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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
*** 4.5 Stars ***
For me, Tere Michaels’ Love & Loyalty was a case of reading the perfect book at the perfect moment in time. It’s hard to put into words exactly that I was feeling when I started this book; the closest I can come is to say that because of things going on in my personal life, I was feeling this odd jumble of emotions that were grounded in happiness and nostalgia and utter relaxation, but also tinged by exhaustion and sadness and some frustration. I’m certain that if I had read the same book two days ago (or two days from now, for that matter) I would’ve had a completely different reaction to the story. Not better. Not worse. Just… different. As it was, however, I was in the perfect frame of mind to put myself in an author’s hands and get lost in the pages of a new book for a few hours.
And so I loved this book.
We first met Jim (going incognito using his full name, James) near the end of Faith & Fidelity when he picked up a lonely, rejected, horny Matt Haight in a dingy bar in Manhattan. The two men went back to Jim’s hotel room, fooled around a little, talked a little, and parted in the morning as friends. Though it was only a small part in the book, I instantly liked Jim’s character - he was open, friendly, compassionate, and loyal to a fault. He was also clearly emotionally devastated by the worst case of unrequited love I’ve seen in a long while.
Unfortunately, Love & Loyalty doesn’t start out much better for Jim – his work stress is through the roof, his relationship with his family is strained, he’s not sleeping or eating well, and his best friend (subject of the aforementioned unrequited love) is now blissfully married... to a woman. He may not admit it, but Jim is goddamned lonely. So when Griffin pops into Jim’s life, the man is like breath of fresh air. A Hollywood screenwriter, Griffin is talented, bold, funny, thoughtful, and sweetly sentimental. Jim may not immediately trust the man, but he can’t deny the growing spark between them.
I thought Jim was a really, really sweet character, but he wasn’t the same guy in Love & Loyalty that he was in Faith and Fidelity. In the first book, he seemed confident and in control in his romantic encounter with Matt. Smooth. Funny. His actions with Matt were sweet and caring, but there was nothing tentative about them. Jim knew what he wanted and – so long as Matt was on the same page – he planned to get it. Er… get some, as the case may be.
In this book, however, Jim’s first date with Griffin is filled with glowers, glares, one-word responses and painfully awkward moments. Where was my casual, take charge guy!? It didn’t make me like him any less, but it was definitely not the same. What’s worrisome is that I couldn’t tell if Ms. Michaels was deliberately trying to show another aspect of Jim’s character, or if she just forgot who she initially created him to be. Personally, I think it’s the latter, but you can feel free to disagree with me.
In the end though, it didn’t matter. I loved both of the characters and the attraction between the two of them was so dang adorable I practically got butterflies in my stomach from proximity to all their happiness! I know that the entire story only took place over a couple of weeks and the fact that Griffin and Jim fell in love during this time and under these circumstance should feel rushed or forced or something, but it doesn’t. It feels like a smooth slide into warmth and security and… home.
Too syrupy?! I apologize. ;)
And there was plenty of other things to enjoy about this book as well. Jim’s friends were all great secondary characters. They were kind and concerned, a little pushy and a lot loving – exactly the kind of friends everyone should be so lucky to have. The humour and dialogue were well-written (enough to make me laugh out loud several times), and the conflict was resolved to my complete satisfaction. There were also a few deeply poignant moments, and lessons about family and friends and life that were worth internalizing. I’m not at all ashamed to admit that touched me deeply and moved me to tears. Perhaps most importantly, there was also a sweet happily ever after that left me with a pleasant buzzing feeling in my heart region (and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that).
Verdict: Overall, I found Love & Loyalty to be quietly beautiful. It was sweetness and light, with just the right touch of heart break and loss to keep it from being entirely fluffy. It’s definitely a book worth reading. More, it’s a book worth sharing.
For me, Tere Michaels’ Love & Loyalty was a case of reading the perfect book at the perfect moment in time. It’s hard to put into words exactly that I was feeling when I started this book; the closest I can come is to say that because of things going on in my personal life, I was feeling this odd jumble of emotions that were grounded in happiness and nostalgia and utter relaxation, but also tinged by exhaustion and sadness and some frustration. I’m certain that if I had read the same book two days ago (or two days from now, for that matter) I would’ve had a completely different reaction to the story. Not better. Not worse. Just… different. As it was, however, I was in the perfect frame of mind to put myself in an author’s hands and get lost in the pages of a new book for a few hours.
And so I loved this book.
We first met Jim (going incognito using his full name, James) near the end of Faith & Fidelity when he picked up a lonely, rejected, horny Matt Haight in a dingy bar in Manhattan. The two men went back to Jim’s hotel room, fooled around a little, talked a little, and parted in the morning as friends. Though it was only a small part in the book, I instantly liked Jim’s character - he was open, friendly, compassionate, and loyal to a fault. He was also clearly emotionally devastated by the worst case of unrequited love I’ve seen in a long while.
Unfortunately, Love & Loyalty doesn’t start out much better for Jim – his work stress is through the roof, his relationship with his family is strained, he’s not sleeping or eating well, and his best friend (subject of the aforementioned unrequited love) is now blissfully married... to a woman. He may not admit it, but Jim is goddamned lonely. So when Griffin pops into Jim’s life, the man is like breath of fresh air. A Hollywood screenwriter, Griffin is talented, bold, funny, thoughtful, and sweetly sentimental. Jim may not immediately trust the man, but he can’t deny the growing spark between them.
I thought Jim was a really, really sweet character, but he wasn’t the same guy in Love & Loyalty that he was in Faith and Fidelity. In the first book, he seemed confident and in control in his romantic encounter with Matt. Smooth. Funny. His actions with Matt were sweet and caring, but there was nothing tentative about them. Jim knew what he wanted and – so long as Matt was on the same page – he planned to get it. Er… get some, as the case may be.
In this book, however, Jim’s first date with Griffin is filled with glowers, glares, one-word responses and painfully awkward moments. Where was my casual, take charge guy!? It didn’t make me like him any less, but it was definitely not the same. What’s worrisome is that I couldn’t tell if Ms. Michaels was deliberately trying to show another aspect of Jim’s character, or if she just forgot who she initially created him to be. Personally, I think it’s the latter, but you can feel free to disagree with me.
In the end though, it didn’t matter. I loved both of the characters and the attraction between the two of them was so dang adorable I practically got butterflies in my stomach from proximity to all their happiness! I know that the entire story only took place over a couple of weeks and the fact that Griffin and Jim fell in love during this time and under these circumstance should feel rushed or forced or something, but it doesn’t. It feels like a smooth slide into warmth and security and… home.
Too syrupy?! I apologize. ;)
And there was plenty of other things to enjoy about this book as well. Jim’s friends were all great secondary characters. They were kind and concerned, a little pushy and a lot loving – exactly the kind of friends everyone should be so lucky to have. The humour and dialogue were well-written (enough to make me laugh out loud several times), and the conflict was resolved to my complete satisfaction. There were also a few deeply poignant moments, and lessons about family and friends and life that were worth internalizing. I’m not at all ashamed to admit that
Spoiler
Ed’s passingVerdict: Overall, I found Love & Loyalty to be quietly beautiful. It was sweetness and light, with just the right touch of heart break and loss to keep it from being entirely fluffy. It’s definitely a book worth reading. More, it’s a book worth sharing.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really loved this second installment of this series. The first one was soooo good but this one might be even better!
I loved Jim adn griffin together. Griff is so funny and cute and adorable and I just can't get enough of him! Things really went well for them, sad to say but I like them more than matt and evan. seriously. Evan is just too uptight at times. Griffin really tried at the end.I want to know their exact ages though!
I was kinda disappointed that I didn't immediately get more Evan and Matt in book 2 of this series, but I still enjoyed Jim and Griffin's story. The courtship and the way they danced around each other to avoid admitting what was actually going on, that they were suddenly in a relationship, was nigh on adorable. And their struggles, especially Griffin's, to do the right thing were pretty heartbreaking. I'm so happy that I didn't skip over this one!
3.5 stars.
I don't think this book should have been book 2 in this series. It should have been it's own series because other than Jim knowing Matt, nothing else really fit with book 1, in my opinion.
Detective James "Jim" O'Shea was nursing some anger as a result of his last case ending in a losing battle for him--the defendant was found not guilty of murder. Jim was just in a general funk. He didn't have close friends, no close loved ones, and his life was pretty sterile.
In comes a Hollywood duo, a star actress Daisy Mae and her best friend and screenwriter named Griffin Drake. They wanted to write a screenplay of the murder trial and wanted to interview those people closest to the case. Griffin and Jim kind of begin a relationship almost immediately and they just fall into a domestic type relationship. For the most part, as a couple, they were drama free and they seemed to push the other into taking some personal risks. It was nice...and a tad boring too.
It was an okay story, but I really look forward to Matt & Evan's story again.
I don't think this book should have been book 2 in this series. It should have been it's own series because other than Jim knowing Matt, nothing else really fit with book 1, in my opinion.
Detective James "Jim" O'Shea was nursing some anger as a result of his last case ending in a losing battle for him--the defendant was found not guilty of murder. Jim was just in a general funk. He didn't have close friends, no close loved ones, and his life was pretty sterile.
In comes a Hollywood duo, a star actress Daisy Mae and her best friend and screenwriter named Griffin Drake. They wanted to write a screenplay of the murder trial and wanted to interview those people closest to the case. Griffin and Jim kind of begin a relationship almost immediately and they just fall into a domestic type relationship. For the most part, as a couple, they were drama free and they seemed to push the other into taking some personal risks. It was nice...and a tad boring too.
It was an okay story, but I really look forward to Matt & Evan's story again.
~4.5 stars~
I liked this book better than the first one. Jim and Griffin are adorable together and Jim's friends are awesome. The story surrounding the romance of the two men gives glimpses into the harsh and gritty life of a detective in the homicide department and shows the not so bright and glamorous parts of Hollywood's film industry.
Again, the falling-in-love part came a bit too quickly for my liking considering that the whole book spans only a few weeks but in this case, I didn't mind too much. It still felt natural, IMO, and there's enough going on that keeps the story from being too fluffy (especially one scene that had me close to tears).
What made me wonder was that Jim felt like a totally different character than he was in [b:Faith & Fidelity|23303969|Faith & Fidelity (Faith, Love, and Devotion #1)|Tere Michaels|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421918613s/23303969.jpg|4866696]. Not sure if this was the author's intention or not. I still liked him, though.
And a brief comment on the audiobook: It was terrible! Not necessarily the narration which was good enough, but the quality! Missing sentences, static noise, and the entire epilog is missing.
I liked this book better than the first one. Jim and Griffin are adorable together and Jim's friends are awesome. The story surrounding the romance of the two men gives glimpses into the harsh and gritty life of a detective in the homicide department and shows the not so bright and glamorous parts of Hollywood's film industry.
Again, the falling-in-love part came a bit too quickly for my liking considering that the whole book spans only a few weeks but in this case, I didn't mind too much. It still felt natural, IMO, and there's enough going on that keeps the story from being too fluffy (especially one scene that had me close to tears).
What made me wonder was that Jim felt like a totally different character than he was in [b:Faith & Fidelity|23303969|Faith & Fidelity (Faith, Love, and Devotion #1)|Tere Michaels|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421918613s/23303969.jpg|4866696]. Not sure if this was the author's intention or not. I still liked him, though.
And a brief comment on the audiobook: It was terrible! Not necessarily the narration which was good enough, but the quality! Missing sentences, static noise, and the entire epilog is missing.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked this one... although I like Faith and Fidelity more.
The whole screenplay drama was a bit to much and to dramatic for my taste.
I really loved the characters and the romance.
The whole screenplay drama was a bit to much and to dramatic for my taste.
I really loved the characters and the romance.