Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux


Left alone in Baltimore after his unpredictable lover bails, Special Agent Zane Garrett takes his frustration out on everything in his path until he is ordered to Chicago to back up an undercover operative. When he gets there, though, he finds himself face to face with his wayward partner, Special Agent Ty Grady. They have to deal with the uncertainty lingering between them while they work to retrieve their intended mark, a retired hit man and CIA wet-works operative named Julian Cross.

Ty, once a marine and now an FBI hotshot, has a penchant for being unpredictable, a trait Zane can vouch for. Zane is a man who once lived for his job but has come to realize his heartbreaking past doesn’t have to overshadow his future. They're partners, friends, lovers, and the go-to team for unusual cases. With Cross and his innocuous boyfriend, Cameron Jacobs, in tow, Ty and Zane must navigate the obstacles of a cross-country trek, including TSA pat-downs, blizzards, their uncooperative prisoners, CIA kill teams, a desperate lack of sleep or caffeine, and each other. Ty and Zane are determined to get Julian Cross to DC in one piece, but it’s starting to look like it might be the last thing they do.

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Our heroes are armed, dangerous, and well worth the wait!

Ty and Zane are as awesome as ever… even more-so! Their relationship is finally on solid ground and there wasn’t the angst over who would pull his head out of his ass first and admit to the “L” word and that, that was so refreshing! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved the previous books, sometimes because of that angst, that uncertainty… but the time had come for some acceptance, moving forward, and making love where they both knew, without doubt, that that’s what they were doing!

This time our heroes find themselves traveling to Chicago to hunt down Julian Cross, the anti-hero who starred in Warrior’s Cross, with orders to deliver the man to Washington, DC, using any means necessary so long as he gets there alive. As Ty & Zane and Julian & Cameron – Julian’s lover/boyfriend - get closer to their destination, it becomes clear that what Ty and Zane had thought would be a cut and dry assignment is anything but, and that makes for one exciting cross country adventure.

I want to mention that I read Warrior’s Cross in preparation for Armed & Dangerous. since Julian and Cameron play starring roles in this book. I am so glad I made that decision, not because I needed it for any plot carryover, but because it gave me so much insight into Julian and Cameron and their relationship – insight that I can say without a doubt enhanced my enjoyment of their role in this story. That said, I don’t think it’s necessary to read Warrior’s Cross in order to truly love Armed & Dangerous.

The bottom line - Fans of the Cut & Run series will love this latest installment. Abigail Roux delivered an amazing story and did a phenomenal job of writing it solo. Any concerns I had that the book would feel different... lacking somehow... were put to rest and if it felt different at all, it felt better - it flowed seamlessly. I suppose it's possible that has more to do with the storyline itself rather than Ms. Roux's writing, but I don't think so, and only time will tell. For now all that matters to me is that I loved this book from the first page to the last – devoured every single word and I so cannot wait for the next installment!

If you love romantic suspense and m/m stories but haven't yet tried this series... you're missing out on some amazing stuff. Do yourself a favor and wait no longer - read some of the reviews, grab the books and settle in for some great times.

My gratitude to netgalley.com and Dreamspinner Press for providing me with a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.   

2 comments:

  1. I agree. Best of the series - flowed much better and Roux did an excellent job. I can't wait for August!

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    1. It seemed to be an eternity for A&D, and while I wish we were getting Stars & Stripes NOW, August doesn't seem an eternity away, thankfully!

      I do hope Preston can have a story somewhere.

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