is they’ll ever be found.

Review: Reckless Behavior is the third book in the Bad Behavior series. You can probably read them out of order, but I suggest starting with the first because all the books deal with Darren and Andreas and along with a new mystery each book, you get a nice progression of their relationship. For those that don’t know the series, Darren and Andreas are both detectives (partners in both senses of the word) and there is an age gap as well. Andreas hasn’t really been around for his kids, so he wants to start changing that, but then most of them end up kidnapped and both guys will do anything to get them back. Of course, Darren is also dealing with an ailing brother, so there is a lot going on around them. I love this series – and this was another great addition!

Romantic Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Detective Andreas Ruffner is no fool—he’s found a man who loves him, puts up with him, and has stuck with him through hell and back, and it’s time to put a ring on it. Darren Corliss is the love of his life, and he wants the whole world to know it.

Now the fun part—the wedding!

Well, after the not-so-fun part of planning the wedding in between dealing with overbearing and impossible-to-please family members. With future mothers-in-law driving them both up a wall, the guest list growing out of control, and the wedding getting ever more complicated, Darren and Andreas have to wonder if they’re in over their heads.

But they’re going to make it to the altar if it kills them . . . and at this rate, it just might.

Review: It’s wedding time! Okay, that might be a bit of a spoiler, but it’s kind of a spoiler for most people reading the series, so hopefully you don’t mind. Romantic Behavior is shorter than the other books and it’s very character focused since there is no mystery or case the guys have to solve. Instead, this is very much about the guys, their family, and finding their happily-ever-after. Plus, if you like the physical romance, you get some of that in this one…it’s sporadic in the other books! I loved this book too, and I think it’s the final one in the series…but I’d happily read more about Darren and Andreas if I could!

Blood Visions by L.J. Hamlin

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Private detective Ronan Bayne is a former cop who now runs his own agency specializing in all things paranormal. After several women go missing, and the cops and FBi are equally frustrated and at a loss, Ronan is called in to see if he can find answers they can’t.

After waking up from a terrible vision of a girl, darkness, and blood, Dustin tries to go to the police but to no avail. But on a visit to the crime scene, he crosses paths with Ronan. 

Reluctantly, the two men join forces to locate the missing, but both the case and the partnership prove to be more complicated than either man expects…

Review: I thought the mystery in this one was interesting, and I like the powers that Dustin has which allows him to help solve said mystery. I gave this one 3 stars on Goodreads, because I did enjoy it overall. However, it wasn’t my most favorite and I felt that the guy’s names were used over and over, if that makes sense.

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Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Tom Paretski’s not just a plumber with a dodgy hip courtesy of a schoolboy accident. He also has a sixth sense for finding hidden things. Called in by the police to help locate a body near Brock’s Hollow, he’s staggered to encounter Phil Morrison, his old school crush—and the closeted bully whose actions contributed to Tom’s accident.

Phil’s all grown up now, and Tom’s unwilling attraction to him is back with a vengeance. Phil’s now openly gay—and what’s more, he’s interested in Tom’s personal charms as well as his psychic talents. As a private investigator called in by the dead woman’s parents, Phil is sceptical about Tom’s unusual gift, but nevertheless quick to spot its potential to aid him in his work.

The further they go with the investigation, the less they can ignore their shared past, and the more the pressure and the heat build between them. But Tom isn’t certain he wants to know the secrets he’s helping to uncover, while there’s a murderer on the loose who won’t hesitate to kill again—and this uneasy couple is moving right into his sights.

Review: This is the first book in the Plumber’s Mate series and I’m happily going to keep reading them (I’m actually reading the sequel right now, out next month). Tom has a gift of finding things, but only if they were intentionally hidden. He’s friends with one of the cops who brings him in to help find things, and this time, he’s meant to find the body of a girl who was murdered. Of course, he didn’t plan on his old schoolmate Phil to be a private detective looking into the case. These two were, essentially, enemies in school, but Tom’s always been attracted to Phil. The eventual relationship was handled well – I thought that things moved slowly enough, allowing the two to get to know each other in the present day. Tom is also quite funny, which adds a lot of humor and fun!

Relay by Layla Reyne

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Captain is not a title Alejandro “Alex” Cantu takes lightly. Elected by his teammates to helm the US Men’s Swim Team, he proudly accepts the role, despite juggling endless training, team administrative work, and helping out on the family farm. And despite his ex-lover, Dane Ellis—swimming’s biggest star—also making the Olympic Team.

Dane has been a pawn in his celebrity parents’ empire from crib to pool, flashing his camera-ready smile on demand and staying deeply in the closet. Only once did he drop the act—the summer he fell in love with Alex. Ten years later, Dane longs to cut his parents’ strings, drop his too-bright smile, and beg Alex for another chance.

Alex, though, isn’t ready to forgive and forget, and Dane is a distraction he doesn’t need on his team, until an injury forces Alex to accept Dane as his medley relay anchor. Working together, their passion reignites. When Dane’s parents threaten reprisal and Alex is accused of doping, the two must risk everything to prove Alex’s innocence, to love one another, and to win back their spots on the team, together. 

Review: I love Layla Reyne so I was really excited to check out her new series, Changing Lanes. This book deals with Olympics swimmers Alex and Dane, who had a summer time relationship as teens. Dane wasn’t, and couldn’t be, out with a preacher father and micromanaging mother. The two are on the USA swimming team and headed to the Olympics, but Dane is still letting his parents rule his life and Alex is out and proud. The two are still attracted to each other though, and Dane regrets how their summer ended. I love the setting of this book, especially with the Winter Olympics fast approaching. Both men are great guys, though it’s easy to want Dane to be his own man. Believe me, he gets there! I can’t wait for the next book…a companion novel with two characters you first meet in Relay!

13 responses to “Reckless, Romantic Visions in a Pressure Relay

  1. I’ve only actually read one of those, but all of them are on the list. 🙂 I like JL Merrow’s Plumber’s Mate mysteries and the writing of Cari and Lauren so will get to their series. The Olympics series catches my eye, too.

    I’m impressed with the mini reviews. Well done, lady. 😉

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