3.73 AVERAGE


I was gifted my copy of this book, direct from the author, that I write a review was not required.

You know how you love a particular author, all their books are mostly 5 stars reviews, and then one comes along that throws you for a loop, and you did not love it, but you cannot figure out why?? This one, right here.

Simon is in Canada to see just what has happened to his money, and more importantly, his friend. His hook-up provides him with some much needed relief. When said hook-up turns out to be the police officer dealing with his friend, both Simon and Nick realise they have to stay apart. But neither man can do that, because each man feels more for the other than just a hook-up. But how can things work, with them living on opposite sides of the world??

I LIKED this, I really did, I just didn't love, and it pains me deeply to say that, and I really don't know why!

I loved Simon, being an Earl, but he doesn't lord it over others. He works hard, makes his millions by working hard and pushing others to work hard for him. Loved Nick, who is, up to now, quite happy in his job as a Mountie. Loved the supporting cast of characters that take part in this story. Loved how they came together, and that they both thought, quite quickly, that there could be more between them.

I just didn't love the story! I did love how Jack, Simon's friend, redeemed himself, and the bad guys got their comeuppence, though.

This is a collaboration between Susan Mac Nicol, and M.Tasia. I LOVE Ms Mac Nicol, but have only read one short by Ms Tasia. I tried really hard to pick out where each author had their say, as it were, but I couldn't find any seams. The changes between each author are smooth and painless and unless you KNOW where they are, you might never be able to pick those seams apart. So, very well done for that!

So, as much as I enjoyed the story, I just didn't love it and for that I'm deeply sorry!

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Soul of Discretion is written by both Susan Mac Nicol and M. Tasia. Ms Mac Nicol's work I have read and enjoyed before, but I think Ms Tasia's work is new to me.

In a nutshell, this story is about a man finding out his friend has been stealing from him, so he goes to confront him. Things take a darker turn when his friend is murdered, and it looks like the mob is involved. On a lighter note, the one night stand turns out to be a repeat, and in the RCMP.

I really liked this story. It has enough twists and turns to keep the reader's attention, whilst not drowning in detail. The relationship between the two MCs moves fast, but it is only right it does so. They work very well together, complementing each other in nearly every aspect. There is a great supporting cast, with Peter and Steph being amongst my personal favourites.

With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this book was a delight from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyable and definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

Simon was a character that I really liked, but in some ways didn’t. He’s a wealthy man, has a title, has great friends and never acts like he’s better than anyone else. But, he’s also a man who only does one-night hook-ups and his response and the way he talked to someone interested in a second night showed him as a jerk. It doesn’t matter his position, he’s very involved with all of his business so when he finds out someone he thought was his friend was stealing and hiding from him, Simon is ready to kick butt. He flies to Canada to clean house but gets more than he bargains for. Simon meets Nick through his hook-up app and they both have a memorable night, though Simon is his typical rude self and lets Nick know it won’t be more than one night. Nick is in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and he’s ready for a relationship. But he has a lot going on in his life, and finds his path crossing with Simon in a professional standpoint. The RCMP works with Simon’s company to try to figure out what’s going on.

This story works through the case of what’s going on in Simon’s company, who the bad guys are and a satisfactory ending with the case. The case was fairly straightforward with no mystery. The bad guys make sure that Simon knows who they are and what they want. This wasn’t a simple solving of the case within a couple of days. The story covered many different parts of the investigation and let the reader walk through the solving of the crime. There are also issues for Nick on the force that result from the case involving Simon’s firm. For me personally, this added part just was a little too much and unnecessary. And, once the case is cleared up, Simon and Nick both need to decide on what they want for their life, together or apart.

I liked Nick and in the end, I liked Simon. I thought there were great, supporting characters. Though I didn’t love this book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it! I don’t think there are a lot of books with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the reason I really wanted to read it) so I think it’s a great chance to see a character and case in that setting.

Rating: 4 stars

smjwilliams2004's review

4.0

Nick Cooper, Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is a stickler to the rules of duty. Something has changed. He needs more in his life. A hookup was supposed to be the one time answer. Only it wasn't. This man made more of an impact that he expected.

Simon Bridgeworth, took an unexpected trip to Toronto due to a theft and discovers he lost a friend to murder. Keeping things in house, as he prefers, is no longer the possible. The Mountie he had the hookup with, turns out to be the investigator on the case.

The mutual attraction is obvious but the lines become blurred as neither man can maintain the distance of personal and professional.

Mystery, intrigue, romance, and two completely opposite personalities coming together as one.



**I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.**
faysmmbooks's profile picture

faysmmbooks's review

5.0

4.5 stars.🌟 A great combination story from two fantastic authors. Simon and Nick are great together in this story. I loved the chemistry these two had and the storyline was great. Includes sexy scenes and a drama which enfolds from Jack which had me intrigued what happened.
Simon 35 yrs had an app for a gay dates site also he had a Company in Canada which was in trouble he'd need to investigate. Simon has a title which he hates being called Lord one way to definitely get on his bad side lol.
Jack was the boss of account operations for Simon in Canada, his excuses of misplacing 3 Mil of money causes Simon to be really peeved. When Simon receives a call from his friend, Jack saying hes in trouble and to be careful left Simon having questions.
Sergeant Nick 30 yrs was a Royal Mounted Police in Canada on an 3 day conference in Toronto. First time using the date app and he lines up a hookup and a connection is made.

feistyredhead82's review

5.0

This book was incredible. Not only the love story was amazing but the story as a whole was interesting and kept us on our toes from start to finish. I couldn’t get enough of Nick and Simon. From a one night hookup to a casual hookup to forever. Their love sorry is mixed up in a mob hit, kidnapping and so much more. I can’t wait to read more form this author in the future

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

vj1990's review

3.0

2.5 stars

The best part of this book was the cast - everyone from the main characters, Nick and Simon, to the secondary characters, were just awesome and so likable. They were definitely the highlight of the book. The story itself was quite dramatic in an unbelievable sort of way. Even the scene towards the end
Spoilerafter Nick moves to London and throws a little hissy fit about him having to work - I totally agree with the sentiment because I would go nuts with nothing to do all day, but it was just written so casually that it seemed artificially dramatic, cheapening their relationship.


However, the connection between Nick and Simon definitely was so real and fun to read, so in the end, it was an enjoyable if not entirely memorable book.
the_novel_approach's profile picture

the_novel_approach's review

4.0

~ 4.5 Stars ~

Soul of Discretion is the first collaboration between these two authors, and I hope it isn’t the last. Mac Nicol’s edgier side is complemented well by Tasia’s more romantic approach to writing, and the end result just works. Is it a police procedural or a mystery? No. It is, at its heart, a romance, and as such takes some liberties on the investigative side of the storyline. You can see where Mac Nicol’s additions ground the story when it seems to skew from probability, and provides a foundation for the characters that keep them relatable.

Simon Bridgeworth has worked hard to be the man that he is. Titled or not, he believes that hard work pays off. At twenty-eight he started Breakforce Limited, a company dedicated to interactive technology, AI systems, and creating better prosthetics for the disabled. Simon is a man in control, so when the new offshoot of his company in Canada loses over three million dollars, Simon is on a plane to track down what happened in person. Simon appointed one of his close friends, Jack Teeman, as the CEO of the Canada operations, and the betrayal is hitting him hard. A cryptic phone call from Jack has Simon wondering if something bigger than embezzlement could be going on.

Nick Cooper has given some of his best years to serving his country. Joining the army straight out of high school, he then became a Mountie and now works in their Drugs and Organized Crime Investigations Unit. After a decade of having such an intense job, Nick is a little burned out and is starting to wonder if there is more to life than putting bad guys behind bars. He longs for someone to come home to, someone to love.

From the first meeting on the page, our two MCs have enough chemistry to last a lifetime. The relationship doesn’t come right away, they make us wait for it, but as a reader you can feel the pull between the two men and know that one is going to cave, eventually. That it is Simon who caves first is oddly satisfying, signifying his acquiescence to letting a person behind his walls. It also serves as a counterbalance when the teeter-totter goes the other way, and in the end, Nick is the one who bridges the gap these two keep between them. The mystery portion of the story, where the missing millions went and why, wraps up in a way that’s reminiscent of a crime drama. I appreciated the fact that the crime and punishment portion of the storyline was used as a vehicle to push the romance forward, not the other way around, and hence, the story doesn’t end when the bad guys get arrested—the focus stays on our MCs, and I loved that.

Simon is a great character. He’s relentless without being rigid, and under all the bluster has a heart of gold and quirky sense of humor. Nick’s character is a curious dichotomy of hard-nosed Mountie with a military background on the outside and a kind hearted teddy bear on the inside. There is a colorful mix of secondary characters, ranging from Collette, Simon’s secretary (who has whispers of a Moneypenny type character), to her husband Peter, who acts as Simon’s personal right hand. These secondary characters along with Nick’s police force friends help to round our MCs and make them more than two-dimensional. This story flows well; it’s an easy read and while not scoring high on the angst or suspense scale, it reaches right up there with the romance. We get a dual POV with this story, and that really helps as both of our MCs are multilayered. The authors tried to throw some angst in there at the end, and it really could have been left out. When all was said and done, I just wanted Nick to have a pony, and in my mind, since they all belong to Simon anyway, he got one.

I highly recommend this story; it kept my attention and often made me smile. As first collaborations go, I think it is a good one and I hope it’s not their last.

Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach