A Still, Small Voice by D.W. Marchwell

From the cover - After a student’s accusation of sexual assault destroyed his reputation, Noah Birchwood left the teaching career he loved. The school system that should have protected him and an ex-lover who should have known better shattered his confidence, and it took Noah six years and another university degree to finally get his life back on track.

He loves his new job as a computer programmer and keeps busy on weekends performing at a drag club with his best friend, Aiden. It’s there that he meets shy, chivalrous Oscar, the owner of the club and, just maybe, the love of Noah’s life. But everything turns upside down when a specter from his former life moves in next door. Noah will have to face his fears and discover the truth about his ordeal if he wants to move past it once and for all and face the future with Oscar at his side

A Still, Small Voice is a m/m story that touches on an emotional issue and had the potential to be a very powerful tale about letting go, moving on, and living rather than merely existing. I was drawn in to Noah’s world as he was finally able to recount the details of the most devastating event in his life, but sadly, that’s where the potential for a poignant story ended, and this book almost landed on my ‘did not finish’ shelf. I am, however, very glad I stuck it out because in the end, it was a sweet, romantic and uplifting story.

I’ve not read anything by D.W. Marchwell before, so I had no idea what to expect. I found the writing and the storytelling to flow well, and I loved that I could feel the joy, the humor, and the awkwardness, even as an adult, that comes when getting back on the relationship horse again, especially after the betrayal of someone you thought you could trust. The romance was good, and I was definitely happy to see Noah moving on, but the ‘specter from the past’ part of the story that also had such great potential not only fizzled, but felt unresolved.

As for our characters, I loved Noah, Oscar and even the ‘villain’ Paul, but Noah’s best friend, Aiden, drove me up a wall. I’m not into the overly flamboyant characters, be they male or female, and Aiden reminded me too much of a movie my mother watched every single time it was on TV, Auntie Mame. That woman frightened me - Auntie Mame, not my mother - and to this day I cringe when I think of her. I'm sorry, Aiden, but you never stood a chance with me.

The bottom line – This was a really sweet story that had the potential to be a fantastic one. I liked it and found it entertaining, but because I was able to so clearly see what could be, yet wasn’t, I was a bit let-down. I will, however, be looking for more by this author because as I said, I enjoyed the easy, comfortable flow of the writing and storytelling.

This ebook was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Dreamspinner Press.

Divide & Conquer by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux

Divide & Conquer is the fourth book in the exciting M/M Romantic Suspense series, Cut & Run, and yes, we have another winner!

In this installment, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back in Baltimore dealing with riots, robbery and anarchists. It’s a volatile situation - to say the least, and it just keeps getting worse. Despite the Bureau’s attempts to bring law and order back to the city, chaos rules. And as if that weren’t bad enough, our beloved heroes find themselves the targets of a self-important madman who has little regard for human life - especially theirs.

I don’t often find myself so attached to the characters in a book, but there’s just something about Ty and Zane that I can't resist. Somewhere along the way they stopped being merely inked words on the page and became living, breathing people. Are they flawed? Oh, yeah, but those flaws only make them that much more endearing. And despite their stubborn, hurtful and sometimes clueless words and actions, there’s this easy, comfortable dynamic to their relationship – when they’re not beating the crap out of each other, that is – and that’s what keeps me coming back for more. Well, that and moments like this:

Several heartbeats of quiet passed before Zane spoke. “First time I saw you, after I got over hating you, I knew,” he said, echoing Ty's words, “I knew I'd fall in love with you.”

Ty shivered all over, torn between the comforting warmth of Zane's words and the cold terror of impending crush injuries. He couldn't get in any air to speak.

“I laughed at myself,” Zane continued, a hint of pleading in his voice, “and then I denied it, and then I did everything I could to prove myself wrong, but it didn't work.”

“I know, Zane,” Ty whispered, though he had to admit the words brought a certain level of relief he hadn't realized he'd needed.

“Ty.” Zane's even, soothing tones finally broke on the short gasp of his name. “I love you and I'm scared I'll lose you. Please don't leave me alone in the dark.”

With their hilarious banter one minute and these moments of heartbreaking vulnerability the next, these men have positively captured my heart. I laugh with them, cheer for them, and even shed a few tears - but most importantly, I am head over heels in love with Ty and Zane.

And I've been giving a lot of thought to the cover image, and while it, minus the band-aids, comes directly from one of the scenes, it also speaks volumes about Zane and Ty's relationship. The two halves might be together, but they're barely together. We've all heard the saying about putting a band-aid on the wound when major surgery is needed? That describes their relationship perfectly, especially in this book. Terrific cover choice! 

The bottom line - Divide & Conquer, like the previous books in the series, has everything I look for in Romantic Suspense – a great storyline, amazing characters, burn-up-the-pages love scenes and a heartwarming, believable romance! I don’t know how they do it, but Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux consistently bring all kinds of wonderful to this series and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have found these authors. If you’re looking for a fantastic M/M series, heavy on the romance but not lacking in sizzle, then you definitely need to read these books!


Divide & Conquer was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Dreamspinner Press.

Fish & Chips by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Fish & Chips is the third book in the M/M Romantic Suspense Cut & Run series, and another fantastic read!

In this installment, FBI Special Agents Zane Garrett and Ty Grady are assigned to impersonate two high ranking members of an international antiquities smuggling ring. Now, in the previous books, Ty and Zane have done a pretty good job of keeping their personal relationship under the radar of their co-workers, and just as well because they themselves aren’t sure about where the relationship is going. But when it turns out that the men they’re impersonating are an openly gay, married couple, it gives our beloved heroes a chance to find out what it’s like to be an out-and-proud gay couple, themselves.

Wow, I don’t know what it is about these stories, but I got hooked from the very first page of the very first book and haven’t looked back. Not terribly surprising since Ty and Zane are perfect for each other and an absolute pleasure to read about. I love how alpha they both are because it brings a whole new level of romance to romantic suspense. While there used to be this silent struggle between them – a struggle I’m not even sure they were aware of – over who was controlling the direction of their relationship, they’ve finally settled into their roles as partners, both on the job and off, and I have loved watching every single minute of it. They are so fiercely protective and devoted to each other, and yet both so vulnerable and afraid of risking their hearts, and the closer they get to the love word, the more their vulnerabilities show. And then that just makes me all the more protective of them!

As you can probably tell by this and my previous reviews of the books in this series, the stories are very much character driven. I find myself fascinated not only by the great story plots, but by the dynamic of Ty and Zane’s relationship. In many ways, they remind me of two of my very favorite non-couple best friend males, Butch and Vishous from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Although Butch and V are already in committed relationships with females, they have something in common with Ty and Zane, and that’s their need to be together. It’s not merely a 'want.' They are 100% essential to one another's existence. I honestly believe that if something were to happen to either one of them, the other wouldn't be able to go on. Slowly but surely, the one left behind would self destruct, or just fade away, because a person just can't exist without their heart.

Okay, enough rambling and failing miserably at waxing poetic. The bottom line – Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux have done it again! I am totally hooked on this series, and madly in love with both Ty and Zane. Apart they are perfection, albeit a flawed perfection, but together they are each the vital half that completes the whole that is the amazing pairing of Ty and Zane.

Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Cut & Run is the first book in the Cut & Run series and I was totally blown away! I’d never read anything by authors Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux so wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but seriously… this one grabbed me from the first page and never let go. Cut & Run has turned out to be one of the best Romantic Suspense books I’ve read this year, and has become one of my favorite M/M romances, too.

FBI Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett couldn’t be more different - total opposites, in fact, so when they’re ordered to partner up to hunt down a vicious serial killer terrorizing New York City, things do not go smoothly. It’s a dirty case and getting dirtier by the minute when it becomes apparent that the killer is probably someone within the Bureau. Both men just want to get the job done, and it’s about more than catching a killer; they can barely stand being in the same room together and want this partnership over. But when things take a turn for the worse and they find themselves targets, they have no choice but to cut the crap and work together so they don’t end up dead.

This book had it all – great story, amazing characters, steamy love scenes and an honest, believable romance! Ty and Zane’s witty banter and, often times, pain-in-the-ass behaviors had me both laughing out loud and wanting to strangle them! They were sometimes warm and caring and other times bullish and obnoxious, but in the end, I fell hard for both men and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Cut & Run was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Dreamspinner Press. This had no influence on my rating or review.