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jrv45's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
colleen_m's review against another edition
4.0
I will admit, it took me a while to get into this book. It started slow - there was very little about Sullivan and Tobias that kept me interested before they actually acknowledged their chemistry. However, once they started interacting romantically, their relationship became one of my favorite BDSM couples almost immediately. Their relationship was very... pure, for lack of a better word. So many BDSM themed novels lately just focus on the physical nature of the acts, not the emotional needs behind them. This book did not do that. It also showed the characters as both inherently flawed - not like tortured hero flawed, but focused on Tobias' fear of rejection and Sullivan's distrust of his own desires. I was captivated by their personalities and how they fit together.
In addition to the actual romantic story line, the mystery and character develop were top notch. I enjoyed that the story line carried over from the first book - which is something I guess I should mention - this is not really a stand alone. You will likely be confused if you didn't read Church and Miller's book - not that those characters play a huge roll in this book, but the mystery plot connects the two across time.
Other than that, I just cannot wait for Ghost's book. I was pretty well intrigued by Ghost the first time around, but now having read this book, there were points where I despised Ghost... so of course now I am even more interested in seeing his perspective.
The night before came back to him. He’d slept with Sullivan again. Jesus, he’d done more than that. He’d let Sullivan turn him into a wordless animal. Sullivan had torn him into little pieces, wrung him out, and then put him back together so completely that the only thing Tobias could say about the whole experience was thank you and again. That was the problem, actually. That little again. That itch beneath his skin was all about the again.
In addition to the actual romantic story line, the mystery and character develop were top notch. I enjoyed that the story line carried over from the first book - which is something I guess I should mention - this is not really a stand alone. You will likely be confused if you didn't read Church and Miller's book - not that those characters play a huge roll in this book, but the mystery plot connects the two across time.
Other than that, I just cannot wait for Ghost's book. I was pretty well intrigued by Ghost the first time around, but now having read this book, there were points where I despised Ghost... so of course now I am even more interested in seeing his perspective.
nononanette's review against another edition
3.0
While I got a bit bored with book 1, this book kept my interest. Sullivan is an awesome character and Tobias grew on me. It was surprisingly interesting getting into the nitty gritty of PI work, even the mundane process Sullivan had to go through that you typically never hear about. I did expect to hear how the cop-Russian issue resolved so that was mildly annoying.
redheadbeans's review against another edition
5.0
I adore this book. It's beautiful, it's funny, it's heart-breaking. The characters are amazing, the story is fun. It's a great sequel. It made me excited for book 3. Great series.
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
5.0
While I know a couple of people who unknowingly skipped book 1 and weren’t lost in this story, I don’t think this is a standalone. At first glance this appears to be an unrelated case for PI Sullivan and the only tie-in is Tobias hiring him to find Ghost, both of whom are side characters in book 1. BUT, the Krayev ‘mafia’ family ARC, which his apparently going to be spread out over the entire series, continues to be unraveled here. If you haven’t read book 1 yet, stop what you’re doing and read it first. You won’t regret it and it will make this book even better as Ms. Bell shows off her story web-weaving talent.
When this book was originally recommended to me, I had just finished reading a particularly bad BDSM book and I needed a palate cleanser. For one reason or another, I wasn’t able to read the book then and I forgot that minor detail until I started reading…and oh, what a pleasant surprise because I just finished another not so awesome BDSM book and this one was perfect for me. I’m usually not a big fan of pain play and while it is necessary for Tobias it’s not part of every scene with them and the scenes that do involve pain were so well written that I wasn’t bothered by them.
Sullivan is my favorite character in this series and it’s going to take something major to change that. He is the perfect mix of badass, wit, charm, dominance, vulnerability, intelligence and romance. From his first interaction with Tobias until the utterly perfect epilogue (which I’ll touch on later), he is everything Tobias didn’t know he needed. Well, I guess they need each other. Tobias helped Sullivan be himself and shed his insecurities about being a Dom.
Tobias is a pleaser and there is nothing wrong with that unless you sacrifice yourself when doing that…which Tobias has done his entire life. When that sacrifice becomes too much, Tobias breaks and decides it’s time for an overhaul. If he didn’t pull at your heartstrings in book 1, he definitely will in this book. His strength of character is astounding, and he surprised me more than once which is hard to do.
In case it isn’t obvious, I love these guys together.
The epilogue…I just…I was a little disappointed and then I teared up a little and then I smiled and then I teared up a little again and then it was all perfect. I’m not sure I’ve ever run through that gamut of emotions in an epilogue.
Just like book 1, this book is long. And I’m usually prone to skim parts of longer books that bore me or don’t see important (even my favorites that I read more than once) so hear me when I say I READ EVERY WORD of both books. And I will probably read every word of book 3.
These are not light, fluffy reads. They are emotionally heavy. The main story ARC is started in book 1, further develops in book 2 and I’m assuming will conclude in book 3…it’s complicated. The romance both in book 1 and in this book are intricate. The characters are so complex I almost want to recommend taking notes.
Ghost is next. And I KNOW he had a horrible childhood – even without knowing anything about it. The little, tiny bit of foreshadowing we’ve had about his past is going to make it awful. But I do not like him (yet?). And yes, I know most of what we see is an act. I still don’t like him. Ms. Bell is either going to break me with her writing sorcery or I’m going to be really, really sad.
When this book was originally recommended to me, I had just finished reading a particularly bad BDSM book and I needed a palate cleanser. For one reason or another, I wasn’t able to read the book then and I forgot that minor detail until I started reading…and oh, what a pleasant surprise because I just finished another not so awesome BDSM book and this one was perfect for me. I’m usually not a big fan of pain play and while it is necessary for Tobias it’s not part of every scene with them and the scenes that do involve pain were so well written that I wasn’t bothered by them.
Sullivan is my favorite character in this series and it’s going to take something major to change that. He is the perfect mix of badass, wit, charm, dominance, vulnerability, intelligence and romance. From his first interaction with Tobias until the utterly perfect epilogue (which I’ll touch on later), he is everything Tobias didn’t know he needed. Well, I guess they need each other. Tobias helped Sullivan be himself and shed his insecurities about being a Dom.
Tobias is a pleaser and there is nothing wrong with that unless you sacrifice yourself when doing that…which Tobias has done his entire life. When that sacrifice becomes too much, Tobias breaks and decides it’s time for an overhaul. If he didn’t pull at your heartstrings in book 1, he definitely will in this book. His strength of character is astounding, and he surprised me more than once which is hard to do.
In case it isn’t obvious, I love these guys together.
The epilogue…I just…I was a little disappointed and then I teared up a little and then I smiled and then I teared up a little again and then it was all perfect. I’m not sure I’ve ever run through that gamut of emotions in an epilogue.
Just like book 1, this book is long. And I’m usually prone to skim parts of longer books that bore me or don’t see important (even my favorites that I read more than once) so hear me when I say I READ EVERY WORD of both books. And I will probably read every word of book 3.
These are not light, fluffy reads. They are emotionally heavy. The main story ARC is started in book 1, further develops in book 2 and I’m assuming will conclude in book 3…it’s complicated. The romance both in book 1 and in this book are intricate. The characters are so complex I almost want to recommend taking notes.
Ghost is next. And I KNOW he had a horrible childhood – even without knowing anything about it. The little, tiny bit of foreshadowing we’ve had about his past is going to make it awful. But I do not like him (yet?). And yes, I know most of what we see is an act. I still don’t like him. Ms. Bell is either going to break me with her writing sorcery or I’m going to be really, really sad.
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
~ 4.5 Stars ~
Tobias Benton is a former Woodbury boy, the facility where he met his two best friends, Church and Ghost. Tobias’ backstory is a huge part of this novel—how he came into the world, how he fits into his family, who he believes he’s expected to be, and how that all led to him being institutionalized at Woodbury after a nervous breakdown. It’s also why it’s imperative that Tobias be the one to find Ghost after his enigmatic friend disappears (not that Ghost doesn’t have a history of being in the wind, mind you. If ever there were a character whose name suits him, it’s Ghost). For Tobias, the search for Ghost is about self-respect, it’s about Tobias taking ownership and action over the situation, something that has been denied him in the past by people who have attributed a fragility to him that he’s determined to prove unwarranted, and all of this together serves to inform his relationship with private investigator Sullivan Tate.
Sullivan’s job as a process server for American Secure Investigations isn’t exactly fulfilling, but he’s absorbing everything he can as a stepping stone to owning his own agency someday. When the unsolved case of a child who disappeared from the scene of a murder in 1992 tweaks Sullivan’s natural curiosity, he begs for the chance to work the case and prove himself to his tough-as-nails boss. Little does he know the extent of the crime would be so far-reaching, nor could he have predicted the effect the investigation would have on him personally. While Sullivan’s backstory isn’t as deeply layered as Tobias’, it’s who he is now, at his core, that matters most when Tobias gives Sullivan an ultimatum to allow him to work the case as Sullivan’s partner.
Needless to say, their relationship doesn’t begin well, but this is what Bell does so capably. She begins her character relationships against what may seem impossible odds and then spends the rest of the story convincing readers that her protagonists fit together like lock and key. In this instance, it’s Tobias’ need to be dominated, to calm the noise inside himself that threatens to overwhelm him, which serves Sullivan’s desire to dominate. Bell then proceeds to dole out those scenes with a visceral intensity that made me wish there had been more of them to savor, even though more wouldn’t have added anything significant to the story.
The BDSM elements of this book aren’t meant as, or written as, a cure-all for Tobias’ depression and anxiety, which I appreciated for its realism. Sullivan’s dominance wasn’t based in his need to be the alpha male, he didn’t need to be Tobias’ Dom outside of the bedroom, nor did Tobias want or need a full-time Dom, but the sexual component of their complementary desires was perfection in its passion, and Bell wrote each of their scenes with an attention towards how they served Tobias more so than towards how much Sullivan loved to serve him. It also wasn’t written as a tidy answer to their relationship or the underlying problem of why Tobias has insinuated himself in Sullivan’s hip pocket on the quest to find Ghost.
As they get closer to the truth of Ghost’s disappearance and find answers to the original case Sullivan was investigating, and how it intersects with who Ghost is working for, Bell’s talent for plotting out a few great twists and an effective climax emerges in full display. Everything that happens leading to the crucial moment between Sullivan and Tobias shows how much Tobias has grown in the short time since he’d met, and subsequently blackmailed, Sullivan, giving Tobias the courage to express what he wants from Sullivan in a way he would never have had the strength or emotional wherewithal to do before.
Sidney Bell impressed me greatly with her debut novel, Bad Judgment. She then went on to awe me with her second novel, Loose Cannon, book one in this series. And now, she’s pulled a threepeat with Hard Line, not a direct sequel in the series but continuing a story arc that does makes it recommendable enough, in my opinion, to read book one first. Hard Line brings us one step closer to Ghost’s novel in the Woodbury Boys series, and Bell allowing her readers a glimpse of who this character is when he isn’t being the mercurial and enigmatic twenty-year-old who’s dangerous when provoked. And dangerous when he isn’t provoked, really, and it stands to reason there may be so many versions of Ghost that we will never know him fully.
One thing I do know is that Bell writes with such a fluid proficiency and with an attention to detailing multifaceted characters and layered storylines. Each of her books is its own experience, and it’s so great to chew through the scenery she creates to get to the heart of her characters and the mysteries they become involved in.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
Tobias Benton is a former Woodbury boy, the facility where he met his two best friends, Church and Ghost. Tobias’ backstory is a huge part of this novel—how he came into the world, how he fits into his family, who he believes he’s expected to be, and how that all led to him being institutionalized at Woodbury after a nervous breakdown. It’s also why it’s imperative that Tobias be the one to find Ghost after his enigmatic friend disappears (not that Ghost doesn’t have a history of being in the wind, mind you. If ever there were a character whose name suits him, it’s Ghost). For Tobias, the search for Ghost is about self-respect, it’s about Tobias taking ownership and action over the situation, something that has been denied him in the past by people who have attributed a fragility to him that he’s determined to prove unwarranted, and all of this together serves to inform his relationship with private investigator Sullivan Tate.
Sullivan’s job as a process server for American Secure Investigations isn’t exactly fulfilling, but he’s absorbing everything he can as a stepping stone to owning his own agency someday. When the unsolved case of a child who disappeared from the scene of a murder in 1992 tweaks Sullivan’s natural curiosity, he begs for the chance to work the case and prove himself to his tough-as-nails boss. Little does he know the extent of the crime would be so far-reaching, nor could he have predicted the effect the investigation would have on him personally. While Sullivan’s backstory isn’t as deeply layered as Tobias’, it’s who he is now, at his core, that matters most when Tobias gives Sullivan an ultimatum to allow him to work the case as Sullivan’s partner.
Needless to say, their relationship doesn’t begin well, but this is what Bell does so capably. She begins her character relationships against what may seem impossible odds and then spends the rest of the story convincing readers that her protagonists fit together like lock and key. In this instance, it’s Tobias’ need to be dominated, to calm the noise inside himself that threatens to overwhelm him, which serves Sullivan’s desire to dominate. Bell then proceeds to dole out those scenes with a visceral intensity that made me wish there had been more of them to savor, even though more wouldn’t have added anything significant to the story.
The BDSM elements of this book aren’t meant as, or written as, a cure-all for Tobias’ depression and anxiety, which I appreciated for its realism. Sullivan’s dominance wasn’t based in his need to be the alpha male, he didn’t need to be Tobias’ Dom outside of the bedroom, nor did Tobias want or need a full-time Dom, but the sexual component of their complementary desires was perfection in its passion, and Bell wrote each of their scenes with an attention towards how they served Tobias more so than towards how much Sullivan loved to serve him. It also wasn’t written as a tidy answer to their relationship or the underlying problem of why Tobias has insinuated himself in Sullivan’s hip pocket on the quest to find Ghost.
As they get closer to the truth of Ghost’s disappearance and find answers to the original case Sullivan was investigating, and how it intersects with who Ghost is working for, Bell’s talent for plotting out a few great twists and an effective climax emerges in full display. Everything that happens leading to the crucial moment between Sullivan and Tobias shows how much Tobias has grown in the short time since he’d met, and subsequently blackmailed, Sullivan, giving Tobias the courage to express what he wants from Sullivan in a way he would never have had the strength or emotional wherewithal to do before.
Sidney Bell impressed me greatly with her debut novel, Bad Judgment. She then went on to awe me with her second novel, Loose Cannon, book one in this series. And now, she’s pulled a threepeat with Hard Line, not a direct sequel in the series but continuing a story arc that does makes it recommendable enough, in my opinion, to read book one first. Hard Line brings us one step closer to Ghost’s novel in the Woodbury Boys series, and Bell allowing her readers a glimpse of who this character is when he isn’t being the mercurial and enigmatic twenty-year-old who’s dangerous when provoked. And dangerous when he isn’t provoked, really, and it stands to reason there may be so many versions of Ghost that we will never know him fully.
One thing I do know is that Bell writes with such a fluid proficiency and with an attention to detailing multifaceted characters and layered storylines. Each of her books is its own experience, and it’s so great to chew through the scenery she creates to get to the heart of her characters and the mysteries they become involved in.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
kerrilee's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Wow. Wow. This story grabbed me tight and did not let go. I loved the mystery/suspense, a couple twists I didn’t see coming and a really awesome relationship between the MCs. Sidney Bell is rocking my world.
ladydewinter's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this a lot better than the first book of this series. That book's biggest flaw was the drama overload, and she managed to find a much better balance here.
Tobias's issues also were a lot more relatable to me than Church's, and the BDSM part of his and Sullivan's relationship was exactly the kind of kink I find interesting.
The main plot was okay, and I suspect the real resolution won't come until Ghost's book. I did like the romance part a lot better, and overall I really enjoyed it.
Tobias's issues also were a lot more relatable to me than Church's, and the BDSM part of his and Sullivan's relationship was exactly the kind of kink I find interesting.
The main plot was okay, and I suspect the real resolution won't come until Ghost's book. I did like the romance part a lot better, and overall I really enjoyed it.
haletostilinski1's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. I enjoyed it a lot more than the first book in this series, although not quite as much as Bad Judgement.
But I thought the story was interesting, if a little slow going, but I felt that the reason for that was to get these two, Tobias and Sullivan to get to know each other, and to make it believeable that they're in love by the end of this - because only about three weeks, a month? or thereabouts goes by over the course of the events in this book, so if the whole main plot point with Ghost being missing had been over and done with quickly, then these two getting to that place of love wouldn't have felt genuine to me.
But these two start out in a somewhat combative terrain in their relationship - which leads to them finding out that they like BDSM and D/s dynamic. I thought their combativeness was set up well and made sense, and Tobias's mental state allowed for them to be pushed into a situation in which those D/s elements would arise so they would discover that about each other.
Because Sullivan had a previous relationship, and when he tried to tell the guy about what he liked in the bedroom, that he liked hurting his partner - consensually, of course - well the guy didn't take it well and made Sullivan scared to try BDSM again. But then along came Tobias, who was a natural Sub to Sullivan's natural Dom.
For me to enjoy BDSM it has to somehow work for me. And I was weary going into reading this because the blurb says "Tobias is only too happy to let him play out his darkest desires" or something along that line and that always makes me think of like super dark things that make me uncomfortable. But I feel like there are levels to BDSM, to slightly kinky to really kinky to way beyond kinky into dark territory and I don't think I'm a fan of BDSM that goes crazy into like, hurting your partner, almost torturing them, in a way, if that makes sense.
But I didn't think Sullivan's desires were that dark and they didn't make me uncomfortable. Especially when Tobias enjoyed the pain so much and they were both aware of consent and Sullivan always made sure to check in on Tobias and his well being. There was some spanking and paddling - and a short description but not an all out scene of caning - but that isn't too bad, imo. Also, it is always safe, sane, and consensual, which is always the way to go.
Some kinkiness, yeah, but not anything scary or creepy or uncomfortable. So I think if most of you don't mind BDSM or even enjoy it, then you'll enjoy this too. Although the steam could have been steamier at points - although there are a few of the sex scenes that are really hot ;)
Since Tobias was not exactly in the center of the Russian crime family thing as Church had been and Ghost is, there isn't anything quite as scary that Church went through for Tobias, and so not quite as much action, although there is some.
But this story is, imo, tamer in the action and crime department than the last one - and probably a lot tamer than Ghost's book will be too.
But it's good because Tobias, at his core, is a kind, good hearted person and really doesn't need to be near the Russian crime family shit. Ghost shouldn't be either, but he at least can handle it. Although he goes through some shitty stuff in this one, so I'll be super intrigued to get his book, and somewhat apprehensive but also super excited at the same time. I can't wait to see who will be able to break through Ghost's walls and who it will be to get Ghost to fall in love them. Also super excited to learn a lot more about Ghost then we have in the previous two books.
We don't get to see Church or Miller in this book, although Tobias does talk to Church on the phone and text him, but that's about it. Tobias wants Church to stay away from the whole thing in this book. But this book is mainly focused on Tobias and his story and Sullivan, with Ghost coming at the end.
And while we do learn quite a bit in this story, it was mostly Tobias' romance story, and a setting up the last book that will most likely feature the Russian crime family heavily once more.
But this was a fun, engaging story that I couldn't put down most of the time, and I'm excited for the last book too.
Definitely recommend if you read and enjoyed the first book in this series :)
***ARC provided by the Alpha Book Club in exchange for an honest review***
But I thought the story was interesting, if a little slow going, but I felt that the reason for that was to get these two, Tobias and Sullivan to get to know each other, and to make it believeable that they're in love by the end of this - because only about three weeks, a month? or thereabouts goes by over the course of the events in this book, so if the whole main plot point with Ghost being missing had been over and done with quickly, then these two getting to that place of love wouldn't have felt genuine to me.
But these two start out in a somewhat combative terrain in their relationship - which leads to them finding out that they like BDSM and D/s dynamic. I thought their combativeness was set up well and made sense, and Tobias's mental state allowed for them to be pushed into a situation in which those D/s elements would arise so they would discover that about each other.
Because Sullivan had a previous relationship, and when he tried to tell the guy about what he liked in the bedroom, that he liked hurting his partner - consensually, of course - well the guy didn't take it well and made Sullivan scared to try BDSM again. But then along came Tobias, who was a natural Sub to Sullivan's natural Dom.
For me to enjoy BDSM it has to somehow work for me. And I was weary going into reading this because the blurb says "Tobias is only too happy to let him play out his darkest desires" or something along that line and that always makes me think of like super dark things that make me uncomfortable. But I feel like there are levels to BDSM, to slightly kinky to really kinky to way beyond kinky into dark territory and I don't think I'm a fan of BDSM that goes crazy into like, hurting your partner, almost torturing them, in a way, if that makes sense.
But I didn't think Sullivan's desires were that dark and they didn't make me uncomfortable. Especially when Tobias enjoyed the pain so much and they were both aware of consent and Sullivan always made sure to check in on Tobias and his well being. There was some spanking and paddling - and a short description but not an all out scene of caning - but that isn't too bad, imo. Also, it is always safe, sane, and consensual, which is always the way to go.
Some kinkiness, yeah, but not anything scary or creepy or uncomfortable. So I think if most of you don't mind BDSM or even enjoy it, then you'll enjoy this too. Although the steam could have been steamier at points - although there are a few of the sex scenes that are really hot ;)
Since Tobias was not exactly in the center of the Russian crime family thing as Church had been and Ghost is, there isn't anything quite as scary that Church went through for Tobias, and so not quite as much action, although there is some.
But this story is, imo, tamer in the action and crime department than the last one - and probably a lot tamer than Ghost's book will be too.
But it's good because Tobias, at his core, is a kind, good hearted person and really doesn't need to be near the Russian crime family shit. Ghost shouldn't be either, but he at least can handle it. Although he goes through some shitty stuff in this one, so I'll be super intrigued to get his book, and somewhat apprehensive but also super excited at the same time. I can't wait to see who will be able to break through Ghost's walls and who it will be to get Ghost to fall in love them. Also super excited to learn a lot more about Ghost then we have in the previous two books.
We don't get to see Church or Miller in this book, although Tobias does talk to Church on the phone and text him, but that's about it. Tobias wants Church to stay away from the whole thing in this book. But this book is mainly focused on Tobias and his story and Sullivan, with Ghost coming at the end.
And while we do learn quite a bit in this story, it was mostly Tobias' romance story, and a setting up the last book that will most likely feature the Russian crime family heavily once more.
But this was a fun, engaging story that I couldn't put down most of the time, and I'm excited for the last book too.
Definitely recommend if you read and enjoyed the first book in this series :)
***ARC provided by the Alpha Book Club in exchange for an honest review***