I'm really enjoying this series. Unlike so many others, not everything is sunshine and roses. Partner's faults are clearly pointed out and solutions are found to problems that occur in the relationship. ( )

Good story, pacing, plot. One of the better ones, probably the most consistent and well-written. I like the characters and I like how they interact. I like that some are uncomfortable by the things other characters are saying and doing even though they like each other. It isn't like some books where everyone just loves everyone else and is happy all the time. It was good that they added another woman character even if she's just a stereotypical caricature of a secretary.

I don't like where part of it is going: Bo really wants to be dominated and spanked and Sam kind of enjoys it even though he doesn't want to.

But as always, the book never quite finishes what it stars, or just glosses over whatever. For example, danger scenes are over within a few sentences. The climax was better than usual here, but it was mostly dealing with the aftermath of the actual problem. The build up was also too fast, the thing that alerted Sam that something was wrong, didn't get to a critical stage that it should have. That kind of thing bugs me. I just want things fleshed out better. I think the books are always a little too short.

The thing that really bothers me is that Sam always blames himself when Bo is unreasonable. Usually Bo sort of apologizes and occasional Sam realizes that he didn't do anything wrong, but not usually. It just irritates me to hell.

For example, (this happens in the second chapter I think) Bo calls back to work to check on them. He should never have done that. Once he does, he lets the group come and stay at the vacation house, which does make sense. But at that point, Bo and Sam should have gone elsewhere to spend the rest of their vacation. But no, Bo starts to get involved and then accuses Sam of trying to make him give up his job because Sam doesn't want him spending his vacation working. Um, no, vacation and a good home/work balance, are necessary for a healthy relationship. But Sam admits that its hard to see him working on the vacation so therefore he's being mean by making him choose Sam. They both make it all melodramatic, too, in that it's not just about vacation work, it's about work in general, like Sam wants him to give up the agency, even though Sam also says he would never take it away from Bo. It's just ridiculous.

But I did enjoy it and I do want to read the next one. 3 rounded up to 4 because it was better than average. ( )

It took me a long time to arrive to this novel since, as I told for the previous book, you really have to read them in order to fully grasp the evolution of Bo and Sam’s story. There is a slow, but direct change in focus, from the paranormal elements of the story towards the more romance novel. That is clear from the beginning of this book, when we find Bo and Sam’s sharing a vacation together as a couple, far from their careers as paranormal investigator and far from Bo’s family obligations. This is an important detail since from the previous novels, it can appear that Sam is rejecting Bo’s family, wife and sons, seeing them as the reason why Bo is not committing with him and their relationship. So it’s important that they share this vacation, but it’s also important that, later in the novel, the author will present proofs that Sam is not trying to distancing Bo from his sons, on the contrary, he is trying to help him regain a relationship with them.

In a way, I think the author is trying to make both Bo than Sam more appealing to the reader, since, well, they are not really “nice” characters. I have always found Bo’s reluctance to commit a little unnerving, and in a way it helped me to understand Sam’s behavior, that sometime was all the same unnerving, especially when it seemed he was letting go of Bo and their relationship too easily, like he was not fighting for it too much. This novel helped me to understand that both Bo and Sam believe in their love, and that it’s only a question to understand how they can overcome all the obstacles to their story, both ordinary than paranormal.

If you considering I’m reviewing this book 3 years later its release, maybe this comment is not so important, but for the first time in the 4 series books I had the feeling there was a closing point between Sam and Bo; not totally is perfected, and right in the last pages the author opens a new possible thread related to Sam and Bo, but not focused on them as a couple. I’m not totally sure we will not find these two in other books, maybe this time as supporting characters.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605041440/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

This fourth installment was just as intriguing as the first three. I'm still enjoying the evolution of Sam and Bo's relationship, but I keep wondering if Blue has something planned for the other characters. Dean and Andre definitely need their own stories. ( )