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acesarrows's review against another edition
4.0
As other reviews have mentioned about this book it requires a significant suspension of disbelief in regards to the plot and the actions of basically everyone in this book. After watching one episode of any generic crime-thriller drama you'd be able to spot the issues here, but even with that, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced mystery romp.
Far more of a thriller/mystery than a romance, but I will be reading the other two books about Irish and Whiskey, and can't wait to learn more about both of our heroes.
Far more of a thriller/mystery than a romance, but I will be reading the other two books about Irish and Whiskey, and can't wait to learn more about both of our heroes.
bookschaosnart's review against another edition
5.0
the narrator for this audio book is really good and this is coming from someone that normally hates most audiobooks.
bookschaosnart's review
5.0
the couple extra scenes added in this edition were great adds and definitley helped get to know Aiden better!
eesh25's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 Stars
This series has been on my radar for a while. There are four book and the first three focus on Agents Irish and Whiskey while the fourth is a spin-off.
Aidan Talley (Irish) is an FBI agent who, eight months ago, lost both his husband and FBI partner in an accident. Now, as he's finally learning to accept what happened and get back to work, he's hit with the news that maybe the accident wasn't really an accident. And that with the help of his new partner, he can investigate what happened.
Jamie (Whiskey) is the new partner. Jamie has worked in the cyber crimes department for three years but the SAC wants him for field work. So pairing him with Aidan is about learning how to work in the field and solving the mystery of the deaths of Aidan's husband and partner.
But that's the focus of the series as a whole. So you won't be getting any final answers about the accident in this book. Instead, along with this case, Aidan and Jamie work on other cases. The main focus in this one was a security breach, a hack threatening a high-security biocontainment facility. That and the budding relationship between Aidan and Jamie which, on Jamie's side, is pretty simple. Jamie's been crushing on Aidan from a distance for years. It's Aidan who isn't ready to move on. Who might not even want to move on.
And if I were to divide this review into pros and cons, the pros are... hard to define. I liked the book in that it has a good story and decent writing. It's also got characters that I could really get behind with a little more time spent with them. The romantic chemistry is also there. Plus I like the cases the two work on.
The cons are that while plenty of things are good or decent, they could be great. The romantic chemistry could be better, the writing could use a smoother flow, we could stand to know the characters better, and the story could be better executed, with scene transitions where one scene leads to the other rather than the somewhat abrupt ones we got here. Also, the information we get about cases could use more coherency.
A lot of this, I think, will improve with the next book. For other things, we'll just have to see. This is a good start to a series and I enjoyed the book. Just not as much as I'd hoped to. Still, I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
This series has been on my radar for a while. There are four book and the first three focus on Agents Irish and Whiskey while the fourth is a spin-off.
Aidan Talley (Irish) is an FBI agent who, eight months ago, lost both his husband and FBI partner in an accident. Now, as he's finally learning to accept what happened and get back to work, he's hit with the news that maybe the accident wasn't really an accident. And that with the help of his new partner, he can investigate what happened.
Jamie (Whiskey) is the new partner. Jamie has worked in the cyber crimes department for three years but the SAC wants him for field work. So pairing him with Aidan is about learning how to work in the field and solving the mystery of the deaths of Aidan's husband and partner.
But that's the focus of the series as a whole. So you won't be getting any final answers about the accident in this book. Instead, along with this case, Aidan and Jamie work on other cases. The main focus in this one was a security breach, a hack threatening a high-security biocontainment facility. That and the budding relationship between Aidan and Jamie which, on Jamie's side, is pretty simple. Jamie's been crushing on Aidan from a distance for years. It's Aidan who isn't ready to move on. Who might not even want to move on.
And if I were to divide this review into pros and cons, the pros are... hard to define. I liked the book in that it has a good story and decent writing. It's also got characters that I could really get behind with a little more time spent with them. The romantic chemistry is also there. Plus I like the cases the two work on.
The cons are that while plenty of things are good or decent, they could be great. The romantic chemistry could be better, the writing could use a smoother flow, we could stand to know the characters better, and the story could be better executed, with scene transitions where one scene leads to the other rather than the somewhat abrupt ones we got here. Also, the information we get about cases could use more coherency.
A lot of this, I think, will improve with the next book. For other things, we'll just have to see. This is a good start to a series and I enjoyed the book. Just not as much as I'd hoped to. Still, I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
jrv45's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
gillianw's review against another edition
4.0
https://justlovereviews.com/2017/02/26/single-malt-layla-reyne/#more-19554
4 stars
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I love workplace romances. It doesn’t matter if you work in an office, a restaurant, at a school, or driving a Mack truck – if you give me a couple of co-workers and a forbidden relationship (forbidden by HR, anyway) I’m all in.
Good thing then, that Single Malt, is the story of FBI agent Aiden ‘Irish’ Talley and his new partner, Jameson ‘Whiskey’ Walker. Aiden ends up partnered with Jamie when he is cleared to return to work after recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident eight months earlier. That same accident claimed the life of his husband, Gabe and his agent partner, Tom and Aiden has been dealing with his unwarranted guilt over the crash and the gut feeling that it was no accident – despite the case being closed as one. At the encouragement of his boss (and sister in law), Aiden unofficially enlists Jamie’s help to determine if the accident really was just that – an accident.
While the two men have been aware of each other over the past couple of years, Aiden’s status as a married man kept him firmly in the “look but don’t touch camp.” However, things are different this time.
And while Aiden isn’t completely ready to move on, he is attracted to Jamie, and Jamie makes it perfectly clear that he is attracted to Aiden.
“Whoa, there.” Walker rushed toward him, arm outstretched. “You okay, Irish?”
Aiden skirted out of reach, cursing himself for betraying his husband in a moment of weakness, for taking comfort in the arms of another man in the place that had been theirs. It hadn’t been long enough. He wasn’t ready to move on, no matter what his sisters or anyone else said. Gabe was the love of his life. There was no moving on from that.
When the two men become involved in a case of cyber hacking (Jamie’s expertise), the action and the tension ratchets up a notch. This is where I began to get more involved with the story and was able to see more of the attraction between the two men. I would have appreciated being shown rather than told that Aiden feels guilty over his feelings for Jamie (and almost rated this a 3.5 star read because of it) but his conflicting emotions are put into perspective when a near-disaster occurs:
“Because you saved us. Because we were alive. Because I needed to remember what that felt like.” He’d been dead inside for months. Actually being near death had brought that fact into startling focus.
Walker pulled him back into his arms, cheek to cheek. “Understandable.”
“I need…” The corner of his mouth brushed Walker’s jaw.
“What do you need?” Walker angled his face in, more than a mere brush, noses nudging each other, mouths inches apart.
Life –big, beautiful life – and an end to the emptiness was right there for the taking.
“I need to feel alive again.”
(Just as an aside, following this scene, the two guys get pretty hot and heavy. However, this came on the heels of an accident that caused some injuries and put one of them in the hospital – albeit, briefly – with a head injury. Not sure if *I* would be feeling very sexy at that particular moment but these guys are clearly superheroes).
As all this is going on, there is an actual plot in play, and it’s pretty good. The hacking of the laboratory leads to some interesting information about in-house spies, FBI moles and some unpleasantness that may have to do with Gabe’s death. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that made me very interested to see where this story is going to go. So yeah, I’m all in for book two.
Overall, I found this to be a fast-paced story with a decent storyline and interesting characters. I think it has the potential to be a strong series if the author can pump up our emotions in the next book and show us more of Aiden’s internal conflict over his growing attachment of Jamie, and how the bombshell dropped on Jamie at the end of the book will impact their relationship, both personally and professionally.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4 stars
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I love workplace romances. It doesn’t matter if you work in an office, a restaurant, at a school, or driving a Mack truck – if you give me a couple of co-workers and a forbidden relationship (forbidden by HR, anyway) I’m all in.
Good thing then, that Single Malt, is the story of FBI agent Aiden ‘Irish’ Talley and his new partner, Jameson ‘Whiskey’ Walker. Aiden ends up partnered with Jamie when he is cleared to return to work after recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident eight months earlier. That same accident claimed the life of his husband, Gabe and his agent partner, Tom and Aiden has been dealing with his unwarranted guilt over the crash and the gut feeling that it was no accident – despite the case being closed as one. At the encouragement of his boss (and sister in law), Aiden unofficially enlists Jamie’s help to determine if the accident really was just that – an accident.
While the two men have been aware of each other over the past couple of years, Aiden’s status as a married man kept him firmly in the “look but don’t touch camp.” However, things are different this time.
And while Aiden isn’t completely ready to move on, he is attracted to Jamie, and Jamie makes it perfectly clear that he is attracted to Aiden.
“Whoa, there.” Walker rushed toward him, arm outstretched. “You okay, Irish?”
Aiden skirted out of reach, cursing himself for betraying his husband in a moment of weakness, for taking comfort in the arms of another man in the place that had been theirs. It hadn’t been long enough. He wasn’t ready to move on, no matter what his sisters or anyone else said. Gabe was the love of his life. There was no moving on from that.
When the two men become involved in a case of cyber hacking (Jamie’s expertise), the action and the tension ratchets up a notch. This is where I began to get more involved with the story and was able to see more of the attraction between the two men. I would have appreciated being shown rather than told that Aiden feels guilty over his feelings for Jamie (and almost rated this a 3.5 star read because of it) but his conflicting emotions are put into perspective when a near-disaster occurs:
“Because you saved us. Because we were alive. Because I needed to remember what that felt like.” He’d been dead inside for months. Actually being near death had brought that fact into startling focus.
Walker pulled him back into his arms, cheek to cheek. “Understandable.”
“I need…” The corner of his mouth brushed Walker’s jaw.
“What do you need?” Walker angled his face in, more than a mere brush, noses nudging each other, mouths inches apart.
Life –big, beautiful life – and an end to the emptiness was right there for the taking.
“I need to feel alive again.”
(Just as an aside, following this scene, the two guys get pretty hot and heavy. However, this came on the heels of an accident that caused some injuries and put one of them in the hospital – albeit, briefly – with a head injury. Not sure if *I* would be feeling very sexy at that particular moment but these guys are clearly superheroes).
As all this is going on, there is an actual plot in play, and it’s pretty good. The hacking of the laboratory leads to some interesting information about in-house spies, FBI moles and some unpleasantness that may have to do with Gabe’s death. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that made me very interested to see where this story is going to go. So yeah, I’m all in for book two.
Overall, I found this to be a fast-paced story with a decent storyline and interesting characters. I think it has the potential to be a strong series if the author can pump up our emotions in the next book and show us more of Aiden’s internal conflict over his growing attachment of Jamie, and how the bombshell dropped on Jamie at the end of the book will impact their relationship, both personally and professionally.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
zaza_bdp's review against another edition
4.0
Layla Reyne nous entraîne au coeur d'une enquête du FBI, menée par un duo d'agents qu'on va suivre sur plusieurs tomes. Aidan Talley est un agent expérimenté, il a la quarantaine, et revient tout juste au travail, après huit mois d'absence, suite à un dramatique crash en voiture, qui a coûté la vie à Gabe, son mari, ainsi qu'à Tom, son partenaire au FBI. Pour son retour, on lui attribue un 'rookie', qui n'a que 3 ans d'ancienneté au FBI, mais qui est très compétent en matière informatique. Ce dernier répond au doux nom de Jameson Walker, alias Whiskey. Ensemble, ils vont mener une enquête pas forcément toujours facile à suivre côté jargon (je suis nettement plus habituée au vocabulaire de la military romance), mais qui réserve son lot de surprises.
La romance n'est pas le point principal de ce livre, mais, compte-tenu du bagage émotionnel de chacun des deux hommes, c'est tout à fait compréhensible, et ce n'est que le premier tome ! J'ai aimé cette espèce d'électricité sensuelle qui grésille finement dans ce livre, le fait que Whiskey attire en quelque sorte Aidan du côté des vivants. J'ai aimé aussi lire l'histoire de deux hommes plus âgés que ce qui se fait d'habitude en romance (en tout cas Aidan), j'ai aimé l'intimité brute qui se dégage entre eux et ce besoin viscéral d'être ensemble qu'ils ont à un moment donné. Cela donne un caractère vraiment intime et réaliste à ce couple, et on n'est pas dans une séduction facile et ... superficielle. De très belles choses sont dites par moments, et c'est touchant de voir ces hommes se montrer vulnérables. Irish & Whiskey m'ont touchée, et je suis contente de savoir que j'ai quelques tomes à passer en leur compagnie !
Pour revenir sur l'enquête principale, disons qu'elle inclut du piratage informatique, un labo contenant les pires virus imaginables, et des ramifications qu'on ne voit pas venir au départ. En filigrane, il y a aussi une autre enquête, plus mystérieuse et personnelle, et je pense qu'il faudra plusieurs tomes pour en venir à bout ! Contre toute attente, ce nouveau duo fonctionne très bien, et on retrouve la dynamique classique (mais efficace) du mentor VS le 'bleu', et on se rend compte très vite que chacun à apprendre à l'autre, même si ce bougon d'Aidant ne voit pas, au début, d'un bon œil, à avoir à jouer les mentors !
Voilà donc un premier tome efficace et prometteur, qui augure une belle série, si les promesses sont tenues ! C'est avec le sentiment délicieux d'avoir encore plein de livres d'elle à découvrir, une série à poursuivre, et un spin-off à découvrir que j'ai terminé ma lecture, et il n'est pas impossible que je dévore tous les tomes de cette série à la suite !
La romance n'est pas le point principal de ce livre, mais, compte-tenu du bagage émotionnel de chacun des deux hommes, c'est tout à fait compréhensible, et ce n'est que le premier tome ! J'ai aimé cette espèce d'électricité sensuelle qui grésille finement dans ce livre, le fait que Whiskey attire en quelque sorte Aidan du côté des vivants. J'ai aimé aussi lire l'histoire de deux hommes plus âgés que ce qui se fait d'habitude en romance (en tout cas Aidan), j'ai aimé l'intimité brute qui se dégage entre eux et ce besoin viscéral d'être ensemble qu'ils ont à un moment donné. Cela donne un caractère vraiment intime et réaliste à ce couple, et on n'est pas dans une séduction facile et ... superficielle. De très belles choses sont dites par moments, et c'est touchant de voir ces hommes se montrer vulnérables. Irish & Whiskey m'ont touchée, et je suis contente de savoir que j'ai quelques tomes à passer en leur compagnie !
Pour revenir sur l'enquête principale, disons qu'elle inclut du piratage informatique, un labo contenant les pires virus imaginables, et des ramifications qu'on ne voit pas venir au départ. En filigrane, il y a aussi une autre enquête, plus mystérieuse et personnelle, et je pense qu'il faudra plusieurs tomes pour en venir à bout ! Contre toute attente, ce nouveau duo fonctionne très bien, et on retrouve la dynamique classique (mais efficace) du mentor VS le 'bleu', et on se rend compte très vite que chacun à apprendre à l'autre, même si ce bougon d'Aidant ne voit pas, au début, d'un bon œil, à avoir à jouer les mentors !
Voilà donc un premier tome efficace et prometteur, qui augure une belle série, si les promesses sont tenues ! C'est avec le sentiment délicieux d'avoir encore plein de livres d'elle à découvrir, une série à poursuivre, et un spin-off à découvrir que j'ai terminé ma lecture, et il n'est pas impossible que je dévore tous les tomes de cette série à la suite !
bitchie's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this a lot. I don't know that I was quite as blown away as a lot of my friends, but I did enjoy it, and am intrigued enough to be starting the next book tonight.
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
A promising start for grieving a dead spouse, age gap, second chance romance!
What I liked:
Aidan is newly back at the FBI after recuperating and mourning the loss of his work partner and husband who perished in a terrible motor vehicle accident. He’s been partnered with IT whiz Jamie Walker, to see if Jamie’s ready to become an official field agent. It’s the last thing that Aidan wants to do but he finds his situation advantageous as his BFF (who’s also his boss and sister in law) tasks both of them to secretly investigate the aforementioned deaths as new evidence points to foul play instead. What results is a slow burn attraction between Aidan and Jamie, and they work and play well together, their dynamic interesting and compelling.
What niggled:
It’s going to be understandable and warranted that Aidan will have an unbelievable amount of guilt for not only surviving but for possibly finding another attractive and daring to find happiness in the arms of the other. Running hot and cold, and then hot and cold some more, Aidan’s inability to fully commit results in an agreement to a just sex only arrangement with no emotional attachment. Riiiiiiiiight. Because that’s something that always comes out like roses. It’s a common expectation in stories such as these, and if it drives you crazy, you’ve been forewarned that 8 months of grieving doesn’t seem hardly enough time to move on.
What I hope for:
There’s no doubt that Aidan and Jamie’s relationship has plenty of ups and downs but the small wins were worth it despite the frustration. One can’t help but root for Jamie who has had his fair share of hurts and disappointments, who will take any scrap that Aidan deems to give him whether that’s accolades for a job well done or a kiss from the man he’s admired from afar for years.
Overall, a good beginning with equally good writing. This is law enforcement romantic suspense with great potential, and I’m off to read the next!
A promising start for grieving a dead spouse, age gap, second chance romance!
What I liked:
Aidan is newly back at the FBI after recuperating and mourning the loss of his work partner and husband who perished in a terrible motor vehicle accident. He’s been partnered with IT whiz Jamie Walker, to see if Jamie’s ready to become an official field agent. It’s the last thing that Aidan wants to do but he finds his situation advantageous as his BFF (who’s also his boss and sister in law) tasks both of them to secretly investigate the aforementioned deaths as new evidence points to foul play instead. What results is a slow burn attraction between Aidan and Jamie, and they work and play well together, their dynamic interesting and compelling.
What niggled:
It’s going to be understandable and warranted that Aidan will have an unbelievable amount of guilt for not only surviving but for possibly finding another attractive and daring to find happiness in the arms of the other. Running hot and cold, and then hot and cold some more, Aidan’s inability to fully commit results in an agreement to a just sex only arrangement with no emotional attachment. Riiiiiiiiight. Because that’s something that always comes out like roses. It’s a common expectation in stories such as these, and if it drives you crazy, you’ve been forewarned that 8 months of grieving doesn’t seem hardly enough time to move on.
What I hope for:
There’s no doubt that Aidan and Jamie’s relationship has plenty of ups and downs but the small wins were worth it despite the frustration. One can’t help but root for Jamie who has had his fair share of hurts and disappointments, who will take any scrap that Aidan deems to give him whether that’s accolades for a job well done or a kiss from the man he’s admired from afar for years.
Overall, a good beginning with equally good writing. This is law enforcement romantic suspense with great potential, and I’m off to read the next!
lollymac's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol