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Torus Intercession #5
The Big Fix
Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.
Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.
Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.
With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.
Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.
Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.
With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.
9 pages, Audiobook
First published November 15, 2022
175 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
127 books5,023 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
November 15, 2022
3.5 stars. Not enough romance.
September 25, 2025
This book was a pretty big disappointment. The main couple is apart for a little over half the book and you don't even really see the second MC until around the 51% mark. Once he's introduced, he's just an afterthought with barely any characterization or particular personality. It seemed more like Jared and Darius or even Dante should have been the main characters, because Owen really wasn't.
If you like spy novels with lots of violence, more side characters than you could shake 17 sticks at, and boring talk about "ops" from the past, you'll probably like this. If you're looking for romance, this ain't it.
If you like spy novels with lots of violence, more side characters than you could shake 17 sticks at, and boring talk about "ops" from the past, you'll probably like this. If you're looking for romance, this ain't it.
November 16, 2022
Romance? Who needs romance?
Well, normally me, but I might just let it slide for this. And I mean, we did end up getting something.
I had no idea Mary could write something like this. Yes, she’s done guns and running but this read like a blockbuster shoot em’ up on the other side of the world. The excitement level, the danger, the fear and the brutality. It was written so well, I honestly at times felt more like I was watching then I was reading. I am very impressed and enjoyed the story that played out tremendously. Add to that the cast of characters, some very, very familiar and I was in it and read it all in one go.
And it was funny.
But, this didn’t fit in very well with the rest of this series and all that excitement didn’t leave a lot of time for romance.
The book was a healing though for sure. It was an awakening and a new beginning and all that was just difficult but also beautiful.
But, the romance was put way on the backburner. Even if rescuing Owen was the drive, well, Jared didn’t know it was because he was in love, he just would have done it for anyone of his family.
I’m not the biggest fan of this big of an age gap. I know it can work and I know it does but, in this case, who Owen was to Jared from a very early age just made it a little uncomfortable for me. The hero worship turned into love made sense to me from Owen’s POV but the flip, well, it just wasn’t my favorite.
But, aside from my personal feelings and the difference in tone of the series, this was a great book. Truly, it was a wild ride and I’m a huge fan of found family sort of stories. I just wonder if maybe Jared’s book should have stood alone?
But Mary, if you want to write some more stories about missions like this one, maybe less torture, maybe, have at it. I really liked it a lot.
Well, normally me, but I might just let it slide for this. And I mean, we did end up getting something.
I had no idea Mary could write something like this. Yes, she’s done guns and running but this read like a blockbuster shoot em’ up on the other side of the world. The excitement level, the danger, the fear and the brutality. It was written so well, I honestly at times felt more like I was watching then I was reading. I am very impressed and enjoyed the story that played out tremendously. Add to that the cast of characters, some very, very familiar and I was in it and read it all in one go.
And it was funny.
But, this didn’t fit in very well with the rest of this series and all that excitement didn’t leave a lot of time for romance.
The book was a healing though for sure. It was an awakening and a new beginning and all that was just difficult but also beautiful.
But, the romance was put way on the backburner. Even if rescuing Owen was the drive, well, Jared didn’t know it was because he was in love, he just would have done it for anyone of his family.
I’m not the biggest fan of this big of an age gap. I know it can work and I know it does but, in this case, who Owen was to Jared from a very early age just made it a little uncomfortable for me. The hero worship turned into love made sense to me from Owen’s POV but the flip, well, it just wasn’t my favorite.
But, aside from my personal feelings and the difference in tone of the series, this was a great book. Truly, it was a wild ride and I’m a huge fan of found family sort of stories. I just wonder if maybe Jared’s book should have stood alone?
But Mary, if you want to write some more stories about missions like this one, maybe less torture, maybe, have at it. I really liked it a lot.
November 29, 2022
Suspenseful and action packed.
I always have a great time reading Mary Calmes, the over-the-topness of everything just works because Mary does it so well. In Book 5 of the Torus Intercession series we get to see Jared FINALLY notice Owen wants to be with him. About bloody time. My biggest complaint is the on page time Jared and Owen spend together is less than 25% of the story and I definitely wanted more. The rest of the time Jared is either looking for Owen or being tortured. There's trauma in this book, but (spoiler) none of the good guys die and there's a very happy ending.
I always have a great time reading Mary Calmes, the over-the-topness of everything just works because Mary does it so well. In Book 5 of the Torus Intercession series we get to see Jared FINALLY notice Owen wants to be with him. About bloody time. My biggest complaint is the on page time Jared and Owen spend together is less than 25% of the story and I definitely wanted more. The rest of the time Jared is either looking for Owen or being tortured. There's trauma in this book, but (spoiler) none of the good guys die and there's a very happy ending.
January 30, 2025
Possible Triggers: Several entire chapters of extreme torture at the hands of the enemy
When Owen Moss, the person closest to Jared Coulter, goes missing.... A carrot is dangling to lure Jared out, and into the hands of an unknown enemy.
To say that this book was a departure from the first 4 books in the series would be like saying that a 1,000-pound grizzly was just an overgrown Teddy Bear. The story also takes place eight years after Book #4; Shaw and Benji's book, The Fix Is In. The character of Jared Couter has aged of course and is now 53. I don't consider 53 is, by any means...old...and neither did Owen who had been in love with Jarad almost since he first came to live with him after his father, Jared's best friend was killed. Jared gets word the medical examiner in Thailand that they have the body of Owen Moss and would come identify and claim it if it is Owen. Off to Thailand he goes, and the story takes off with the arrival of some of his guys that we've met in the first 4 books. Of course, you have probably figured out that Mary Calmes wouldn't kill off one of her main characters...but for the last 1/3 or so of the book I was beginning to have my doubts.
Jared was by no means dislikable, but he frustrated me through the majority of the book with his inability to "see" Owen. To see that Owen wasn't a child; he was a full-grown adult man. Owen knew what love and attraction was, and he knew he was attracted to, and loved Owen; he was also capable of subtracting 23 from 53 and realize that the 20 years between them made the odds of them growing to be very old together was probably about 50% or less...Come ON JARED...GIVE HIM A BREAK!
Overall...I absolutely loved the first 4 books in this series, and I highly recommend them, and I also recommend that they be read in order. With this one we have a dark tale of espionage, gun fights, lots of death, a bunch of evil criminals, a kidnapping and brutal torture scenes, that some may want to skip entirely.
I have never written a book...but I know it can't be easy to please everyone every time...so I will just say that there was some of this story that I really liked...but not the entire book like I had the first four...but I still, and will always love your books, Mary!
When Owen Moss, the person closest to Jared Coulter, goes missing.... A carrot is dangling to lure Jared out, and into the hands of an unknown enemy.
To say that this book was a departure from the first 4 books in the series would be like saying that a 1,000-pound grizzly was just an overgrown Teddy Bear. The story also takes place eight years after Book #4; Shaw and Benji's book, The Fix Is In. The character of Jared Couter has aged of course and is now 53. I don't consider 53 is, by any means...old...and neither did Owen who had been in love with Jarad almost since he first came to live with him after his father, Jared's best friend was killed. Jared gets word the medical examiner in Thailand that they have the body of Owen Moss and would come identify and claim it if it is Owen. Off to Thailand he goes, and the story takes off with the arrival of some of his guys that we've met in the first 4 books. Of course, you have probably figured out that Mary Calmes wouldn't kill off one of her main characters...but for the last 1/3 or so of the book I was beginning to have my doubts.
Jared was by no means dislikable, but he frustrated me through the majority of the book with his inability to "see" Owen. To see that Owen wasn't a child; he was a full-grown adult man. Owen knew what love and attraction was, and he knew he was attracted to, and loved Owen; he was also capable of subtracting 23 from 53 and realize that the 20 years between them made the odds of them growing to be very old together was probably about 50% or less...Come ON JARED...GIVE HIM A BREAK!
Overall...I absolutely loved the first 4 books in this series, and I highly recommend them, and I also recommend that they be read in order. With this one we have a dark tale of espionage, gun fights, lots of death, a bunch of evil criminals, a kidnapping and brutal torture scenes, that some may want to skip entirely.
I have never written a book...but I know it can't be easy to please everyone every time...so I will just say that there was some of this story that I really liked...but not the entire book like I had the first four...but I still, and will always love your books, Mary!
April 19, 2024
Surprising! See this is the book. That got me interested in this series. The reviews all mentioned not seeing any of this happening.
With all the world building. Creating international offices. Handing over the reins to qualified applicants. Cause dude is pushing 53. Age has its own pains and life it's on plan. Yet love makes itself known.
With all the world building. Creating international offices. Handing over the reins to qualified applicants. Cause dude is pushing 53. Age has its own pains and life it's on plan. Yet love makes itself known.
December 5, 2022
Look, after seeing the relationship between Owen and Jared for the past four books, I was expecting a lot more romance or at least more substance.
Mary is very good at writing the mystery/crime aspects in her book. The action is fantastic but it's at the cost of the romance which is really disappointing.
I was also a little uncomfortable with the age gap, especially since Jared met Owen when Owen was 10. I just think there are better circumstances or choices that could've been made in regard to their background relationship with each other if the author really wanted to have an age gap.
Also, does Jared really love Owen??? Like I don't think that was really established because Jared never came to the realization himself rather everyone around him was telling him that Owen was in love with him and that Jared was in love with Owen. But in my opinion, Jared doesn't love Owen and he really does view him as his charge (no matter if Owen is 32).
This was probably the worst book of the series so far. I'm really hoping that the author centers the romance a little bit more (or includes more of it, we need to know that the characters are actually falling in love!)
Mary is very good at writing the mystery/crime aspects in her book. The action is fantastic but it's at the cost of the romance which is really disappointing.
I was also a little uncomfortable with the age gap, especially since Jared met Owen when Owen was 10. I just think there are better circumstances or choices that could've been made in regard to their background relationship with each other if the author really wanted to have an age gap.
Also, does Jared really love Owen??? Like I don't think that was really established because Jared never came to the realization himself rather everyone around him was telling him that Owen was in love with him and that Jared was in love with Owen. But in my opinion, Jared doesn't love Owen and he really does view him as his charge (no matter if Owen is 32).
This was probably the worst book of the series so far. I'm really hoping that the author centers the romance a little bit more (or includes more of it, we need to know that the characters are actually falling in love!)
November 18, 2022
Maybe if there was a warning not to read this book unless you read everything the author wrote it would have been better, but there were at least a dozen cameos that I finally realized were from earlier books. There was way too much time spent with entrances and exits. The mystery was just a senseless tangle. We don't even know if there is passion between the main characters.
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
November 18, 2022
3.5
Seems to me that this is a merger of 2 books. The main part is a spy blockbuster about veterans, loyal friendship and indestructible bonds at the necessary exotic location and with the essential boat/ car race, a lot of dead bodies and even on-page torture. The smaller part is a romance but somehow both only fit together seamlessly while the romance is in the background, while Jared finally becomes aware that Owen wants him, that age in their case doesn't matter and that he's not only on his rescue mission because Owen is his responsibility. I love the blockbuster part, the cameo of a some of her alpha men and I always enjoy Mary Calmes view on friendship but the actual romance part came real late, was short and apart from nice sex scenes I didn't felt like I knew those 2 guys especially after I already read more than half of the book with its action loaded intro and the glimpses of Jared and Owen which I got in the previous books.
Seems to me that this is a merger of 2 books. The main part is a spy blockbuster about veterans, loyal friendship and indestructible bonds at the necessary exotic location and with the essential boat/ car race, a lot of dead bodies and even on-page torture. The smaller part is a romance but somehow both only fit together seamlessly while the romance is in the background, while Jared finally becomes aware that Owen wants him, that age in their case doesn't matter and that he's not only on his rescue mission because Owen is his responsibility. I love the blockbuster part, the cameo of a some of her alpha men and I always enjoy Mary Calmes view on friendship but the actual romance part came real late, was short and apart from nice sex scenes I didn't felt like I knew those 2 guys especially after I already read more than half of the book with its action loaded intro and the glimpses of Jared and Owen which I got in the previous books.
October 4, 2024
Mi è piaciuto un botto, ha un ritmo pazzesco, la parte d’azione (mystery/spy) è veramente ben fatta e anche la romance è super carina, anche se forse mi è sembrata un po’ più secondaria rispetto alla trama d’azione. Però ha tutti i miei trope preferiti ed è scritta benissimo, quindi non mi lamento affatto!
(Comunque mi sono innamorata di Dante, Mado!)
(Comunque mi sono innamorata di Dante, Mado!)
November 16, 2022
A long time coming
Seriously, after all this time I thought Owen was going to have to run Jared over with the clue bus. His nickname should have been Oblivious Spy, he finally figured it out but he was literally the last to know 😂. A fantastic ending to this wonderful series, although I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the last 🤞.
Seriously, after all this time I thought Owen was going to have to run Jared over with the clue bus. His nickname should have been Oblivious Spy, he finally figured it out but he was literally the last to know 😂. A fantastic ending to this wonderful series, although I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the last 🤞.
December 16, 2025
4.5 stars
Quante belle vecchie conoscenze che ci sono in questo libro!
Quante belle vecchie conoscenze che ci sono in questo libro!
November 18, 2022
Normalerweise lese ich die Gay Romance-Titel um die verschiedenen Bodyguards und Fixer aus der "Torus Intercession"-Reihe super gerne und bin immer wieder überrascht, mit welch unterschiedlichen Aufträgen und Herausforderungen die Männer dabei konfrontiert werden, während sie ihr Herz an ihre Klienten verlieren.
Da fällt der 5. Band "The Big Fix" ein wenig aus der Reihe. Nicht nur, dass die potentielle Beziehung zwischen Torus-Boss Jared Colter und seinem Zögling und Angestellten Owen Moss schon seit dem ersten Band angekündigt war - sprich es dieses Mal keine Konstellation zwischen Bodyguard und Kunde gibt -, die Autorin Mary Calmes scheint dieses Mal auch unbedingt, so viele Charaktere aus so vielen anderen Reihen wie möglich in diesem Buch unterbringen zu wollen.
Ich muss gestehen, ich bin kein Mary-Calmes-Mega-Fan. Ich bin ein Fan dieser Reihe. Doch nicht nur dreht sich in diesem Band gefühlt alles um Jared Colter, seine Vergangenheit als Soldat und Spion, und Owen Moss' tragische Familiengeschichte - die anderen lieb gewonnenen Figuren aus der Reihe haben dieses Mal keinen Auftritt. Das ist schade und verschenkt viel Sympathie-Potential für Fans der Reihe.
Stattdessen stopft die Autorin das Figurenkabinett mit Charakteren aus drei (oder vier?, so genau kann ich das nicht sagen) anderen Reihen voll. Nicht nur, dass ich die Figuren und ihre Hintergrund-Geschichten nicht kenne, auch hinterlassen sie bei mir während dieser Geschichte keinen bleibenden Eindruck und sind in gewisser Weise austauschbar. Es gibt zwei weibliche Figuren (eine die Pilotin, die andere macht ich weiß nicht was) und ich kann mir beim besten Willen nicht merken, welche von ihnen welche ist. Und dasselbe Problem habe ich mit den beiden ältesten Freunden von Jared auch noch. Da noch hinzukommt, dass bei der Suche nach dem vermissten Owen Jareds Helfer immer wieder wechseln und mal bei ihm und mal weg sind und dann wieder da - man kann sich vorstellen, wie verwirrt ich die ganze Zeit während des Lesens war.
Sorry, aber hier wäre weniger mehr gewesen und die Liebesgeschichte selbst hat mich durch die überwiegende Abwesenheit des vermissten Owen, der nur einen kleinen Part des Romans überhaupt einen Auftritt hat, auch nicht überzeugen können. Sehr schade, ich hoffe, dass dies nur ein Ausreißer war und der 6. Band mich wieder überzeugen kann.
Da fällt der 5. Band "The Big Fix" ein wenig aus der Reihe. Nicht nur, dass die potentielle Beziehung zwischen Torus-Boss Jared Colter und seinem Zögling und Angestellten Owen Moss schon seit dem ersten Band angekündigt war - sprich es dieses Mal keine Konstellation zwischen Bodyguard und Kunde gibt -, die Autorin Mary Calmes scheint dieses Mal auch unbedingt, so viele Charaktere aus so vielen anderen Reihen wie möglich in diesem Buch unterbringen zu wollen.
Ich muss gestehen, ich bin kein Mary-Calmes-Mega-Fan. Ich bin ein Fan dieser Reihe. Doch nicht nur dreht sich in diesem Band gefühlt alles um Jared Colter, seine Vergangenheit als Soldat und Spion, und Owen Moss' tragische Familiengeschichte - die anderen lieb gewonnenen Figuren aus der Reihe haben dieses Mal keinen Auftritt. Das ist schade und verschenkt viel Sympathie-Potential für Fans der Reihe.
Stattdessen stopft die Autorin das Figurenkabinett mit Charakteren aus drei (oder vier?, so genau kann ich das nicht sagen) anderen Reihen voll. Nicht nur, dass ich die Figuren und ihre Hintergrund-Geschichten nicht kenne, auch hinterlassen sie bei mir während dieser Geschichte keinen bleibenden Eindruck und sind in gewisser Weise austauschbar. Es gibt zwei weibliche Figuren (eine die Pilotin, die andere macht ich weiß nicht was) und ich kann mir beim besten Willen nicht merken, welche von ihnen welche ist. Und dasselbe Problem habe ich mit den beiden ältesten Freunden von Jared auch noch. Da noch hinzukommt, dass bei der Suche nach dem vermissten Owen Jareds Helfer immer wieder wechseln und mal bei ihm und mal weg sind und dann wieder da - man kann sich vorstellen, wie verwirrt ich die ganze Zeit während des Lesens war.
Sorry, aber hier wäre weniger mehr gewesen und die Liebesgeschichte selbst hat mich durch die überwiegende Abwesenheit des vermissten Owen, der nur einen kleinen Part des Romans überhaupt einen Auftritt hat, auch nicht überzeugen können. Sehr schade, ich hoffe, dass dies nur ein Ausreißer war und der 6. Band mich wieder überzeugen kann.
November 8, 2024
Meraviglioso, fantastico ed emozionante!! 😍
Una lettura age-gap adrenalinica ed emozionante.
È stato veramente bello ritrovare, un cameo, di Sam Kage, Aaron Sutter e di personaggi incontrati nelle Serie "The Vault", ( che sto rileggendo 😉 ) e "Marshals". 🤩🤩
Jared Colter è un ex colonnello dei Marines, ha collaborato con varie sigle di agenzie federali. È a capo dell'agenzia Torus Intercession, con i suoi fixer.
Owen Moss è il collaboratore hacker di Jared, è stato salvato 2 volte da Jared e prova dei sentimenti verso di lui.
Viene rapito e tenuto in ostaggio per attirare Jared in una trappola, a causa di una vendetta.
Troveremo tanti amici disposti ad aiutarlo. Esplosioni, torture, sparatorie, uccisioni, con una storia d'amore sofferta e appassionante.
Al prossimo volume!! 🤩🤩
💖💖💖💖💖➕💋
Una lettura age-gap adrenalinica ed emozionante.
È stato veramente bello ritrovare, un cameo, di Sam Kage, Aaron Sutter e di personaggi incontrati nelle Serie "The Vault", ( che sto rileggendo 😉 ) e "Marshals". 🤩🤩
Jared Colter è un ex colonnello dei Marines, ha collaborato con varie sigle di agenzie federali. È a capo dell'agenzia Torus Intercession, con i suoi fixer.
Owen Moss è il collaboratore hacker di Jared, è stato salvato 2 volte da Jared e prova dei sentimenti verso di lui.
Viene rapito e tenuto in ostaggio per attirare Jared in una trappola, a causa di una vendetta.
Troveremo tanti amici disposti ad aiutarlo. Esplosioni, torture, sparatorie, uccisioni, con una storia d'amore sofferta e appassionante.
Al prossimo volume!! 🤩🤩
💖💖💖💖💖➕💋
April 7, 2023
Wieder ein gutes Buch. Tatsächlich mehr Action, viel mehr Action, als in den vorherigen Bänden und weniger Romance, aber ich finde, dass hat die Geschichte auch nicht gebraucht. Die beiden kennen sich seit min. 22 Jahren und seit 8 Jahren hat sich diese Tension aufgebaut. Man merkt einfach unterschwellig, dass sie sich lieben, auch wenn Jared so hart auf dem Schlauch steht, dass es unglaublich weh tut 😂🤷🏻♀️
Und oha, Owen, er hat mich super überrascht. Ich wusste gar nicht, dass er es so in sich hat... 😲😂🥵❤️
Und oha, Owen, er hat mich super überrascht. Ich wusste gar nicht, dass er es so in sich hat... 😲😂🥵❤️
December 4, 2022
4 stars.
What a ride! The Big Fix is more a mystery/suspense novel than a romance and the couple is apart half of the book... but for my part it was worth to wait for them to get together again. And they do it spectacularly.
November 16, 2022
Disappointing
The other Torus, Marshal, House of Maedoc, etc were wonderful. This plot was too convoluted, violent, with a great deal of nastiness. Character development was very uneven.
The other Torus, Marshal, House of Maedoc, etc were wonderful. This plot was too convoluted, violent, with a great deal of nastiness. Character development was very uneven.
August 25, 2023
A good book, but a bit too much action for me.
This isn’t the best Mary Calmes book out there, it’s not even the best book in this series, which is a shame, because the whole series was leading up to Jared and Owen getting together, the reality of it was a bit disappointing.
Now, it’s not that I’m not a fan of action in a book, but when reading a romance book there needs to be balance, there was none in this book. The action totally overshadowed the romance, there was very little romance to be honest, and I felt a bit cheated by that, I wanted the swoon that I normally get from Mary’s books.
What this book is, is a roundup of just about every character Mary has ever written making a cameo, so if this is your first foray into her writing, this book will be very confusing for you. I’m a big fan of Mary’s books, and this was overkill even for me.
So overall, while I still enjoyed it, it’s never going to be one of my favourites.
This isn’t the best Mary Calmes book out there, it’s not even the best book in this series, which is a shame, because the whole series was leading up to Jared and Owen getting together, the reality of it was a bit disappointing.
Now, it’s not that I’m not a fan of action in a book, but when reading a romance book there needs to be balance, there was none in this book. The action totally overshadowed the romance, there was very little romance to be honest, and I felt a bit cheated by that, I wanted the swoon that I normally get from Mary’s books.
What this book is, is a roundup of just about every character Mary has ever written making a cameo, so if this is your first foray into her writing, this book will be very confusing for you. I’m a big fan of Mary’s books, and this was overkill even for me.
So overall, while I still enjoyed it, it’s never going to be one of my favourites.
April 17, 2023
After the somewhat weaker book 4 in this series I once again got the kind of story I love these days; fast-paced good guys vs. bad guys action with plenty of banter. I especially appreciate this in audiobooks and having Nick J. Russo do the narration is always an added bonus.
November 16, 2022
4.3 stars
November 20, 2022
Rating: 3 stars
I was disappointed in this book. It wasn't the Owen/Jared story that I wanted. I disliked the fact that Owen was left out of over half of the book. The whole espionage/action part of the book was okay and I enjoyed the interactions between Jared and the myriad of side characters. I just didn't get the romance between Jared and Owen that I was looking forward to.
From the very first page of the book, I disliked Jared. I warmed up to him throughout, but I almost put the book down and did not finish it just from the brief interaction he had with Owen in the beginning. Why Owen loved this man, I cannot fathom. Next, we have the age gap thing. I don't really have a problem with a 20+ age gap between MCs except when it comes to the older MC knowing the younger one as a child. Add to that the fact that Jared saved Owen not once but twice when he was 10 yrs old and 18 yrs old and it just felt wrong to me. Then we have the fact that Jared was so clueless when it came to Owen's feelings. No intelligent man can be that clueless. On top of all that we have the fact that Jared was self-conscious about the age gap between him and Owen and his friends spent the much of time pointing out that Jared was an old man and had lost his edge. They would tell Jared he was old in one breath and then tell him that he wasn't too old for Owen in the next. I'm really surprised that Jared decided to embrace his relationship with Owen at all.
So, if you like more action than romance this book is for you. If you're like me and wanted more substantial interactions between Owen and Jared that didn't revolve around the whole kidnapping mystery than you'll be disappointed in this book. Maybe if we had gotten some chapters from Owen's perspective it may have helped but alas that is not what we got.
I was disappointed in this book. It wasn't the Owen/Jared story that I wanted. I disliked the fact that Owen was left out of over half of the book. The whole espionage/action part of the book was okay and I enjoyed the interactions between Jared and the myriad of side characters. I just didn't get the romance between Jared and Owen that I was looking forward to.
From the very first page of the book, I disliked Jared. I warmed up to him throughout, but I almost put the book down and did not finish it just from the brief interaction he had with Owen in the beginning. Why Owen loved this man, I cannot fathom. Next, we have the age gap thing. I don't really have a problem with a 20+ age gap between MCs except when it comes to the older MC knowing the younger one as a child. Add to that the fact that Jared saved Owen not once but twice when he was 10 yrs old and 18 yrs old and it just felt wrong to me. Then we have the fact that Jared was so clueless when it came to Owen's feelings. No intelligent man can be that clueless. On top of all that we have the fact that Jared was self-conscious about the age gap between him and Owen and his friends spent the much of time pointing out that Jared was an old man and had lost his edge. They would tell Jared he was old in one breath and then tell him that he wasn't too old for Owen in the next. I'm really surprised that Jared decided to embrace his relationship with Owen at all.
So, if you like more action than romance this book is for you. If you're like me and wanted more substantial interactions between Owen and Jared that didn't revolve around the whole kidnapping mystery than you'll be disappointed in this book. Maybe if we had gotten some chapters from Owen's perspective it may have helped but alas that is not what we got.
November 20, 2022
Major disappointment after waiting the WHOLE SERIES for Jared and Owen!!
~~mild spoilers ahead~~
Jared and Owen aren't even together for over half the book, so in the romantic sense the book is boring af until they're together. I also felt cheated out of the traditional Mary Calmes pining/angst because the 'revelation' that they both love each other is precipitous and extremely anti-climactic. AND THEN, when they FINALLY get time alone we go straight to a flashback from over 20 years ago!? No way. After all that BS I couldn't even keep reading to get to the hot sex (presumably). The mystery plot was intriguing, and I would like to know what happens, but even that couldn't save this for me.
Can't believe this ended up just being a DNF instead of the jewel of the Torus series.
2 stars. It would've been 1 star, but it gets an extra star for the great cast of side characters.
~~mild spoilers ahead~~
Jared and Owen aren't even together for over half the book, so in the romantic sense the book is boring af until they're together. I also felt cheated out of the traditional Mary Calmes pining/angst because the 'revelation' that they both love each other is precipitous and extremely anti-climactic. AND THEN, when they FINALLY get time alone we go straight to a flashback from over 20 years ago!? No way. After all that BS I couldn't even keep reading to get to the hot sex (presumably). The mystery plot was intriguing, and I would like to know what happens, but even that couldn't save this for me.
Can't believe this ended up just being a DNF instead of the jewel of the Torus series.
2 stars. It would've been 1 star, but it gets an extra star for the great cast of side characters.
November 16, 2022
action packed entertainment
Rating: 4🌈
There’s no indication that The Big Fix is a series finale although it reads like one. The fifth book in Mary Calmes’ Torus Intercession series, it’s about the head of the agency, Jared Colter, and the Torus tech member, Owen Moss, who’s been a part of Jared’s life since he saved him as a child.
Jared has always been that person who’s been a bit of an enigma. The voice on the phone, the brief meeting in his office, and cringing mention by another Alphabet agency personnel who has been told to do exactly as Jared wants. He’s been the fearful respect looming in the background.
I think , for the series, he actually operates better that way.
Getting to know him here, while that makes him a believable, more realistic human being, takes away much of the image Calmes has built up for him over four books.
The Jared Colter here is 56. When all the action is required, the heightened danger that requires the senses honed by years of stealth, battle, and espionage, he’s rusty, slow to act, and clearly been behind a desk for a long time. Field work isn’t his friend, due to age and lack of practice.
Realistic? Yes. It certainly makes him relatable, especially since he comes across as spectacularly clueless in his interpersonal relationships.
All of which makes him a businessman removed from the day to day reality of his field agents. It just doesn’t mesh with the character as he’s been portrayed over the previous stories.
This disconnect continues with his behavior towards Owen Moss. Owen, 32, has a well known crush/love for his boss that everyone sees but Jared. They even live together. But Jared treats Owen like someone under his guardianship rather than an employee or adult.
Owen’s personality and their relationship comes across as parental too . The arguments less that of a 32 year old but someone younger.
Their relationship aside, along with the odd mistakes made, given their history and professionalism, there’s a lot of action, foreign scenery, foreign governments and law enforcement to ignore, as well as familiar characters from other Mary Calmes novels that arrive to help out Jared on his rescue mission.
There’s Darius Hawthorne from Late in the Day, Dante Cerreto from Again, US Marshals Sam Kage and Ian Doyle from the Marshals series. George Hunt and other names pop in too. I did enjoy my time spent with those wonderful people and mention of their partners and home life.
But as the story belongs to Jared and Owen, that aspect dragged. Not the entertaining rush to rescue (with torture scenes fyi) but their actual time together. That felt less believable and grounded.
So from just a pure rush of adrenaline shootout/blow um up storylines that I enjoyed to the less impactful main characters and relationship, I liked The Big Fix but it’s not a favorite in the series.
If you’re a fan of Mary Calmes, the series, then this book is definitely in your wheelhouse. For others, The Big Fix with it’s multiple storylines, characters that you need to have their novels read to understand, and lack of continuity in places, might be more complicated and less fun than anticipated. You decide.
Torus Intercession series:
- [x] No Quick Fix #1
- [x] In a Fix #2
- [x] Fix It Up #3
- [x] The Fix Is In #4
- [x] The Big Fix #5
Rating: 4🌈
There’s no indication that The Big Fix is a series finale although it reads like one. The fifth book in Mary Calmes’ Torus Intercession series, it’s about the head of the agency, Jared Colter, and the Torus tech member, Owen Moss, who’s been a part of Jared’s life since he saved him as a child.
Jared has always been that person who’s been a bit of an enigma. The voice on the phone, the brief meeting in his office, and cringing mention by another Alphabet agency personnel who has been told to do exactly as Jared wants. He’s been the fearful respect looming in the background.
I think , for the series, he actually operates better that way.
Getting to know him here, while that makes him a believable, more realistic human being, takes away much of the image Calmes has built up for him over four books.
The Jared Colter here is 56. When all the action is required, the heightened danger that requires the senses honed by years of stealth, battle, and espionage, he’s rusty, slow to act, and clearly been behind a desk for a long time. Field work isn’t his friend, due to age and lack of practice.
Realistic? Yes. It certainly makes him relatable, especially since he comes across as spectacularly clueless in his interpersonal relationships.
All of which makes him a businessman removed from the day to day reality of his field agents. It just doesn’t mesh with the character as he’s been portrayed over the previous stories.
This disconnect continues with his behavior towards Owen Moss. Owen, 32, has a well known crush/love for his boss that everyone sees but Jared. They even live together. But Jared treats Owen like someone under his guardianship rather than an employee or adult.
Owen’s personality and their relationship comes across as parental too . The arguments less that of a 32 year old but someone younger.
Their relationship aside, along with the odd mistakes made, given their history and professionalism, there’s a lot of action, foreign scenery, foreign governments and law enforcement to ignore, as well as familiar characters from other Mary Calmes novels that arrive to help out Jared on his rescue mission.
There’s Darius Hawthorne from Late in the Day, Dante Cerreto from Again, US Marshals Sam Kage and Ian Doyle from the Marshals series. George Hunt and other names pop in too. I did enjoy my time spent with those wonderful people and mention of their partners and home life.
But as the story belongs to Jared and Owen, that aspect dragged. Not the entertaining rush to rescue (with torture scenes fyi) but their actual time together. That felt less believable and grounded.
So from just a pure rush of adrenaline shootout/blow um up storylines that I enjoyed to the less impactful main characters and relationship, I liked The Big Fix but it’s not a favorite in the series.
If you’re a fan of Mary Calmes, the series, then this book is definitely in your wheelhouse. For others, The Big Fix with it’s multiple storylines, characters that you need to have their novels read to understand, and lack of continuity in places, might be more complicated and less fun than anticipated. You decide.
Torus Intercession series:
- [x] No Quick Fix #1
- [x] In a Fix #2
- [x] Fix It Up #3
- [x] The Fix Is In #4
- [x] The Big Fix #5
August 10, 2023
To disappointed and angry to speak on this book. All I will say is that this is the worst book I have read by Mary Calmes and this is the worst book in the entire Torus intercession series.
Romance should be removed from the description as that is also very gross false advertising. It should have been classified as strictly suspense, poorly done and drawn out, but the most it can be is suspence.
98 percent of the book is just depressing and about unnecessary descriptive torture. Constant introduction of multiple characters who show up briefly and up and leave , very jarring.
The main romance doesn't exist and by the time it plays out you are so irritated and exhausted by the writing and plot you don't care
By the way, I am irritated that a trigger warning was not put out for the torture scenes.
Really dislike this book.
That's my Rant
Romance should be removed from the description as that is also very gross false advertising. It should have been classified as strictly suspense, poorly done and drawn out, but the most it can be is suspence.
98 percent of the book is just depressing and about unnecessary descriptive torture. Constant introduction of multiple characters who show up briefly and up and leave , very jarring.
The main romance doesn't exist and by the time it plays out you are so irritated and exhausted by the writing and plot you don't care
By the way, I am irritated that a trigger warning was not put out for the torture scenes.
Really dislike this book.
That's my Rant
October 29, 2024
Jared and Owen
Jared and Owen, it’s their time !
Jared, head man at Torus Intercession, 56, he’s a tough man but also a humanitarian, soldier and delivers justice.
Owen, 32, a high tech hacker, saved by Jared years ago.
When Owen is missing, Jared moves around the globe wreaking havoc until he’s found.
Jared enters the dark world of Asian crime, With claims that Owen is dead, but Jared knows it’s a lie.
We get a dark tale of espionage, gun fights, death, evil criminals, kidnapping and brutal torture scenes, too.
With more deaths and rescue, and more attacks, we get intense storytelling, which sends tingles to our spine.
The ending has our hearts happy, and hot sexy time also. with a twist.
ENJOY !
=====
Jared and Owen, it’s their time !
Jared, head man at Torus Intercession, 56, he’s a tough man but also a humanitarian, soldier and delivers justice.
Owen, 32, a high tech hacker, saved by Jared years ago.
When Owen is missing, Jared moves around the globe wreaking havoc until he’s found.
Jared enters the dark world of Asian crime, With claims that Owen is dead, but Jared knows it’s a lie.
We get a dark tale of espionage, gun fights, death, evil criminals, kidnapping and brutal torture scenes, too.
With more deaths and rescue, and more attacks, we get intense storytelling, which sends tingles to our spine.
The ending has our hearts happy, and hot sexy time also. with a twist.
ENJOY !
=====
May 15, 2025
Jared and Own get their HEA, but it takes a while. Owen has been in love with Jared for long time. Jared has been in love with Owen, but thought he knew best and didn't tell Owen. After a big fight, Owen moves to Thailand for a job and gets kidnapped. Through days/weeks/months Jared, along with his friends, search for him and he gets some advice, because everyone knows Owen loves Jared.
You learn a lot about Owen's history in this one and the way he finally breaks down Jared's defenses is great. I loved this book.
You learn a lot about Owen's history in this one and the way he finally breaks down Jared's defenses is great. I loved this book.
January 16, 2023
If you expect romance- don’t read this. It's action packed, with lots of suspence and angst. Nothing for the faint of heart.
Some romance in the last part.
I didn’t read the the other books in this series and that certainly was not advisable as there are many characters popping up whom I always had trouble keeping them apart and remembering who is who.
Some romance in the last part.
I didn’t read the the other books in this series and that certainly was not advisable as there are many characters popping up whom I always had trouble keeping them apart and remembering who is who.
November 27, 2022
This reminds me very much of some of the early Mary Calmes books that I’ve read – specifically the ones with Jin and Logan – as it was sprawling, full of action, violence with the love story underpinning but not the main thrust of the story.
Jared has always been rather larger than life in the way he has been described and he didn’t disappoint – he was very much the man he has been viewed as by his employees in the previous Intercession books – a man on a mission, determined to leave the world (or people) in a better place.
However, this kinda came back to bite him in the butt in this story, as there was someone from his past determined to make Jared pay – and with a long list of enemies to choose from, it was a real puzzle to figure out who it was.
I loved seeing all of our guys from other stories (I’m talking about Darius and Dante to name just two) and the way their lives were interwoven was extremely skilful. Thinking about it, this reminded me very much of the cast of The Expendables movies – all of these men are over forty, not who you would expect to be in the field, but still skilled and talented in what they do. I liked how it was shown that they were the older generation – Jared didn’t just snap back into action with no repercussions. He felt the punches that landed, running around made him tired, and the day after shenanigans he needed painkillers and sometimes crawled out of bed with his body aching.
That brings me to the torture scenes. Oh my goodness, they were kinda hard to read. Not that I would consider them particularly graphic normally, but in a romance novel by Mary Calmes, they were really painful to read and Fang was a complete and utter *bleep*.
The romance very much took a backseat, but the build up between Owen and Jared has been coming since book #1 so I guess it could be considered that we’ve been reading their story since the beginning. I really enjoyed the flashbacks that fleshed out the storyline, and I could understand Jared’s reluctance to view Owen as a romantic partner – he was the hero, saving the day and it would have been really easy for Owen to mistake hero-worship for love. I thought that Mary did a good job of showing the Owen had been living a full life and made an adult choice regarding Jared – it wasn’t like he was locked away in an ivory tower and had no comparisons so that Jared was his only choice. Owen knew what he was doing,
Speaking of Owen knowing what he was doing – those sex scenes! Whoa – they surprised and delighted me in equal measure and I may have to re-read them – just to refresh my mind for the purposes of this review of course.
I think this was a different kind of romance, with the love story underpinning things rather than being at the forefront. I absolutely enjoyed this book, racing from page to page to find out just who was causing such chaos, and I am so pleased that Jared and Owen finally got their happy ever after. The background cast of characters will possibly be confusing for people who haven’t read most of Mary’s previous books, which is a shame, but I found this to be a rollicking, painful, funny and heart-felt story that I really enjoyed. Any stars it may have lost for the main leads not being together for so much of the story were regained for me by the return of Darius, George and Dante, etc. I loved it.
Jared has always been rather larger than life in the way he has been described and he didn’t disappoint – he was very much the man he has been viewed as by his employees in the previous Intercession books – a man on a mission, determined to leave the world (or people) in a better place.
However, this kinda came back to bite him in the butt in this story, as there was someone from his past determined to make Jared pay – and with a long list of enemies to choose from, it was a real puzzle to figure out who it was.
I loved seeing all of our guys from other stories (I’m talking about Darius and Dante to name just two) and the way their lives were interwoven was extremely skilful. Thinking about it, this reminded me very much of the cast of The Expendables movies – all of these men are over forty, not who you would expect to be in the field, but still skilled and talented in what they do. I liked how it was shown that they were the older generation – Jared didn’t just snap back into action with no repercussions. He felt the punches that landed, running around made him tired, and the day after shenanigans he needed painkillers and sometimes crawled out of bed with his body aching.
That brings me to the torture scenes. Oh my goodness, they were kinda hard to read. Not that I would consider them particularly graphic normally, but in a romance novel by Mary Calmes, they were really painful to read and Fang was a complete and utter *bleep*.
The romance very much took a backseat, but the build up between Owen and Jared has been coming since book #1 so I guess it could be considered that we’ve been reading their story since the beginning. I really enjoyed the flashbacks that fleshed out the storyline, and I could understand Jared’s reluctance to view Owen as a romantic partner – he was the hero, saving the day and it would have been really easy for Owen to mistake hero-worship for love. I thought that Mary did a good job of showing the Owen had been living a full life and made an adult choice regarding Jared – it wasn’t like he was locked away in an ivory tower and had no comparisons so that Jared was his only choice. Owen knew what he was doing,
Speaking of Owen knowing what he was doing – those sex scenes! Whoa – they surprised and delighted me in equal measure and I may have to re-read them – just to refresh my mind for the purposes of this review of course.
I think this was a different kind of romance, with the love story underpinning things rather than being at the forefront. I absolutely enjoyed this book, racing from page to page to find out just who was causing such chaos, and I am so pleased that Jared and Owen finally got their happy ever after. The background cast of characters will possibly be confusing for people who haven’t read most of Mary’s previous books, which is a shame, but I found this to be a rollicking, painful, funny and heart-felt story that I really enjoyed. Any stars it may have lost for the main leads not being together for so much of the story were regained for me by the return of Darius, George and Dante, etc. I loved it.
April 13, 2025
I have not enjoyed a Mary Calmes book this much in a long time. I normally like her stories but this one hit all my sweet spots, starting with an MC in his mid-50s. Oh yeah. Jared has been in love with Owen for years, but, duh, he doesn't recognize the emotion for what it is and makes a thousand excuses for why he can't act on his attraction to the thirty-something man who has lived with him for years. Owen's parents were killed when he was only ten and Jared, working with the CIA and who knows what other secret agency at the time, rescued him. He feels obligated to keep the vow he made to Owen's parents to protect him and look out for his best interests. Problem is, he doesn't recognize that he's part of those best interests.
Enter the bad guys, starting in Thailand and ending with Hong Kong. Owen is kidnapped, Jared is out to rescue him along with help from previous Calmes's characters: George (Just George) and Dante (Again) and Darius (Late In The Day) as well as others we've seen through the years. Toward the end there's even a cameo from Ian Doyle (All Kinds of Tied Down) and Sam Kage (A Matter of Time Book I). I love that Mary's characters stay alive for her and for all of us readers who have been fans for eons.
The good news is there's a short break from the thrilling action where Owen has a chance to convince Jared of how much he loves him despite the age gap. The bad news is there's even more graphic violence and bad guys ahead. Honestly, this was a very well-paced, thrilling action adventure, and I loved every minute. Of course it ends with an HEA and it's definitely well-earned. And of course now that I've spent so much time with both Dante and Darius I just may have to go back and read their stories again. I love having a chance to see where a book's characters are in future, especially when they have been so well loved. I highly recommend this book. There are some mentions of others in Jared's agency who've had their own stories, and there are those crossover characters, but honestly, this can be read as a standalone with no worries.
Enter the bad guys, starting in Thailand and ending with Hong Kong. Owen is kidnapped, Jared is out to rescue him along with help from previous Calmes's characters: George (Just George) and Dante (Again) and Darius (Late In The Day) as well as others we've seen through the years. Toward the end there's even a cameo from Ian Doyle (All Kinds of Tied Down) and Sam Kage (A Matter of Time Book I). I love that Mary's characters stay alive for her and for all of us readers who have been fans for eons.
The good news is there's a short break from the thrilling action where Owen has a chance to convince Jared of how much he loves him despite the age gap. The bad news is there's even more graphic violence and bad guys ahead. Honestly, this was a very well-paced, thrilling action adventure, and I loved every minute. Of course it ends with an HEA and it's definitely well-earned. And of course now that I've spent so much time with both Dante and Darius I just may have to go back and read their stories again. I love having a chance to see where a book's characters are in future, especially when they have been so well loved. I highly recommend this book. There are some mentions of others in Jared's agency who've had their own stories, and there are those crossover characters, but honestly, this can be read as a standalone with no worries.
July 13, 2023
There is a LOT to take in with this book. Secondary characters join the story all the way through and there are a heap of MCs from other MaryC stories that pop in and out (or stay around the whole time). It was great but also made my brain scramble a few times as I tried to recall all the details of the characters. To name a few - Dante (Again), Darius (Late in the Day), Ceaton (A Day Makes, George (Just George), Aaron Sutter (A Matter of Time, Vol. 1) Sam Kage & Ian Doyle All Kinds of Tied Down) - and there are still more I haven't mentioned but I'm going off memory and I still haven't woken up ;) (That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)
Warning - this is one of MaryC's more brutal books in the second half (for Jared Colter), but fortunately there are other things happening so the impact isn't quite so extreme.
This is the sort of book that I know I'll really enjoy the next time around as more bits fall into place. I was a touch confused about some action at the end, so hopefully my brain connects it next time.
Narrated by Nick J Russo - excellent.
Warning - this is one of MaryC's more brutal books in the second half (for Jared Colter), but fortunately there are other things happening so the impact isn't quite so extreme.
This is the sort of book that I know I'll really enjoy the next time around as more bits fall into place. I was a touch confused about some action at the end, so hopefully my brain connects it next time.
Narrated by Nick J Russo - excellent.
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