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leahkarge 's review for:
Ball & Chain
by Abigail Roux
After the trauma experienced at the hands of Touch & Geaux, I was hoping, some would say foolishly, for a book that was happy more than anything else. I wasn't sure I could handle another T&G as I am way beyond emotionally invested in these characters. Ball & Chain wasn't a happy book, per say, although I did laugh a lot while I was reading, but with regards to Ty and Zane themselves, it is nowhere near as angsty as T&G. Due to so much time apart, Ty and Zane are able to learn more about themselves and become stronger individuals, making them even stronger as a couple. Their relationship was less strained and far more romantic than I feel it has been thus far. Oh, for sure, they have their sweet, romantic moments in the other books, but now that they are more confident in themselves and each other, there was room for more of that here. And I loved that.
Other relationships were able to benefit from this as well. With less focus on Ty and Zane having issues, Ty and Nick were able to hash out what was wrong with the two of them and their friendship. After T&G how could there not be anything wrong between them, right? Right. It was painful as fuck to read, and I will admit there were a few moments I did a some crying, but it was a necessary step for their relationship; they came out of it much stronger than they had been.
The further development of Kelly and Nick's relationship was also a high point. Though some people may think there was too much of them in what is supposed to be a Ty and Zane book, I loved it, partly because it was an interesting contrast to T&Z's relationship, but also because of the tension between Ty and Nick. We get to see how Zane handles and helps Ty, so it was necessary to see how Kels did the same with Nick. Those two are a perfect fit for each other, and I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops further.
The murder and mystery aspect of the story was, as always, enjoyable to read and try to figure out. There were lots of twists and turns, continually making you guess.
It's rare for an author to make me feel emotions on all ends of the spectrum, all within the span of one book or series, but Abigail Roux always succeeds where others fail. This, along with her fabulous characters and plots, is just one of many reasons why I continue reading whatever she produces, and why I keep coming back to re-read.
Favorite Quotes:
The thought of a kiss never entered Zane’s mind. He didn’t even think about stepping back so he could look at Ty’s face, the face he’d seen in his dreams and forced himself to remember every night as he lay awake. He just squeezed his eyes closed and held on to Ty like he might be taken away again, clutched at him as he would grasp for his very soul in a pit of a thousand reaching hands.
Ty held to him the same way.
(Zane, Kindle Locations 97-100)
He took Zane’s face in his hands. “Hello, beautiful.”
(Ty, Kindle Locations 103-104)
Kelly began to laugh. “They made him drop his pants. He got whistled at.”
“By you!” Nick shouted.
Kelly laughed harder. Nick rolled his eyes as Ty and Zane snickered.
(Kelly, Nick, Kindle Location 540-541)
Nick whistled when he stopped next to Zane. “Damn. Hate to say it Zane, but Deacon won this round.”
Zane gave that a hearty laugh.
“That’s not very nice,” Kelly muttered. “Zane could pull off that dress.”
“Not really my color.”
Nick and Kelly both chuckled.
(Nick, Zane, Kelly, Kindle Locations 621-624)
Ty’s hand sought out Zane’s under the table, squeezing. Then his thumb stroked over Zane’s palm, and any anger or resentment aimed toward the director that had been bubbling inside Zane began to fade. He glanced at Ty to find the man watching him.
Ty mouthed a silent, “I love you.”
Zane couldn’t help but smile.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Locations 983-986)
Once Deuce and Amelia were in safe hands, Ty slid down the stairwell wall and refused to move. Zane knelt in front of him, setting his light on the step above them.
“You’re okay, doll,” he whispered. He gently touched Ty’s cheek.
Ty gasped in breath after breath, shaking his head. He wouldn’t open his eyes, so Zane simply leaned in and kissed him. Ty wrapped his arms around Zane’s neck, clinging to him, unable to even speak.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Locations 4190-4194)
He turned Ty to him, making sure he met his eyes. “You’ve taken a lot of hits in the last few days, Ty. Let me take this last one for you.”
Ty stared at him, struck breathless, struck speechless. He snaked his arm around Zane’s neck and hugged him tight. He nodded, still unable to speak.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Location 4548-4550)
“But I don’t understand why those are the same words I have to use for a feeling that’s not the same anymore,” Kelly continued, his voice lower, more intimate and more confused. “I . . . I need you. I adore you. I want to wake up every morning and make you fix me breakfast so I can watch you cook. I want to . . . I want to spend the rest of my life with you doing things that make life worth living. I want to make you smile. I want you to take me to every baseball stadium out there and teach me every single little thing you know about the game because I love the way your eyes light up when you talk about it. I want to . . . what words do I use for this feeling if ‘I love you’ has already been used?”
(Kelly, Kindle Locations 4929-4934)
Zane laughed with him, the sound echoing off the bones of their future home, ringing in a new chapter in their lives like the bells of a cathedral. Their laughter was still echoing off the walls when Ty took Zane’s face in both hands and kissed him for all he was worth. They wrapped around each other, clinging to the promise of the life they could have.
(Zane, Kindle Locations 5067-5069)
------
Read March 9, 2014
Read Feb. 14-16, 2015
Other relationships were able to benefit from this as well. With less focus on Ty and Zane having issues, Ty and Nick were able to hash out what was wrong with the two of them and their friendship. After T&G how could there not be anything wrong between them, right? Right. It was painful as fuck to read, and I will admit there were a few moments I did a some crying, but it was a necessary step for their relationship; they came out of it much stronger than they had been.
The further development of Kelly and Nick's relationship was also a high point. Though some people may think there was too much of them in what is supposed to be a Ty and Zane book, I loved it, partly because it was an interesting contrast to T&Z's relationship, but also because of the tension between Ty and Nick. We get to see how Zane handles and helps Ty, so it was necessary to see how Kels did the same with Nick. Those two are a perfect fit for each other, and I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops further.
The murder and mystery aspect of the story was, as always, enjoyable to read and try to figure out. There were lots of twists and turns, continually making you guess.
It's rare for an author to make me feel emotions on all ends of the spectrum, all within the span of one book or series, but Abigail Roux always succeeds where others fail. This, along with her fabulous characters and plots, is just one of many reasons why I continue reading whatever she produces, and why I keep coming back to re-read.
Favorite Quotes:
The thought of a kiss never entered Zane’s mind. He didn’t even think about stepping back so he could look at Ty’s face, the face he’d seen in his dreams and forced himself to remember every night as he lay awake. He just squeezed his eyes closed and held on to Ty like he might be taken away again, clutched at him as he would grasp for his very soul in a pit of a thousand reaching hands.
Ty held to him the same way.
(Zane, Kindle Locations 97-100)
He took Zane’s face in his hands. “Hello, beautiful.”
(Ty, Kindle Locations 103-104)
Kelly began to laugh. “They made him drop his pants. He got whistled at.”
“By you!” Nick shouted.
Kelly laughed harder. Nick rolled his eyes as Ty and Zane snickered.
(Kelly, Nick, Kindle Location 540-541)
Nick whistled when he stopped next to Zane. “Damn. Hate to say it Zane, but Deacon won this round.”
Zane gave that a hearty laugh.
“That’s not very nice,” Kelly muttered. “Zane could pull off that dress.”
“Not really my color.”
Nick and Kelly both chuckled.
(Nick, Zane, Kelly, Kindle Locations 621-624)
Ty’s hand sought out Zane’s under the table, squeezing. Then his thumb stroked over Zane’s palm, and any anger or resentment aimed toward the director that had been bubbling inside Zane began to fade. He glanced at Ty to find the man watching him.
Ty mouthed a silent, “I love you.”
Zane couldn’t help but smile.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Locations 983-986)
Once Deuce and Amelia were in safe hands, Ty slid down the stairwell wall and refused to move. Zane knelt in front of him, setting his light on the step above them.
“You’re okay, doll,” he whispered. He gently touched Ty’s cheek.
Ty gasped in breath after breath, shaking his head. He wouldn’t open his eyes, so Zane simply leaned in and kissed him. Ty wrapped his arms around Zane’s neck, clinging to him, unable to even speak.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Locations 4190-4194)
He turned Ty to him, making sure he met his eyes. “You’ve taken a lot of hits in the last few days, Ty. Let me take this last one for you.”
Ty stared at him, struck breathless, struck speechless. He snaked his arm around Zane’s neck and hugged him tight. He nodded, still unable to speak.
(Zane & Ty, Kindle Location 4548-4550)
“But I don’t understand why those are the same words I have to use for a feeling that’s not the same anymore,” Kelly continued, his voice lower, more intimate and more confused. “I . . . I need you. I adore you. I want to wake up every morning and make you fix me breakfast so I can watch you cook. I want to . . . I want to spend the rest of my life with you doing things that make life worth living. I want to make you smile. I want you to take me to every baseball stadium out there and teach me every single little thing you know about the game because I love the way your eyes light up when you talk about it. I want to . . . what words do I use for this feeling if ‘I love you’ has already been used?”
(Kelly, Kindle Locations 4929-4934)
Zane laughed with him, the sound echoing off the bones of their future home, ringing in a new chapter in their lives like the bells of a cathedral. Their laughter was still echoing off the walls when Ty took Zane’s face in both hands and kissed him for all he was worth. They wrapped around each other, clinging to the promise of the life they could have.
(Zane, Kindle Locations 5067-5069)
------
Read March 9, 2014
Read Feb. 14-16, 2015