Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
Note: Because this is the second book in a series with an overarching storyline, there will be spoilers for the previous book, [b:Single Malt|33296928|Single Malt (Agents Irish and Whiskey, #1)|Layla Reyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481270757s/33296928.jpg|54028862] in this review.
Cask Strength, the second book in Layla Reyne’s Agents Irish and Whiskey series picks up a few months after the events of Single Malt. At the end of that book, Aidan Talley and Jameson Walker were instrumental in foiling a terrorist plot - and Jamie’s investigations into the car crash that killed both Aidan’s husband and his FBI partner have revealed that both the deceased were somehow connected to the very same terrorist, Pierre Renaud. He is sworn to secrecy by their boss – who is also Aidan’s sister-in-law – and even though he hates deceiving the man he loves, Jamie agrees to keep what he knows under wraps until he can find out more.
As Cask Strength opens, Aidan and Jamie are in a good place professionally and are celebrating their position at top of the FBI’s clearance board. Personally, however, things are far from perfect. They’re lovers; they enjoy each other’s company and the sex is great, but Jamie wonders how much longer he can keep what he knows from Aidan, and Aidan continues to be reluctant to commit to Jamie for fear of once again losing someone he cares for. At the end of the previous book they agreed to keep things casual between them – or rather, Aidan decided he didn’t want to embark on a serious relationship and Jamie went along with it, willing to do whatever it took to keep Aidan in his life and in his bed.
But it’s getting harder and harder for Jamie to pretend he doesn’t want more, especially as part of “keeping it casual” for Aidan means he dates other men. Aidan’s desperation to keep himself emotionally closed off is – perhaps - understandable, but it’s still frustrating to watch as he continually pushes Jamie away, even though deep down, it’s clear that he’s in denial about his true feelings for Jamie – and yet he persists in hurting him anyway.
Jamie’s investigations into Renaud lead him and Aidan to question the two detectives who worked the case of the crash that killed Gabe (Aidan’s late husband) and his FBI partner Tom Crane – and not long after that, those detectives are gunned down in the street. Judging it best to get Aidan and Jamie out of the spotlight for a while, their boss sends them to North Carolina – Jamie’s home state - to look into accusations of match fixing, illegal betting and identity theft involving a college basketball team. Jamie goes undercover as himself – Jameson “Whiskey” Walker, former star college and NBA player who is joining the team as assistant coach, while Aidan poses as his agent, Ian Daley. Jamie is thus best placed to work out who – if anyone – among the players could be suspect, and Aidan can do the same among the department and administrative staff.
Once again, Ms. Reyne has crafted an intriguing and exciting suspense plot which kept me eagerly turning the pages, and which at the same time throws more light on the personalities of our two protagonists and further develops their relationship. Jamie is practically floored by lust the first time he sees Aidan in all his red-headed Irish glory as Ian – and green-eyed with jealousy at the flirtatious – albeit fake - relationship Aidan embarks upon with the college’s athletic director in order to get closer to the criminal operation. But the jealousy isn’t all one-sided; Jamie’s former lover, Derrick Pope, is back on the scene, and makes clear – in no uncertain terms - his interest in picking up where they left off.
Given Aidan’s insistence that there’s no long-term future for them, Jamie starts to question his past decisions and wonder if he did the right thing eight years ago, getting out of professional sports. His brief stint as assistant coach at CU shows him that he’s got a real aptitude for working with players off the court, and I enjoyed seeing that side of him, briefly unencumbered by terrorist threats or FBI cases, and just wanting to do the best by his team members; it’s a glimpse of what “Whiskey” Walker might have been had he not left the game.
There’s a lot going on in this story, what with the identity theft case, the search for Renaud and the development of the romance, but I never felt as though things were moving too fast for me to take everything in. The balance between the different plot elements is just about right; there’s plenty of nail-biting action mixed in with moments of tenderness, humour and scorching sex scenes (*cough* pool table *cough*) and Ms. Reyne skilfully drives everything along to a highly suspenseful conclusion that ultimately forces both protagonists – Aidan especially – to confront the truth of their feelings for each other.
The sexual chemistry between the two men is intense, but the author does a great job of creating emotional closeness and intensity between them, too, so there’s never any doubt in the reader’s mind that these two need and care very deeply for each other. There’s a well-drawn secondary cast (I hope we’ll see more of Nic and Cam, Jamie’s best friend) and I once again enjoyed the glimpses of the strong familial ties between Aidan and his younger brother Danny, who, it seems, is now dating Mel Cruz, Aidan’s boss and sister-in-law. The book ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, as Jamie and Aidan wrap things up at CU and are set to head home when Aidan’s brother Danny appears with potentially devastating news, setting the stage for what I imagine are going to be some pretty explosive developments in the final book, Barrel Proof.
Cask Strength is a riveting read, and one I’d strongly recommend to fans of romantic suspense. One word of caution; it doesn’t really work as a standalone, so I’d advise reading Single Malt first.
Note: Because this is the second book in a series with an overarching storyline, there will be spoilers for the previous book, [b:Single Malt|33296928|Single Malt (Agents Irish and Whiskey, #1)|Layla Reyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481270757s/33296928.jpg|54028862] in this review.
Cask Strength, the second book in Layla Reyne’s Agents Irish and Whiskey series picks up a few months after the events of Single Malt. At the end of that book, Aidan Talley and Jameson Walker were instrumental in foiling a terrorist plot - and Jamie’s investigations into the car crash that killed both Aidan’s husband and his FBI partner have revealed that both the deceased were somehow connected to the very same terrorist, Pierre Renaud. He is sworn to secrecy by their boss – who is also Aidan’s sister-in-law – and even though he hates deceiving the man he loves, Jamie agrees to keep what he knows under wraps until he can find out more.
As Cask Strength opens, Aidan and Jamie are in a good place professionally and are celebrating their position at top of the FBI’s clearance board. Personally, however, things are far from perfect. They’re lovers; they enjoy each other’s company and the sex is great, but Jamie wonders how much longer he can keep what he knows from Aidan, and Aidan continues to be reluctant to commit to Jamie for fear of once again losing someone he cares for. At the end of the previous book they agreed to keep things casual between them – or rather, Aidan decided he didn’t want to embark on a serious relationship and Jamie went along with it, willing to do whatever it took to keep Aidan in his life and in his bed.
But it’s getting harder and harder for Jamie to pretend he doesn’t want more, especially as part of “keeping it casual” for Aidan means he dates other men. Aidan’s desperation to keep himself emotionally closed off is – perhaps - understandable, but it’s still frustrating to watch as he continually pushes Jamie away, even though deep down, it’s clear that he’s in denial about his true feelings for Jamie – and yet he persists in hurting him anyway.
Jamie’s investigations into Renaud lead him and Aidan to question the two detectives who worked the case of the crash that killed Gabe (Aidan’s late husband) and his FBI partner Tom Crane – and not long after that, those detectives are gunned down in the street. Judging it best to get Aidan and Jamie out of the spotlight for a while, their boss sends them to North Carolina – Jamie’s home state - to look into accusations of match fixing, illegal betting and identity theft involving a college basketball team. Jamie goes undercover as himself – Jameson “Whiskey” Walker, former star college and NBA player who is joining the team as assistant coach, while Aidan poses as his agent, Ian Daley. Jamie is thus best placed to work out who – if anyone – among the players could be suspect, and Aidan can do the same among the department and administrative staff.
Once again, Ms. Reyne has crafted an intriguing and exciting suspense plot which kept me eagerly turning the pages, and which at the same time throws more light on the personalities of our two protagonists and further develops their relationship. Jamie is practically floored by lust the first time he sees Aidan in all his red-headed Irish glory as Ian – and green-eyed with jealousy at the flirtatious – albeit fake - relationship Aidan embarks upon with the college’s athletic director in order to get closer to the criminal operation. But the jealousy isn’t all one-sided; Jamie’s former lover, Derrick Pope, is back on the scene, and makes clear – in no uncertain terms - his interest in picking up where they left off.
Given Aidan’s insistence that there’s no long-term future for them, Jamie starts to question his past decisions and wonder if he did the right thing eight years ago, getting out of professional sports. His brief stint as assistant coach at CU shows him that he’s got a real aptitude for working with players off the court, and I enjoyed seeing that side of him, briefly unencumbered by terrorist threats or FBI cases, and just wanting to do the best by his team members; it’s a glimpse of what “Whiskey” Walker might have been had he not left the game.
There’s a lot going on in this story, what with the identity theft case, the search for Renaud and the development of the romance, but I never felt as though things were moving too fast for me to take everything in. The balance between the different plot elements is just about right; there’s plenty of nail-biting action mixed in with moments of tenderness, humour and scorching sex scenes (*cough* pool table *cough*) and Ms. Reyne skilfully drives everything along to a highly suspenseful conclusion that ultimately forces both protagonists – Aidan especially – to confront the truth of their feelings for each other.
The sexual chemistry between the two men is intense, but the author does a great job of creating emotional closeness and intensity between them, too, so there’s never any doubt in the reader’s mind that these two need and care very deeply for each other. There’s a well-drawn secondary cast (I hope we’ll see more of Nic and Cam, Jamie’s best friend) and I once again enjoyed the glimpses of the strong familial ties between Aidan and his younger brother Danny, who, it seems, is now dating Mel Cruz, Aidan’s boss and sister-in-law. The book ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, as Jamie and Aidan wrap things up at CU and are set to head home when Aidan’s brother Danny appears with potentially devastating news, setting the stage for what I imagine are going to be some pretty explosive developments in the final book, Barrel Proof.
Cask Strength is a riveting read, and one I’d strongly recommend to fans of romantic suspense. One word of caution; it doesn’t really work as a standalone, so I’d advise reading Single Malt first.
I've reviewed the book already - HERE, so I won't rehash.
Another enjoyable outing with Irish & Whiskey - a bit of manufactured relationship drama, but an intriguing plot and a great lead in to book 3. Tristan James does a great job on the narration, although I thought he overdid Aidan's Irish accent a bit; for some reason, he pitches it too high sometimes and I'd thought, as per book one, it was supposed to be very slight other than at times of stress, but here, it's full on all the time.
Still, it's worth a listen.
Another enjoyable outing with Irish & Whiskey - a bit of manufactured relationship drama, but an intriguing plot and a great lead in to book 3. Tristan James does a great job on the narration, although I thought he overdid Aidan's Irish accent a bit; for some reason, he pitches it too high sometimes and I'd thought, as per book one, it was supposed to be very slight other than at times of stress, but here, it's full on all the time.
Still, it's worth a listen.
Other reviewers weren't kidding -- the first part of this book is heartbreaking and I kind of wanted to smack Aiden for his stubbornness. But the ending?! Hell, I need the next book now.
This book was not as good as the last one. The sparks between Whisky and Irish were great, but the detective part was not as good. Still I am excited to read the rest of the series.
Cask Strength is the second book in the Agents Irish and Whiskey series, and I would say that you would need to read book one to understand all the nuances that go on below the surface. If you hadn't read that, you wouldn't understand why Jamie is still with Aidan when Aidan is being such a jerk! I like him, I do, but man I wanted to kick him in the beginning of this book! Luckily for me, he redeems himself, but I won't say any more on that. This is an amazing second book, where Irish and Whiskey have to cool their jets on the 'big' case as the bodies start to pile up around them. Instead, Mel sends them on what should be a simpler case, but things aren't quite what they seem.
Once again, this book is excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. First it was because of Aidan, then it was because of Jamie, then it was because of Riley and Press, and then the ending... yeesh!!! Trust me, book hangover, right here! I can't wait for the next book, and I really hope that Cam gets his own book and HEA because I think he's wonderful :) Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Once again, this book is excellently written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. First it was because of Aidan, then it was because of Jamie, then it was because of Riley and Press, and then the ending... yeesh!!! Trust me, book hangover, right here! I can't wait for the next book, and I really hope that Cam gets his own book and HEA because I think he's wonderful :) Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Well, Cask Strength was as bad as I had anticipated but I'm happy that the hook at the end of Single Malt reeled me in because I had fun.
It's no surprise that many of the things that bothered me about Single Malt were things that popped up again in Cask Strength. The writing was weak. I frequently had to reread sentences and passages to either clarify what was being described or to figure out who was speaking. The plot was ridiculous and eye rolling and required just as much suspension of disbelief. The breaches of protocol were at least as outrageous and equally, if not more, numerous.
Once again, I found the romance frustrating. In his attempts to protect his heart, Aiden acts like a cruel and selfish jerk. His logic is nonsensical and convoluted and his actions do nothing to prevent himself the pain of loss. In fact, they ensure it! Moreover, they hurt Jamie and demonstrate a callous disregard of anyone's feelings other than his own. I spent the first half of the book hating Aiden's guts and wishing Jamie would just tell Aiden he'd had enough of being treated like garbage and walk away. When Aiden does finally come around, it's for the very reasons I said his logic was nonsense in my review of Single Malt. It wasn't until that point, more than halfway through the book, that I was able to feel invested in and eventually root for Aiden and Jamie's HEA.
For me, the main difference in Cask Strength and Single Malt is that the plot felt more dynamic and entertaining. Early on, there were times that the story felt a bit slow and disjointed, but as it progressed, the plot grew more engaging and enticing and I became increasingly immersed. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation.
Unlike Single Malt, I didn't need the final plot twist to convince me to read Barrel Proof but if I hadn't already decided to continue, that hook definitely would have pulled me in.
2.5 stars
Sometimes I round up. Sometimes I round down. It's... well... a little arbitrary but it comes down to how I feel in the moment and the emotions that linger after I've turned the last page. This time I'm rounding down, while I had fun, there were simply too many smdh's to justify rounding up.
It's no surprise that many of the things that bothered me about Single Malt were things that popped up again in Cask Strength. The writing was weak. I frequently had to reread sentences and passages to either clarify what was being described or to figure out who was speaking. The plot was ridiculous and eye rolling and required just as much suspension of disbelief. The breaches of protocol were at least as outrageous and equally, if not more, numerous.
Once again, I found the romance frustrating. In his attempts to protect his heart, Aiden acts like a cruel and selfish jerk. His logic is nonsensical and convoluted and his actions do nothing to prevent himself the pain of loss. In fact, they ensure it! Moreover, they hurt Jamie and demonstrate a callous disregard of anyone's feelings other than his own. I spent the first half of the book hating Aiden's guts and wishing Jamie would just tell Aiden he'd had enough of being treated like garbage and walk away. When Aiden does finally come around, it's for the very reasons I said his logic was nonsense in my review of Single Malt. It wasn't until that point, more than halfway through the book, that I was able to feel invested in and eventually root for Aiden and Jamie's HEA.
For me, the main difference in Cask Strength and Single Malt is that the plot felt more dynamic and entertaining. Early on, there were times that the story felt a bit slow and disjointed, but as it progressed, the plot grew more engaging and enticing and I became increasingly immersed. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation.
Unlike Single Malt, I didn't need the final plot twist to convince me to read Barrel Proof but if I hadn't already decided to continue, that hook definitely would have pulled me in.
2.5 stars
Sometimes I round up. Sometimes I round down. It's... well... a little arbitrary but it comes down to how I feel in the moment and the emotions that linger after I've turned the last page. This time I'm rounding down, while I had fun, there were simply too many smdh's to justify rounding up.
The good:
Fast paced action! Interesting plot. More insight into how the characters think and feel.
The bad:
Irish is an epic jerk. Yeah he has been through some stuff but...
Some bits of the story feels a little contrived. Could use some less ridiculous transitions from one scene to the next. Really didn't believe that erasing images on cell phones that have confiscated as evidence is an acceptable action by any law enforcement officer. I would fire them so fast....
The resultant:
Overall, a fun read. I enjoyed the plot. Looking forward to the next book.
Fast paced action! Interesting plot. More insight into how the characters think and feel.
The bad:
Irish is an epic jerk. Yeah he has been through some stuff but...
Some bits of the story feels a little contrived. Could use some less ridiculous transitions from one scene to the next. Really didn't believe that erasing images on cell phones that have confiscated as evidence is an acceptable action by any law enforcement officer. I would fire them so fast....
The resultant:
Overall, a fun read. I enjoyed the plot. Looking forward to the next book.
My first thought when finishing this was: is it August yet? I cannot wait for the next volume and I just hope it'll all be okay (I mean, of course it will, but I have to read it to make sure, yeah?). I liked this just as much as the first volume - while the casework isn't up to, say, Josh Lanyon standards, it's solid enough, and the development of Jamie and Adrien's relationship was great to follow. My minor misgivings are the same as in the first novel; some things are a bit overwritten and not quite believable or mildly annoying (that's why it's four stars and not five), but the good things by far outweigh the bad and I am just a sucker for this kind of book.
Irish and Whiskey have a casual friends with benefits, which Jamie hates and Aiden uses to try to protect his heart. So, he dates other men and Jamie watches, until he gets fed up and changes the rules, he wants more than casual.
The case they’re assigned takes them undercover, but it actually returns Jamie to his old life, coaching basketball in his hometown and living in his old house. It also brings his ex back into the picture, as he wants to reconcile and be out together.
The goal is to find out who’s created an online gambling platform for college betting and has players and/or coaches illegally betting. The same platform steals peoples’ identities, causing them other problems.
Aiden, masquerading as Jamie’s agent, cozies up to the PR guy, Ethan. Jamie tries to pick out which players might be involved, and one stands out in particular.
With all the memories of home and his coaching skills being praised, Jamie wonders if he could have that life again, and Aiden worries his baggage is too much so he should let Jamie go.
Instead, it lights a fire under him, and he tells Jamie he wants more, he’s just been too afraid to fall in love and lose him. When Jamie is kidnapped, the culprits all come to light, and he cleverly lets Aiden know where he is.
As for the possibility of Gabe and Tom, Aiden’s dead husband and best friend, being involved in a terrorist group, things start connecting, and Jamie is ready to share this heartbreaking news, but at the last minute, Danny adds a surprising twist to the story.
An excellent book, I loved seeing Jamie revisit his past and decide what he wants, and Aiden finally realizing he shouldn’t risk losing what he has while he has it.
I like the chancellor of the college and Jamie’s ex, who gets caught in the middle of things.
The case they’re assigned takes them undercover, but it actually returns Jamie to his old life, coaching basketball in his hometown and living in his old house. It also brings his ex back into the picture, as he wants to reconcile and be out together.
The goal is to find out who’s created an online gambling platform for college betting and has players and/or coaches illegally betting. The same platform steals peoples’ identities, causing them other problems.
Aiden, masquerading as Jamie’s agent, cozies up to the PR guy, Ethan. Jamie tries to pick out which players might be involved, and one stands out in particular.
With all the memories of home and his coaching skills being praised, Jamie wonders if he could have that life again, and Aiden worries his baggage is too much so he should let Jamie go.
Instead, it lights a fire under him, and he tells Jamie he wants more, he’s just been too afraid to fall in love and lose him. When Jamie is kidnapped, the culprits all come to light, and he cleverly lets Aiden know where he is.
As for the possibility of Gabe and Tom, Aiden’s dead husband and best friend, being involved in a terrorist group, things start connecting, and Jamie is ready to share this heartbreaking news, but at the last minute, Danny adds a surprising twist to the story.
An excellent book, I loved seeing Jamie revisit his past and decide what he wants, and Aiden finally realizing he shouldn’t risk losing what he has while he has it.
I like the chancellor of the college and Jamie’s ex, who gets caught in the middle of things.
*Copy provided to me by NetGalley for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
Cask Strength is Book 2 in Layla Reyne's Agents Irish and Whiskey and absolutely cannot be read as a standalone. This book starts where the first one left off, so plan on reading this series in the appropriate order.
We met Aidan (Irish) and Jamie (Whiskey) in Book 1 as they became new partners in the FBI. The hardest part of doing this review is that storylines flow from Book 1 to Book 3 and I don't want to give any of that away. There are cases being worked from Aidan and Jamie, a case being worked from just Aidan and a secret case Jamie is working. Aidan is really struggling and refusing to acknowledge how he feels for Jamie. He feels guilty for being alive when his husband is dead and he feels guilty for what he feels for Jamie. Jamie is in love with Aidan. He has no interest in anyone else. He's willing to take whatever Aidan gives him, just so he can be with him. But Jamie isn't escaping the feelings of guilt as he works his secret case that now involves Aiden's husband and partner.
Aidan and Jamie are taking on new cases in this book and though their personal relationship is still developing, their work relationship is strong. They're successful in their cases and making a name for their partnership within the FBI. The case they work in this book involves an identity theft ring within betting on college basketball games. I thought I had all the players figured out, but I did not! The author has done a fantastic job on all the storylines and mysteries in this series! And though the relationship doesn't happen overnight, the reality is, everyone has their hang-ups and sometimes those hang-ups aren't magically fixed overnight.
Before you go into this, be aware that each of the first two books ends in a cliffhanger type of ending. If you hate cliffhangers like I do, this is important for you to know. My recommendation is this: Buy all three books and plan on reading all three books in succession. This is an absolutely fantastic series and there would have been no way that I could have stopped reading after just one of these books. I had to be prodded a little to try this book and I really questioned if I should or not. This author was new to me, I hadn't read the first book so I was unsure if the writing was something I would enjoy. I finally gave in and listened and am so glad I did! When someone recommends you read a book and tell you that you'll love it, listen. I really recommend you read this book, you'll love it ;)
Rating: 5++++ stars!
Cask Strength is Book 2 in Layla Reyne's Agents Irish and Whiskey and absolutely cannot be read as a standalone. This book starts where the first one left off, so plan on reading this series in the appropriate order.
We met Aidan (Irish) and Jamie (Whiskey) in Book 1 as they became new partners in the FBI. The hardest part of doing this review is that storylines flow from Book 1 to Book 3 and I don't want to give any of that away. There are cases being worked from Aidan and Jamie, a case being worked from just Aidan and a secret case Jamie is working. Aidan is really struggling and refusing to acknowledge how he feels for Jamie. He feels guilty for being alive when his husband is dead and he feels guilty for what he feels for Jamie. Jamie is in love with Aidan. He has no interest in anyone else. He's willing to take whatever Aidan gives him, just so he can be with him. But Jamie isn't escaping the feelings of guilt as he works his secret case that now involves Aiden's husband and partner.
Aidan and Jamie are taking on new cases in this book and though their personal relationship is still developing, their work relationship is strong. They're successful in their cases and making a name for their partnership within the FBI. The case they work in this book involves an identity theft ring within betting on college basketball games. I thought I had all the players figured out, but I did not! The author has done a fantastic job on all the storylines and mysteries in this series! And though the relationship doesn't happen overnight, the reality is, everyone has their hang-ups and sometimes those hang-ups aren't magically fixed overnight.
Before you go into this, be aware that each of the first two books ends in a cliffhanger type of ending. If you hate cliffhangers like I do, this is important for you to know. My recommendation is this: Buy all three books and plan on reading all three books in succession. This is an absolutely fantastic series and there would have been no way that I could have stopped reading after just one of these books. I had to be prodded a little to try this book and I really questioned if I should or not. This author was new to me, I hadn't read the first book so I was unsure if the writing was something I would enjoy. I finally gave in and listened and am so glad I did! When someone recommends you read a book and tell you that you'll love it, listen. I really recommend you read this book, you'll love it ;)
Rating: 5++++ stars!