Title: Duty & Devotion

Author: Tere Michaels

Publisher: Loose Id, LLC

Buy Duty & Devotion Here!

Rating: You Gotta Read

Reviewed by: Patchcat

After their happily ever after in Faith & Fidelity, Matt and Evan move forward to a new chapter of their lives – inside the bedroom and out – with some surprises in store for both. Evan struggles with labels and feelings even as he wants to give in to his baser desires. Matt, now the ideal househusband of Queens, New York, has his own set of struggles – who is he now? What does he need and want?

A visit from his friend and one-night stand Jim Shea (of Love & Loyalty) throws everything into disarray as Evan’s jealousy and unease push Matt’s buttons – and not always in a good way.

This is the third installment in Tere Michael’s Faith, Love, and Devotion series, and it’s just as good as the other two titles. In fact, I’d almost say it’s the best one yet. Ms. Michaels’ writing just keeps getting better, and her characters keep growing.

This book centers once again on Matt and Evan, two formerly straight men who find each other and fall, rather unexpectedly, in love. The beginnings of their romance are detailed in Faith & Fidelity, the first book in this series and another title that I highly recommend checking out.

Duty & Devotion picks up right where Faith & Fidelity left off. We get to see that, while Matt and Evan may be back together, everything isn’t all sunshine and roses, and Evan’s insecurities and uncertainties haven’t all dissolved like dust in the wind just because he has Matt back. Although he does resolve to do better and not screw this up, it’s obvious that it’s going to be a long road ahead.

I think one of the many reasons I like these books and these characters so much is that they are very real. They have real issues and real hang-ups and they go about solving them – or obsessing over them in Evan’s case (Oh, Evan. I just wanna cuddle you and squeeze you and tell you that everything is going to be okay…when I don’t want to smack you upside the head for being an idiot and insist that you please to be getting over it and letting it go~oo) – just like a regular person would. They also annoy the ever-living crap out of each other while they’re doing it. I love that there’s no magic bullet, no wand that gets waved and suddenly all is well here. These guys have to muddle through just like the rest of us.

Something that really struck me in this book was the intimacy between these characters. Sex wasn’t the be-all, end-all of their relationship. Yeah, it was there and it was hot, but it didn’t always go as planned…and that was okay – both for me and for the characters themselves. I loved that Evan was allowed to work things out in his own time. It added a lot of depth to both his character and to the story itself.

Overall, this book is a very solid You Gotta Read. It’s sweet, it’s endearing, it’s well-developed, and the characters are awesomely human and real. Go read it. You’ll be glad you did.

Title: Love & Loyalty

Author: Tere Michaels

Publisher: Loose Id, LLC

Buy Love & Loyalty Here!

Rating: You Gotta Read

Reviewed by: Patchcat

Detective James “Jim” Shea is a Seattle homicide detective who has never taken his work home with him – until now. A case has gotten under his skin and though it’s “over,” it isn’t for Jim. The emotional toll has left him vulnerable and tied to the victim’s dying father.

Meanwhile, Hollywood comes calling for a hot story, and screenwriter Griffin Drake sees the tragic case as his ticket to more serious fare than his usual action blockbusters. But to get the whole story he needs to win over the stoic and protective Detective Shea.

Neither man has had much luck when it comes to romance or long-term relationships and neither is particularly looking but there’s an attraction from their first meeting that can’t be denied. Their impromptu first date seems to have no end in sight – quickly becomes a barreling freight train of romance.

Looming problems outside threaten their relationship – death, secrets and broken trust – and they’ll have to learn loyalty to save their newfound love.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.

I loved this book. That’s not something I get to say very often, but it’s very true in this case. The author’s writing style was very easy to read, it gave enough description to keep me very entertained, and I haven’t laughed that much at banter between close friends in a very long time. (By the way, “Heterosexual Power Cabal” is my new favorite group name. ^_^)

I read this one twice, and both times had me up way, way past my bedtime because I just couldn’t put the book down. Why is that, you ask? Because Ms. Michaels has written such likable and compelling characters that you just have to keep reading to see how it all ends. What really sold me here was just how well-rounded and three-dimensional these characters were. They had personality and flaws and – in the case of the two male leads – were more than just the sum of their sexual orientation and the relationship that they build together.

I loved that Ms. Michaels didn’t take the easy, “love at first sight/meant to be together” way out with Jim and Griffon. It really added to the story and made it a whole hell of a lot more believable. She also gave her characters doubts about how things should be and are going. When Griffon becomes “the guest who didn’t leave”, she addresses it, giving Griffon doubts about wearing out his welcome and making Jim wonder about why he’s allowing a total stranger to camp out in his home and then resolving those doubts in a very realistic and believable manner.

I also greatly enjoyed the plot and the drama over the Ed Kelly script. Griffon’s incredible determination to see that his promises are fulfilled no matter the cost endeared him to me forever.

This was a great read – one that I will be revisiting in the not too distant future, I am quite sure – and definitely deserving of the “You Gotta Read” rating. So, shoo, shoo! Go look it up. Read! Enjoy! You’ll be glad you did. ^_~