Laura Antoniou

This book gets no stars because it was SO disappointing. It's supposed to be a full length book, with chapters written by different people. However, I got the feeling that I was reading a book in a series, where I missed the first 2 books. There seemed to be a lot of background stuff going on that I had no idea what it was about, and the characters were drawn very poorly, with no real sense to them at all. The writing, no matter who was doing it, was muddy and disjointed. There was also way too much talking, not enough BDSM. Even those scenes were strange.

To add insult to injury, the printing of the book was off, so that the last 20 pages had blanks, and then different pages followed others, so that I never could get to the real ending!!

What a waste of my money.… (meer)

While this review indicates a 2017 read date, I bought a copy later on in 2017 and have read it several times since.

2020 review: The previous review still absolutely stands. I've reread the book a few times since then and continue to like it even more. I look forward to it every time I read it. The dynamics between different people are delightful for different reasons. Detectives Feldblum and DeCosta are great together as cops, and I liked seeing a tense partnership for once. I read a lot of mysteries and watch police procedurals, and this is a variant of the typical. I liked how they both put aside their personal differences so smoothly and fluidly, and how dedicated they each were to their jobs. The way their conflict was ultimately handled, I thought was actually done convincingly. Bitsy and Earl had me cheering from page one, as pretty much always. Bitsy and her beau were a -delight- and oh, my heart warmed. I resemble her beau, and like women who resemble Bitsy, so I felt like I had a stake in such representation, as it were. Ravenfyre and her family--there were times I felt so much sympathy for them. There were times I snickered at some plot twists involving them, and I always laugh at the part where several women cheer a certain event that befalls the Ravenfyre family. I would cheer if I was there watching it, too. I'm mean but ohh, front row seating to that drama! Or maybe I'd die of second-hand embarrassment. Not sure. But on the page, it's fun to look forward to. I've really grown to like the bootblacks over time. I want to be Mickey Abraham when I grow up. Every time she laughed, I laughed, or giggled or tittered. I found Trudy to be really annoying for a lot of reasons, but I was happy for Detective Feldblum and intrigued to watch such a cool-headed cop be not so, as she bumped into an ex. I would -not- handle that a tenth of as well as she did.

I liked -how- the plot kept twisting and why. I liked how I had to think, and sometimes I try to piece together the clues. Mostly, because of how the book is so well put-together, I just read on happily.

Original review: This book was wonderful! I laughed a lot while reading it, and every new plot twist sent me spinning. Oh, someone new is suggested to have killed him? I was wrong! I must read more carefully after imagining exactly what happened! I was so grateful that kink culture was portrayed so honestly. I cheered the detectives on. When the author writes another murder mystery, I am sure to read it.… (meer)

Listened to audio narrated well by Elizabeth Jasicki. Heavy BDSM

A Leash Has Two Ends - Grendel, Alex and Rachel take Chris away with them on vacation to use him as they will.

For Want of a Nail -

California Dreaming -

Clocking -

Boys will be Boys -

Kaleigh Lad -

Mandarin Style -

Brian on the Farm -

That's Harsh! -

A Familiar Ring -
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The Man with the Phoenix Tattoo -

Inside Straight -

Zoom in -
… (meer)