Scan barcode
yazaleea's review
3.0
Solid 3.5 stars!
Elliot, an ex-FBI agent turned university history Professor after a career ending injury, is thrown back into his old world when he asked to investigate a student disappearance. The case quickly has him running into his... ex? FBI Special Agent Tucker Lance. Things have not ended well between the two, but as the case turns dangerous, they put old wounds and bitterness aside to solve it.
The mystery was fun, nothing crazy with a definitely rushed resolution and ending (the reveal happened in the last chapter??).
The romance was cute but so rushed. They broke things off based on miscommunication after Elliot’s injury and Tucker being an incredible asshole. They got back together sooo quickly, they were so damn horny lmfao. They went from maybe fuck buddies to ugly breakup and 2 years of radio silence to moving together in a week. Like. Give them (and me!) time to BREATHE! But they were cute, and Elliot did say he needs to take things slowly. And they were cute!
So yep, not life changing but def a good time!
Elliot, an ex-FBI agent turned university history Professor after a career ending injury, is thrown back into his old world when he asked to investigate a student disappearance. The case quickly has him running into his... ex? FBI Special Agent Tucker Lance. Things have not ended well between the two, but as the case turns dangerous, they put old wounds and bitterness aside to solve it.
The mystery was fun, nothing crazy with a definitely rushed resolution and ending (the reveal happened in the last chapter??).
The romance was cute but so rushed. They broke things off based on miscommunication after Elliot’s injury and Tucker being an incredible asshole. They got back together sooo quickly, they were so damn horny lmfao. They went from maybe fuck buddies to ugly breakup and 2 years of radio silence to moving together in a week. Like. Give them (and me!) time to BREATHE! But they were cute, and Elliot did say he needs to take things slowly. And they were cute!
So yep, not life changing but def a good time!
a_reader_obsessed's review
4.0
What is it about 2 manly men unable to voice their true feelings or show their vulnerable emotions that provides such good angst?? I don't know either but this book had it in spades.
There's really not much to complain about a Josh Lanyon book. You've got intricate, researched details. There's also witty, charming, self deprecating humor - the conversations interesting and intriguing. Also a well set up mystery and slow burn romance is present too.
Elliot - G man turned professor trying to get on with his life after being permanently injured in the field. He's a bit lonely, a bit bitter - missing the explosive chemistry he had with fellow coworker Tucker.
Tucker - kinda gruff, tough - surprisingly willing to put his heart on the line once Elliot comes back into his life after 17 months. Had these boys talked initially, they could have not missed out on months of getting it on.
Sooo like I said before, there's great mystery, wonderful feels, all mixed in with a love story and smex. I'm just glad I don't have to wait four years for the sequel.
There's really not much to complain about a Josh Lanyon book. You've got intricate, researched details. There's also witty, charming, self deprecating humor - the conversations interesting and intriguing. Also a well set up mystery and slow burn romance is present too.
Elliot - G man turned professor trying to get on with his life after being permanently injured in the field. He's a bit lonely, a bit bitter - missing the explosive chemistry he had with fellow coworker Tucker.
Tucker - kinda gruff, tough - surprisingly willing to put his heart on the line once Elliot comes back into his life after 17 months. Had these boys talked initially, they could have not missed out on months of getting it on.
Sooo like I said before, there's great mystery, wonderful feels, all mixed in with a love story and smex. I'm just glad I don't have to wait four years for the sequel.
laura_katie_j's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jrv45's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
mar_cortz's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
This book came up on my MM list and after checking all the amazing reviews I decided to read it. Anyone who knows me knows I love MM, I dare say more than FM.
This book was good, not a 5 star read if you asked me, I wish I had more tension, more feelings, just more to have me more engaged. At times it felt like the plot dragged with insignificant details, and then I would realize I was just a few pages I’ve read, which kind of sucked because I almost gave up on my reading.
I wish we could know more about the relationship, about what happened and how it happened, unfortunately it was just a summarized version of it all.
The book ended and even though it kind of picked up speed on the second half I still feel like I don’t know any of the main characters or why the serial killer was all of a sudden obsessed with Elliot.
Still it was good and even though I personally feel it could be better it got me intrigued enough to want to know more about Elliot and Tucker.
This book came up on my MM list and after checking all the amazing reviews I decided to read it. Anyone who knows me knows I love MM, I dare say more than FM.
This book was good, not a 5 star read if you asked me, I wish I had more tension, more feelings, just more to have me more engaged. At times it felt like the plot dragged with insignificant details, and then I would realize I was just a few pages I’ve read, which kind of sucked because I almost gave up on my reading.
I wish we could know more about the relationship, about what happened and how it happened, unfortunately it was just a summarized version of it all.
The book ended and even though it kind of picked up speed on the second half I still feel like I don’t know any of the main characters or why the serial killer was all of a sudden obsessed with Elliot.
Still it was good and even though I personally feel it could be better it got me intrigued enough to want to know more about Elliot and Tucker.
gryvon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Suicide, and Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
sil_the_lobster's review against another edition
4.0
I'm currently re-reading this one and noticed I haven't written a review yet *tsking at myself*
Although there's fantastic authors whose books I immensely enjoy and re-read, too, Josh Lanyon has become one of the two authors whose books I turn to when I need a comfort read. (The other's Georgette Heyer, in case you're interested.) There's just something about his storytelling voice that makes it incredibly easy to lean into.
Anyway. Elliot, agent-turned-professor, is asked to look into the disappearance of a college student and what starts out as a favour for an old family friend quickly turns into something more complicated and dangerous than Elliot had expected. Dangerous, because he finds himself being shot at, complicated, because FBI agent Tucker Lance makes an appearance and stirs up Elliot's quiet life.
Elliot and Tucker make up another pairing that I've grown very fond of. I like their chemistry, the magnetism that is still there after all this time, the attraction between the former colleagues/comrades/brothers-in-arms/whatever-you-call-it. I think it's one of the things that makes me enjoy reading Lanyon's stories so much - his ability to create living, breathing people with strengths and weaknesses, with flaws and likeable streaks.
And again, he's created a wounded hero, a former FBI agent who had to trade his active career for a teaching job after having his knee seriously damaged (and whenever Elliot flinches, I flinch, because I've had the dubious pleasure of knee surgery, too, although not as bad). When I say "wounded hero" I don't mean it in a dramatic Hollywoodesque sense, super tragic with his life all destroyed etc asf, but rather like someone who's had to re-evaluate his life and start all over again. Yes, there was bitterness, yes, there still is, but he's getting there without having fallen into the darkest pits of despair. Lanyon creates regular blokes with regular issues who may or may not be drawn into murders or mysteries but who are always believable. Likeable, too, not too picture perfect to be scary or unrealistic, just... well, regular blokes slightly glammed over for enjoyable reading.
So what makes this book a good comfort read? It has a plot. Yes, I feel the need to point that out because many m/m novels are too busy being hot to bother with a story in between the sex scenes, and while I'm not at all against reading hot sex, I like a good story to go with it. Otherwise it's just wanking material and while there's nothing wrong with spending quality time with oneself, I want a good story if I pay good money. Like in real life. Sex is so much better when I'm in the right mood, and boy is the sex good when Elliot and Tucker finally get it on. The build-up is excellent, the tension between them is tangible and it's just so beautifully written. Lanyon doesn't write an awful lot of sex scenes into his stories because the plot comes first (no pun intended), but when he does, it's hot. And beautiful. And sexy. And it makes me long for a straight version of Tucker in my life because, DAMN. Freckles and all. So, yeah, plot. Character development. Interesting secondary characters. Background story. Fast-paced, but not at breakneck speed. Pleasant language but not in love with itself.
Yep, this one has it all.
Only noticed a few days ago that there's a sequel. Most excellent. It's already on the Kindle, waiting to be read. And there's still a whole bunch of Lanyon stories I haven't even downloaded yet. Ah well. They will be mine. Oh yeah. They will be mine :-)
Although there's fantastic authors whose books I immensely enjoy and re-read, too, Josh Lanyon has become one of the two authors whose books I turn to when I need a comfort read. (The other's Georgette Heyer, in case you're interested.) There's just something about his storytelling voice that makes it incredibly easy to lean into.
Anyway. Elliot, agent-turned-professor, is asked to look into the disappearance of a college student and what starts out as a favour for an old family friend quickly turns into something more complicated and dangerous than Elliot had expected. Dangerous, because he finds himself being shot at, complicated, because FBI agent Tucker Lance makes an appearance and stirs up Elliot's quiet life.
Elliot and Tucker make up another pairing that I've grown very fond of. I like their chemistry, the magnetism that is still there after all this time, the attraction between the former colleagues/comrades/brothers-in-arms/whatever-you-call-it. I think it's one of the things that makes me enjoy reading Lanyon's stories so much - his ability to create living, breathing people with strengths and weaknesses, with flaws and likeable streaks.
And again, he's created a wounded hero, a former FBI agent who had to trade his active career for a teaching job after having his knee seriously damaged (and whenever Elliot flinches, I flinch, because I've had the dubious pleasure of knee surgery, too, although not as bad). When I say "wounded hero" I don't mean it in a dramatic Hollywoodesque sense, super tragic with his life all destroyed etc asf, but rather like someone who's had to re-evaluate his life and start all over again. Yes, there was bitterness, yes, there still is, but he's getting there without having fallen into the darkest pits of despair. Lanyon creates regular blokes with regular issues who may or may not be drawn into murders or mysteries but who are always believable. Likeable, too, not too picture perfect to be scary or unrealistic, just... well, regular blokes slightly glammed over for enjoyable reading.
So what makes this book a good comfort read? It has a plot. Yes, I feel the need to point that out because many m/m novels are too busy being hot to bother with a story in between the sex scenes, and while I'm not at all against reading hot sex, I like a good story to go with it. Otherwise it's just wanking material and while there's nothing wrong with spending quality time with oneself, I want a good story if I pay good money. Like in real life. Sex is so much better when I'm in the right mood, and boy is the sex good when Elliot and Tucker finally get it on. The build-up is excellent, the tension between them is tangible and it's just so beautifully written. Lanyon doesn't write an awful lot of sex scenes into his stories because the plot comes first (no pun intended), but when he does, it's hot. And beautiful. And sexy. And it makes me long for a straight version of Tucker in my life because, DAMN. Freckles and all. So, yeah, plot. Character development. Interesting secondary characters. Background story. Fast-paced, but not at breakneck speed. Pleasant language but not in love with itself.
Yep, this one has it all.
Only noticed a few days ago that there's a sequel. Most excellent. It's already on the Kindle, waiting to be read. And there's still a whole bunch of Lanyon stories I haven't even downloaded yet. Ah well. They will be mine. Oh yeah. They will be mine :-)
diamondrust's review against another edition
2.0
Eh, it was okay. Still think the Adrien English series was her best - this is a bit formulaic. Quick read, not bad. Just she's done better.