Daylight Again (Hell or High Water #3) by SE Jakes

This is my last re-read (re-listen really) and I can't WAIT to start reading the last installment. The book ended with a big reveal, one that both men (though mostly Tom) have been circling around concerning the triggers to Prophet's flash backs. It's going to make things A WHOLE LOT complicated. 

In this book Prophet and Tom are a couple. For real. They are living together (since Tom got evicted at the end of the last installment) and though Prophet still won't come back to EE, Tom works there still. It took quite a lot but Prophet is opening up to Tom more and more, realizing Tom can handle it, can handle HIM. He even trusts him in his most valued secret - his eyesight situation (which is getting worse). It was truly heart breaking to listen to. They are quite domesticated now if you can believe it, I could even say they are becoming a sort of a family and there are starting to think about the future (well, Tom does at least..). 

Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water #2) by SE Jakes

I originally read (and reviewed) this one 5 years ago but I'm re-reading it (or rather, re-listening) to it now since the 4th and last installment was FINALLY released on the end of January. I gotta say that though I remembered quite a lot about the series I forgot a bunch too, so I was happy getting a reminder of Tom and Prophet and how they were at the beginning. For me, Tom was always the favorite of the two, maybe because even though he too can be a "wise ass" and be all macho macho guy, he was always the first to reach out to Prophet and try to smooth things out. To make a relationship out of their maybe friendship (with benefits..) - which is exactly how this book started. 

The last book finished with Tom choosing Cope as his partner.  It was quite a blow to Prophet though he himself wasn't willing to talk to Tom and smooth things out so they can turn the next page AS partners. Yet even when Tom and Prophet were far far away, Tom tried reaching out to him - writing him e-mails every day, mainly talking to him, trying to communicate even if after months he got NO reply. Yet Prophet DID get his messages but he couldn't read them, because he KNEW it would mean dropping everything he has been doing and he couldn't do that, not now. He wasn't ready. Yet before he dropped totally out of the grid in a way that would prevent him of ever (?) returning he did read them and getting to the very last one he realized he has to come back because Tom's aunt Della might be in danger of the hurricane planned to hit New Orleans (while Tom is in Eritrea and can't get away).  

Catch a Ghost (Hell or High Water #1) by SE Jakes

I originally read this book in the beginning of 2014. I'd say it's been a while ;) But now was the right time to re-read (or rather - re-listen) as Jakes has FINALLY released the 4th and last installment in the series. I'm re-writing my review since I found it to be too all over the place. 

I'll start by saying I really enjoyed this one. It's fast paced and though the relationship buildup can be "tedious" at times I mostly blame myself.. I'm used to stand alone books, at least where relationship are concerned, but this one is more realistic because these two hardened men, who have LOADS of secrets and issues, NEED their time before an emotional relationship can form. I actually really appreciated that because it was more believable seeing them act upon their attraction but MUCH more hesitant to show ANY kind of emotion and care toward one another. 

Prophet Drews has worked for EE Enterprise - a private security and operations company - almost from it's beginning. Though he seemed to have a lot of misgivings with the big boss - Phil Butler - in the end, he knows Phil is grooming him to replace him once he is off the field and THAT will happen sometime soon though WHEN exactly they don't know. Prophet has known for a while now he has a medical condition which in the end render him blind. That's a HUGE secret Prophet keeps from most of everyone around him. But that's not his only secret.. His past, mostly losing his best friend since childhood - John Morse - while serving as Navy SEALs together changed him. He is determined even years later to find out what TRULY happened to him. 

Summer Lovin' (Seasons of Love #1) by Donna Cummings

This is a short sweet summer fling with a hint for more. Mia and Luke meet when Mia is babysitting her friend Sondra's dog for two weeks. They are both instantly attracted to one another yet in the beginning they see things differently, Mia not wanting to have a short fling, not being "the type" for those, and Luke wanting two weeks off his life in general, having a good time with someone sexy and fun. With the attraction they have for one another it doesn't take long for both to have their own change of heart. 

Ball & Chain (Cut & Run #8) by Abigail Roux

I've been waiting for this one for sooooo long! I read the last one almost a year ago. Back then I got a recommendation for the series and read all of them one after the other. Then I got to the last one and I didn't know how I'm going to wait 10 months for the next one. 

Cut & Run have been my first "real" MM Romance. The first being "Lover At Last" of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward which is a Paranormal Romance and I think the author didn't intend for that book to "happen" anyway. After reading it my friend recommended this series to me I said - why not! I didn't know "what to expect" but since then I've read all Cut & Run series including Warrior's Cross and the first novella of the sidewinder and 4 more full books by other authors - I'm really happy I got a new favorite genre to read since I know I'm kinda problematic with the span of genres I'm into.

Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) by Abigail Roux

WOW, what an emotional ride!! I remember when this book was first out there were mixed feeling about it. It's different from the other ones in the series for a few reasons, one being the ANGST, oh, so much angst. While the previous installments were all about them getting together and making the relationship solid, this one had the reverse idea, as big secrets Ty has been holding up are uncovered and they literally breaks their relationship apart. 

Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6) - Abigail Roux

This one is definitely my favorite book in the series (Well, up until the 8th book since I haven't read the last one yet!). As I"m writing these words I feel like crying that I only finished re-reading the 6th in the series when I just got an email saying that since I pre-ordered the 9th it'll soon be available for download! NO!!! I'm not sure what to do! Should I stop the re-read delve into the last one and then what? finish the re-read or not bother? Or should I go with my OCD tendencies and just finish the two remaining books. What to do.. What to do.. I KNOW I"m going to be stressed out until I finish those two.. ah! Should have planned it better!

So now that I've put my complaints behind me, lets talk about this book. The theme here is coming clean to their families about their relationship. It was funny, emotional, sweet, endearing and heart breaking at times seeing the reaction of both their families to their declarations of love. I also think it's the book they most express their love for one another, in words as well as in deeds, it's obvious from their reactions to one another how close they are and how much they understand and trust each other. 

Warrior's Cross (Cut & Run side story) by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban

A beautiful sensitive love story. I find it interesting that I'm rating this book higher than I did the first time around which was right after the 5th installment of Cut&Run - "Armed and Dangerous". I guess when I first read it, I expected it to be something like the "Sidewinder" spin off series is now but it's nothing like it.

Julian and Cameron appear in "Armed and Dangerous" as a couple Ty and Zane suppose to deposit into Richard Burns hands. Well, it's Julian Burns is after but Cameron sort of "Tags along". Julian and Cameron has a very different relationship than Ty and Zane yet their appearance in front of and so close to them impact them quite a bit. 

This novel gives us the background of how Julian and Cameron met and formed their relationship.  

Armed & Dangerous (Cut & Run #5) by Abigail Roux

Another great installment in the series. I can't get enough of Ty and Zane and in this one there is another couple which are simply adorable together! I'm talking about Julian and Cameron. Ty and Zane are instructed by Richard Burns to find Julian Cross and bring him ALIVE to DC. He doesn't explain why.. mainly because he doesn't want Ty getting mixed in the mess but it turns out totally different than either of them expected. 

Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run #4) by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Another great installment in the series, as usual with a lot of action, injuries and heart ache, emotional roller coaster when it comes to the boys and how much they are BAD at telling each other how much they mean to each other, well, since Ty already confessed to loving Zane, I guess it's mostly Ty trying NOT to say what is so hard for Zane to deal with and Zane struggling with his feelings for Ty, not knowing if he is capable of saying the words he realizes are already there for a while now even if he hadn't said them to himself before. 

This book starts with a series of bombing and bank robberies in the city the police and bureau are unable to stop or predict since the villains uses the "Divide and Conquer" technique having a bombing in one side of the city while a bank robbery happens in a totally different location. The locals who want results not excuses are thoroughly angered with their lack of safety start to turn against the armed forces as well. Ty and Zane get thrown in the middle of the mix when after they jump to help with a possible bomb, Ty angrily growls to the TV reporters "They are coming for HIM" (meaning the master mind behind it). Pierce - our main Villain - sees this act as a personal "insult" trying his best to target Ty and Zane specifically and actually succeeding in hurting Zane pretty badly.

Fish & Chips (Cut & Run #3) - Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

Another great installment in the series! A bit complex with everything that is going on there. I remember the first time I read it I actually didn't understand ANYTHING even at the very end since I was mixing all the people and schemes together. This time around I think I got it, maybe ;) Yet what's important is not WHO is trying to kill Ty and Zane - it's the both of them together, this time REALLY together as they are on a two weeks cruse pretending to be a gay married couple - Corbin and Del Porter. It's the first time Ty an Zane get to really act on their feeling (mainly on their attraction) between them in public which is strange for both of them in the beginning but as the days goes by, it becomes quite natural. It was sweet and endearing. I also think since they were in public and were suppose to act as Corbin and Del they were more loving toward one another, expressing themselves and less bartering and bickering at one another. Well, don't think there is none of that! They DO have quite a lot of that when they are in private! 

Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run #2) by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

God, I love this series SO MUCH. Love Zane, love Ty as well, and in this book we got to meet and love the Brady Bunch, mmm, sorry, I mean the Grady Bunch :) Zane and Ty are forced into taking a vocation. Ty suggests Zane comes home with him as he knows that Zane would mostly sulk in his hotel room for 3 weeks. He also misses him as they don't see each other privately (outside work) as they used to. Ty has his reasons for that. He also has his reasons to ask Zane to come and meet his family. Everyone has his own reasons as it seems.

So what do people do when they life near the mountains? They go on a hike! especially since Zane admits to never doing that. Earl (Ty's father) and Deacon (Ty's brother who everyone calls Deuce) also accompanies them. But Ty and Zane can't have a relaxing vocation, they can't have a real vocation anywhere and anytime! So naturally they stumble into life threatening trouble (a couple of times..) yet (since there are a few installment after this one) they get out of it (scarcely) alive..

Cut & Run (Cut & Run #1) by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

As this series is closing to an end - the last book will be published on the end of March 2015, I decided to re-listen to it and remind myself of the great time I had with this series. As I've already wrote a review on this one, I'm leaving it in the end of this post. It was actually the first book I've EVER reviewed. feeling a bit nostalgic :) 
It's not that I didn't read before I just didn't know GoodReads or any other book websites. 

This one was also my first "real" M/M romance book/series. The first M/M Romance book I've read was "Lover at Last" the 11th book in the Paranormal series "The Black Dagger Brotherhood" by J.R. Ward. For me, the fact that Bailey and Quinn were gay was a "side note" and not a very important one. I loved the series, loved both of them in the previous books and couldn't wait for their "happily ever after". But as a friend suggested this series to me - gay men - no paranormal aspect to it - I had my doubts.. back then I rarely read ANY "realistic" romance novels if they didn't have a paranormal element to them.. so surprise surprise - I LOVED this series to pieces! I read all the book that were published back then one after another barely lifting my head from my kindle. I feel kinda sad to soon say goodbye to this series yet it will always have an honorary place in my mind. 

Twice Tempted (Night Prince, #2) by Jeaniene Frost

Second installment in the spin-off series to Night Huntress ("Cat & Bones") and yeah, I enjoyed it as much as I did the previous one, might have enjoyed this one more, I'm not sure! 

I LOVE both Leila and Vlad. Vlad is no surprise here, I loved him from the second he made an appearance in Cat and Bones, but in his books he really shines. I really appreciate the fact that he is the brutal man that he is and he doesn't feel like apologizing for it. For someone as independent as Leila it's quite difficult but the beautiful thing is she "puts him in his place" when she tells him that he wouldn't have loved her if she was the submissive type that waits to be rescued. 

Once Burned (Night Prince, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Vlad ~sigh~ 
This whole review can be summed up by this sigh.. This is my favorite PNR / UF character and also series. Well, it's not over YET, there are two books out of three (third and last will be published in January 2015) and I really hope it won't disappoint! Though what could happen? Vlad is in there, right? ;)

This is just a FUN book to read. If you've read Night Huntress ("Cat and Bones") you already met Vlad Tepesh and you already fell deeply in love with him. His arrogance and self assurance, his pyrokinesis, his diabolical sense of humor, his brutal looks - not a "Ken" Barbie Doll like Bones is described, but a masculine scared dark prince - YUM! 

One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6) by Jeaniene Frost

I didn't really get invested in this one. I'm not sure what the "problem" was, it wasn't, well, engaging. Cat and Bones are a real married couple now, their life is quite settled, they have their friends - Spade, Denise, Ian - that help them out (no sign of Vlad and Mencheres in this one which is a shame..) There was no "major crisis" for any of the characters, while Ian is always a star with everything he says and does he didn't help the book be more appealing.

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5) by Jeaniene Frost

Well, I liked this book, but didn't LOVE it. It's kinda hard for me to explain why. On the one hand, I DID think that Cat grown up in this one, learnt to trust herself, trust Bones, learnt to appreciate the people around her (even had a sort of a "heart to heart" with Mencheres). But it felt in a way, all over the place. 

The main "objective" in this book is dealing with Apollyon the Ghoul. If you remember from the previous book, Apollyon says that Cat is trying to become this Mega Vampire Ghoul combination bent on world domination.. There is a reference to Masterless Vampires being killed by Ghouls which is Apollyon's way of trying to start a war between the two species. 

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World #2) [Mencheres & Kira] by Jeaniene Frost

This one was a joy! I really enjoyed both Mencheres and Kira. I loved each one on their own and loved them even more together. Funny how Kira is protective of Mencheres without realizing that he doesn't really need that, but I think we can all appreciate our dear ones being there for us even if we can handle it all on our own. I think that with everyone taking Mencheres as he is, what he is and what he can do, few actually consider what he has been through, what his past was like and what prices he paid for being so powerful and old. Kira steps her foot a few times in front of Mencheres' friends and allies (also with his enemies..) to "protect" him, or protect his interests, trying to make people realize that he is still just a man, entitles to make mistakes, entitles to have him wants and needs. 

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1) [Spade & Denise] by Jeaniene Frost

I loved this book SO MUCH! I dare say I loved it more that I do Cat and Bones, mostly because Denise is much more "likable" than Cat it, not because she is "just a human" but because she is, well, human. Everything about her felt so real, I could relate to right about anything she went through, her emotions, her behavior, what she felt toward the past, and how beautifully she dealt with everything she was dealt, in this book and in the previous ones. Spade / Charles is SUCH a gentlemen it was impossible not to fall in love with him myself even though that's not my usual "thing", I'm not saying I love myself (only) a beast :P but I am saying there is something really sweet in a Vampire, being a beast when "needed" be but also can be the most loving and caring person. I"m not saying Bones isn't like that, but I think that Bones is more "feral" in a way. I love Bones to pieces, I DO! but I think that Denise and Charles just make the most beautiful couple. 

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4) by Jeaniene Frost

Another great and VERY emotional installment in the Night Huntress Series. I think up until now it's my favorite, even though as usual there are too many jealousy scenes between Cat and Bones (hence 4.5 stars and not 5 stars). 

After the emotional ride in the previous book, both Cat and Bones needs a little vocation. While on a nice little cruise Bones asks Cat - "where to?" and she answers - "Paris!"  Even without this being a re-read for me, it's obvious that if they are headed to Paris it WON'T be a romantic get away, it would be a another version of "get away"..