The Hostage by Josh Lanyon, Laura Baumbach & Sarah Black

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon

The book begins abruptly: Will and Taylor are hiking and arguing. They are FBI special agents and Taylor is recovering from a shooting and they have taken a vacation. Taylor resents Will for something, we at first don't understand and Will wants both to take care of Taylor but also hit him to instill some common sense in him.

Little by little we understand that other than partners they are also friends and maybe something more: both Will than Taylor are gay, but between them there wasn't nothing more than teasing and glaring until the last fatal night, the night before Taylor's accident. And then there wasn't a right moment to face the argument, until now: in the open space of mountains all seem to be free from restrain, words and thoughts. And Will and Taylor seem to not be able to do other than yell to each other and offend each other.

When they only want to understand how they can go on or move on on their relationship, real world interposes between them, in the guise of a cold case: a robbery to a casino, ended with the lost of the spoil. And now the thieves want it back.

The book is not very long, little more than 100 pages, but I think it's more sexy than previous Josh Lanyon's books. There is actually only one real sex scene, and it's hot, but since as I said the book is not very long, and the building tension that promises the real scene and the simmering ashes that follow are both long and detailed, the scene is the apex of the book. And it's also very good, very... erotic.

Taylor and Will are both strong characters. I think this is the real problem: they fear to give a chance to their relationship since both fear to lose independency and the alpha male role in the match. But they are not equal in their dominance: Taylor is an hot head, a man of action and someone who is pretty driven by instinct; instead Will is more caring and a thinker, he likes to analyze everything before taking a decision. So maybe, if they manage to balance their powers, they can find a common path.

Dangerous Ground is not a mystery, is more an action romance. And the romance is a big ingredient of this book. But even if they talk about feelings and love, not Will or Taylor lose their masculinity.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=682

Burn Card by Laura Baumbach

Cody is a CSI officer for the Las Vegas PD. What he lacks in body, being small and lithe, he makes up in cleverness. Cody is a very prim and proper East Coast guy, but inside he is a romantic guy, who likes to cuddle the teddy bear his lover Gil gave him as birthday present. Gil is a big and strong badass, former football player, former wrestler and now owner of a very exclusive security firm. His primary business is to provide skilled bodyguard to celebrity. Gil is also a high tech lover, and likes to surround him and his lover with all the latest tech gadget.

Cody and Gil are at the opposite in body, Cody small and pretty, Gil big and rough, and at the opposite in behavior, Cody always perfect and impeccable, Gil a bit of a slob and impulsive, but they are equal in feelings, they are deeply in love and love overcomes all their differences.

When Cody is kidnapped, Gil has only 12 hours to find his lover. And some of that tech gadgets he likes to give him could be of help.

The story is very short, less than 70 pages, and it felt almost like one of that "what happens after" type of story. It almost like if Laura Baumbach just wrote the main story, when Cody and Gil met, and where she gave us all the details about them and their story, and this one is only a welcome back story... a bit strange.

Anyway as usual in a Laura Baumbach's book, there is the strong contraposition between the two main characters, even if in this case is more physical than anything else: Cody could be little in body, but he is not at all a dependent character; he has a strong and independent personality, and it's a good match for Gil. Actually this time, it's the apparently submissive character, Cody, who has the main role in the story, and we know very little about Gil.

I'd be glad to read a little more on these two, above all the beginning of their love story.

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/more-hot-reads/burn-card/prod_169.html

Buy Here

Amazon Kindle: Burn Card

Amazon: Hostage

Reading List:

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Cover Artist by April Martinez

Comments

Love this one from Josh.

[leeteng.livejournal.com]

I too just finished this and I love it. Elisa, you have analyze the 2 men's characters so correctly. Yes this may only have 1 real sex scene but I agree with you it is SO HOT!

Re: Love this one from Josh.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes Leeteng, this is the most romantic by Josh I have ever read. And very sexy. Elisa