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yazaleea's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this!
After reading the Seven of Spades series, and a mention of a K9 dog made me realise "OMG K9 stands for 'Canine'!!" my brain's been on a high and feeling like the next Einstein. When I was browsing through my "PTR" pile, this book caught my K9-happy attention.
Cloister Witte works in the K9 service of the town of Plenty, South Cal, along with his partner - black german shepherd lady named Bourneville. Cloister is pretty independent, has a problem with authority and is happy with keeping things simple. And he's good at this, as long as he doesn't have to be confronted with FBI Special Agent Javier 'Javi' Merlo. Javi is pretty but also he is an arrogant asshole. Javi can be so damn snobbish and mean, and he knows it. When they're both thrown into the case of a missing 10 year-old boy, they must put their dislike (and other... inconvenient feelings) aside and get to the bottom of it.
Javi is SUCH an asshole and he is such a condescending prick to Cloister. Javi is used to a certain comfortable lifestyle and he HATES that he is attracted to "trailer trash" Cloister. And he is lowkey not hiding it. Cloister knows and doesn't mind. I love Cloister so much. He has obviously had a complicated childhood and still bears the scars of his past. Aside from his dog Bon Bon (Bourneville is such a badass name for a dog and Bon Bon is the cutest nickname bye), he isn't really close to anyone. He looks scary, but he is a softie inside. Also Cloister is a romantic, and when he and Javi start their no-strings attached arrangement, he immediately knows he is screwed. He knows Javi is an asshole, and honestly I'm not sure what Cloister sees beyond the hot exterior but he is falling. He is pretty good at pretending he doesn't want more.
Javi is a piece of work, who knows he is a bastard, acknowledges that sometimes it's hard to live with himself. He obviously has developed self-protection mechanisms, between his commitment-phobia and his prickly or just prickish exterior. I am so intrigued by him, I want to know more. I don't really mind that he is an ass, I love the slowburn of his realisation that he maybe cares for Cloister, but in this book, the two men just have the no-string thing, maybe in the next book this man will get a GRIP.
The mystery was fun, I had a feeling who the culprit would be but the whole investigation was fun to follow. I like that while Javi is the Special Agent in charge of doing the detective-ing, Cloister comes up with a lot of hunches and is the "instinctive" one of the two. I think they're a good team, even if Cloister deserves so much better lmfao.
Bourneville is the best side character ever, I loved Dominic and Rebel in the SoS books, but Cloister and Bon were such a cute team and I love their bond so so much. I need more grumpy men with cute dogs hooking up with pretty assholes.
My one issue with the book is that while the character writing was good, the rest was soooo confusing. I had no idea when things were happening, if it was day or night, how many days had passed. I was always a bit lost. Then there are the typos, the names and ages that change along the book and so on. It definitely needs some editing.
After reading the Seven of Spades series, and a mention of a K9 dog made me realise "OMG K9 stands for 'Canine'!!" my brain's been on a high and feeling like the next Einstein. When I was browsing through my "PTR" pile, this book caught my K9-happy attention.
Cloister Witte works in the K9 service of the town of Plenty, South Cal, along with his partner - black german shepherd lady named Bourneville. Cloister is pretty independent, has a problem with authority and is happy with keeping things simple. And he's good at this, as long as he doesn't have to be confronted with FBI Special Agent Javier 'Javi' Merlo. Javi is pretty but also he is an arrogant asshole. Javi can be so damn snobbish and mean, and he knows it. When they're both thrown into the case of a missing 10 year-old boy, they must put their dislike (and other... inconvenient feelings) aside and get to the bottom of it.
Javi is SUCH an asshole and he is such a condescending prick to Cloister. Javi is used to a certain comfortable lifestyle and he HATES that he is attracted to "trailer trash" Cloister. And he is lowkey not hiding it. Cloister knows and doesn't mind. I love Cloister so much. He has obviously had a complicated childhood and still bears the scars of his past. Aside from his dog Bon Bon (Bourneville is such a badass name for a dog and Bon Bon is the cutest nickname bye), he isn't really close to anyone. He looks scary, but he is a softie inside. Also Cloister is a romantic, and when he and Javi start their no-strings attached arrangement, he immediately knows he is screwed. He knows Javi is an asshole, and honestly I'm not sure what Cloister sees beyond the hot exterior but he is falling. He is pretty good at pretending he doesn't want more.
Javi is a piece of work, who knows he is a bastard, acknowledges that sometimes it's hard to live with himself. He obviously has developed self-protection mechanisms, between his commitment-phobia and his prickly or just prickish exterior. I am so intrigued by him, I want to know more. I don't really mind that he is an ass, I love the slowburn of his realisation that he maybe cares for Cloister, but in this book, the two men just have the no-string thing, maybe in the next book this man will get a GRIP.
The mystery was fun, I had a feeling who the culprit would be but the whole investigation was fun to follow. I like that while Javi is the Special Agent in charge of doing the detective-ing, Cloister comes up with a lot of hunches and is the "instinctive" one of the two. I think they're a good team, even if Cloister deserves so much better lmfao.
Bourneville is the best side character ever, I loved Dominic and Rebel in the SoS books, but Cloister and Bon were such a cute team and I love their bond so so much. I need more grumpy men with cute dogs hooking up with pretty assholes.
My one issue with the book is that while the character writing was good, the rest was soooo confusing. I had no idea when things were happening, if it was day or night, how many days had passed. I was always a bit lost. Then there are the typos, the names and ages that change along the book and so on. It definitely needs some editing.
mdee's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
Although this isn't much of a romance and my hunch about the culprit from the beginning proved to be right, I still enjoyed reading this. I absolutely loved Cloister and his K-9 dog, Bourneville. I'm still a bit undecided about Javi, but would love for there to be a sequel in order to learn more about him.
Although this isn't much of a romance and my hunch about the culprit from the beginning proved to be right, I still enjoyed reading this. I absolutely loved Cloister and his K-9 dog, Bourneville. I'm still a bit undecided about Javi, but would love for there to be a sequel in order to learn more about him.
divapitbull's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed Bone to Pick. It won’t be a favorite of readers looking for traditional romance, but it delivered my favorite formula: a very understated slow to build relationship between 2 very damaged characters, which is overshadowed by a police procedural/mystery plot. My one complaint actually is that I wish the relationship aspects of the story weren’t quite so overshadowed; and my one hope is that there will be enough books in this series to allow the characters to heal and their relationship to develop.
Bone to Pick is set in the town of Plenty California and brings together Deputy Sheriff Cloister Witte and his k-9 partner Bourneville; and Mexican American FBI agent Javier Merlo. There’s definitely an enemies to…something vibe going on because they start off with some established animosity between them. Javi simply can’t help that he’s an asshole. He comes across as arrogant and condescending; and he’s sometimes so rude that even he can’t stand himself; and Cloister, who has issues with authority to begin with (even though he’s technically an authority) has zero patience for it. Not to mention, that Javi…it’s not that he doesn’t like dogs (because honestly, he warms up to – in his Javi way – Bourneville pretty fast); but he can smell them and thinks they should live outside. Clearly, he’s never experienced the human-animal bond which is just sad. Which is the thread that can make Javi, if not a relatable character – then a redeemable one – there’s a lot underneath his obnoxious exterior – that’s just sad.
The mystery that brings Cloister and Javi together is a missing boy that turns into a serial missing childrens’ case. Javi’s very open to a one time fuck with Cloister; and he can’t admit that any feelings might be behind his going back for more. Javi “doesn’t date” and is the poster child for commitment-phobe. He’s laser focused on advancing his career and doesn’t have time for anything that could get in the way. He’s also incredibly emotionally crippled. Meanwhile, Cloister describes himself as a doormat for sticking around and wanting an emotional connection; however, he doesn’t seem to do emotionally healthy any better than Javi. He has his own set of traumas and issues, nightmares and insomnia; and his problems with authority lead to his shutting down and failing to communicate. In short, they are both hot messes.
The police procedural aspects of the story are wrapped up and Cloister and Javi are left at…fuck buddies; with definite emotions bubbling under the surface. Also Bourneville (or Bon Bon as Cloister calls her) is the Bomb.
Bone to Pick is set in the town of Plenty California and brings together Deputy Sheriff Cloister Witte and his k-9 partner Bourneville; and Mexican American FBI agent Javier Merlo. There’s definitely an enemies to…something vibe going on because they start off with some established animosity between them. Javi simply can’t help that he’s an asshole. He comes across as arrogant and condescending; and he’s sometimes so rude that even he can’t stand himself; and Cloister, who has issues with authority to begin with (even though he’s technically an authority) has zero patience for it. Not to mention, that Javi…it’s not that he doesn’t like dogs (because honestly, he warms up to – in his Javi way – Bourneville pretty fast); but he can smell them and thinks they should live outside. Clearly, he’s never experienced the human-animal bond which is just sad. Which is the thread that can make Javi, if not a relatable character – then a redeemable one – there’s a lot underneath his obnoxious exterior – that’s just sad.
The mystery that brings Cloister and Javi together is a missing boy that turns into a serial missing childrens’ case. Javi’s very open to a one time fuck with Cloister; and he can’t admit that any feelings might be behind his going back for more. Javi “doesn’t date” and is the poster child for commitment-phobe. He’s laser focused on advancing his career and doesn’t have time for anything that could get in the way. He’s also incredibly emotionally crippled. Meanwhile, Cloister describes himself as a doormat for sticking around and wanting an emotional connection; however, he doesn’t seem to do emotionally healthy any better than Javi. He has his own set of traumas and issues, nightmares and insomnia; and his problems with authority lead to his shutting down and failing to communicate. In short, they are both hot messes.
The police procedural aspects of the story are wrapped up and Cloister and Javi are left at…fuck buddies; with definite emotions bubbling under the surface. Also Bourneville (or Bon Bon as Cloister calls her) is the Bomb.
jambrea's review against another edition
4.0
Gah! What is not to love about this book? Suspense. Murder. Romance? Rugged guys who don't want love. It has a bit of everything. It's an awesome ride and I was ready to take it. I love how much we get of the case and the guys... working... well.. maybe working, together. lol TA does an awesome job of weaving in little bits here and there as the story unfolds. Both leads can be jerks, but I loved them because of that. They each have a past. That is slipped in through out the story. I enjoyed the ending. It made me smile. I am hoping that the guys will have another case.
TA does a wonderful job with the investigation part of the story. Following along, wondering what was going to happen next was one of the things I loved about the story.
TA does a wonderful job with the investigation part of the story. Following along, wondering what was going to happen next was one of the things I loved about the story.
teresab78's review against another edition
4.0
Javi, Javi, Javi... what an ass. I liked the mystery. I would have liked more romance - these two were more fuck buddies/enemies but I hope there’s more in book two.
becka6131's review against another edition
4.0
I was looking for a slow burn partners to lovers romance and this was perfect - be warned that this definitely puts the emphasis on SLOW, as at least one half of this couple has some serious emotional roadblocks in the way of getting involved with another person in any long term capacity. In Javi it was refreshing to see a character who doesn't so much struggle with his inability to communicate his feelings but like, genuinely doesn't think he could be somebody's boyfriend? I've read a lot of romances now where the guy is, for all intents and purposes, just being somebody's boyfriend but is unable to admit it because he's emotionally fucked up, and while I do enjoy reading that flavour of angst, this was a little different. It isn't that Javi isn't interested in Cloister, but that he's actually not very personable at all and is self interested to the point of ruthlessness, and he sees relationships as getting in his way. There's a suggestion of the obligatory bad break up in his past but the emphasis here is definitely on his reluctance to commit just being a part of his personality.
I understand this wouldn't be attractive to everyone but I didn't have the problems with Javi's character that some other reviewers seemed to have - despite his self interest, he's not heartless and he has his moments of weakness and kindness, especially with Cloister. The author makes it clear he's going to be a tough nut to crack but I think him and Cloister play off each other well, their dynamic is entertaining to read and it's believable that even though they are two very guarded people, they would be drawn to each other.
I should say the quality of the writing in general was just very good - some beautifully evocative pieces of description and complex renderings of interpersonal relationships. I'm excited to read more from this author, particularly the next in this series and hopefully more sequels after that.
I understand this wouldn't be attractive to everyone but I didn't have the problems with Javi's character that some other reviewers seemed to have - despite his self interest, he's not heartless and he has his moments of weakness and kindness, especially with Cloister. The author makes it clear he's going to be a tough nut to crack but I think him and Cloister play off each other well, their dynamic is entertaining to read and it's believable that even though they are two very guarded people, they would be drawn to each other.
I should say the quality of the writing in general was just very good - some beautifully evocative pieces of description and complex renderings of interpersonal relationships. I'm excited to read more from this author, particularly the next in this series and hopefully more sequels after that.
kiki124's review against another edition
4.0
Hard-boiled. Hard cocks.
Hard to put down. Gritty, raw
SoCal crime story.
Hard to put down. Gritty, raw
SoCal crime story.
abhidnya's review against another edition
3.0
the story felt really incomplete. and the characters, they felt incomplete, for some reason hope there's a sequel or something.
jaimesamms's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent mystery. I did figure it out early on, as to who did it, but not why. The why was tragic. The clues were cleverly laid, and the characterisation of all the participants was well done. Both main characters stayed firmly inside the character parameters set for them, however, as both of them are reticent, stoic and somewhat antisocial, I feel I didn't get any real, sympathetic insight into either of them. Not that I disliked them, only that I didn't get a chance to know them. The glimpses of what these two men *could* be was frustrating because the characters never quite let themselves get there.
Or.
Maybe we know all there is to know, and if that's the case, then this book was a masterful illustration of how shitty people doing shitty things to other people ruins lives, and ruins those who might otherwise have been something so much more. I'm not sure. The other possibility is that there will be more stories with these two, and then, it makes sense why so little was revealed. If there are more stories, I will want to read them.
Great mystery. Well drawn characters. Realistic and, while not HEA for anyone involved, more satisfying because it's honest, real and happy enough for the time being to let you walk away without regrets.
Or.
Maybe we know all there is to know, and if that's the case, then this book was a masterful illustration of how shitty people doing shitty things to other people ruins lives, and ruins those who might otherwise have been something so much more. I'm not sure. The other possibility is that there will be more stories with these two, and then, it makes sense why so little was revealed. If there are more stories, I will want to read them.
Great mystery. Well drawn characters. Realistic and, while not HEA for anyone involved, more satisfying because it's honest, real and happy enough for the time being to let you walk away without regrets.