Reviews

Pike by T.M. Frazier

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schnarah's review against another edition

3.0

It's difficult to judge the first book of a duet without knowing what's going to happen in the next one.

It was a good start to the story, even though the last 10% of the book seemed to go way to fast.
I also see no point why this one character was killed so hastily and without apparent reason. It felt like part of the set up for the next one that had to be crammed into the story.

fourclarkes's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars ~ Reviewed for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty

kirbyj_'s review against another edition

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3.0

this was different to what i've come to expect from frazier, it's a little more of a slower burn. i was so close to putting it down and changing what i was listening to a few times because there just wasn't the same feel as the rest of the series, but then something else would draw me back in.

then that cliffhanger. i had to read book 2 straight away.

pamplemousse_3's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bookboyfriendandhusbandmake3's review

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5.0

As always with T.M.'s books within the first pages I was pulled into a world that makes you question yourself because as you are falling in love with Pike you know he's not really a good guy but none the less you fall in love with this broken guy that might not be the good guy but he is a good man behind all the masks. I loved Mickey so much and especially how she was with Pike. A little shy, sassy and how she did what she had to do to get through the days and that's something I have a deep understanding of. I can't wait for part 2 of this duet. I need answers like I need air.

sueread2030's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was absolutely hot and weird at the same time
Pike definitely went from I want to kill her, literally, to I cannot live without her in the next book
I loved the intensity of the moments between Pike and Mic
and poor Mic! She is definitely broken

however, I really don't like how a character is presented as this super smart but the only way they show that they are smart is by telling us that they are smart. We never see this in the book,

judgingbooksandcovers's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ashhopk's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

The story was intriguing and wasn’t something you could guess. Enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening with mick. Pike is prickly but genuinely a good guy who’s just jaded. The writing and intricacies of the story is what sets this apart from other dark romances

sonja_ahrb's review

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5.0

I was really hoping that Pike would get his own book when I was reading Nine and I was so excited when Ms. Frazier announced that she was indeed writing his book! I couldn’t wait to get inside Pike’s head and see who his heroine would be. I didn’t know what to expect going in and it’s been quite the ride reading his book and I loved it so much! Pike was full of suspense, heat, heartache, and moments that made my jaw drop, made yell, grab my head, and times that just shook me. It was hard to pull myself away at some points because this was a flipping fantabulous book and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Pawn!

~ Sonja, 5 Stars

anasatticbookblog's review

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4.0

Pike and Pawn (The Pawn Duet) by T.M. Frazier
Gritty Contemporary Romance with Anti-Hero
Can stand alone as a duet, but MUCH better if you read the whole King Series first.

“Logan’s Beach. It’s a town made up of equal parts sand and sadists. Beach and blood. Saltwater and sins. Canals and chaos.”

Oh how I love when T.M. Frazier brings us back to the Logan’s Beach crew! I read Pike the day it came out in March. At the time I was having trouble focusing on reading with all that was going on in the world, but Pike was able to completely capture my attention and kept me glued to my Kindle. The cliffhanger ending was a killer and I couldn’t wait for the next. When Pawn was delayed, I decided to go ahead and re-read Pike again before diving into Pawn and I am so glad I did, because I’m not sure I would have enjoyed book two as much if the first wasn’t fresh in my mind.

“It’s not lies that get you killed. It’s the truth.”

Pike and Mickey met in a strange way four years ago. Now, four years later, they meet under very different circumstances, and Mickey is Pike’s captive.

“When it comes to this girl, my instincts are at war. One tells me to punish. The other to protect. Only one can win.”

All the grit and craziness we have grown to love from T.M. Frazier are here in this duet, as well as almost everyone in previous books from the King Series, including all of our favorite character.

“Preppy isn’t just off his rocker, he’s not even on the fucking porch.”

His booklet: "A Kidnappers Commandments: A Complete Guide to caring for your Captive" had me laughing my ass off. It was just so….Preppy. Yet it was useful for Pike as he tortured Mickey to get information on who is trying to destroy him.

"While I’m distracted, trying to keep everything I’ve worked for from exploding, she somehow manages to slip her small feminine fingers past all of my barriers, reaches into my black fucking soul… And pulls the fucking pin."

In Book 2, Pawn, we pick up where Pike left off, but there was a LOT going on and it felt a bit rushed to the climax. I think perhaps this would have been better as a trilogy because I would have loved to have seen the relationship deepen and for the climax to have a lot more detail, especially because it deals with racism and hatred — I would have like to have seen a deeper exploration there. But on the other hand, it being such a touchy subject right now, it can be a really hard thing to write about with the correct tone and keep with the book’s gritty feel. T.M. Frazier did a great job of it, I just selfishly wanted more. If she takes her time and does her research, there is a great spin-off novel that can deal with it.

“My war has a bigger meaning. A bigger purpose. And that purpose isn’t just revenge. It’s humanity.”

T.M. Frazier is often poetic in her grittiness and I absolutely love that about her writing. I had a TON of amazing quotes that it was so hard to pick from for this review.

"Pike and I aren’t at war. We never were. We are what’s left over after the battle’s already been lost on both sides. We’re not soldiers. We’re carnage."

Likes:

•Coming back to Logan’s Beach!

•T.M. Frazier’s crazy brain.

•It took me to a completely different place and let me forget about Covid for a few days.

•Visiting with almost all her past characters, especially Preppy and Rage!

•A few spin-off possibilities.

•Kept me turning pages, completely engrossed.

Dislikes:

•Both books felt rushed to publication. Tracey is too good of a writer to put out books that had so many editing errors, I would much rather wait than get pulled out of a story because of errors. The second book had less grammar and spelling mistakes, but had some weird inconsistencies in the sex scenes. Like they are fucking on a sink, and suddenly there is a mattress, or they’re fucking on the sand, and suddenly there is a counter.

•I think this may have been better as a trilogy. The climax felt rushed and I still have unanswered questions. Plus I would have liked to see a little more connection and love between Pike and Mic.

The Down & Dirty:

I absolutely love T.M. Frazier’s gritty style of writing. They read almost like an Urban Fantasy with no real superhuman abilities. I loved that the Pawn Duet tied in so well to the entire King Series yet can probably stand alone pretty well. The best thing was that they made me forget about the virus plaguing the world even for just a little while. Since it’s such a hard time for anyone to really focus and be creative, I wish Tracey would have taken a little more time with these books and maybe even stretched them to three because they needed another round of edits, the end felt rushed with some loose ends, and the books could have easily been expanded because so much was going on.

Pawn also dealt with some very sensitive subjects during a very volatile time, and I can’t imagine how it must have been to write about the subject of racial hate while it’s blowing up all around us in real life. T.M. Frazier is still one of my favorite authors, and the Pawn Duet helped ensure that she remains in that top spot. Even with a few nitpicking complaints, I still LOVED the duet, and really hope we get at least two more spin-offs from it.