The first chapter was OMFG SO HAWT, YAAAAS! Holy fucking Batman, the biting...
It was humbling to have someone able to press all my buttons that well. Maybe it was a little scary, too. What if Jacob used his superpower for evil, not good? Would it matter? Probably not, as long as he kept me drugged with sex.
Jacob's working a case in an elderly home with his partner, Carolyn. Vic gets asked to help, and since Lisa is visiting and trying to figure out the extent she's willing to go to with her sí-no, she makes it that much easier to solve the case.
You don't have to be psychic to end up knowing things you were a lot happier not knowing.
There's secrets, hidden truths, omissions, and patience is stretched thin on Vic's side... He just wants answers.
You'd think that either something is factual or it isn't. Carolyn tells me people's individual truths often have little to do with facts.
Something I wasn't very fond of was the jealousy, and the role Crash played in it all. Crash is a devil, but I like him, and at times Vic made him out to be much worse than he actually is...
Jacob being unable to keep his eyes–and hands–to himself while they were surrounded by cops, was pretty satisfying.
"He can't keep his eyes off you. Whenever you're in the room..."
"Yeah, I know. It's weird."
I'm excited for the next book, because Heliotrope Station sounds like hell, indeed, and I'm curious what really went down while Vic was there.
JCP certainly knows how to write amazing shorts! Wood packs some heat, a lot of fun and easygoing humor, as well as family feels.
Jacob's uncle, Leon, needs help assembling some bookcases he bought at SaverPlus, because who the hell needs IKEA, when they got the next best thing downtown. They got better instructions anyway, if they manage to make two grown ass men snicker and get all hot and bothered.
And good Lord, are the sexy times through the roof here. Everything's more fun when you're this close to getting caught by a family member. Not only that, but Vic & Jacob's love for one another shines through.
[...] we lingered there for one more moment, and held each other, and savored the feeling of wanting and being wanted.
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It was really good to read Jacob's POV for a change! I enjoyed getting inside his head and reading about his feelings for Victor.
They'd planned on spending New Year's Eve together, with Jacob's friends. It was going to be his chance to introduce his boyfriend to the group, but of course things don't go as smoothly when you are a PsyCop and work barges in late at night.
Vic got little page time here, but when he showed up and they shared that lovely moment, it spoke volumes of how far they've come already.
"This wasn't exactly the way I pictured tonight turning out," he said, "but for some reason I feel pretty okay about it."
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As the series progresses, the books are getting better and I love Vic & Jacob more and more.
This installment finds them at Thanksgiving dinner with Jacob's family. Vic is feeling out of place, and he has a hard time being sober, while uncle Leon's missing arm is bleeding all over the table, and Jacob's nephew is asking a million questions.
Vic gets called in to work, to solve a few disappearances that seemingly have no common link. He has to adjust to a new partner, Zig, who seems weird at first, but turns out to be quite decent, especially compared to the clusterfuck that went down with his last partner.
Meanwhile, Jacob is looking for a place for them to share when they move in together, and it proves to be a challenge. When the prospect apartments don't have earthly hurdles like roaches, they are haunted by broken record ghosts.
The case in this book isn't particularly scary, but it is interesting. What I found most amusing was the fact that they used an excited dead junkie as a spirit guide. Those scenes made me laugh out loud.
Vic and Jacob's relationship is moving to forward, but Vic is still confused as to why Jacob would choose him. Jacob is such a sweetheart, and he is the perfect fit for Vic, he keeps him grounded, and he understands Vic like no one else. They're lovely!
He smiled at me. He's got a special grin that's all mine. It somehow manages to be reassuring and to promise that he'll fuck me halfway through the mattress later, all at once.
This is a short featuring Crash and Kenneth, a clerk working the returns desk at a small shop.
Kenneth doesn't know what to make of the customer insisting to exchange a t-shirt one size too small.
But Crash only plans to blow the unsuspecting man's mind.
"What, no one has ever ambushed you before? You're a good-looking guy."
With the added bonus of almost getting caught, this was sexy.
I do like Crash a lot. Yup.
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 - Jordan Castillo Price)
Daaamn, this was HOT HOT HOT!!!
Andrew is looking for a palm reading, because he's getting married and he needs answers, as he has doubts in heaps.
I mean, he's so deep in the closet even he doesn't know what he needs, although he has been fantasizing for years.
Naturally, Crash is more than happy to get under the man's skin and show him a thing or two.
And let's be real, who can resist Crash?
Dirty-mouthed, tattooed, confident and bossy Crash.
No nonsense. Just sex. No strings attached.
Newsflash. People do what they want to do. You want to stay? You will. You want to go? Then leave. End of story. All the other stuff is just a bunch of excuses.
I have to say that I was annoyed with Victor for the first half of this book. Whereas he was adorably awkward in the first book, in Criss Cross, Vic's nonexistent interpersonal skills made for quite a few scenes where I just wanted to shake some sense into him. Add to that the fact that he was so clueless that he made me want to scream, and he hurt Jacob–albeit not on purpose.
To be fair, Vic has a lot on his plate, since he's abused anti-psyactives, the dead people are literally reaching out for him, and besides, seeing a dead baby can't be a lot of fun. Lisa's warning voice mails and texts telling him not to trust anyone in his life, not even Jacob, mess with his head. On the bright side, he's clinging to his relationship with Jacob, and even introduces him as his–gasp–boyfriend.
God, could there be a worse word than "boyfriend?" It made us sound like Barbie and Ken. Or Ken and Ken. Or Ken and G.I. Joe.
Jacob is patient with all the crazy that seems to follow Vic, and he is supportive and protective of his partner. When the situation calls for it, he leaves everything and flies to Vic's rescue. He's not very thrilled, though, when Carolyn decides to take Vic to a healer who just happens to be Jacob's ex boyfriend, Crash.
Crash is an asshole and doesn't believe for one moment that Vic's abilities hold any truth. He mocks Vic, but when he comes face to face with a ghost from his past thanks to the man, he can't deny there might be at least some truth to the psychics' talent. Crash is a non-conformist wild child I can't wait to see more of.
And last, but not least, the ending scene was everything I was hoping for since the beginning of the series. Steaming hot and satisfying! ;-)
Awww, this short was so sweet and adorable. A stolen moment between Vic and Jacob that made me smile from ear to ear.
The whole night with him felt like something stolen out of a much simpler, much happier life. Only it was actually mine.
*happy sigh*
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I realize I'm late to this party, but that's okay. I don't know why I put off starting this series for so long, because I knew I would enjoy it and I'm a sucker for paranormal storylines. But I'm here now, and excited for the ride! I loved the first installment of this series, and I found the premise to be very interesting and unique.
Victor Bayne is a psychic who can see/hear dead people, and he's quirky and fun. He has few friends, no family, and he takes anti-psych drugs to help him shut the ghosts out. His awkwardness makes the prospect of a boyfriend seem impossible to him, and he doesn't understand why anyone would even be interested in his messy self.
I had to jump on any chance that presented itself to me and hope I was on Auracel–or at least able to get my hands on some. I really hate threesomes when one of the participants is dead.
Needless to say, Vic is taken aback when Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome & Gay, Jacob Marks, comes around and rocks his world in the bathroom of his former partner. Jacob is adorable, he's fascinated by psychics, and he's the 'Stiff' in a PsyCop unit.
Vic and Jacob, together with Jacob's partner, Carolyn, get teamed up to solve a strange murder case, that takes a lot out of them, especially Vic. The plot is fast-paced, and keeps you guessing, on the edge of your seat. It's also scary, and I found the resolve to be unexpected.
A side character worth mentioning is Lisa, who was paired up with Victor in the beginning, but her abilities made the Sergeant reconsider the partnership. Her gift is very interesting, and I hope to get to see more of her presence in the upcoming books.
Awesome writing, great humor and just the right amount of sexy times for a novella made me thoroughly enjoy Amond the Living, and I am looking forward to the rest!
If you haven't picked this up yet, I recommend that you do, because you won't regret it.
Meanwhile, I'm on to the next one!
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 - Jordan Castillo Price)
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 - N.R. Walker)
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 - N.R. Walker)
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 - Megan Erickson)
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