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By Degrees #1
Six Degrees of Lust
*WARNING FROM THE AUTHOR:
Six Degrees of Lust is both an ensemble novel and the first installment in the By Degrees serial. This means there are several point of views and the story will continue. Thanks.
New York City FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy lives for his immediate family and his job. After a marriage gone wrong he has stuck to a firm rule when it comes to relationships: he doesn't have them. Sexually active and emotionally unavailable keeps him satisfied, especially now that he is in hot pursuit of a serial killer targeting gay men.
Former firefighter Machlan O'Bannon now manages a successful sports bar in Houston and after years of waiting he's ready to stand up and be the man he always wanted to be: out, proud and drama-free. His politically-aligned family wants to keep him locked in the closet, but Mac just wants to meet the man of his dreams.
One man is as high strung as the other is laid back. A chance meeting brings the two men together, and one night of passion ignites a fire neither can fight. Their lives are not only miles apart, but as different as day and night. They don't want to get involved...but will they be able to stay apart?
Six Degrees of Lust is both an ensemble novel and the first installment in the By Degrees serial. This means there are several point of views and the story will continue. Thanks.
New York City FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy lives for his immediate family and his job. After a marriage gone wrong he has stuck to a firm rule when it comes to relationships: he doesn't have them. Sexually active and emotionally unavailable keeps him satisfied, especially now that he is in hot pursuit of a serial killer targeting gay men.
Former firefighter Machlan O'Bannon now manages a successful sports bar in Houston and after years of waiting he's ready to stand up and be the man he always wanted to be: out, proud and drama-free. His politically-aligned family wants to keep him locked in the closet, but Mac just wants to meet the man of his dreams.
One man is as high strung as the other is laid back. A chance meeting brings the two men together, and one night of passion ignites a fire neither can fight. Their lives are not only miles apart, but as different as day and night. They don't want to get involved...but will they be able to stay apart?
389 pages, ebook
First published December 27, 2011
68 people are currently reading
2158 people want to read
About the author
Taylor V. Donovan
18 books798 followersTaylor V. Donovan is a bicultural travel aficionado, compulsive researcher, and lover of history and all things 80s. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she now resides in New York City, remains passionate about her homeland, and is optimistically cynical about the world.
When not writing queer romance, she can be found indulging in true crime documentaries, advocating for civil rights, and fighting for equality for all.
For more information please visit www.taylorvdonovan.com
When not writing queer romance, she can be found indulging in true crime documentaries, advocating for civil rights, and fighting for equality for all.
For more information please visit www.taylorvdonovan.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
June 4, 2013
4 stars.****Review posted June 4, 2013
Our main protagonists are FBI agent and team leader Samuel (Sam) Shaughnessy who is living in New York, and bar manager Machlan (Mac) O'Bannon who is living in Houston, Texas. As a little side note: There is no denying it, Irish men are hawt. Sam is very busy working the case of a religious serial killer who is murdering young gay men. The evidence leads him and his team to Tangerine, a very popular gay club. Both men are bumping into each other at the airport when Mac comes to New York to check out the market and possible locations for a gay night club that his buddy Braxton was thinking of opening there. And Sam is in a hurry to catch his flight to take care of a family emergency. After a brief conversation Sam puts his business card in one of Mac's jeans pockets--phone call guaranteed…
If you don't like to deal with a rather huge cast of secondary characters then this story might not suit you. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t easy to keep track of every character because there is a lot going on here. And even though the novel features two main characters, the focus of the story varies constantly and provides several subplots. Truth be told, I would have loved to see more of Sam and Mac and a little bit less of the secondary characters. We see Sam at his job, but also how he has to cope with his family issues, his circle of 'friends' and his impending non-relationship with Mac. And Mac has his own problems to take care of, i.e. his homophobic family and his pending coming out. As the story unfolds I was surprised to see that most of the characters are--in a sense--rather closely connected to one another. One has to wonder if that's realistic. On the other hand, however, I enjoyed the story as a whole and I didn't mind the (more than) random connections. One thing's for sure, the author did set up enough characters for future books in the series. Hence, I would love to read Logan and Duncan’s stories. Both are FBI agents as well as Sam’s teammates. While Duncan is straight Logan is gay and Sam's best friend. Besides, Logan is a volunteer at the LGBT center Horizons. The man is pierced, tattooed and incredibly yummy. Logan being gay brings me to another minor issue. Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me now, but I seriously doubt that in real life an FBI team would consist of so many gay men. If I remember correctly half of Sam’s team (or even more) are gay or bisexual. Though I'm willing to overlook this little issue because that's the reason why we call it fiction, right?
Sam is not a very communicative kind of guy and neither does he enjoy to socialize. He prefers ‘acquaintances’ instead of a big circle of friends. He doesn’t do relationships and doesn’t want to show his feelings. Plus, he strictly refuses to get attached to people or vice versa. I can’t deny it, Sam’s personality shows an asshole-ish tendency, and he is selfish and hard to approach yet his best friend Logan knows there is more to Sam than that; behind his armor hides a very likable man. Naturally Logan is right and Mac’s smart mouth is the reason why we’ll see a different side of Sam eventually. In fact, Mac is rather perceptive and also manipulative but in a very good way (see the next quote). I think Sam’s difficult personality is connected to his hang-ups and certain events that happened in his past, i.e. (huge spoiler) So, while Sam is only game for hot and sweaty fu@@athons, Mac wants more than that, but he has to figure out how to convince Sam without scaring him off. Seriously, I’m already very curious to see what will happen in the sequel and how their non-relationship will develop.
I loved the scenes between Sam and his nephew Nicky. Sam has a very good hand with kids and he really cherished and protected the boy. He was determined to provide a loving home for him. Also, the scenes at the LGBT center Horizons were great and have been placed rather prominently throughout the plot. If you want to give a long-distance 'non-relationship' a try, then you must be resourceful and flexible which leads me to another entertaining aspect of the story. The e-mails and texts between Sam and Mac. As it was they never failed to make me laugh.
Some of you will remember that I mentioned in one of my updates that I had to do a double check if the author was male or female. While I thought the beginning could have been written by a man, I have to admit that I didn’t get those vibes throughout the rest of the story.
The suspense part of Six Degrees of Lust is pretty minor if I may say so, and I think I figured out who the killer is. Hence, I think you shouldn’t read this book for the sake of suspense; read it for the sake of a great cast of characters and the interesting storyline. Last but not least I need to say a few words about the sex scenes. Interestingly enough, there is not a lot of men lovin’ to be found, however, what was there was sexy, well-written and even intense at times. Their first erotic encounter was very hot and I also liked the emotional interlude in Miami. Sam coming undone was beautiful and I enjoyed their cuddling. More please!
What didn’t work out for me
Once again the endearments didn’t do anything for me. But that might be just a personal issue of mine. So, don’t let it put you off and give this story a try.
Overall I’m very glad that I read Six Degrees of Lust despite its rather high price. It’s a solid story, engagingly written and provides plenty of great scenes and dialogue as well as a nice dose of humor. Sam and Mac will have to overcome a lot of obstacles and yet I’m sure they’ll manage eventually by taking it…
Recommended read.
The sequel is Six Degrees of Separation. Release date August 2013. I advise you to read the books in order.
Our main protagonists are FBI agent and team leader Samuel (Sam) Shaughnessy who is living in New York, and bar manager Machlan (Mac) O'Bannon who is living in Houston, Texas. As a little side note: There is no denying it, Irish men are hawt. Sam is very busy working the case of a religious serial killer who is murdering young gay men. The evidence leads him and his team to Tangerine, a very popular gay club. Both men are bumping into each other at the airport when Mac comes to New York to check out the market and possible locations for a gay night club that his buddy Braxton was thinking of opening there. And Sam is in a hurry to catch his flight to take care of a family emergency. After a brief conversation Sam puts his business card in one of Mac's jeans pockets--phone call guaranteed…
"And here I was thinking you wanted me to teach you a few more tricks before you go out and start sharing my valuable lessons with everything out there that likes c@ck."
"I like for my sex to be casual and have no problems staying detached."(…)"You, on the other hand, sound like you're looking for Prince F@cking Charming. Let me know if he sticks around once you start comparing past histories and you tell him about that horizon of yours."
"If he doesn't I can always give you a call." Mac laughed a little and Sam wanted to strangle him. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't give a shit about my track record, being how detached you remain and whatnot.
"And what makes you think I'd take you? One of the reasons I don't do seconds is I hate used goods."
Honor has not to be won, it must only not be lost.
If you don't like to deal with a rather huge cast of secondary characters then this story might not suit you. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t easy to keep track of every character because there is a lot going on here. And even though the novel features two main characters, the focus of the story varies constantly and provides several subplots. Truth be told, I would have loved to see more of Sam and Mac and a little bit less of the secondary characters. We see Sam at his job, but also how he has to cope with his family issues, his circle of 'friends' and his impending non-relationship with Mac. And Mac has his own problems to take care of, i.e. his homophobic family and his pending coming out. As the story unfolds I was surprised to see that most of the characters are--in a sense--rather closely connected to one another. One has to wonder if that's realistic. On the other hand, however, I enjoyed the story as a whole and I didn't mind the (more than) random connections. One thing's for sure, the author did set up enough characters for future books in the series. Hence, I would love to read Logan and Duncan’s stories. Both are FBI agents as well as Sam’s teammates. While Duncan is straight Logan is gay and Sam's best friend. Besides, Logan is a volunteer at the LGBT center Horizons. The man is pierced, tattooed and incredibly yummy. Logan being gay brings me to another minor issue. Don't throw rotten tomatoes at me now, but I seriously doubt that in real life an FBI team would consist of so many gay men. If I remember correctly half of Sam’s team (or even more) are gay or bisexual. Though I'm willing to overlook this little issue because that's the reason why we call it fiction, right?
“He sounded like he wants to have fun.”
“While he looks for Mr. Right. What if you’re it for him? Better yet, what if he’s it for you?”
“Bite your tongue!”
“You’re playing with fire here. Be ready to get burned…just like those sheets you mentioned before.”
“All I’m saying is you should forget about the rules and live dangerously for once. Ride this wave, see where it takes you.”
“I’m riding the wave already and it’ll take me straight to Mac’s ass. That’s as spontaneous as I’ll ever get.”
Sam is not a very communicative kind of guy and neither does he enjoy to socialize. He prefers ‘acquaintances’ instead of a big circle of friends. He doesn’t do relationships and doesn’t want to show his feelings. Plus, he strictly refuses to get attached to people or vice versa. I can’t deny it, Sam’s personality shows an asshole-ish tendency, and he is selfish and hard to approach yet his best friend Logan knows there is more to Sam than that; behind his armor hides a very likable man. Naturally Logan is right and Mac’s smart mouth is the reason why we’ll see a different side of Sam eventually. In fact, Mac is rather perceptive and also manipulative but in a very good way (see the next quote). I think Sam’s difficult personality is connected to his hang-ups and certain events that happened in his past, i.e. (huge spoiler) So, while Sam is only game for hot and sweaty fu@@athons, Mac wants more than that, but he has to figure out how to convince Sam without scaring him off. Seriously, I’m already very curious to see what will happen in the sequel and how their non-relationship will develop.
“He has a way of making me do things I would never do without looking like he’s actually trying to get me to do them. So far he’s been this power bottom. I think he’s been topping me from the bottom from the get go.”
I loved the scenes between Sam and his nephew Nicky. Sam has a very good hand with kids and he really cherished and protected the boy. He was determined to provide a loving home for him. Also, the scenes at the LGBT center Horizons were great and have been placed rather prominently throughout the plot. If you want to give a long-distance 'non-relationship' a try, then you must be resourceful and flexible which leads me to another entertaining aspect of the story. The e-mails and texts between Sam and Mac. As it was they never failed to make me laugh.
Some of you will remember that I mentioned in one of my updates that I had to do a double check if the author was male or female. While I thought the beginning could have been written by a man, I have to admit that I didn’t get those vibes throughout the rest of the story.
The suspense part of Six Degrees of Lust is pretty minor if I may say so, and I think I figured out who the killer is. Hence, I think you shouldn’t read this book for the sake of suspense; read it for the sake of a great cast of characters and the interesting storyline. Last but not least I need to say a few words about the sex scenes. Interestingly enough, there is not a lot of men lovin’ to be found, however, what was there was sexy, well-written and even intense at times. Their first erotic encounter was very hot and I also liked the emotional interlude in Miami. Sam coming undone was beautiful and I enjoyed their cuddling. More please!
What didn’t work out for me
Once again the endearments didn’t do anything for me. But that might be just a personal issue of mine. So, don’t let it put you off and give this story a try.
Overall I’m very glad that I read Six Degrees of Lust despite its rather high price. It’s a solid story, engagingly written and provides plenty of great scenes and dialogue as well as a nice dose of humor. Sam and Mac will have to overcome a lot of obstacles and yet I’m sure they’ll manage eventually by taking it…
“One day at a time.”
Recommended read.
The sequel is Six Degrees of Separation. Release date August 2013. I advise you to read the books in order.
August 31, 2013
Let me tell you why I would normally dislike this book:
* Too many characters
* All of whom are gay or bisexual
* All conveniently intertwined somehow
* All perfect
Let me tell you why I ended up loving this book:
* So many characters to choose from.
* All of whom are HOTLY gay or bisexual and attracted to one another
* All intertwined in this “six degrees” way that makes it fun to figure out who-knows-who
* All imperfectly perfect with interesting stories to be told
It’s a given I’m going to love Mac and Sam. Their sexual tension was SO FREAKING HOT and the emotional power play between them actually was hysterical at times, heartbreaking at times, and at-my-happy-place at times. This coupling is such a great storyline.
Knowing this, I’d typically get super annoyed with the fact that other characters kept butting in and taking away Mac & Sam time. Thing is, these other characters were awesome too! Logan, Braxton, Remy, Chris, Eric, Duncan, Nicky, Sasha (I want to know more about Sasha!!!)…and lest we forget the Leviticus killer…have interesting stories in their own rights and I want to read those stories. I want each of them to have a book and I want them all to remain interconnected!
Top all this off with a really creepy yet satisfying murder mystery plot and I am hooked on this series!
Jumping immediately into book 2…!!!
January 18, 2019
Re-read Jan. 2019
I took 2 stars away from this one because I HATE the way these two treat each other. According to my first review, I loved the conflict. I don't anymore.
This is one of those books I should have NEVER re-read. Sad face.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I believe it's time to get my re-read on with this one, but... I think I'll wait until all the books are out. Sounds like spring 2017. I can wait because I know it will be worth it.
Original review:
Review here! 5 stars, favorites shelf.
I took 2 stars away from this one because I HATE the way these two treat each other. According to my first review, I loved the conflict. I don't anymore.
This is one of those books I should have NEVER re-read. Sad face.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I believe it's time to get my re-read on with this one, but... I think I'll wait until all the books are out. Sounds like spring 2017. I can wait because I know it will be worth it.
Original review:
Review here! 5 stars, favorites shelf.
March 6, 2015
DNF page 74 of 389
I just can't.
The style doesn't call to me.
The sex doesn't inspire me.
The endless list of perfect secondary gay characters is aggravating.
Just no.
I just can't.
The style doesn't call to me.
The sex doesn't inspire me.
The endless list of perfect secondary gay characters is aggravating.
Just no.
Read
December 19, 2016DNF at 43%
I've been dying to read this book ever since I read (and ADORED) Disasterology 101. I even went out and bought this book a couple of years ago, though I hadn't gotten around to reading it. When I saw it was being re-released, I jumped at the chance to try the newer version.
However, this book and I were not meant to be.
I really should have known better because I hate romantic suspense. I make a few exceptions, but romantic suspense and I are not friends. I also hate multiple POVs, and this book has a LOT (which, granted, I knew going into it). I sort of expected to fall in love with the story anyway, but... I didn't. I just grew more and more uncomfortable with the mystery (which I think I have figured out, BTW) and the back and forth between the two MCs. This book is LONG, and about 1/2 way through I decided to just throw in the towel.
A poor fit for me, I'm afraid. I still love you, Taylor!
I've been dying to read this book ever since I read (and ADORED) Disasterology 101. I even went out and bought this book a couple of years ago, though I hadn't gotten around to reading it. When I saw it was being re-released, I jumped at the chance to try the newer version.
However, this book and I were not meant to be.
I really should have known better because I hate romantic suspense. I make a few exceptions, but romantic suspense and I are not friends. I also hate multiple POVs, and this book has a LOT (which, granted, I knew going into it). I sort of expected to fall in love with the story anyway, but... I didn't. I just grew more and more uncomfortable with the mystery (which I think I have figured out, BTW) and the back and forth between the two MCs. This book is LONG, and about 1/2 way through I decided to just throw in the towel.
A poor fit for me, I'm afraid. I still love you, Taylor!
February 10, 2017
4.5 Stars
I've had (the first edition of) Six Degrees of Lust on my Kindle for about a year and a half, and I always intended to read it, but I just never seemed to get to it. Well, it's being republished by Dreamspinner, so when the second edition came up on the ARC list, I decided that now is the time to finally give it a shot! I'm so glad I did. I really loved it.
Before I get into the meat of my review, do be aware that Six Degrees of Lust is the beginning of a serial and it ends on a cliffhanger. Book 2 (Six Degrees of Separation) is available, now, but we are still waiting on book 3 (and I do not know if that will be the last book or not). Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer for Six Degrees of Agony (please!!!!!).
There's a suspense plot, that I'm finding to be pretty obvious (well, I assume, because it isn't anywhere near done, yet, so no reveals have been made) but it doesn't take over the romance. It's definitely a major happening and a catalyst, for the story, but I didn't find it too overpowering. And the characters' lives intersect not only socially, but through the suspense part of the plot. I found the way that was done was interesting without seeming too contrived. And I did have to take some notes, though, I do admit. There are a lot of characters to keep up with and how their lives intersect with each other and also with the path of the killer.
The suspense plot revolves around a serial killer who is killing young gay men, who fit a particular description. They're all slightly built and blond and maybe a bit femme. The killings are brutal and have a religious theme. *shudder*
The romance plot revolves around Mac and Sam and their chemistry is scorching. So hot! And I loved how the number 515 was significant, not only to each of them, individually, but how that number became significant to them as a couple (oh, stop it, Sam, you're definitely a couple!).
Machlan "Mac" Sean O'Bannon is 31 and closeted. He isn't closeted by his own choice, though. When he was a bit younger, he still had hopes that if he played by his family's rules for a while, they would learn to accept him. That hasn't actually worked out very well, however. His family is vile. They've guilted and shamed him into staying in the closet because of his father's political career and the "damage" having a gay son could do to their social reputation. See? Vile. But he's nearly done playing by their rules. We don't learn all the details in this book, but there is a reason he doesn't break his agreement with them, and intends to ride it out. But because of that circumstance, Mac doesn't feel free to actually pursue a real relationship. The problem is, he's a relationship kind of guy and he's ready to settle down. It's an awful situation to be in, for sure.
Mac is a former firefighter. He loved that job, but the homophobia became too much for him, so he quit. Now he manages a gay friendly sports bar called "The Five Alarm" that a gay friend owns (and oh, how the family hates that career choice). Mac isn't even out to his friends and coworkers, many of whom are gay or bisexual, themselves. That agreement with his family was far-reaching and though he loathes living the lie, he's a man of his word.
Samuel "Sam" Shaughnessy is a Special Agent with the FBI. He's 33, openly bisexual and ten years divorced. He doesn't do relationships, or even repeats with his sexual partners. In fact, he's kind of an asshole, but I came to learn, through the course of the book that it is mostly a defense mechanism, not only to keep him from getting too close to anyone, but to keep anyone from getting to close to him. He's terrified to care about another person or feel responsible for them or their emotional well-being. His marriage ended very badly, and although we do not know all the details, there, Sam blames himself for all of it. So he keeps his distance when it comes to sex and relationships are a firm no.
In every other part of his life, though, you can really see that Sam is caring and a stand-up guy. And even with Mac you tell that, in spite of his insistence that it's all just sex, it's much more. Mac is the first person since his wife, that Sam would do just about anything to keep seeing - he would run at the first uttering of "boyfriend", though. But for Sam to feel safe in his "relationship" with Mac, there have to be rules to make sure that Mac knows that they are not boyfriends. Rules like, 'they will only meet for sex', and 'Sam only tops', and 'there will be no meeting of the families', and 'no talking about personal stuff', etc. Mac accepted most of the rules, but put his foot down on the 'no talking' rule and insisted that Sam at least consider bottoming. Mac clearly knew what he was doing and how to navigate Sam's walls.
Mac and Sam live in different parts of the country. Mac lives in Houston, TX (and has that sexy Texas drawl) and Sam lives in New York City. They encounter each other by chance, but their chemistry is so strong, neither can help but come back for more. And while Sam's rules are pretty stifling, he's constantly breaking them, because he just can't help it. He still hides behind those rules, though, anytime he starts to feel out of control, or when he suspect that Mac can see through his walls, which is pretty frequently, actually. Mac is a perceptive guy. He's also got plenty of backbone and doesn't actually let Sam walk all over him, though you'd think that wouldn't be the case considering Mac agreed to the rules, in the first place. But Mac agreed because it was already clear to him that Sam was lying to himself. What I found extra awesome was Sam's tendency to get really growly when any other guy so much as looked at Mac (but sure, it's all just sex and nothing else). Yeah, whatever helps you sleep, big guy.
Through the story, we see Mac's group of friends and Sam's intersect in ways that have nothing to do with them. Gabi, Sam's ex-wife, is the best friend of Christian, whom Mac knows through other mutual friends. Neither of them figure that connection out, though, so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out. And Sam's FBI team encounters Christian, Gabi and another person that Christian knows, through the case, so there is a lot of criss-crossing.
I certainly cannot go into most of the characters, even though many do play a major role in the story. You really need to read it to get the flavor of it all. Plus, this review is already longer than I would want to read, so just know that there is a large cast of characters that intersect each other's lives and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
I would definitely recommend Six Degrees of Lust to those that don't mind cliffies, since the series is not yet complete. For me -- I loved it, and can't wait to read more!
-----------------------
ARC of Six Degrees of Lust was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
I've had (the first edition of) Six Degrees of Lust on my Kindle for about a year and a half, and I always intended to read it, but I just never seemed to get to it. Well, it's being republished by Dreamspinner, so when the second edition came up on the ARC list, I decided that now is the time to finally give it a shot! I'm so glad I did. I really loved it.
Before I get into the meat of my review, do be aware that Six Degrees of Lust is the beginning of a serial and it ends on a cliffhanger. Book 2 (Six Degrees of Separation) is available, now, but we are still waiting on book 3 (and I do not know if that will be the last book or not). Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer for Six Degrees of Agony (please!!!!!).
There's a suspense plot, that I'm finding to be pretty obvious (well, I assume, because it isn't anywhere near done, yet, so no reveals have been made) but it doesn't take over the romance. It's definitely a major happening and a catalyst, for the story, but I didn't find it too overpowering. And the characters' lives intersect not only socially, but through the suspense part of the plot. I found the way that was done was interesting without seeming too contrived. And I did have to take some notes, though, I do admit. There are a lot of characters to keep up with and how their lives intersect with each other and also with the path of the killer.
The suspense plot revolves around a serial killer who is killing young gay men, who fit a particular description. They're all slightly built and blond and maybe a bit femme. The killings are brutal and have a religious theme. *shudder*
The romance plot revolves around Mac and Sam and their chemistry is scorching. So hot! And I loved how the number 515 was significant, not only to each of them, individually, but how that number became significant to them as a couple (oh, stop it, Sam, you're definitely a couple!).
Machlan "Mac" Sean O'Bannon is 31 and closeted. He isn't closeted by his own choice, though. When he was a bit younger, he still had hopes that if he played by his family's rules for a while, they would learn to accept him. That hasn't actually worked out very well, however. His family is vile. They've guilted and shamed him into staying in the closet because of his father's political career and the "damage" having a gay son could do to their social reputation. See? Vile. But he's nearly done playing by their rules. We don't learn all the details in this book, but there is a reason he doesn't break his agreement with them, and intends to ride it out. But because of that circumstance, Mac doesn't feel free to actually pursue a real relationship. The problem is, he's a relationship kind of guy and he's ready to settle down. It's an awful situation to be in, for sure.
Mac is a former firefighter. He loved that job, but the homophobia became too much for him, so he quit. Now he manages a gay friendly sports bar called "The Five Alarm" that a gay friend owns (and oh, how the family hates that career choice). Mac isn't even out to his friends and coworkers, many of whom are gay or bisexual, themselves. That agreement with his family was far-reaching and though he loathes living the lie, he's a man of his word.
Samuel "Sam" Shaughnessy is a Special Agent with the FBI. He's 33, openly bisexual and ten years divorced. He doesn't do relationships, or even repeats with his sexual partners. In fact, he's kind of an asshole, but I came to learn, through the course of the book that it is mostly a defense mechanism, not only to keep him from getting too close to anyone, but to keep anyone from getting to close to him. He's terrified to care about another person or feel responsible for them or their emotional well-being. His marriage ended very badly, and although we do not know all the details, there, Sam blames himself for all of it. So he keeps his distance when it comes to sex and relationships are a firm no.
In every other part of his life, though, you can really see that Sam is caring and a stand-up guy. And even with Mac you tell that, in spite of his insistence that it's all just sex, it's much more. Mac is the first person since his wife, that Sam would do just about anything to keep seeing - he would run at the first uttering of "boyfriend", though. But for Sam to feel safe in his "relationship" with Mac, there have to be rules to make sure that Mac knows that they are not boyfriends. Rules like, 'they will only meet for sex', and 'Sam only tops', and 'there will be no meeting of the families', and 'no talking about personal stuff', etc. Mac accepted most of the rules, but put his foot down on the 'no talking' rule and insisted that Sam at least consider bottoming. Mac clearly knew what he was doing and how to navigate Sam's walls.
Mac and Sam live in different parts of the country. Mac lives in Houston, TX (and has that sexy Texas drawl) and Sam lives in New York City. They encounter each other by chance, but their chemistry is so strong, neither can help but come back for more. And while Sam's rules are pretty stifling, he's constantly breaking them, because he just can't help it. He still hides behind those rules, though, anytime he starts to feel out of control, or when he suspect that Mac can see through his walls, which is pretty frequently, actually. Mac is a perceptive guy. He's also got plenty of backbone and doesn't actually let Sam walk all over him, though you'd think that wouldn't be the case considering Mac agreed to the rules, in the first place. But Mac agreed because it was already clear to him that Sam was lying to himself. What I found extra awesome was Sam's tendency to get really growly when any other guy so much as looked at Mac (but sure, it's all just sex and nothing else). Yeah, whatever helps you sleep, big guy.
Through the story, we see Mac's group of friends and Sam's intersect in ways that have nothing to do with them. Gabi, Sam's ex-wife, is the best friend of Christian, whom Mac knows through other mutual friends. Neither of them figure that connection out, though, so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out. And Sam's FBI team encounters Christian, Gabi and another person that Christian knows, through the case, so there is a lot of criss-crossing.
I certainly cannot go into most of the characters, even though many do play a major role in the story. You really need to read it to get the flavor of it all. Plus, this review is already longer than I would want to read, so just know that there is a large cast of characters that intersect each other's lives and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
I would definitely recommend Six Degrees of Lust to those that don't mind cliffies, since the series is not yet complete. For me -- I loved it, and can't wait to read more!
-----------------------
ARC of Six Degrees of Lust was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2019
** 2.5 stars **
When I realized at 90% that this would be a cliffhanger -- a CLIFFHANGER, grrrrrrr -- I was ready to stomp off in a huff and give it 2 stars. I was already feeling pretty stingy about its stars anyway. But then I reached 95%, and... well, I'll say more about that at the end.
First let's get the good stuff out of the way (because it won't take long). Alpha males Sam and Mac fall for each other, completely against their most fiercely-held intentions, with lots of hot sex along the way. It's all seriously over-the-top, but their character arcs, as they struggle with their feelings and gradually open their hearts, are convincingly depicted. Loved it. Loved them. Four stars for that!
But unfortunately, there's more to this book than the romance. Much more. Way too much more.
The story is swamped with subplots. And those subplots are boring. So, so boring. For example, there's way-over-the-top family melodrama -- WAY OVER THE TOP -- for each of the MCs. And a kid from a Russian mafia family who may or may not be in great danger. Oh yeah, and there's that whole serial killer thing. I guess that's supposed to be the real point of the book, but frankly I just did not care. Too much stuff, author! Sam and Mac getting their clothes off -- and gradually getting to know each other, clothed or not -- that, I cared about. That was well done. Everything else and everyone else in the story was unconvincing and tedious at best -- and usually downright annoying.
If you are looking for subtlety, keep walking. You won't find it here. Case in point -- all the women in this book are straight out of The Misogynist's Guide to Writing Female Characters.
From the chapter "Mothers and Other Monsters," we get this maternal trio:
- Mac's mother, a shrieking, selfish, status-seeking, censorious, manipulative bitch.
- Sam's mother, who can't stay sober for even the few hours necessary to baby-sit her own grandson.
- Sam's sister, a passive-aggressive slur-spewing homophobe frantically eager to get back with her abusive husband so he can break more of their son's bones.
From the "Men and Women Can Never REALLY Be Friends" chapter we get Amy, Mac's lifelong 'friend,' a two-faced, back-stabbing, manipulative snob -- complete with a shrill, whiny voice that hurts Mac's ears -- who treats him with non-stop disrespect.
The "All Ex-Wives Are From Hell" chapter brings us Sam's bigoted bi-phobic ex, who ten years down the road still seethes with an irrational hatred of him. For what it's worth, she's presented as one of the 'good guys' in the story. Hey, it's all relative, I guess.
Oops, almost forgot one! Straight out of the "When One-Dimensional Means One Dimension Too Many" chapter comes Sam's co-worker Mik. But don't worry -- totally devoid of the slightest smidgen of personality, she's no more than words on a page. And sometimes... well, sometimes that's for the best. Her character works just as well if you pretend that she's a hand puppet or a sentient ficus tree.
The male supporting cast, all gorgeous and mostly gay, displayed more variety -- i.e., they weren't all the very personification of evil -- but to be honest, none of them were believable characters.
So, as I was saying at the beginning... I reached the 95% point fed up with this book and convinced there was no way in hell I'd continue with the series. And then came a final scene with Sam and Mac. And it was hilarious. And then it took a sudden turn that was heartbreaking. And then it turned again and was suddenly hotter than hell. And I was forced to reevaluate my feelings about this book, because if Hilarious, Heartbreaking & Hot isn't the universally acknowledged Grand Trifecta Of Romance, it should be. And all in the course of a single scene!
Bottom line? There is no bottom line, dammit. I can see why some people liked this book, and I can see why some people hated it. I did both, at various times. And I might even read the next in the series after all -- but if I do, I'm going to set some ground rules first (which is totally in the spirit of this book, LOL, though I hope my rules hold up better than Sam's did).
Rule 1: Any scene with female characters -- I'll skip it.
Rule 2: Any scene with family melodrama -- well wait, those are by definition the scenes with women, aren't they, because the women in this book exist only to cause family-related problems and inflict suffering on the male MCs -- so I'll already be skipping those scenes, won't I. *sigh* Okay, so maybe I won't read any further. Honestly, right now I just don't know.
But in the meantime, 2.5 stars -- rounded up to 3 because that final scene with Sam and Mac left me happy.
When I realized at 90% that this would be a cliffhanger -- a CLIFFHANGER, grrrrrrr -- I was ready to stomp off in a huff and give it 2 stars. I was already feeling pretty stingy about its stars anyway. But then I reached 95%, and... well, I'll say more about that at the end.
First let's get the good stuff out of the way (because it won't take long). Alpha males Sam and Mac fall for each other, completely against their most fiercely-held intentions, with lots of hot sex along the way. It's all seriously over-the-top, but their character arcs, as they struggle with their feelings and gradually open their hearts, are convincingly depicted. Loved it. Loved them. Four stars for that!
But unfortunately, there's more to this book than the romance. Much more. Way too much more.
The story is swamped with subplots. And those subplots are boring. So, so boring. For example, there's way-over-the-top family melodrama -- WAY OVER THE TOP -- for each of the MCs. And a kid from a Russian mafia family who may or may not be in great danger. Oh yeah, and there's that whole serial killer thing. I guess that's supposed to be the real point of the book, but frankly I just did not care. Too much stuff, author! Sam and Mac getting their clothes off -- and gradually getting to know each other, clothed or not -- that, I cared about. That was well done. Everything else and everyone else in the story was unconvincing and tedious at best -- and usually downright annoying.
If you are looking for subtlety, keep walking. You won't find it here. Case in point -- all the women in this book are straight out of The Misogynist's Guide to Writing Female Characters.
From the chapter "Mothers and Other Monsters," we get this maternal trio:
- Mac's mother, a shrieking, selfish, status-seeking, censorious, manipulative bitch.
- Sam's mother, who can't stay sober for even the few hours necessary to baby-sit her own grandson.
- Sam's sister, a passive-aggressive slur-spewing homophobe frantically eager to get back with her abusive husband so he can break more of their son's bones.
From the "Men and Women Can Never REALLY Be Friends" chapter we get Amy, Mac's lifelong 'friend,' a two-faced, back-stabbing, manipulative snob -- complete with a shrill, whiny voice that hurts Mac's ears -- who treats him with non-stop disrespect.
The "All Ex-Wives Are From Hell" chapter brings us Sam's bigoted bi-phobic ex, who ten years down the road still seethes with an irrational hatred of him. For what it's worth, she's presented as one of the 'good guys' in the story. Hey, it's all relative, I guess.
Oops, almost forgot one! Straight out of the "When One-Dimensional Means One Dimension Too Many" chapter comes Sam's co-worker Mik. But don't worry -- totally devoid of the slightest smidgen of personality, she's no more than words on a page. And sometimes... well, sometimes that's for the best. Her character works just as well if you pretend that she's a hand puppet or a sentient ficus tree.
The male supporting cast, all gorgeous and mostly gay, displayed more variety -- i.e., they weren't all the very personification of evil -- but to be honest, none of them were believable characters.
So, as I was saying at the beginning... I reached the 95% point fed up with this book and convinced there was no way in hell I'd continue with the series. And then came a final scene with Sam and Mac. And it was hilarious. And then it took a sudden turn that was heartbreaking. And then it turned again and was suddenly hotter than hell. And I was forced to reevaluate my feelings about this book, because if Hilarious, Heartbreaking & Hot isn't the universally acknowledged Grand Trifecta Of Romance, it should be. And all in the course of a single scene!
Bottom line? There is no bottom line, dammit. I can see why some people liked this book, and I can see why some people hated it. I did both, at various times. And I might even read the next in the series after all -- but if I do, I'm going to set some ground rules first (which is totally in the spirit of this book, LOL, though I hope my rules hold up better than Sam's did).
Rule 1: Any scene with female characters -- I'll skip it.
Rule 2: Any scene with family melodrama -- well wait, those are by definition the scenes with women, aren't they, because the women in this book exist only to cause family-related problems and inflict suffering on the male MCs -- so I'll already be skipping those scenes, won't I. *sigh* Okay, so maybe I won't read any further. Honestly, right now I just don't know.
But in the meantime, 2.5 stars -- rounded up to 3 because that final scene with Sam and Mac left me happy.
December 26, 2011
First and foremost, I feel like I should say that this is the first part of a serial and thank God for that because I can't wait to read more of Mac and Sam! I absolutely loved these guys!
Mac, a man who manages a bar from Texas, flies to New York with his boss to look at possible places for a second club location. Sam, an FBI agent, meets Mac at the airport when he drops everything to rescue his sister and nephew. Their brief encounter is intense and leaves them both with a longing to hook up. When they finally do get together on Mac's last day in NYC, their time together is cut short and afterward, they both think they'll never see each other again. Sam doesn't do anything beyond one-night stands, though, so when he can't get the Texan out of his head it leaves him baffled but unable to not contact the sexy Texan. From there, Sam and Mac just can't get enough of each other. What started as a botched one-night stand turns into something more that they both agree can only be friends with benefits but nothing more. Little does Sam realize his constant denial of his feelings for Mac and the way he keeps breaking his own rules of their arrangement causes Mac and Sam to yearn for something much deeper than the relationship status they've put themselves into.
I absolutely loved these two characters. Mac and Sam are such alpha males that the way they handle the feelings for each other was quite entertaining. I loved the conflict they put on themselves and the hurdles they go through as characters. Sam is quite an asshole to say the least but even with that it was hard not to love him. He has a heart of gold, coming to the rescue of his sister and nephew, Nicky, when they were in trouble. Sam is brash, blunt and brutally honest. He doesn't do relationships so he'll run at the first sign of them. With Mac, while he wants to run from what they're developing, he can't help but be drawn to Mac and continue with what they have, even at the risk of developing more feelings for Mac.
Mac, on the other hand, is just so adorable. He's calm, laid back and an all around nice guy. With his sexy Texan drawl and his ability of saying the exact things that will make Sam think he's challenging him and rile him up, thus cause Sam to react to Mac and ultimately spar with him. I loved it. While Mac is in the closet he is not afraid to show or be seen in public with Sam and the way they are around each other made me smile so much. It was so great seeing Sam and Mac work through their feelings and work out how the other person made them feel. I felt like I could experience their turmoil. Sam's constant desire for Mac and his possessiveness and jealousy whenever he thought of Mac with another guy (which Mac would never do) was so funny and sweet at the same time. Mac's rare rage over thinking of Sam with another guy was just as entertaining but more than that, both of their constant pretending to be indifferent about each others words, actions and gestures made this read funny, angsty and definitely enjoyable!
There are a couple of things I really loved about this book (aside from the characters). I loved how Sam called Mac 'kitten' and 'Tex'. For some reason I have a soft spot for characters being called 'kitten'. Another thing I found extremely interesting was how all these characters are connected, both main and secondary, with each other and, in essence, in a circle. For example, Mac knows Sam who knows Logan who knows Christian who knows Mac. It was so fascinating to see who would know each other next. Definitely fits the notion that each person is connected with each other by six degrees.
The conflict of the story actually revolves around what Mac and Sam go through with their feelings for each other. How they meet, their connection and how they make a long distance friends with benefit relationship (even though it's clear they have something much, much more powerful together) work and how they deal with their emotions without getting in too deep. There's a side plot that deals with a serial killer targeting certain types of gay men which was very interesting but not the main plot. It all ties in together and makes reading this go smoothly.
In the end, I really loved this book. I was hooked right from the start, fell in love with Sam, Mac and all the other characters mentioned and the issues they go through. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book of Sam and Mac and seeing all the other characters and how they tie in together. Definitely recommended.
Mac, a man who manages a bar from Texas, flies to New York with his boss to look at possible places for a second club location. Sam, an FBI agent, meets Mac at the airport when he drops everything to rescue his sister and nephew. Their brief encounter is intense and leaves them both with a longing to hook up. When they finally do get together on Mac's last day in NYC, their time together is cut short and afterward, they both think they'll never see each other again. Sam doesn't do anything beyond one-night stands, though, so when he can't get the Texan out of his head it leaves him baffled but unable to not contact the sexy Texan. From there, Sam and Mac just can't get enough of each other. What started as a botched one-night stand turns into something more that they both agree can only be friends with benefits but nothing more. Little does Sam realize his constant denial of his feelings for Mac and the way he keeps breaking his own rules of their arrangement causes Mac and Sam to yearn for something much deeper than the relationship status they've put themselves into.
I absolutely loved these two characters. Mac and Sam are such alpha males that the way they handle the feelings for each other was quite entertaining. I loved the conflict they put on themselves and the hurdles they go through as characters. Sam is quite an asshole to say the least but even with that it was hard not to love him. He has a heart of gold, coming to the rescue of his sister and nephew, Nicky, when they were in trouble. Sam is brash, blunt and brutally honest. He doesn't do relationships so he'll run at the first sign of them. With Mac, while he wants to run from what they're developing, he can't help but be drawn to Mac and continue with what they have, even at the risk of developing more feelings for Mac.
Mac, on the other hand, is just so adorable. He's calm, laid back and an all around nice guy. With his sexy Texan drawl and his ability of saying the exact things that will make Sam think he's challenging him and rile him up, thus cause Sam to react to Mac and ultimately spar with him. I loved it. While Mac is in the closet he is not afraid to show or be seen in public with Sam and the way they are around each other made me smile so much. It was so great seeing Sam and Mac work through their feelings and work out how the other person made them feel. I felt like I could experience their turmoil. Sam's constant desire for Mac and his possessiveness and jealousy whenever he thought of Mac with another guy (which Mac would never do) was so funny and sweet at the same time. Mac's rare rage over thinking of Sam with another guy was just as entertaining but more than that, both of their constant pretending to be indifferent about each others words, actions and gestures made this read funny, angsty and definitely enjoyable!
There are a couple of things I really loved about this book (aside from the characters). I loved how Sam called Mac 'kitten' and 'Tex'. For some reason I have a soft spot for characters being called 'kitten'. Another thing I found extremely interesting was how all these characters are connected, both main and secondary, with each other and, in essence, in a circle. For example, Mac knows Sam who knows Logan who knows Christian who knows Mac. It was so fascinating to see who would know each other next. Definitely fits the notion that each person is connected with each other by six degrees.
The conflict of the story actually revolves around what Mac and Sam go through with their feelings for each other. How they meet, their connection and how they make a long distance friends with benefit relationship (even though it's clear they have something much, much more powerful together) work and how they deal with their emotions without getting in too deep. There's a side plot that deals with a serial killer targeting certain types of gay men which was very interesting but not the main plot. It all ties in together and makes reading this go smoothly.
In the end, I really loved this book. I was hooked right from the start, fell in love with Sam, Mac and all the other characters mentioned and the issues they go through. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book of Sam and Mac and seeing all the other characters and how they tie in together. Definitely recommended.
May 15, 2018
God, these books are good.
I'm still sad there are only two books and so much potential for a million books more featuring different couples. I want to read about Logan, Christian, Remy, Braxton, and when they grow up a bit more, Nicky and Sasha.
But alas, no sequels in sight. :(
I just have to re-read these two over and over again then...
This starts out with FBI agent Sam Shaughnessy trying to catch a killer with his team (total Criminal Minds vibes!!). There is a serial killer targeting gay men, and so far no one is any closer to finding him.
When Sam is visiting his sister he accidentally bumps into a tall, blond hottie at the airport. Even with that small encounter it is obvious they are immediately attracted to each other. They exchange numbers and Sam can't wait for that call.
Mac can't get the sexy super agent out of his head. So when he calls him at the end of his stay in New York, he hopes they can have some fun. And fun they have..
After that explosive night they cannot stop thinking about each other and even though Sam’s policy is no reruns, he calls Mac and they meet up again. Mac lives in Texas and Sam in New York, but they eventually decide on a friends with benefits arrangements, because they cannot seem to stay away from each other.
Sam doesn’t want to care about anyone, but he finds himself drawn to Mac in a way he has never experienced before. Mac knows that it can never work with Sam, but he secretly really wants to. He thought he just wanted to have a good time before meeting Prince Charming, but he secretly hopes Sam could be his Prince Charming. Even though Sam keeps insisting that what they have is not a relationship...
I adored these men. This book has the perfect combination of hot alpha males, amazing hot sex and sweet, tender moments.
I'm normally not as fan of men who try to keep their distance at all costs. But Sam was so obviously saying one thing and then doing the other, that it never felt like he was all that cold.
He was so adorable with his rules.
"Circumstances permit, we’ll get together once a month, two nights max, always at a hotel.
No pillow talk.
If there’s something OF A SEXUAL NATURE ONLY you want to try or need we can discuss it.
I understand things happen, but I really don’t care if you had a bad day or whatever else the times we hook up. If we make it to that hotel I’m fucking you no matter how shitty your day was."
Of course Mac has some rules of his own.
"The no pillow talk rule has got to go. I’m a talker and refuse to remain quiet while in your company. I agree to spare you the details of my family and everyday life, but whether it’s in bed, the bathroom, or the damn roof of the hotel, I’ll talk if I feel like it. Up to you if you want to answer or not.
I insist we speak on the phone regularly. I’m ready for casual, no strings attached, but I draw the line at being treated like a cheap piece of ass. I need to know you a little."
Sounds a lot like a real relationship to me. But no, Sam needed these rules. Even though he didn't follow them because he simply couldn't resist Mac.
Both men walked right into the other. Arms wrapped around Sam’s waist and Mac’s shoulders, and mouths fused together in the most passionate “Hello” Sam ever shared with anyone, right there in Gate 26, with the locals and the tourists and the gods as witnesses.
And the way Sam constantly called Mac kitten, it was so sweet to see the badass agent melting for the big blond guy.
“Kitten?” Mac didn’t look at him. He just poured more syrup on his waffles and kept eating.
“That’s what? The third… fourth time you call me that?”
“You look like a big cat and purr like one when we’re having sex.”
I really loved the romance in this, but I was surprised to find myself intrigued in all the other characters as well. We got multiple POVs (although still mostly Sam and Mac), and that made me care for all the other storylines even more.
I especially loved Sam's 12 year old nephew and the 15 year old androgynous Russian Sasha. And I would love to read a book about them. When they're a little older that is.
This book is part of a series so it has an open ending. Book 2 picks up right where this book left off.
I still hope Taylor V. Donovan will someday write the rest of this series. So much potential. But I'm doubtful...
I'm still sad there are only two books and so much potential for a million books more featuring different couples. I want to read about Logan, Christian, Remy, Braxton, and when they grow up a bit more, Nicky and Sasha.
But alas, no sequels in sight. :(
I just have to re-read these two over and over again then...
This starts out with FBI agent Sam Shaughnessy trying to catch a killer with his team (total Criminal Minds vibes!!). There is a serial killer targeting gay men, and so far no one is any closer to finding him.
When Sam is visiting his sister he accidentally bumps into a tall, blond hottie at the airport. Even with that small encounter it is obvious they are immediately attracted to each other. They exchange numbers and Sam can't wait for that call.
Mac can't get the sexy super agent out of his head. So when he calls him at the end of his stay in New York, he hopes they can have some fun. And fun they have..
After that explosive night they cannot stop thinking about each other and even though Sam’s policy is no reruns, he calls Mac and they meet up again. Mac lives in Texas and Sam in New York, but they eventually decide on a friends with benefits arrangements, because they cannot seem to stay away from each other.
Sam doesn’t want to care about anyone, but he finds himself drawn to Mac in a way he has never experienced before. Mac knows that it can never work with Sam, but he secretly really wants to. He thought he just wanted to have a good time before meeting Prince Charming, but he secretly hopes Sam could be his Prince Charming. Even though Sam keeps insisting that what they have is not a relationship...
I adored these men. This book has the perfect combination of hot alpha males, amazing hot sex and sweet, tender moments.
I'm normally not as fan of men who try to keep their distance at all costs. But Sam was so obviously saying one thing and then doing the other, that it never felt like he was all that cold.
He was so adorable with his rules.
"Circumstances permit, we’ll get together once a month, two nights max, always at a hotel.
No pillow talk.
If there’s something OF A SEXUAL NATURE ONLY you want to try or need we can discuss it.
I understand things happen, but I really don’t care if you had a bad day or whatever else the times we hook up. If we make it to that hotel I’m fucking you no matter how shitty your day was."
Of course Mac has some rules of his own.
"The no pillow talk rule has got to go. I’m a talker and refuse to remain quiet while in your company. I agree to spare you the details of my family and everyday life, but whether it’s in bed, the bathroom, or the damn roof of the hotel, I’ll talk if I feel like it. Up to you if you want to answer or not.
I insist we speak on the phone regularly. I’m ready for casual, no strings attached, but I draw the line at being treated like a cheap piece of ass. I need to know you a little."
Sounds a lot like a real relationship to me. But no, Sam needed these rules. Even though he didn't follow them because he simply couldn't resist Mac.
Both men walked right into the other. Arms wrapped around Sam’s waist and Mac’s shoulders, and mouths fused together in the most passionate “Hello” Sam ever shared with anyone, right there in Gate 26, with the locals and the tourists and the gods as witnesses.
And the way Sam constantly called Mac kitten, it was so sweet to see the badass agent melting for the big blond guy.
“Kitten?” Mac didn’t look at him. He just poured more syrup on his waffles and kept eating.
“That’s what? The third… fourth time you call me that?”
“You look like a big cat and purr like one when we’re having sex.”
I really loved the romance in this, but I was surprised to find myself intrigued in all the other characters as well. We got multiple POVs (although still mostly Sam and Mac), and that made me care for all the other storylines even more.
I especially loved Sam's 12 year old nephew and the 15 year old androgynous Russian Sasha. And I would love to read a book about them. When they're a little older that is.
This book is part of a series so it has an open ending. Book 2 picks up right where this book left off.
I still hope Taylor V. Donovan will someday write the rest of this series. So much potential. But I'm doubtful...
May 4, 2017
4,5 stars...I will write a combined review for book 1 and 2 after reading the second book in this series, because this one ends on a cliffhanger.
I really do love Mac and Sam together and I hope there will be many books to come in the future, since I already feel a connection with all the great characters in this one :))
I really do love Mac and Sam together and I hope there will be many books to come in the future, since I already feel a connection with all the great characters in this one :))
dnf
July 15, 2013DNF AT 35%
I really wanted to like this book, but there were too many secondary characters and there was too much going on. I know the author is setting things up for a series, but she tried to pack way too much into this first book.
I think I'm in the minority here, so if you're thinking about reading this, give it a shot. You just might like it. In fact, I liked it enough that I'm not going to rate it because I might come back and finish it later.
I really wanted to like this book, but there were too many secondary characters and there was too much going on. I know the author is setting things up for a series, but she tried to pack way too much into this first book.
I think I'm in the minority here, so if you're thinking about reading this, give it a shot. You just might like it. In fact, I liked it enough that I'm not going to rate it because I might come back and finish it later.
November 8, 2018
First, let me say that I loved this book to bits and it had nothing to do with hot and steamy s*e*x, and believe me there was plenty. What I loved the most were all the characters, their quirks and twitches. There are so many of them and each is given a voice. Our MCs, Sam and Mac, range from arrogant to hilarious and everything in between. The banter between them alone was worth reading the book for - the ingenious way how it all started between them and how far these two have come by the end of the book considering their pasts is amazing! I am so reading the next book!!!
There was a steady balance between professional and personal, and all the secondary characters going through curveballs of their own life was throwing at them. It was fast-paced, funny and sarcastic, passionate and sweet, sometimes even angry and ugly but in the end I was left with a sense of deep satisfaction and content thinking how much I enjoyed reading about this big disjointed and interconnected bundle of unique people and their lives.
The mystery is still ongoing. I have my suspicions, and it makes for a delicious reading when I am left guessing. The puzzle is not too difficult to figure out - it's the beauty of trying to fit the pieces together that makes it so thrilling. I adored all the people and the relationships between them. Wait, I take that back - there were some characters that deserved a thorough thrashing and a kick in the a$$. We will see in the next book if karma is a b***tch. I highly recommend it!
There was a steady balance between professional and personal, and all the secondary characters going through curveballs of their own life was throwing at them. It was fast-paced, funny and sarcastic, passionate and sweet, sometimes even angry and ugly but in the end I was left with a sense of deep satisfaction and content thinking how much I enjoyed reading about this big disjointed and interconnected bundle of unique people and their lives.
The mystery is still ongoing. I have my suspicions, and it makes for a delicious reading when I am left guessing. The puzzle is not too difficult to figure out - it's the beauty of trying to fit the pieces together that makes it so thrilling. I adored all the people and the relationships between them. Wait, I take that back - there were some characters that deserved a thorough thrashing and a kick in the a$$. We will see in the next book if karma is a b***tch. I highly recommend it!
December 31, 2011
I can see this is one ambitious novel, when I first see the length of it (the website said it came at 392 pages, while my Kindle noted 7496 -- you know how Kindle is, weird system!).
I also know that this is supposed to be released first (prior to the holiday short, Southern Winterland) but for some reasons (maybe editing process) we didn't get the release date until December, even if the book has been buzzing when it first appeared here in, uhm, what was it, September??
I'm not going to talk about the characters, I believe a couple of my friends (Nikyta and Mandy) have noted that on their reviews. I'm going to put my opinion on different things.
BEWARE THIS IS LONG!!
What don't work with me
1) I know that this is like a "foundation" of a series, which I assume will involve most of the characters introduced. HOWEVER, having all the characters appeared here, and some of them even have their own scenes in several chapters, make this book seemed to go all over the place. I like it when it focuses on Sam and Mac, but I admit that when it switches to others, with their own problems, it throws my mood a little. Especially when the number of those scenes are pretty significant in amount. I think I prefer a story to be focused on those who are considered main characters.
2) The book opens with a rather creepy perspective of a serial killer. The first chapter also gives a notion of an on-going investigation. I'm a lover of mystery/thriller see. I LOVE to watch all those procedural shows. So anything related to investigation interests me.
Unfortunately, after Sam meets Mac, this story moves into a more drama territory, with Sam struggling over his rules and his no-relationship thing and Mac trying to go pass that bullshit (not to mention with Mac's family and Sam's sister and no good brother in law). Sure there are some hints about the investigation here and there, but most of the time, it's just about the drama, and I'm disappointed. I guess I prefer author to stick whether they want to tell the mystery or tell the romance, and not tease me (as a reader) with one theme when it goes completely the other way.
3) I do mention that there are some drama-queen things involved, right? (which I'm sure not going to impressed a couple of people on my list)
4) The story is not even fully resolved by the end. It sort of hangs out there, not exactly a cliff-hanger but not HEA either ... SPOILER: they DO NOT catch the serial killer.
5) This has something to do with the short story, Southern Winterland ... WTF?!!
6) I don't like how most of the women characters in this book are portrayed as BITCH (Mac's friend, Amy, Mac's mother), or stuck up in their ass (Sam's ex, Gaby) or even plain bigot and stupid (Sam's sister, Sandy). The only positive female characters are on Sam's team, and they're not even getting many scenes, not like those bitches.
What works
1) Well, I have to admit that Ms. Donovan's writing keep me glued until the very end. Some of the scenes with Sam breaking his rules and bares his heart to Mac makes my heart squeezed. I think the part where Sam makes the rules and Mac negotiates it as entertaining. And for some unknown reazon, I adore this scene right here (chapter 9) ... it's when Sam and the rest of his team members interview a potential witness (I think I'm in love with Duncan's answer, too bad he's straight :p)
...
“I’m with friends. Leaving with them, too… unless any of you guys want to take me home?” The come-hither look was back in full force.
“Not a chance.” Sam slid out of the booth.
“Not on the clock,” Logan said.
“Not with witnesses,” Zane countered.
“Not even gay,” Duncan finished, getting up after Zane.
....
2) When I finish and I decide to think that this is a sort of the start of a much LONGER series, it does make me feel intrigued to see who else ends up with who (I especially want to know more about Logan, Sam's best friend). Plus, like I mentioned up there, I like her writing ...
... So there, a VERY long opinion!! Sorry if you have to read all that :p
I also know that this is supposed to be released first (prior to the holiday short, Southern Winterland) but for some reasons (maybe editing process) we didn't get the release date until December, even if the book has been buzzing when it first appeared here in, uhm, what was it, September??
I'm not going to talk about the characters, I believe a couple of my friends (Nikyta and Mandy) have noted that on their reviews. I'm going to put my opinion on different things.
BEWARE THIS IS LONG!!
What don't work with me
1) I know that this is like a "foundation" of a series, which I assume will involve most of the characters introduced. HOWEVER, having all the characters appeared here, and some of them even have their own scenes in several chapters, make this book seemed to go all over the place. I like it when it focuses on Sam and Mac, but I admit that when it switches to others, with their own problems, it throws my mood a little. Especially when the number of those scenes are pretty significant in amount. I think I prefer a story to be focused on those who are considered main characters.
2) The book opens with a rather creepy perspective of a serial killer. The first chapter also gives a notion of an on-going investigation. I'm a lover of mystery/thriller see. I LOVE to watch all those procedural shows. So anything related to investigation interests me.
Unfortunately, after Sam meets Mac, this story moves into a more drama territory, with Sam struggling over his rules and his no-relationship thing and Mac trying to go pass that bullshit (not to mention with Mac's family and Sam's sister and no good brother in law). Sure there are some hints about the investigation here and there, but most of the time, it's just about the drama, and I'm disappointed. I guess I prefer author to stick whether they want to tell the mystery or tell the romance, and not tease me (as a reader) with one theme when it goes completely the other way.
3) I do mention that there are some drama-queen things involved, right? (which I'm sure not going to impressed a couple of people on my list)
4) The story is not even fully resolved by the end. It sort of hangs out there, not exactly a cliff-hanger but not HEA either ... SPOILER: they DO NOT catch the serial killer.
5) This has something to do with the short story, Southern Winterland ... WTF?!!
6) I don't like how most of the women characters in this book are portrayed as BITCH (Mac's friend, Amy, Mac's mother), or stuck up in their ass (Sam's ex, Gaby) or even plain bigot and stupid (Sam's sister, Sandy). The only positive female characters are on Sam's team, and they're not even getting many scenes, not like those bitches.
What works
1) Well, I have to admit that Ms. Donovan's writing keep me glued until the very end. Some of the scenes with Sam breaking his rules and bares his heart to Mac makes my heart squeezed. I think the part where Sam makes the rules and Mac negotiates it as entertaining. And for some unknown reazon, I adore this scene right here (chapter 9) ... it's when Sam and the rest of his team members interview a potential witness (I think I'm in love with Duncan's answer, too bad he's straight :p)
...
“I’m with friends. Leaving with them, too… unless any of you guys want to take me home?” The come-hither look was back in full force.
“Not a chance.” Sam slid out of the booth.
“Not on the clock,” Logan said.
“Not with witnesses,” Zane countered.
“Not even gay,” Duncan finished, getting up after Zane.
....
2) When I finish and I decide to think that this is a sort of the start of a much LONGER series, it does make me feel intrigued to see who else ends up with who (I especially want to know more about Logan, Sam's best friend). Plus, like I mentioned up there, I like her writing ...
... So there, a VERY long opinion!! Sorry if you have to read all that :p
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2016
I'm telling you I put this book down intending not to finish it because there was something about this author's writing style which just rubbed me the wrong way, but the story was so intriguing I couldn't help myself and started reading it again. Glad I did, the characters are really interesting and I can't believe the plot - really clever.
finished
I'm seriously amazed - this book turned out to be way more than I expected. Wish I had known about the cliff hanger but it is my own fault for never reading through the blurbs before I start a book which has been praised by folks I trust ;) Somehow I think I'll survive.
Highly recommend!
finished
I'm seriously amazed - this book turned out to be way more than I expected. Wish I had known about the cliff hanger but it is my own fault for never reading through the blurbs before I start a book which has been praised by folks I trust ;) Somehow I think I'll survive.
Highly recommend!
May 4, 2012
Can I give this more than 5 stars? Can the next book come out tomorrow? I can't wait to continue this amazingly intense and brilliantly written story. I have been waiting and waiting and reading my heart out trying to find something to rock my world and this story ROCKED MY WORLD!
I am not ready for Sam & Mac's story to end. I still need to know more about Logan, Sasha, Christian and Remy. They were all such amazing characters and deserve their time...and if that time is sooner then later I will be a very happy girl.
Besides the obvious sicko, psycho serial killer; the women: Amy, Gabi, Sandy and Sheila were all seriously f'ed up and even though I feel for what they went through (with the exception of Mac's mother Sheila and his friend Amy), I still think they made women look bad and for that I didn't like them. There really wasn't a decent female character in the story. Hopefully the next book will remedy that...we can't all be bad.
I think I held off reading this book because the title made me think it was just erotica. I could not have been more wrong if I tried. The sex was intense and hotter than Miami in August, but there was also an awesome story, a believable plot, suspense, sexual tension and mystery...all with characters you could relate too...even if I wanted to wring Sam's neck A LOT.
Warning...a slight cliff hanger at the end BUT it was only a tiny one so don't let it keep you from reading. So, are you reading it yet? Go on, right now, you will be adding this to your favorites...just like I am now...I promise.
I am not ready for Sam & Mac's story to end. I still need to know more about Logan, Sasha, Christian and Remy. They were all such amazing characters and deserve their time...and if that time is sooner then later I will be a very happy girl.
Besides the obvious sicko, psycho serial killer; the women: Amy, Gabi, Sandy and Sheila were all seriously f'ed up and even though I feel for what they went through (with the exception of Mac's mother Sheila and his friend Amy), I still think they made women look bad and for that I didn't like them. There really wasn't a decent female character in the story. Hopefully the next book will remedy that...we can't all be bad.
I think I held off reading this book because the title made me think it was just erotica. I could not have been more wrong if I tried. The sex was intense and hotter than Miami in August, but there was also an awesome story, a believable plot, suspense, sexual tension and mystery...all with characters you could relate too...even if I wanted to wring Sam's neck A LOT.
Warning...a slight cliff hanger at the end BUT it was only a tiny one so don't let it keep you from reading. So, are you reading it yet? Go on, right now, you will be adding this to your favorites...just like I am now...I promise.
November 17, 2013
Very enjoyable story of Sam and Mac…
… full of friends and discovery …
… lots of obstacles and HOT & COLD drama
…mind blowing chemistry…
…so I just can’t wait for more… like NOW!
Recommended read.
… full of friends and discovery …
… lots of obstacles and HOT & COLD drama
…mind blowing chemistry…
…so I just can’t wait for more… like NOW!
Recommended read.
September 8, 2013
This book goes directly to my favorite M/M shelf!!!
Amazing plot, fantastic characters... well, a story that captivates from the beggining til the end!
Sam and Mac have an interesting, honest and beautiful relationship! The chemistry between them is mind-blowing and though Sam won't admit how serious in love he is and Mac plays along, the development is so exciting... I love them!
But I also love all the other characters: Chris, Remy, Logan... so many interesting and super hot men! They all took my breath away...
I can't wait for the next one!
Amazing plot, fantastic characters... well, a story that captivates from the beggining til the end!
Sam and Mac have an interesting, honest and beautiful relationship! The chemistry between them is mind-blowing and though Sam won't admit how serious in love he is and Mac plays along, the development is so exciting... I love them!
But I also love all the other characters: Chris, Remy, Logan... so many interesting and super hot men! They all took my breath away...
I can't wait for the next one!
August 2, 2016
*****I LOVE IT!!!*****
Why did I wait so long to read this? I love the characters ... I love the story. Can't wait to see what happens next.
January 1, 2012
Pretty good m/m romantic suspense about an emotionally unavailable FBI agent who can't get a one-night stand out of his head, even as he's trying to track down a serial killer targeting gay men. This book was heading toward a solid four-star rating before a nasty cliffhanger ending. Pretty much nothing at all was resolved. That makes me really, really cranky.
August 4, 2016
4 and a half stars. I love the characters of Sam and Mac! I like the secondary characters, too, but I wish the story had been mostly focused on Sam and Mac and not having POVs from so many other characters. That is why I took off a star. Plus, I couldn't really understand the villain and I don't think his character is very well written. But Sam and Mac's hot, sexy romance makes up for it.
May 31, 2021
*sigh*
I decided to reread this as rumor has it that Bk.3 may be coming out soon and I'm so glad I did.
I grew up on a steady staple of Mexican & Venezuelan telenovelas and I loved them but I vividly remember when I finally laid eyes & ears on the Brazilian soaps. They were just ten steps ahead in terms of acting, tackling RL issues, and story telling. You got more than 'Cinderella and Prince Charming meet, face obstacles from the meanies, and live HEA. This story by Taylor V. Donovan reminded me of those Sonia Braga days in the best of ways, and that's my convoluted way of saying I loved this even when wanting to repeatedly smack some sense into Sam.
If you don't know this is a big, sprawling ensemble piece about a group of queer men, their friends, and acquaintances, how we're all interconnected, hence the Six Degrees angle.
The main couple are Sam & Mac who superficially couldn't be more different but who in reality are not. They both share a deep sense of loyalty and devotion to their loved ones, they're looking for connection, though Sam is in the 'lying-to-himself' phase because of reasons, and they're apparently sex monkeys. I'm not complaining. I also love, love, love that the L word hasn't yet uttered. I'm ornery like that.
Sam is a busy, busy, busy bee as head of an FBI Task Force dedicated to crimes against the LGBT community and dealing with complicated personal & family issues. When the book opens he's in the midst of tracking a serial killer. It's the most inconvenient time to fall in lust but one look in a crowded airport at the smile of the tall drink of Texan water that is Mac O'Bannon and Sam is toast. He denies this. sets up rules and boundaries, often in a terse bordering on rude fashion, and Mac abides by them, but it's hopeless. One encounter leads to another, intimacies seep into a ONLY SEX relationship, and even when Sam lobs hurtful comments to try and stave off the crumbling of his walls it's a moot cause. He undermines himself because he can't help but want to be Mac's guide as an out and proud gay man. Mac's known forever that he's gay but to please his family and holding on to a scummy lover who treated lower than dirt Mac has remained a bit of a sexual novice and socially even worse. That's all about to end and Sam wants, nay needs to be the one to open doors for Mac. I love how naive these two are (mostly Sam) about keeping their relationship as friends with bennies, not even friends going by Sam's original plans. You know what they say about plans? I also love how giving they are to each other without turning to mush. Mac particularly knows how to coax Sam without seeming like he's doing anything which is the best approach for the prickly bear that is Sam.
While Mac & Sam are the main draw in this book the whole cast shines and I'm eagerly awaiting to see their stories develop as they are all charming and interesting in their very own way. Yes, I am talking about Logan, but after reading Southern Winterland I'm super curios about Chris & Remy too.
As for the mystery I'm fairly confident that I know the who and the why, though I'm ready to be surprised, but I'm mostly eager to see the how the team trails him and how his actions affect everyone.
Keeping all limbs crossed for future installments.
I decided to reread this as rumor has it that Bk.3 may be coming out soon and I'm so glad I did.
I grew up on a steady staple of Mexican & Venezuelan telenovelas and I loved them but I vividly remember when I finally laid eyes & ears on the Brazilian soaps. They were just ten steps ahead in terms of acting, tackling RL issues, and story telling. You got more than 'Cinderella and Prince Charming meet, face obstacles from the meanies, and live HEA. This story by Taylor V. Donovan reminded me of those Sonia Braga days in the best of ways, and that's my convoluted way of saying I loved this even when wanting to repeatedly smack some sense into Sam.
If you don't know this is a big, sprawling ensemble piece about a group of queer men, their friends, and acquaintances, how we're all interconnected, hence the Six Degrees angle.
The main couple are Sam & Mac who superficially couldn't be more different but who in reality are not. They both share a deep sense of loyalty and devotion to their loved ones, they're looking for connection, though Sam is in the 'lying-to-himself' phase because of reasons, and they're apparently sex monkeys. I'm not complaining. I also love, love, love that the L word hasn't yet uttered. I'm ornery like that.
Sam is a busy, busy, busy bee as head of an FBI Task Force dedicated to crimes against the LGBT community and dealing with complicated personal & family issues. When the book opens he's in the midst of tracking a serial killer. It's the most inconvenient time to fall in lust but one look in a crowded airport at the smile of the tall drink of Texan water that is Mac O'Bannon and Sam is toast. He denies this. sets up rules and boundaries, often in a terse bordering on rude fashion, and Mac abides by them, but it's hopeless. One encounter leads to another, intimacies seep into a ONLY SEX relationship, and even when Sam lobs hurtful comments to try and stave off the crumbling of his walls it's a moot cause. He undermines himself because he can't help but want to be Mac's guide as an out and proud gay man. Mac's known forever that he's gay but to please his family and holding on to a scummy lover who treated lower than dirt Mac has remained a bit of a sexual novice and socially even worse. That's all about to end and Sam wants, nay needs to be the one to open doors for Mac. I love how naive these two are (mostly Sam) about keeping their relationship as friends with bennies, not even friends going by Sam's original plans. You know what they say about plans? I also love how giving they are to each other without turning to mush. Mac particularly knows how to coax Sam without seeming like he's doing anything which is the best approach for the prickly bear that is Sam.
While Mac & Sam are the main draw in this book the whole cast shines and I'm eagerly awaiting to see their stories develop as they are all charming and interesting in their very own way. Yes, I am talking about Logan, but after reading Southern Winterland I'm super curios about Chris & Remy too.
As for the mystery I'm fairly confident that I know the who and the why, though I'm ready to be surprised, but I'm mostly eager to see the how the team trails him and how his actions affect everyone.
Keeping all limbs crossed for future installments.
June 9, 2013
Intriguing. Exciting. Alluring. Inevitable.
Flowing writing. Fully developped protagonists irresistible to the core. Secondary characters only enhancing the plot, never weakening it. Gripping cop sub-plot. A religious gay homophobic serial killer on the loose. An FBI agent swearing off all relationships. An ex-fireman battling the constant suffocating denial of his high-status family towards his choice of life. An accidental spark turned into an inflamatory sexual attraction and deep-seated emotions.
Mac moved his knee back and forth, massaging Sam’s balls through the thick material of his jeans. “Because somehow…rules…just doesn’t ring well to me anymore. You knew I was very much aware of the fact that you’ve been breaking your own rules.” He caressed the inside of Sam’s wrists with his thumbs. “Why else would you insist on remindin’ me twenty times a day that being here didn’t change anythin’?” He pulled Sam’s earlobe with his teeth. “I know you want me…”
“And I know you wished you didn’t want me so much…” Mac moved his knee higher, and as soon as his bare skin made contact with Sam’s prick his legs shook violently. He needed to come. Soon. “But you do. Don’t you darlin’?” His tongue was tracing lazy patterns all over Sam’s neck.
Flowing writing. Fully developped protagonists irresistible to the core. Secondary characters only enhancing the plot, never weakening it. Gripping cop sub-plot. A religious gay homophobic serial killer on the loose. An FBI agent swearing off all relationships. An ex-fireman battling the constant suffocating denial of his high-status family towards his choice of life. An accidental spark turned into an inflamatory sexual attraction and deep-seated emotions.
Mac moved his knee back and forth, massaging Sam’s balls through the thick material of his jeans. “Because somehow…rules…just doesn’t ring well to me anymore. You knew I was very much aware of the fact that you’ve been breaking your own rules.” He caressed the inside of Sam’s wrists with his thumbs. “Why else would you insist on remindin’ me twenty times a day that being here didn’t change anythin’?” He pulled Sam’s earlobe with his teeth. “I know you want me…”
“And I know you wished you didn’t want me so much…” Mac moved his knee higher, and as soon as his bare skin made contact with Sam’s prick his legs shook violently. He needed to come. Soon. “But you do. Don’t you darlin’?” His tongue was tracing lazy patterns all over Sam’s neck.
“One day at a time.”
May 2, 2016
4.5 Stars
In the beginning, this book was crazy confusing. There were so many people to keep track of, and how everyone was connected to each other was not easy to keep straight. But once you were pulled into the meat of the story, it was fantastic. Let me just say, this right here, is one hell of a scorching hot page turner. The sex was off the charts, but the story was right there as well and I was invested. The running straight off the cliff ending would have absolutely killed me if I wasn't able to jump right into the next book, so I'm thankful...there was no need for violence.
In the beginning, this book was crazy confusing. There were so many people to keep track of, and how everyone was connected to each other was not easy to keep straight. But once you were pulled into the meat of the story, it was fantastic. Let me just say, this right here, is one hell of a scorching hot page turner. The sex was off the charts, but the story was right there as well and I was invested. The running straight off the cliff ending would have absolutely killed me if I wasn't able to jump right into the next book, so I'm thankful...there was no need for violence.
December 28, 2014
Holy crap, why did I wait so long to read this? Fuh-ricking awesome!
There were a LOT of characters in this story, a lot of different things going on, which, usually, I don't like. In this one though, they all fit together (even if they don't KNOW they fit together), and I just kept wanting to read more. The chemistry between Mac and Sam is off the charts hot, and I know some people don't like Sam's assholeish attitude, but I totally do. I get that it's just a way to protect himself from getting too close, even if I rage at the unfairness to Mac at times. Bravo to Mac for totally figuring out how to play him though.
There are a bunch of side characters involved, and while ordinarily, I'd have a tough time keeping them all straight (haha, is anyone straight in this book?? Oh yeah, I think the women are), they are different enough that it's not bothering me at all. I'm really intrigued by Logan, Christian and Remy, Braxton, and even 15 year old Sasha has me wanting to know more!
Yes, it expects a bit too much to have the reader believe that ALL these wonderful gay and bisexual men just so happen to come together at the same time and have all sorts of things in common, but that's the whole six degrees thing coming into play, and how people can be connected but have no idea.
The murder mystery is also keeping me engaged. I keep thinking I know who it is, and then second guessing myself, and then turning back around to my original theory again. I'm dying to know what the heck happened with Sam, his ex, and their baby and why Sam gets the blame for it all, as well as the full details of Mac's bargain with his family and his bitch of a friend, Amy. (who I hope falls off a cliff in book two. A very high cliff, into shark infested waters.)
Needless to say, I immediately fired up book 2 on my tablet, hope it doesn't have quite the cliffhanger, but thankfully, book 3 is due out soon.
Does anyone have any idea how many installments this series is supposed to have?
There were a LOT of characters in this story, a lot of different things going on, which, usually, I don't like. In this one though, they all fit together (even if they don't KNOW they fit together), and I just kept wanting to read more. The chemistry between Mac and Sam is off the charts hot, and I know some people don't like Sam's assholeish attitude, but I totally do. I get that it's just a way to protect himself from getting too close, even if I rage at the unfairness to Mac at times. Bravo to Mac for totally figuring out how to play him though.
There are a bunch of side characters involved, and while ordinarily, I'd have a tough time keeping them all straight (haha, is anyone straight in this book?? Oh yeah, I think the women are), they are different enough that it's not bothering me at all. I'm really intrigued by Logan, Christian and Remy, Braxton, and even 15 year old Sasha has me wanting to know more!
Yes, it expects a bit too much to have the reader believe that ALL these wonderful gay and bisexual men just so happen to come together at the same time and have all sorts of things in common, but that's the whole six degrees thing coming into play, and how people can be connected but have no idea.
The murder mystery is also keeping me engaged. I keep thinking I know who it is, and then second guessing myself, and then turning back around to my original theory again. I'm dying to know what the heck happened with Sam, his ex, and their baby and why Sam gets the blame for it all, as well as the full details of Mac's bargain with his family and his bitch of a friend, Amy. (who I hope falls off a cliff in book two. A very high cliff, into shark infested waters.)
Needless to say, I immediately fired up book 2 on my tablet, hope it doesn't have quite the cliffhanger, but thankfully, book 3 is due out soon.
Does anyone have any idea how many installments this series is supposed to have?
January 26, 2018
5 stars and 
I adored this story of Sam, the big tough New York detective who is in charge of the Hate Crimes department and on a mission to find the 'Leviticus' serial killer [and yes folks, you get to find out all about our friendly Leviticus and what he preached in the Bible...it certainly wasn't toleration] before he kills many more gay guys in both New York and beyond, and his dream man (and mine) Mac who just happens to be in the closet for a very good reason (blackmail by mother) but is looking forward to the day in the not too distant future when he can tell the world and it's mother that he likes 'c**k' and be damned. There were sooo many characters in this book, you had to keep your wits about you to keep up with everything, the storylines were great...I can't say anything else other than to get you to read Tom Webb's review, I went straight on to all the other books in the series and am now left sitting here waiting for my next helping of the Sam/Mac show...ah bless!!
I adored this story of Sam, the big tough New York detective who is in charge of the Hate Crimes department and on a mission to find the 'Leviticus' serial killer [and yes folks, you get to find out all about our friendly Leviticus and what he preached in the Bible...it certainly wasn't toleration] before he kills many more gay guys in both New York and beyond, and his dream man (and mine) Mac who just happens to be in the closet for a very good reason (blackmail by mother) but is looking forward to the day in the not too distant future when he can tell the world and it's mother that he likes 'c**k' and be damned. There were sooo many characters in this book, you had to keep your wits about you to keep up with everything, the storylines were great...I can't say anything else other than to get you to read Tom Webb's review, I went straight on to all the other books in the series and am now left sitting here waiting for my next helping of the Sam/Mac show...ah bless!!
March 3, 2019
I just realized this author hasn't published this series in years! I wanted to know what would happen with Mac and Sam. 😭😭😭😢
May 27, 2012
I'll give this a 3.5.
Overall, I would say its an enjoyable read. Mac and Sam were beyond hot together, and I liked the push/pull of their relationship, but there were some problems preventing me from giving this a higher rating.
The prologue was pretty damn creepy, and I got really excited that this book was going to be a m/m series that was really dark. I don't think it lived up to that in that department. While the mystery is focused on a serial killer religious fanatic, after the prologue I never really felt nervous or scared except for I still kind of liked guessing things though. I love, love mystery books so I try to read any m/m book that has a mystery element.
I found myself often, however, more interested in Logan, Christian, and the elusive Remy than I was with Mac and Sam. Speaking of extra characters I get this is supposed to be an ensemble series, but it didn't really read like an ensemble series. For me, if its going to work like an ensemble I need to have for the most part equal time spent with the characters and have all of them progress from book to book. This felt more like in this book we'll learn mostly about Mac and Sam, and then we'll be introduced to a whole bunch of extra characters but not learn much about them but at some point they'll be more of a focus. I don't know but I guess in doing it like that it led to a lot of confusion and feeling unsatisfied. I wanted to know more if I was going to spend time with them. Plus the POV got to be a little tiresome as well as confusing sometimes switching sentence to sentence.
Now the cliffhanger. I agree that Sam and Mac I still could have dealt with that though if at least the crime had been solved. It seemed fairly obvious or least down to 1-3 suspects for the killer so I don't really think it was necessary to drag it out for another book. Of course, I could be completely wrong about the options, but I still don't feel the mystery element had been built up enough to last another book or for the rest of the series. When it was over, I didn't feel like anything at all was resolved with any of the characters or the story arc and that makes be cranky.
Sighhh, but OK I still liked it. I still want Sam and Mac to be happy together and I want their friends to have some happiness. I'll read the next one, but I hope that we learn much more about Sascha, Logan, and we get some progress with Remy and Christian. Plus,
Overall, I would say its an enjoyable read. Mac and Sam were beyond hot together, and I liked the push/pull of their relationship, but there were some problems preventing me from giving this a higher rating.
The prologue was pretty damn creepy, and I got really excited that this book was going to be a m/m series that was really dark. I don't think it lived up to that in that department. While the mystery is focused on a serial killer religious fanatic, after the prologue I never really felt nervous or scared except for I still kind of liked guessing things though. I love, love mystery books so I try to read any m/m book that has a mystery element.
I found myself often, however, more interested in Logan, Christian, and the elusive Remy than I was with Mac and Sam. Speaking of extra characters I get this is supposed to be an ensemble series, but it didn't really read like an ensemble series. For me, if its going to work like an ensemble I need to have for the most part equal time spent with the characters and have all of them progress from book to book. This felt more like in this book we'll learn mostly about Mac and Sam, and then we'll be introduced to a whole bunch of extra characters but not learn much about them but at some point they'll be more of a focus. I don't know but I guess in doing it like that it led to a lot of confusion and feeling unsatisfied. I wanted to know more if I was going to spend time with them. Plus the POV got to be a little tiresome as well as confusing sometimes switching sentence to sentence.
Now the cliffhanger. I agree that Sam and Mac I still could have dealt with that though if at least the crime had been solved. It seemed fairly obvious or least down to 1-3 suspects for the killer so I don't really think it was necessary to drag it out for another book. Of course, I could be completely wrong about the options, but I still don't feel the mystery element had been built up enough to last another book or for the rest of the series. When it was over, I didn't feel like anything at all was resolved with any of the characters or the story arc and that makes be cranky.
Sighhh, but OK I still liked it. I still want Sam and Mac to be happy together and I want their friends to have some happiness. I'll read the next one, but I hope that we learn much more about Sascha, Logan, and we get some progress with Remy and Christian. Plus,
December 17, 2016
Let me begin by saying I am aware I am firmly in the minority with my opinion of this story.
A lot of people have given this 5 stars and loved, loved, loved it. I, on the other hand, hated it. It's what makes the world go around. As my mother says, "There's a hat for every head." This one simply did not work for me on most every level.
I felt like the story couldn't figure out if it wanted to be a mystery or romance and was trying to balance between the two (while failing miserably).
There were too many characters just thrown in and not fleshed out enough. I did like that it was an ensemble cast. I usually like multiple points of view as well, but in this case it just felt overwhelming to the story and didn't serve to move the plot along in any meaningful way.
I also felt like there was way too much over-the-top, unnecessary drama, while it seemed the real drama of the story (Hello, there's a serial killer! And one of the POV is his crazy thoughts!) was put on a back burner.
I didn't like that it seemed like most of the women in this were portrayed as a bitch.
I really didn't like that the main character, Sam, was a raging asshole to Mac, and I didn't feel like he redeemed himself by the ending.
Which brings me to the ending. I absolutely LOATHED and DETESTED that this ends on a cliffhanger WITH NO WARNING leaving HUGE, dangling threads.
I've said it before - I'm fine with a cliffhanger, AS LONG AS I AM WARNED. This should have been in the blurb. Readers should have the option to start an incomplete series or wait for a series to be completed before buying and reading.
In the end, this wasn't for me, but, like I said, I'm definitely in the minority.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Six Degrees of Lust (By Degrees #1) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
A lot of people have given this 5 stars and loved, loved, loved it. I, on the other hand, hated it. It's what makes the world go around. As my mother says, "There's a hat for every head." This one simply did not work for me on most every level.
I felt like the story couldn't figure out if it wanted to be a mystery or romance and was trying to balance between the two (while failing miserably).
There were too many characters just thrown in and not fleshed out enough. I did like that it was an ensemble cast. I usually like multiple points of view as well, but in this case it just felt overwhelming to the story and didn't serve to move the plot along in any meaningful way.
I also felt like there was way too much over-the-top, unnecessary drama, while it seemed the real drama of the story (Hello, there's a serial killer! And one of the POV is his crazy thoughts!) was put on a back burner.
I didn't like that it seemed like most of the women in this were portrayed as a bitch.
I really didn't like that the main character, Sam, was a raging asshole to Mac, and I didn't feel like he redeemed himself by the ending.
Which brings me to the ending. I absolutely LOATHED and DETESTED that this ends on a cliffhanger WITH NO WARNING leaving HUGE, dangling threads.
I've said it before - I'm fine with a cliffhanger, AS LONG AS I AM WARNED. This should have been in the blurb. Readers should have the option to start an incomplete series or wait for a series to be completed before buying and reading.
In the end, this wasn't for me, but, like I said, I'm definitely in the minority.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Six Degrees of Lust (By Degrees #1) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
January 15, 2012
Sam Shaughnessy is a complex man. He is the team leader of an elite group of FBI agents tracking a serial killer preying an gay men. He is a family man, committed to his sister and his nephew, who he is on his way to fetch after his abusive brother in law takes it one step too far. He is the still grieving father and ex husband. And he is the flirt who has one night stands and never lets his heart come into play.
In the airport on his way to get his sister and nephew, he meets Mac O'Bannon. Mac is a simple man with a complex life. Gay but in the closet to protect his conservative family. Gay but working for a gay boss looking to open a gay club. Gay but the manager of a sports bar. Former firefighter. Looking for fun until his deal with his family us up.
The two hook up and their one night stand...falters and sputters. Sam misunderstands a conversation he overhears.
But Mac takes a chance, Sam takes a chance and the two share another encounter. Then another. Then the two decide to put some rules in place around their relationship that isn't a relationship. Friends with benefits. Monogamous friends with benefits.
And all the while, gay men are dying at the hands of this deranged killer.
It seems Mac and Sam have more in common than they know. Friends interlink with friends, and the large cast of characters are all one step away from knowing each other.
All they way up the line to the killer.
When Sam and Mac take a vacation together, will it lead to a new understanding of their non-relationship? Will Sam and his group find the killer in time to stop another murder? Will the families of both men blow up on themselves?
Taylor Donovan is the devil. No, she really is.
She has written a hot, sexy, romantic yet totally captivating character study of two men who slowly, surely are on the downhill slide into love. And are fighting it tooth and nail.
And has created a stunningly involving suspense mystery involving a wide array of characters who are all within six degrees of separation. There are easily fifteen characters to map and track and yet I had no problem keeping the relationships in my head.
And those character. Very fully realized, interesting, funny, tragic, flawed. And all operating in each others spheres and so totally, totally clueless.
I almost threw my Kindle across the room when Ms. Donovan left me with a HUGE cliffhanger and panting and wanting the next book nownownow.
She is the devil, I tell you.
And she has me trapped!
Tom
In the airport on his way to get his sister and nephew, he meets Mac O'Bannon. Mac is a simple man with a complex life. Gay but in the closet to protect his conservative family. Gay but working for a gay boss looking to open a gay club. Gay but the manager of a sports bar. Former firefighter. Looking for fun until his deal with his family us up.
The two hook up and their one night stand...falters and sputters. Sam misunderstands a conversation he overhears.
But Mac takes a chance, Sam takes a chance and the two share another encounter. Then another. Then the two decide to put some rules in place around their relationship that isn't a relationship. Friends with benefits. Monogamous friends with benefits.
And all the while, gay men are dying at the hands of this deranged killer.
It seems Mac and Sam have more in common than they know. Friends interlink with friends, and the large cast of characters are all one step away from knowing each other.
All they way up the line to the killer.
When Sam and Mac take a vacation together, will it lead to a new understanding of their non-relationship? Will Sam and his group find the killer in time to stop another murder? Will the families of both men blow up on themselves?
Taylor Donovan is the devil. No, she really is.
She has written a hot, sexy, romantic yet totally captivating character study of two men who slowly, surely are on the downhill slide into love. And are fighting it tooth and nail.
And has created a stunningly involving suspense mystery involving a wide array of characters who are all within six degrees of separation. There are easily fifteen characters to map and track and yet I had no problem keeping the relationships in my head.
And those character. Very fully realized, interesting, funny, tragic, flawed. And all operating in each others spheres and so totally, totally clueless.
I almost threw my Kindle across the room when Ms. Donovan left me with a HUGE cliffhanger and panting and wanting the next book nownownow.
She is the devil, I tell you.
And she has me trapped!
Tom
November 19, 2012
I have got to start by saying that my absolute most favorite thing about this book was definitely Mac. He is pretty much in my dream man category. He's a big dude... like really big, ex firefighter, bartender, protective, really really sweet and so laid back. (and not a douche bag in any way, which would b a rarity in the shitty guys i am usually attracted to). He really goes for it. Against his family, his shitty old friend Amy, and coming out to his friends he still has that sweet courage to make a go of i with Sam, who i frequently wanted to smack with my kindle for not realizing what an amazing person he had trying go be part of his life.
Don't get me wrong here. Sam did grow on me. He is a good friend and a great uncle. He is just so caught up in his guilt with Gabi (bitch is BITTER!) that he denies himself even the basic human comfort of communication with those he loves because along the way someone made him feel like he didn't deserve it. But when he is not makin his man cry, Sam is also protective and has a big heart deep in there and some horrible scars. Its fun to watch the way Mac goes alpha and Sam tries to fight back with his alpha but then realizes maybe his alpha didn't win. ("I think Mac may have been topping from the bottom this whole time.")
As for the ensemble, i didn't find they distracted me as much as other reviewers lead me to believe. They were really kinda fun to have around and it was like you knew exactly how they were connected (Gabi was the biggest DUH ever). That said, i hope their stories continue to be the peripheral of the main story because there is soooo much left untied with Mac and Sam and they're truly the back bone of this story. (speaking of back bones, Sam's back tat is awesome).
I really hate when mystery arcs are left open. And here it felt like very little resolution in the mystery and the romance arc and soooo many unanswered questions ... especially with Mac's big agreement and Sam's daughter. But i can see enough hope for the next book that the only way this book will lose its 5 star rating is if Sam and Mac fall by the wayside and become the secondaries in the next book. Otherwise te writing was amazing, the sex was super hot, the angst was spot on, mystery ad technical stuff nicely done and the characters are great. Can't wait for the sequel! Great job!!
Don't get me wrong here. Sam did grow on me. He is a good friend and a great uncle. He is just so caught up in his guilt with Gabi (bitch is BITTER!) that he denies himself even the basic human comfort of communication with those he loves because along the way someone made him feel like he didn't deserve it. But when he is not makin his man cry, Sam is also protective and has a big heart deep in there and some horrible scars. Its fun to watch the way Mac goes alpha and Sam tries to fight back with his alpha but then realizes maybe his alpha didn't win. ("I think Mac may have been topping from the bottom this whole time.")
As for the ensemble, i didn't find they distracted me as much as other reviewers lead me to believe. They were really kinda fun to have around and it was like you knew exactly how they were connected (Gabi was the biggest DUH ever). That said, i hope their stories continue to be the peripheral of the main story because there is soooo much left untied with Mac and Sam and they're truly the back bone of this story. (speaking of back bones, Sam's back tat is awesome).
I really hate when mystery arcs are left open. And here it felt like very little resolution in the mystery and the romance arc and soooo many unanswered questions ... especially with Mac's big agreement and Sam's daughter. But i can see enough hope for the next book that the only way this book will lose its 5 star rating is if Sam and Mac fall by the wayside and become the secondaries in the next book. Otherwise te writing was amazing, the sex was super hot, the angst was spot on, mystery ad technical stuff nicely done and the characters are great. Can't wait for the sequel! Great job!!
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