When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan -- now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.
Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien’s past than either one of them expects -- and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake’s own heart.
What a ride that was! I have to tell you, I did not expect to love this series as much as I did. I’m not a big mystery fan and I think that was why I put off reading this series (and Josh Lanyon) as long as I did. But let me just say this: I’m so glad I finally gave in and tried it.
Josh Lanyon has an amazing ability to create characters that are so believable; so fleshed out that you feel as if you know them personally. They are so complex and alive. These characters are nowhere near perfect, which makes them that much more real.
Adrien held my heart throughout all five book. He’s quirky and funny and so brave. He’s also stubborn and snarky and annoying. And he can sometimes be a big ole pain in the butt. And I loved him all the more because of it even though some of the stunts he pulled and the decisions he made had me wanting to give him a good, swift kick in the rear end.
Now Jake. Jake is… well… How should I put this? I didn’t really like Jake in the first book but I didn’t really know him all that well either. In the second book I got to know him a lot better and I grew fond of him. Then I read book three and I HATED him with the fire of a thousand suns! I didn’t feel that he was in any way redeemable. Book four wasn’t much better but by the end of it he was starting to grow on me again. But with this last book I really got to know him and you know what? He’s still gruff. He still has issues. He’s not perfect and never will be. But I ADORE him. I adore him for his patience and his honesty and his caring and his love. I read on someone’s review “no one says Baby quite like Jake”. Yeah, so true.
All of the plots in each of these stories flowed well and seamlessly into each other. I discovered no plot holes or inconsistencies. The writing was smart and beautiful. The secondary characters were as well fleshed out as the MC’s. My eyes did gloss over a bit with all the classic movie and music references but hey, they’re just not my cuppa. No big deal. They didn’t hurt the storyline in the least.
And that one scene after Adrien finally pulls his head out of his ass? Guh! It was breathtaking! It was perfect in every way. I was irrevocably smitten by the time I finished reading it.
I had the best time reading this series and I will definitely be checking out all of Mr. Lanyon’s other works very, very soon. I also had a blast with my status updates and I thank each and every one of my Goodreads friends for putting up with them and me while I spewed my thoughts and emotions onto you. ♥
I am so jealous of you, having all those marvellous Josh Lanyon books ahead of you. You're also fortunate to have been able to read this series all at once; can you imagine the agony of waiting for the next book?!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I like about Josh's writing is that he gives equal importance to the characters and their relationship as to the mystery. They're excellent both for those who like mysteries and for those who think they don't.
I know, I loved that about the books too. There a good balance between the two. :)
DeleteWelcome to the world of the Fanyons! You have so much excellent reading ahead of you. Enjoy!
ReplyDelete