Review: All Kinds of Tied Down by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Sin
All Kinds of Tied Down (Marshals #1) by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 290pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb: Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.

Review

This is an action-packed and unpredictable story. The MCs are US Marshalls who have to chase down suspects, secure witnesses, dodge bullets and grenades, and jump off balconies. The story starts off with Miro and Ian already being devoted teammates and best friends. We don't get to see the transitions from strangers to friends like it says in the blurb, but they still need to make the leap from friends to lovers. After many dangerous situations on the job, Miro and Ian gradually realize they are "the one" for each other and they're practically an old, bickering couple anyway.

Ian is an US Marshall whose mindset is "shoot first, ask questions later" and with a mantra of "screw the pain." Ian has almost no interpersonal skills. Throughout the story, he pisses off other law enforcement officers, his girlfriend, and his boss constantly. This demonstrates that he cannot survive in society without Miro to mend his broken bridges. Despite the many dangerous situations he gets into, he gets off with hardly a scratch while Miro, the more rational partner, seems to get injured every time. I find that contradictory but that doesn't distract me from the story too much. Even by the end of the story, Ian has too many secrets and I don't completely understand him.

In my opinion, Miro lets Ian get away with too much. He lets Ian eat his food, walks Ian's dog, etc. At least in their hearts, they are each others number one person. That makes Miro's painful one-sided love worth it in the end. There is a lot of contrast between Miro and Ian. Miro is more rational, has better interpersonal skills, and is more fashion conscious. Miro wears his nice (and expensive) clothes to work that end up getting ruined after chasing suspects or escaping with witnesses. Miro is really the best match for Ian and he makes up for Ian's shortcomings but I don't really see it working the other way around. While Ian was called away to do a secret mission for the army, we get to see some of Miro's childhood and get to know why he works in law enforcement. This part of the story progresses slowly. I love reading the dialogues between Miro and Ian but when there is only Miro, the story seems off track and missing the excitement in the beginning of the story. 

They finally take their relationship to the next level when Miro takes a leap of faith and they end up together. Ian is difficult to live with and it takes a special person to get into his heart. We don't get to see his background story but he's quiet, intense, and needs reassurance of where he stands in Miro's heart.

I really love the dialogue between the MCs. It's fun and natural when Miro and Ian are bickering. I also love the side characters, each has a unique personality. The best side character is Chickie, the wolf-sized dog. It's everyone's dream dog that's super loyal, affectionate, protective and can scare off a would-be robber. Overall, this is a fun and action-packed story with lots of tension between the MCs. Highly recommended.

Review: Floodgates by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Floodgates by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 234pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.

Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.

Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.

Review
Tracy Brandt is a young man who is just so cute. He’s got this wonderful job that he loves. A wonderful and loving family and really great friends. The bad in his life, his cheating ex. Now they are taking a break as Tracy caught his ex Breckin cheating on him in their home. Other than that, his life is pretty good. Trace is trying to figure out if he wants Breckin back or if their relationship is truly over.

Cord Nolan is Tracy’s older brother’s best friend and former partner in the SFPD. Cord has always wanted Trace, but he was a player and Trace wasn’t having that at all. So Cord made the changes in his life that he knew he needed to make in order to be the man that Trace wanted and needed. He didn’t realize that he’d get his chance with Trace’s life held in the balance. Cord is really a good guy. He wants the home and family and spending time with the people that he loves and loves him. To get all of that, he’s got to keep the man he wants alive.

The secondary characters were both in turns good and bad, sometimes just oblivious. But Trace’s family and friends…LOVED THEM!! I really liked his work partner too, Dimah. I love that this Russian guy who really cares about Trace and isn’t above ANYTHING to keep him safe. It was kinda sweet to me. I wasn’t too thrilled with Celia, the woman who had an affair with Breckin and is now pregnant with his child.

I didn’t understand Breckin’s family either. That they’ve not seen him in 18 years and they’ve only emailed and talked on the phone sporadically. I mean, Breckin pretty much left for college because his family couldn’t handle the fact that he was bi and gave him and ultimatum and he found his own way, yeh him. But that they would just welcome him home with open arms with some chick that’s knocked up, well that made no sense to me. The fact that Celia knew that he was in a relationship and still slept with him, well that tells me about her character as well. Sigh.

I enjoyed the book. I liked that there was a pretty good mystery. It was always about Breckin and they finally figured that out, it was just a bit sad that it took so many lives to figure it out. But I didn’t like that no justice was really had. But that is on me.

I enjoyed the book and I will say that it was a pretty good read for some lightheartedness and nothing really angsty. If you’ve got a couple of hours and want to read a cute book, this would be it.

3 Pants Off

Review: Old Loyalty, New Love by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by SinChan
Old Loyalty, New Love by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 246pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father's prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants—his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can’t seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman’s feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he’s used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he’s strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate. 

Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father’s rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, and Quade feels compelled to heed the call, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.

Review
Quade is a jackal shifter and works as a bodyguard for Roman. Just when they reveal the paranormal secret and bring their relationship to a new level, Quade's sister shows up at their door, asking for help. After Quade's banishment, a string of alphas took control of the pack and the latest one is a tyrant. Everyone thinks Quade is the rightful alpha and the pack needs his help now, but can Quade give up his new found love and help a pack who stood up and did nothing to prevent his banishment?

This story has two great MCs. Quade and Roman are both strong characters in different ways. Roman is heavily scarred from a car accident, but still shows his scarred face in public and refuses to allow that to slow him down. He's the head of his family's company and runs many community events. He's very resourceful and super rich, but doesn't seem to abuse his inheritance (too much). It's an interesting and different set up in the story that Roman figured out Quade's shifter identity without Quade revealing himself and kept his knowledge a secret. In this relationship, Roman is clearly the "clever one" and with a personality to handle Quade's alpha personality.

I think Quade is very self sacrificing. He left his pack even though he had every right to stay. He should hate everyone in the pack who didn't step up to defend him when he got kicked out, but he helps them in their time of need instead.

The best part of the book is the tug-of-war between Quade and Roman for control of their relationship and their witty dialogue. Quade is so protective of Roman, but Roman is the smarter one and knew when to set in and override Quade's decisions. The story also sidetracks into Quade's previous romances showing up. It's a great contrast to show how Quade's idea of love matures and provides more detail on shifter life and mentality. The one downside of the story is the character's ages. Roman is 27 and Quade is 46. Sometimes it doesn't feel like they are that old....

I love the side mystery with Roman's other bodyguards. They seem to be other types of shifters. And there might even be some predator-prey love relationship going on. I just think that Roman's father must have had a shifter radar.

The romance between Quade and Roman is delightful to read. The drama with Quade's pack, fighting the tyrant alpha, and Quade's ex boyfriend adds to the romance and cements their relationship through trials of hardship. The paranormal aspects of the story are well explained. Overall, this is a great paranormal romance book and definitely a recommended read.

5 Pants Off

Review: Where You Lead by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Fehu
Where You Lead by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Short Story: 68pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.

Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.

Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.

Review
It's certainly not a book that will leave you uninvolved. I've read some, was mad, put it down, wanted to know how Peter will react, started reading again, was annoyed and stared at the book in disbelief.

Let's say it is an emotional read as in I was quite invested into the story. I didn't believe the story, but I was pretty involved in the plot, but it was over too fast so I was left a bit dissatisfied. Also there were quite a few problems and I felt they were solved without a lot of effort. The time frame was just unbelievable. Pete and Carver knew each other for 6 months. Feel with me and say it out loud s i x months. So of course Pete would agree to leave his friends and his home and his work to move into a small town, where e v e r y o n e is ok with a gay couple. You can understand my suspended disbelief. All of this would probably bother me less in a paranormal setting, but here there is no explanation of a soul bound or life mates!

I expected sweet, and some parts were, the dialog between Peter and his partner on the force was pretty good and I laughed, when they talked about the art. The beginning pretty much seduced me into the story, some dialogs did not flow and the relationship and story progressed too fast, at least for me.

At the end I was torn as how to rate this story, since I liked the first part very much, but the second part felt rushed and a bit disjointed.

3 Pants Off

Review: Parting Shot by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Fehu
Parting Shot (Matter of Time #7) by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 264pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
A Matter of Time Story

Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.

Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.

Review
Sadly no Sam and Jory in this one, but it is Aaron's book after all and after all his misadventures it's nice to see him getting his own happy ending. Aaron and Duncan met through Jory and Sam and while it was not love at first sight, there certainly was a lot of attraction. Real life separated them pretty quick, however. Duncan had to work undercover, to take down a drug cartel and Aaron had to take care of his companies.

When Duncan is hurt during his undercover job he wanted to see Aaron and have him come to visit, especially after all the things Aaron said to him. Instead he met Max, Aaron's younger brother, who asked him not to meet in public with his brother or start any kind of relationship, since their father was currently trying to remove Aaron as CEO, because of his homosexual tendencies. Heartbroken, but hiding it, Duncan agrees to leave Aaron alone, it's not like he doesn't understand, he hasn't wanted to risk his job and stayed therefore in the closed himself. When the death of Max's friend brings Duncan into Aaron's world of the rich and famous, they both had time to consider if the other is worth risking something important for.

I liked reading about Aaron actually finding love and not another boytoy. While Jory wasn't exactly a boytoy, he was still not the match Aaron needed and Duncan gave him that. On the other hand meeting Aaron was good for Duncan as well, it gave him the courage to live his life like he wanted and stop hiding. In typical A Matter of Time fashion, there is a lot of drama in this last book of the series as well. Hurt/comfort play a big part in the story development and two alpha males who found their equal is another important part of the mix. Engaging dialog and a bit of a mystery is rounding this series up in a way it deserved.

Should You Read It? If you read and liked the other parts then you don't want to miss this one. I wouldn't recommend reading it as a standalone, Jory and Sam are mentioned and then there is Jaden, whom we meet again, it might be a bit confusing reading about all this characters without the background information.

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #6 But for You

Review: But For You by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Fehu
But For You (Matter of Time #6) by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 242pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Jory Harcourt is finally living the dream. Being married to US Marshal Sam Kage has changed him—it’s settled the tumult of their past and changed Jory from a guy who bails at the first sign of trouble to a man who stays and weathers the storm. He and Sam have two kids, a house in the burbs, and a badass minivan. Jory’s days of being an epicenter for disaster are over. Domestic life is good.

Which means it's exactly the right time for a shakeup on the home front. Sam’s ex turns up in an unexpected place. A hit man climbs up their balcony at a family reunion. And maybe both of those things have something to do with a witness who disappeared a year ago. Marital bliss just got a kick in the pants, but Jory won’t let anyone take his family away from him. Before he knew what it felt like to have a home, he would have run. Not anymore. He knows he and Sam need to handle things together, because that’s the only way they’re going to make it.

Review:
For all fans of Jory and Sam, this book is a must have! Jory and Sam have come a long way to be together and this is the final book in the series. The finish is less dramatic than the previous books, while it still has some action/adventure scenes and a murder plot, the book focuses on Sam and Jory's family life. They have settled down in new jobs, grown up some, and have two wonderful children...who are learning to use smaller water guns, to check if their teacher is the wicked witch of the west.

But For You visits on some unfinished threads and relationships, which Jory and Sam had. For one there is a secret that comes to light from Sam's undercover stint, which threatens their family. Also it was nice to have a visit from Aaron, one of Jory's ex-lovers, who is finally on his way to a happy ending of his own. Jory is shown as a parent and he is doing well in this new role, he is more stable and mature and not the danger magnet that he was, which makes a nice change!

There are still the funny dialogs and the sexual tension that I loved in the previous books and I loved to see Sam and Jory interact with their kids, so this has been a great ending for a good if not an emotionally turbulent series.

Jory and Sam's kids are fun and remind me a bit of Jory, personality wise, their questions about how things work or about certain behavior, like kissing(Hannah is not allowed to lick the cat, but why can Daddy lick Pa?) are sometimes hilarious and it was interesting to see Jory being an adult, he did come a long way from the first book! Sam, well he is still a caveman and fiercely protective of his family and he is around more.

Mostly this book is about Sam and Jory's happily ever after, which is still not as peaceful as one might imagine but made for a fitting ending of the series.

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Steamroller by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Hannah
Steamroller by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novella: 160pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
About the last thing Vincent Wade expected was for Carson Cress to ask him out. Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. 

 There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.


Review:
Buy it.

Can you have a two word review? I should elaborate shouldn't I? OK then, I’ll give you a little more.

This story of a Jock and Botanist is so refreshing. It is filled with quick wit and humour that is an enjoyable and welcome relief from the angst that fills so many pages of M/M romantic tales.

Vince, the Botanist in this love affair, is sarcastic but oh, so endearing. He seems to win a place in your heart very quickly as you realise he bucks the initial thoughts of what you believe his character to be. In the place of a ‘victim’ of bullying and therefore a reserved and shy geek, you have a witty, smart and handsome character who makes you laugh out loud with how quick his retorts are, and who impresses you with how comfortable he is in his own skin. He compliments the other characters around him effortlessly as the interactions throughout the book flow so easily you can picture this group of friends in college as if you were one of them.

The introduction of Carson, the Jock in this story, makes you a little weak at the knees with how Vince describes him. Somehow, even though you know where the book will lead, you still are pleasantly surprised with how their intertwining story progresses. They each manage to unnerve the other which manages to crack their composure enough to lead to passionate, sweaty, heart rate rising encounters.

The most enjoyable aspect of Mary Calmes telling of this story, is that she pushes against where you think their love affair will lead. Although upset and rejection can be heard in the background of the story, it ends up centred around wanting, passion and love. As you reach the end of the book you realise that your heart has been left feeling light, and not tortured with anxiety at how these two self-assured college guys, with their completely opposite circles, can make it work.

The only disappointment with this read is that it had to finish. I fell in love with these two rather quickly, which should tell you all you need to know about how enjoyable a read Calmes makes this book.

Buy it, and enjoy.

4 Pants Off

Review: Acrobat by Mary Calmes

Acrobat by Mary Calmes
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 248pgs
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.

Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been looking for. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.


Review:
Oh Em Gee! I can’t believe this was my very first time reading Mary Calmes; I assure you it will not be my last. I went into reading Acrobat because the hype for this book was strong, and I wanted in on the action. Oh yeh, I got my action and I got it good.

Nathan Quells is a professor and awesome man. He is a father, was once a husband, and is a best-friend. He is kind always and people just love the hell out of him. His love life is lacking after separating with his closeted detective lover.

He spends his time helping with the care of Michael his 16 year old neighbour. Michael lost his mom at 12 and was given to the care of his very young uncle Dreo. Michael is very much apart of his life like his own son, and that includes his sexy and mysterious uncle.

Dreo is muscle to a mob boss, and it’s not a job he is exactly proud of but he wants to provide the best life for his nephew. He works very hard to keep his work from his family and Nate is apart of his family. Even if the man doesn’t know it yet, Dreo is setting things in motion that will make him permanent in his and Michael’s life.

Seriously, dudes I freaking loved reading this story. Though Nate was sometimes a little toooo good I am sucker for a great father. Hands down Dreo is the reason causing a worldwide sensation in my pants, sensations… I am all about the pants losing, and Dreo just breathing causes pants to melt off ones body and disintegrate “poof they’re gone”.

There is some mob angst to keep things moving and not make the book one big feel good go happy kind of story. The supporting characters really make this book shine, and they made me smile like crazy. I just really loved everything about it, and can’t really find much to complain about.

I loved it cus it made me feel all good and tingly with feelings, I love Dreo because I wanna make the babies and bow down at his alter of sexiness *so alpha-male*. I love the possessive, uses less than three words to express his feelings type of guy. I also enjoyed the age difference it’s one of those things that causes pants losing for me. Yep, Dreo is the shit! That Is All

4.5 Pants Off