Review: Holding out For a Fairy Tale by A.J Thomas

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Holding Out for a Fairy Tale (Least Likely Partnership #2) by A.J Thomas
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 250pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
When his vicious cousin Alejandro makes a violent late-night visit, San Diego homicide detective Ray Delgado gets a brutal reminder of why he left his family behind. Alejandro wants Ray to find his sister, Sophia, who disappeared from the UC San Diego campus, before the FBI digs too deep into his business.

Special Agent Elliot Belkamp spent his entire life jumping from one place to another, but his new assignment assisting a FBI task force offers him a chance to settle down. When Elliot catches a missing person's case as his first assignment, the last person he expects to find poking around the victim’s dorm room is Ray, a one-time hookup he’s more inclined to punch in the face than kiss hello. After discovering Sophia's disappearance is linked to a massive computer-based theft that has two powerful crime families ready to declare war, Elliot focuses on his investigation and tries to ignore Ray. As the search for Sophia turns dangerous, Elliot and Ray discover that tackling organized crime might be easier than resisting the urge to tackle each other.

Review
I had read the first book, A Casual Weekend Thing and I really liked it.  I was really excited to read the second book in the series and I’m really glad that I did.

Ray Delgado is this really very smart, loves science fiction and computers and playing wonderful, elaborate jokes.  Ray is a great cop.  The analytical way that his brain works to
move pieces together is one of his endearing traits.  The other is his self-proclaimed nerdom.  Ray is loyal and kind and so very giving.  If he cares about you, you know that he’d be there in a hot minute if you needed him.  Ray is closeted at the moment. He doesn’t want his fellow cops to know that he’s bisexual, leaning towards gay.  Ray’s family is just so damn hard on him.  He’s on the other side of the law from his family and he’s done things that they can’t forgive him for. 

Elliot Belkamp is a special agent with the FBI who we also met in the first book.  Elliott is a much more complex character than you would have originally thought.  Elliot is a war veteran, martial artist besides being an up and coming special agent.  Elliot is open about his sexuality.  He doesn’t advertise, but he doesn’t deny it.  Elliot is such a great character.  He’s honest and open and so very kind.  He is also more dangerous than you’d think.  I like the fact that Elliot is so honest about what he’s thinking and feeling. It’s a nice foil for Ray’s behavior. Elliot strives so hard to do the right thing and do the very best job that he can.

There were some good secondary characters in this story.  The people from Ray’s job, they were such a great bunch of people.  They truly cared about him and did what they could to help him out during his time of need.  Elliot’s boss, who was more than a boss, but also a friend.  Special agent Hathaway, a co-worker of Elliot’s was more of a joke for the majority of this book.  You could tell that this character had some things going on and I actually surprised when I got further into the story about him. Carmen, Ray’s sister, well I thought she was just ok until the end of the story and then I didn’t like her at all.  Alejandro, Ray’s cousin, WOW!!  He was great!! 

I like the dangerous way he acted during the entire book.  He was one character that you didn’t have to worry about.  Well, if he didn’t want to kill you, that is.  Alejandro is dangerous and truly without a conscience.  He’s the kind of bad guy that you end up liking a bit.  I know that I did. Hayes and Doug make a brief appearance in the book and it was really good to see them again.  I love seeing them again and seeing how their relationship is going.  

There was a bit of sex in this story, but it never overwhelmed the story in the least.  The amount of sex truly was done in a way that expressed emotions between our MC’s.  It was never over the top and it only helped to move our story along.  Really tastefully done.

I will say that the mystery/suspense part of the story was so well done that I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was really happening and in doing so, didn’t see what was right in front of me.  Which is sad to say for someone like me who likes to know exactly who’s doing what and picking up the bad guy from the beginning.  I give mad props to AJ for making me work for it in the end.

I really liked this book and am looking forward to more books from this author in the future.  So, settle back in a comfy chair and get ready for a wonderful story that will have you entertained from the minute you start reading until the very last word is read.