Review: Guns n' Boys: Chokehold (Guns n' Boys #5) by K.A. Merikan

--- The ugliest truths blossom into the prettiest lies. ---

A year into the relationship with Domenico, Seth still wants him as desperately as ever. Nothing is better than being intoxicated with lust for his deadly man and feeling his steady hands all over.
No matter the misunderstandings, the fights... The crash. The burn.

Crossing the Mexican border has been a goal for Seth and Domenico for a few months, but the trip couldn’t have ended in more of a disaster. While Domenico is stuck at home, for Seth each passing day becomes more difficult. Desperate to keep his family afloat, he accepts a job offer from Los Sepultureros. The Gravediggers.

When Domenico’s need for control starts eroding their trust, Seth is sure their love can conquer all. But when Domenico rips open the wound left after the violence at the beginning of their relationship, it gushes blood all over their cozy lies and this time, there may be no way to seal it.

I was so pleased to get my hands on this book as I'm a huge fan of the Guns n' Boys series. Dom and Seth are one of my favourite book couples and I love stepping into their world - violent though it is!

For fans of this series, this book will give you a fix until the next one comes out. Dom is Dom and Seth is Seth. Miscommunication of any kind is usually a sure fire way to get me to stop reading a book, but because of the personalities involved here, it works. It isn't just a plot device, the lack of communication at times is a vital part of who the characters are. The lack of communication fuels the plot and pushes it forward, rather than being a construct simply to get A to B to C. 

The Mafioso world of Seth and Dom is very violent and this book is no exception. If you like your stories gory and gruesome I'd definitely recommend this series. This fifth instalment of the series goes south of the border and out of North America. An escape for Dom, Seth and Mark? Not where their luck is concerned! Though all they really want (at least Seth does) is a place to live happily, to have nice things, create good food and be a family - fate really sees their lives going in a different direction though.

As I'm an old romantic, the reason I am so in love with these books is the relationship between Dom and Seth. It's never simple but I adore it, and to me, the story surrounding them is an added bonus. I love it primarily for the way it tests and teases their relationship. The action is always well written and well thought out though and there is always a surprise or two just when I think I know where the book is going!

K. A. Merikan is an author I will keep coming back to. Versatile and original, the combined talents of Kat and Agnes are never boring and I'd recommend them to all those who like something a little bit different.

A copy of this book was given on exchange for an honest review.

For more information, see Goodreads.

Review: Swamp Blood by KA Merikan (Guns n' Boys #3)

--- Faking their own death was the easy part. ---

After months of recovering from his injuries, Seth struggles with who he has become. Afloat in a reality he never planned, he tries to find the lost pieces of himself again. Find the purpose, motivation, and strength to get back into shape. He is sick and tired of being a burden for Domenico, who seems to have it all together. When Domenico’s jealousy pushes them into the spotlight of a biker gang with connections to their former mafia family, Seth decides to step up, and make his own decisions, no matter what risks they might entail.

Domenico Acerbi can’t trust anyone. Nightmares of Seth’s torture are still haunting his dreams, and if he and Seth are to leave the country quietly and disappear off the mafia’s radar, he needs to stay in charge and keep everyone under control. What he doesn’t need is Seth giving him attitude, keeping secrets, and distancing himself for no reason. And as if Domenico didn’t have enough on his plate already, Seth forces him to help some hooker. Being stuck in the swamp with a kid hunted by a bunch of bikers is not Domenico’s idea of laying low.

heart stopping

blood pumping

fast

furious

detailed and deep and violent

Action and adventure at the fore of every Guns n Boys book. Seth and Dom may have escaped Vincente's but they are still reeling from his reach. Living day-to-day, on the run, recovering physically and emotionally, life is not easy for these two. Especially with assassin Dana on the run with them. Seth is finding it hard going, when he rescues Mark from a biker predator he insists they need to look after him. It gives him something to focus on.

cold

calculating

intense

emotionally vulnerable

hurt and heartache and pain

Dom deals with the physical challenges no problem, the emotional ones are another matter.I love Dom. I don't know why, he's a cold-blooded killer, but there is a sense of vulnerability about him that we only see through Seth. Nobody who can love the way he loves Seth can be all bad. Right? It is a talent to make the reader love a character who is as flawed and bad as Dom is, but the Merikan's manage it. I keep wanting more of these guys. I love their relationship - the good, the bad and the ugly of it. 

I was uncertain about them adding someone else into the mix. Dana, has no redeeming features as far as I can see, other than her loyalty to Dom. I dislike her for the way she makes Seth feel, especially as it is usually a calculated attack at Seth's confidence, so with her already in the picture, I wasn;t sure about the addition of Mark.

But I loved him. I liked the dynamic of a younger character in the mix and the way this affected the dynamics of the group. I liked Mark's unrelenting cockiness. He was showy and gobby and I'm not sure whether he needed Serth and Dom, or whether it was actually Dom and Seth who needed him. Maybe - probably - both.

I liked the biker gang (I'm pretty sure they are characters from another Merikan series, Sex & Mayhem, and I have purchased those books on the back of reading these because I love interconnecting stories and character crossovers), and I liked how the story moved away from just the Mafia, but never left dangerous ground. It was tense and intense form beginning to end.

KA Merikan are one of my favourite writing duos. I am always sure I will enjoy a book written by them, and I am yet to be disappointed. This series though, well it's a favourite of mine and I would absolutely recommend it to everyone who likes adventure, violence and a little bit of emotional constipation in their reading. 

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

For more information see Goodreads.