Well, I did not like this as much as I hoped I would.

It's not your typical A-Z MM romance. Logan and Gianni meet, argue and get down and dirty in the first chapter. So far, so typical. But then there is a one-year break in which these two get closer, become lovers, have (kind of) a relationship. (Unfortunately) All of it happens off-page. We get thrown back in at a time when Gianni is struggling with his life, his decisions and his love for Logan. He's a criminal in the closet - no other option - and his family would have his head if they ever found out. Logan on the other hand is struggling with the secrecy, with the hiding of his relationship. His constant struggle to finally, finally get to know the REAL Gianni is exhausting, frustrating and becomes harder as time flies by. Until it all collapses around them in a (rather predictable) moment of coincidence and fate.

I think my biggest problem with this was that I didn't get invested fast enough. Since most of the relationship building happened off-page, I had a harder time connecting to the two MCs before shit hit the fan. I was also very sceptical on how these two made it that far without ever really... being together. Communicating. Living life as a couple. Without Logan asking QUESTIONS all the damn time. Ergo, when everthing started to explode, I was prepared to say goodbye to that couple and move on. But that's not what happened. Instead we got something a little too close to insta-forgiveness for my taste. When your man tells you he is a criminal and a killer, it's hard to imagine you go from hate to forgiveness in one night. But maybe that's me and my missing connection talking.

But then there was Logan, who made it that much harder to believe in that massive change of mind. He was all around GOOD. He was the epitome of pure, kind-hearted and just... too damn good. He and Gianni? I don't now. Just didn't click with me.

But the writing was good, and I loved the cover. So. Where does that leave me? With 2.5 stars, rounded up to three because it's Kade Boehme and because I did enjoy parts of the story.

Yes! 4.5 "I-really-needed-that" Stars


Where to begin? First of all, this is not a romance. It's a suspense- and action-packed crime novel with thriller tendencies. There is, however, a romance sub-plot. And all of it is so goooood.


Simon Drake is a young FBI agent with a lot of ambition and drive. He and his team, a crazy bunch of brilliant individuals, are supposed to guard a the diamond that could - literally - destroy the world. And they fail epically, only because of one man: Jeremy Archer, hot young art thief extraordinaire. But things are never as they seem, and soon Simon and Jeremy find themselves fighting together against the bad guys.

I absolutely loved it! The crime/suspense plot was very well done, and I really enjoyed all the twists and the action scenes. The romance wasn't as prominent as in other gay mysteries, and the steamy side of the relationship was done way more discreetly than I'm used to. Which I didn't care about at all, because the story and scenes I did read were fun, sexy, exciting and very well thought out, right down to all the secondary characters.

Jeremy, though, was my favorite right from the start. Don't ask me why, it's not like I have a big faible for bad guys, but Jeremy was a very unique MC. Especially because he doesn't exactly fit the desciption of 'villain' to a T. He's complex, and I couldn't help but love him. Simon on the other hand, is a little bit on the brash and rough side, but not in a truly negative way. Some readers found him to be a bit of an homophobe. I have to say, I didn't get that vibe at all. But maybe I just liked the book so much, I completely forgot about it. All I can say is: I didn't notice it, and I can't recall being offended at any time.

All in all, you probably shouldn't pick this up if you're looking for a romance with a suspense sub-plot. You would not be satisfied with this one. But if you like a good thriller, a brash FBI hotshot bantering with an art thief, and don't need explicit sex scenes to be happy - read this one! It's really worth it!

And I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the other installments in the series next year.