Promise (The Flesh Cartel #19) in Riptide Publishing

May 06, 2014 JustJen "Miss Conduct" rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook, mm, shorty, dmc, bgirls

A review by The Blogger Girls.

This has been a long, exciting road, especially if you’ve read this series in pieces, as I have. Every installment leading up to the sting operation that freed Doug and took down a chunk of the Cartel has been extremely intense. Then there was the recovery period where the boys had to try to acclimate back into normal lives, followed by the closure of the trial and what appear to be a new direction and beginnings for the guys.

One of the things I loved in this segmen
A review by The Blogger Girls.

This has been a long, exciting road, especially if you’ve read this series in pieces, as I have. Every installment leading up to the sting operation that freed Doug and took down a chunk of the Cartel has been extremely intense. Then there was the recovery period where the boys had to try to acclimate back into normal lives, followed by the closure of the trial and what appear to be a new direction and beginnings for the guys.

One of the things I loved in this segment was seeing that Doug is not miraculously healed. He understands his issues better now and sees them for what they are. He comes to the understanding that he may not be gay even after his experiences but leaves that door of possibility open. He also addresses his need/desires for being dominated resulting from his experiences. This was my favorite therapy session by far.

As for Mat, he seems to have grown by leaps and bounds, especially where Doug is concerned. He and Nate are in a better place and seem perfect for each other. Being with someone who has first-hand knowledge/understanding of what he went through is monumental in helping him overcome his issues, and Nate has the patience and desire to see him through.

So, I’m sad to see the end of these guys but am really happy they made it to this point as well as they have. It was nice to see the possibility for happiness in each of the characters.

I must mention Nikolai, the man I love to hate and hate that I love. Right to the end, I wanted to kill him yet wanted to see more. Sounds like he may be back in action some day so perhaps we will get to see him doing what he believes he does best.

It has been difficult to rate this series in segments, as some just had that extra umph that wasn’t present in others, but that is to be expected given the content. However, overall, I’m giving this series 5 stars for taking us full circle. Is everything all sweet and rosy at the end? No. After what they went through, especially Doug, that is not only understandable but expected. They do seem to be on the right path now that they’ve moved beyond the trial and are actually able to move forward with their lives. Kudos for a fabulous wrap up on this. I’m glad I was along for the ride. ...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: short-or-novella, dark-and-disturbing, part-of-series-or-serial, m-m, pre-ordered

My 5 stars here is for the series as a whole. The authors wrapped it up nicely, not all sugar coated with sunshine, but I thought it was fitting and satisfying, with a bit of everybody's thoughts included.

With the trial behind them, the brothers are ready to make a fresh start and are still healing. Doug gets his confrontation with Nikolai and it had me on the edge of my seat. Being in Nikolai's head still makes my skin crawl. Mat and Doug's relationship is on stronger ground and they both have ...more

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Mar 30, 2014 Lilli *slowest reader ever* rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, mindfuck, sweet-obsession, disturbing, hurt-comfort

Very good last episode and closure of the story. Believable and just awesome when you think back to everything they’ve been through.

Still, I probably couldn’t shake Nicolai’s shadow so easily. His short appearance in the book was creepy to say the least. I’m torn between pity for him and a looming feeling of Alien: Resurrection.

Anyway, I feel slightly sad that this serial is done now. It was one hell of a ride – literally. Many episodes played havoc with my emotions and I loved every minute of ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m

Somehow I missed serial number 18 so I just moved on and read this last one. I couldn't wait and now I don't think I'm going to go back and read the 18th one. This is because I found out Roger died. Not unexpected but so sad. Even though this is a bittersweet ending for Dougie and a start for Mat and Nate, I think the one who had the lingering impact for me is Roger.

Roger his this man who had so much going for him and then he's captured. We see him as a favoured and obedient slave. His loyalty t ...more

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Apr 10, 2014 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Thank you. This has been an amazing read from start to finish, frequently very challenging, covering difficult issues without compromise. A recommended read, with caution - please read the warnings at Riptide and seriously consider whether this is for you. I am glad I read the series but it was a very hard hitting thriller, very draining emotionally.

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