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Finders, Keepers
Coming off a high-pressure undercover job for his company's covert Retrievals Department, despite being on the edge of burnout, Jeff is thrown straight into another mission, Operation Janvier. His assignment is to trap illegal metal detectorists who'll be planting a priceless medieval reliquary in a field, and retrieve it. The detectorists are part of an international ring, and the police of several countries are collaborating in the operation.
To be in the right place at the right time, Jeff seduces Alan, son of the farmer who may or may not be in on the million dollar scam. Should be straightforward, easy, and it is. Until Jeff finds himself falling for Alan. But Alan is trying to shake off an obsessive ex-lover, and doesn't want commitment, just their no strings, friends with benefits relationship. Events have a way of changing minds.
To be in the right place at the right time, Jeff seduces Alan, son of the farmer who may or may not be in on the million dollar scam. Should be straightforward, easy, and it is. Until Jeff finds himself falling for Alan. But Alan is trying to shake off an obsessive ex-lover, and doesn't want commitment, just their no strings, friends with benefits relationship. Events have a way of changing minds.
245 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Chris Quinton
47 books99 followersChris started creating stories not long after she mastered joined-up writing, somewhat to the bemusement of her parents and her English teachers. But she received plenty of encouragement. Her dad gave her an already old Everest typewriter when she was about ten, and it was probably the best gift she'd ever received – until the inventions of the home-computer and the worldwide web.
Chris's reading and writing interests range from historical, mystery, and paranormal, to science-fiction and fantasy, mostly in the male/male genre. She also writes male/female novels in the name of Chris Power. She refuses to be pigeon-holed and intends to uphold the long and honourable tradition of the Eccentric Brit to the best of her ability. In her spare time [hah!] she reads, embroiders, quilts and knits. In the past she has been a part-time and unpaid amateur archaeologist, and a 15th century re-enactor.
She currently lives in a small and ancient city in the south-west of the United Kingdom, sharing her usually chaotic home with an extended family, two large dogs, fancy mice, sundry goldfish and a young frilled dragon (Australian lizard) aka Trogdorina.
Chris's reading and writing interests range from historical, mystery, and paranormal, to science-fiction and fantasy, mostly in the male/male genre. She also writes male/female novels in the name of Chris Power. She refuses to be pigeon-holed and intends to uphold the long and honourable tradition of the Eccentric Brit to the best of her ability. In her spare time [hah!] she reads, embroiders, quilts and knits. In the past she has been a part-time and unpaid amateur archaeologist, and a 15th century re-enactor.
She currently lives in a small and ancient city in the south-west of the United Kingdom, sharing her usually chaotic home with an extended family, two large dogs, fancy mice, sundry goldfish and a young frilled dragon (Australian lizard) aka Trogdorina.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 25, 2012
Jeff seduces Alan as part of an undercover assignment, but with his guard down, he finds himself falling for the other man. Neither is looking for a commitment, but events have a way of changing minds.
* * * * *
The skin job... Possibly one of my favourite tropes... A man chosen to go undercover with a gay mark, because he is gay himself...
***Usual proviso on this review - CQ is a friend and also a co-author...she is also one of my favourite authors. Just saying...***
"His talent for sinking himself so deeply into his roles made him invaluable to the Security and Retrievals Department of Davidson & Hart International Insurance Inc., but when he spent a long time undercover, he found it hard to slide back into himself."
Jeff has literally just come off of a long undercover operation and his head space is still very much 'Borya Ivanovich'. When he is thrust into a new case with little to no downtime his actions and reactions in the new case are coloured by what went before. He is off balance and it shows. Alan Fletcher is his new mark but when they 'accidentally' meet and begin a relationship, Jeff realises he has actually bitten off more than he can chew. He finds himself caring about the mark in ways he could never imagine.
Recommended to anyone who likes adventure, mystery, romance and brilliantly drawn characterisation.
* * * * *
The skin job... Possibly one of my favourite tropes... A man chosen to go undercover with a gay mark, because he is gay himself...
***Usual proviso on this review - CQ is a friend and also a co-author...she is also one of my favourite authors. Just saying...***
"His talent for sinking himself so deeply into his roles made him invaluable to the Security and Retrievals Department of Davidson & Hart International Insurance Inc., but when he spent a long time undercover, he found it hard to slide back into himself."
Jeff has literally just come off of a long undercover operation and his head space is still very much 'Borya Ivanovich'. When he is thrust into a new case with little to no downtime his actions and reactions in the new case are coloured by what went before. He is off balance and it shows. Alan Fletcher is his new mark but when they 'accidentally' meet and begin a relationship, Jeff realises he has actually bitten off more than he can chew. He finds himself caring about the mark in ways he could never imagine.
Recommended to anyone who likes adventure, mystery, romance and brilliantly drawn characterisation.
August 27, 2012
3.5 stars
Not a bad story, it just wasn't enough of a mystery for me, I was expecting a more covert operation that didn't eventuate, it fell a little flat in the romance department too. The attraction between Jeff and Alan was okay but they didn't exactly light any fires, I wanted a touch more oomph to spice things up a bit. Also I was skeptical of Jeff being placed immediately into another operation after finishing up on a long undercover mission which was dangerous and messed with his head quite a bit. Would he cope, compromise the op? Reliable? Burnout? Ah need counseling? After what he had to endure previously, he obviously needed some downtime desperately, so shoving him straight into another op was not a good idea in my book. I actually think his previous op in Russia sounded more exciting and would have been an interesting story to tell. A bit of disappointment but not a total loss.
Not a bad story, it just wasn't enough of a mystery for me, I was expecting a more covert operation that didn't eventuate, it fell a little flat in the romance department too. The attraction between Jeff and Alan was okay but they didn't exactly light any fires, I wanted a touch more oomph to spice things up a bit. Also I was skeptical of Jeff being placed immediately into another operation after finishing up on a long undercover mission which was dangerous and messed with his head quite a bit. Would he cope, compromise the op? Reliable? Burnout? Ah need counseling? After what he had to endure previously, he obviously needed some downtime desperately, so shoving him straight into another op was not a good idea in my book. I actually think his previous op in Russia sounded more exciting and would have been an interesting story to tell. A bit of disappointment but not a total loss.
April 27, 2013
"....and for a blinding instant Jeff wished he had never heard of Davidson & Hart, that he was just a normal guy making out with a man who might be everything he hadn't known he was looking for."
Jeff is sent on an undercover assignment without a prepared cover so needs to play himself. His assignment is Alan. He must get Alan to fall for him and invite him to his parent's home (where a crime is to be committed) but Jeff is falling for Alan himself.
The story is combines a mystery and romance. It is easy to feel for both Jeff and Alan as they struggle with their feelings towards one another. Jeff dislikes the situation he is in and Alan ends up feeling betrayed.
I thought the ending was a slight (and only slight) let down. I wanted the book to end with a bang in a big dramatic moment. Yes, there was a big dramatic moment but this wasn't the end of the book. It took another chapter or two to bring things to their conclusion.
Jeff is sent on an undercover assignment without a prepared cover so needs to play himself. His assignment is Alan. He must get Alan to fall for him and invite him to his parent's home (where a crime is to be committed) but Jeff is falling for Alan himself.
The story is combines a mystery and romance. It is easy to feel for both Jeff and Alan as they struggle with their feelings towards one another. Jeff dislikes the situation he is in and Alan ends up feeling betrayed.
I thought the ending was a slight (and only slight) let down. I wanted the book to end with a bang in a big dramatic moment. Yes, there was a big dramatic moment but this wasn't the end of the book. It took another chapter or two to bring things to their conclusion.
September 10, 2012
The backdrop plot about fraudulent metal detectorists who go ransacking unexplored archeological sites only to place precious items elsewhere in order to discover them and rake in the finders fee–I’d never heard about such a thing, but found it very interesting, and it was depicted in a way I found completely comprehensible. The villains in and of themselves were mean and somewhat over the top, but this made for a satisfying action-filled showdown which I thoroughly enjoyed, not lastly for Alan’s mother–she’s quite the character, that one.
The story was mostly about the romance though. Jeff is used to live along the lines of the end justifying the means, for all intents and purposes prostituting himself in order to accomplish his missions. But lately, he’s come to doubt his credo, particularly since he finds himself falling for his newest target, Alan, son of a farmer who might or might not be involved in the metal detectorist’s antiques fraud.
As a character, I found Jeff the more interesting of the two, and the better developed one. He sure was fascinating, with his talent to change personas like a chameleon, and his conflict was worse than Alan’s. Once he realized that there were feelings at play, his own as well as Alan’s, Jeff found himself torn between warring loyalties. His mission or his feelings, what was more important? His job, which he had come to realize cost him more than he was willing to invest in the long haul, or a future relationship which was nebulous at best, and in fact unlikely to happen once Alan discovered his guile? Basing a relationship on lies and betrayal is likely to cause quite a lot of angst, but with the characterization of Jeff, I found this very well done, dramatic without sliding off into melodrama, and quite fetching. I particularly liked the fact that he didn’t simply do a one-eighty for Alan’s sake. He did his best to cater to both sides, knowing he was digging his own grave but still taking the risk, and this was what won him my heart. Jeff is a liar, and a cheater, but still a very likable character.
Alan on the other hand was so wholesome and guileless he appeared almost naive. He recently came off a relationship with an unfaithful yet possessive closet case, and he told himself he was done with relationships, done with falling in love with the wrong guy and most of all, done with being lied to. Finding out about Jeff’s betrayal hurt him deeply, and of course he went into his sulking corner. Even though I could’ve slapped him for not being more forgiving to Jeff, I could also relate to Alan’s behavior; and although it scraped hard on the edge of the Big Misunderstanding, the two of them cared enough to try and reconcile with each other–or at least had enough common sense to listen to their well-meaning friends. Along with the latter, I thought Alan and Jeff could be good for each other; Alan helped waking Jeff’s conscience as well as his self-awareness while Jeff appealed to Alan’s sense of adventure and showed him that some risks are well worth taking. Anyhow, I found myself crossing my fingers for them.
Overall, this is a pleasant, enjoyable and highly entertaining read, with angst as well as action, and laced with a little bit of delicious humor. Recommended.
Review originally written for www.reviewsbyjessewave.com
The story was mostly about the romance though. Jeff is used to live along the lines of the end justifying the means, for all intents and purposes prostituting himself in order to accomplish his missions. But lately, he’s come to doubt his credo, particularly since he finds himself falling for his newest target, Alan, son of a farmer who might or might not be involved in the metal detectorist’s antiques fraud.
As a character, I found Jeff the more interesting of the two, and the better developed one. He sure was fascinating, with his talent to change personas like a chameleon, and his conflict was worse than Alan’s. Once he realized that there were feelings at play, his own as well as Alan’s, Jeff found himself torn between warring loyalties. His mission or his feelings, what was more important? His job, which he had come to realize cost him more than he was willing to invest in the long haul, or a future relationship which was nebulous at best, and in fact unlikely to happen once Alan discovered his guile? Basing a relationship on lies and betrayal is likely to cause quite a lot of angst, but with the characterization of Jeff, I found this very well done, dramatic without sliding off into melodrama, and quite fetching. I particularly liked the fact that he didn’t simply do a one-eighty for Alan’s sake. He did his best to cater to both sides, knowing he was digging his own grave but still taking the risk, and this was what won him my heart. Jeff is a liar, and a cheater, but still a very likable character.
Alan on the other hand was so wholesome and guileless he appeared almost naive. He recently came off a relationship with an unfaithful yet possessive closet case, and he told himself he was done with relationships, done with falling in love with the wrong guy and most of all, done with being lied to. Finding out about Jeff’s betrayal hurt him deeply, and of course he went into his sulking corner. Even though I could’ve slapped him for not being more forgiving to Jeff, I could also relate to Alan’s behavior; and although it scraped hard on the edge of the Big Misunderstanding, the two of them cared enough to try and reconcile with each other–or at least had enough common sense to listen to their well-meaning friends. Along with the latter, I thought Alan and Jeff could be good for each other; Alan helped waking Jeff’s conscience as well as his self-awareness while Jeff appealed to Alan’s sense of adventure and showed him that some risks are well worth taking. Anyhow, I found myself crossing my fingers for them.
Overall, this is a pleasant, enjoyable and highly entertaining read, with angst as well as action, and laced with a little bit of delicious humor. Recommended.
Review originally written for www.reviewsbyjessewave.com
August 5, 2016
What if your job involved seducing someone into trusting you, so they tell you all their secrets? How far would you go before you started feeling uncomfortable? This sounds like a question that could be debated by an ethics class, but in this case, Chris Quinton has decided to show all the pitfalls by writing a story. One with great characters, a conscience getting involved, and a man learning that a job, after all is said and done, is just a job. I think it is a wonderful way to show us what "I'm just doing my job" could do to others, the hurt that kind of an attitude can cause. Needless to say, I really liked the author's answer!
Jeff resembles a chameleon. He is a master of going undercover, of becoming someone else and playing a role. It allows him to distance himself from what he does, the sleazy criminals he has to be "friends" with in order to catch them. After all, it isn't really him who is slightly duplicitous. In the case that is at the center of this book, he doesn't have enough time between jobs, cannot gain enough distance from the role he's played for a long time, before he has to start a new assignment. What does he do? He falls back on being himself, since that is the only personality he has at his disposal, so to speak. So, this time, when he "sneaks up" on his target, it is him who does the lying and pretending, not some persona he's come up with. And guess what? This is the first time the full impact of what he does and the potential moral issues around that fully hit him. His process of waking up to that reality was fascinating to watch.
Alan is the "seducee", son of a farmer, and probably one of the most honest and straightforward men Jeff has ever come across. He has a problem with an ex, he is worried about the farm's future, and he trusts easily. Not that he really wants a relationship, but he has no idea that the very foundation of his and Jeff's acquaintance is flawed. His reaction to it and how he deals with the fallout made sure there was enough tension in the story to keep me turning the pages.
If you like stories with slightly shady main characters who learn and grow, if you enjoy rural settings, and if a bit of action adventure mixed in with your romance is what you're looking for, you will probably like this book.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishings for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jeff resembles a chameleon. He is a master of going undercover, of becoming someone else and playing a role. It allows him to distance himself from what he does, the sleazy criminals he has to be "friends" with in order to catch them. After all, it isn't really him who is slightly duplicitous. In the case that is at the center of this book, he doesn't have enough time between jobs, cannot gain enough distance from the role he's played for a long time, before he has to start a new assignment. What does he do? He falls back on being himself, since that is the only personality he has at his disposal, so to speak. So, this time, when he "sneaks up" on his target, it is him who does the lying and pretending, not some persona he's come up with. And guess what? This is the first time the full impact of what he does and the potential moral issues around that fully hit him. His process of waking up to that reality was fascinating to watch.
Alan is the "seducee", son of a farmer, and probably one of the most honest and straightforward men Jeff has ever come across. He has a problem with an ex, he is worried about the farm's future, and he trusts easily. Not that he really wants a relationship, but he has no idea that the very foundation of his and Jeff's acquaintance is flawed. His reaction to it and how he deals with the fallout made sure there was enough tension in the story to keep me turning the pages.
If you like stories with slightly shady main characters who learn and grow, if you enjoy rural settings, and if a bit of action adventure mixed in with your romance is what you're looking for, you will probably like this book.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishings for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 16, 2012
3.5 stars – Pretty readable m/m mystery suspense romance about Jeff, an insurance security operative who specializes in “skin jobs” or seducing people as a part of the case. Coming off a long job in Russia, Jeff finds himself shoved into a new assignment with no lag time to decompress, and this new assignment is made even more difficult by both his real attraction to his mark, and to his continuing struggle with balancing the character he’s supposed to play and the real him slipping through.
The things I liked—the author did a nice job of balancing both MC perspectives, that of Jeff (the operative) and Alan (the object of his seduction.) Both characters are likeable, especially Alan, who radiates decency and is quite pleased that Jeff is interested in him. I also appreciated how she wrote them as very balanced as they bounce off each other--one wasn’t super Alpha over the other. Partway through, the story also shifts from upstate New York to England, and the rural local was also fun to read about.
What didn’t work so well—the characters are likeable, but I still felt they lacked depth, and I wouldn’t have minded them having stronger personalities. The story also felt a little slow and dull. I liked the build-up and the attraction growing between Jeff and Alan, but what tension the story had didn’t feel enough to make it a really riveting read. It’s a pleasant book, but not very memorable. I’m not sure what would work to strengthen it though, maybe a longer climax with more action, or longer epilogue with more character interaction. ( Overall, an okay read, well-written, but I would have liked a little more excitement.
The things I liked—the author did a nice job of balancing both MC perspectives, that of Jeff (the operative) and Alan (the object of his seduction.) Both characters are likeable, especially Alan, who radiates decency and is quite pleased that Jeff is interested in him. I also appreciated how she wrote them as very balanced as they bounce off each other--one wasn’t super Alpha over the other. Partway through, the story also shifts from upstate New York to England, and the rural local was also fun to read about.
What didn’t work so well—the characters are likeable, but I still felt they lacked depth, and I wouldn’t have minded them having stronger personalities. The story also felt a little slow and dull. I liked the build-up and the attraction growing between Jeff and Alan, but what tension the story had didn’t feel enough to make it a really riveting read. It’s a pleasant book, but not very memorable. I’m not sure what would work to strengthen it though, maybe a longer climax with more action, or longer epilogue with more character interaction. ( Overall, an okay read, well-written, but I would have liked a little more excitement.
August 30, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I never knew what a 'Skin Job' was and I found it an interesting concept, add in the stolen artefacts mystery and I was hooked.
Jeff, working for a 'retrieval' company is literally thrust straight into a new job, without any downtime., because of this Jeff came over as quite vulnerable, so much of 'himself' was on show and it unsettled him. I liked that, it made Jeff a much more sympathetic character than he could have been.
Jeff's new target, Alan, is the son of a farmer Jeff's firm suspect of being involved in a multi million dollar scam to bury, and then dig up, a valuable historical artefact. Jeff is tasked with building up a relationship with Alan in time to be invited to the farm so he can investigate the scam.
Jeff finds himself immediately drawn to Alan, this complicates things as he finds it hard to think of Alan being involved in anything illegal.
I loved the measured build up of Alan and Jeff's relationship, it had to be quick as Jeff only had a couple of weeks to ensure he traveled home with Alan but the build up was still believable. I won't say anymore as I don't want to give anything away but suffice to say I loved this book. It has everything you could want, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Jeff, working for a 'retrieval' company is literally thrust straight into a new job, without any downtime., because of this Jeff came over as quite vulnerable, so much of 'himself' was on show and it unsettled him. I liked that, it made Jeff a much more sympathetic character than he could have been.
Jeff's new target, Alan, is the son of a farmer Jeff's firm suspect of being involved in a multi million dollar scam to bury, and then dig up, a valuable historical artefact. Jeff is tasked with building up a relationship with Alan in time to be invited to the farm so he can investigate the scam.
Jeff finds himself immediately drawn to Alan, this complicates things as he finds it hard to think of Alan being involved in anything illegal.
I loved the measured build up of Alan and Jeff's relationship, it had to be quick as Jeff only had a couple of weeks to ensure he traveled home with Alan but the build up was still believable. I won't say anymore as I don't want to give anything away but suffice to say I loved this book. It has everything you could want, mystery, intrigue and romance.
December 17, 2014
I liked this book! I really felt for Jeff. His job is a tough one and he has done a lot of crazy undercover work, but not being able to debrief after a long assignment and then having to work with someone he actually likes makes for a tough situation. Jeff and Alan were cute together. The only thing that made no sense to me was that they decided to have a "no-strings relationship", but then Alan invites him across the country to meet his parents? Didn't sound no-strings to me.
June 22, 2016
Very good, if a teeny, tiny bit rushed at the end
August 28, 2012
Love, love, love!
July 12, 2017
Fantastic characters and I loved the story. Good read.
March 14, 2025
'Finders, Keepers' by Chris Quinton
Stolen treasures by international art thieves, faked archeological treasure "discoveries", undercover agent/spy, falling in love with a possible criminal...yep, it's all there!
Even though there were some gaps in the storyline, missing info I wanted to be given to us (the readers) especially at the end...I quite liked this tale of intrigue and the "accidental" love story, a side benefit, as it were, in a tale of art thievery and international spies. Surprises in the ending that I didn't see coming!
I'll go out of my way to pick up books by Chris Quinton as they are a fave author of mine; I like their writing style and the way they write unusual storylines!
Wish more of their books were in paperback (or on Audible) and not just e-books; maybe that will change.
The teaser for this novella caught my interest and I'm glad I picked it up, as it was a pretty cool international intrigue storyline.
So...
A strange order comes down from one of our MC's bosses: to basically have one of the agency's PIs stalk a whole family that are suspected of stealing rare antiquities from various countries, subsequently smuggling them back to Great Britain, burying them in various planned locations, then "fake-finding" them. After they are authenticated by experts, they then get put up for sale to the highest bidder.
At first everyone in this family is a suspect but as the storyline plays out, our intrepid detective starts getting romantically interested in one of the suspect family's grown sons...problem is, he doesn't know if the son is actually a criminal or an innocent bystander, caught in someone else's net by accident.
Great mystery-adventure with some 'edge-of-your-seat' moments!
Oh and yeah, some steamy heated interactions between the two guys, too, who are falling for each other even while they feel like they shouldn't, because they really DON'T know who they can trust!
This was a combination of being a sort of silly, yet also deadly dangerous situation, seemingly involving an international theft ring. I kept wondering who was going to survive and make it out of these complex and convoluted traps alive!
(I'm not giving it all away; you gotta read it, lol)
Always interesting to discover more books by this author, as there are usually some unforseen plot twists.
Re-read this; great story!
Two thumbs up! 👍👍
Stolen treasures by international art thieves, faked archeological treasure "discoveries", undercover agent/spy, falling in love with a possible criminal...yep, it's all there!
Even though there were some gaps in the storyline, missing info I wanted to be given to us (the readers) especially at the end...I quite liked this tale of intrigue and the "accidental" love story, a side benefit, as it were, in a tale of art thievery and international spies. Surprises in the ending that I didn't see coming!
I'll go out of my way to pick up books by Chris Quinton as they are a fave author of mine; I like their writing style and the way they write unusual storylines!
Wish more of their books were in paperback (or on Audible) and not just e-books; maybe that will change.
The teaser for this novella caught my interest and I'm glad I picked it up, as it was a pretty cool international intrigue storyline.
So...
A strange order comes down from one of our MC's bosses: to basically have one of the agency's PIs stalk a whole family that are suspected of stealing rare antiquities from various countries, subsequently smuggling them back to Great Britain, burying them in various planned locations, then "fake-finding" them. After they are authenticated by experts, they then get put up for sale to the highest bidder.
At first everyone in this family is a suspect but as the storyline plays out, our intrepid detective starts getting romantically interested in one of the suspect family's grown sons...problem is, he doesn't know if the son is actually a criminal or an innocent bystander, caught in someone else's net by accident.
Great mystery-adventure with some 'edge-of-your-seat' moments!
Oh and yeah, some steamy heated interactions between the two guys, too, who are falling for each other even while they feel like they shouldn't, because they really DON'T know who they can trust!
This was a combination of being a sort of silly, yet also deadly dangerous situation, seemingly involving an international theft ring. I kept wondering who was going to survive and make it out of these complex and convoluted traps alive!
(I'm not giving it all away; you gotta read it, lol)
Always interesting to discover more books by this author, as there are usually some unforseen plot twists.
Re-read this; great story!
Two thumbs up! 👍👍
May 17, 2015
4 Heart Review by Lily
Jeff just came off a very stressful undercover job for his company’s covert Retrievals Department, and without a proper break he is thrown into another mission. In this new mission, he needs to focus on Alan, who is the son of a possible suspect. Alan is hurting after splitting from his cheating boyfriend so he agrees to a “friends with benefits” offer from Jeff. Even though Alan knows what he agreed with Jeff is meant to be casual, he can’t help but notice how wonderful Jeff is. He is different from the other men Alan has met in the past. This is where things get tangled for Jeff, because he ends up falling in love with Alan somewhere along the line. He is not focusing on his job and he needs to keep Alan safe.
This story is full of suspense, romance, secrets, sizzling sensuous sex scenes and drama. But that’s not all. There is still more, thanks to interfering family and friends! It’s a very engaging story.
I think Jeff is simply a loveable guy with a big heart, so I felt for him. He was more than a handsome guy and I really connected with him. I can imagine how hard it must be doing the job he does to the point of burning him out. This part felt real to me.
Alan and Jeff’s friends with benefits idea really was endearing because you just know that they’re going to fall in love with each other. Alan is simply perfect for Jeff. Well, I think he would be perfect for a lot of men.
This story flows so beautifully with its suspense, romance and drama that I read it straight through without a break. I loved the dialogue, and how the story flowed. I really enjoyed reading this sweet story. This is my first Chris Quinton story and heaven knows, I shall be adding more of this writer’s books to my “must read” list. You would be hard pressed to go past reading books of this standard. Don’t miss out on this enjoyable experience.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
Jeff just came off a very stressful undercover job for his company’s covert Retrievals Department, and without a proper break he is thrown into another mission. In this new mission, he needs to focus on Alan, who is the son of a possible suspect. Alan is hurting after splitting from his cheating boyfriend so he agrees to a “friends with benefits” offer from Jeff. Even though Alan knows what he agreed with Jeff is meant to be casual, he can’t help but notice how wonderful Jeff is. He is different from the other men Alan has met in the past. This is where things get tangled for Jeff, because he ends up falling in love with Alan somewhere along the line. He is not focusing on his job and he needs to keep Alan safe.
This story is full of suspense, romance, secrets, sizzling sensuous sex scenes and drama. But that’s not all. There is still more, thanks to interfering family and friends! It’s a very engaging story.
I think Jeff is simply a loveable guy with a big heart, so I felt for him. He was more than a handsome guy and I really connected with him. I can imagine how hard it must be doing the job he does to the point of burning him out. This part felt real to me.
Alan and Jeff’s friends with benefits idea really was endearing because you just know that they’re going to fall in love with each other. Alan is simply perfect for Jeff. Well, I think he would be perfect for a lot of men.
This story flows so beautifully with its suspense, romance and drama that I read it straight through without a break. I loved the dialogue, and how the story flowed. I really enjoyed reading this sweet story. This is my first Chris Quinton story and heaven knows, I shall be adding more of this writer’s books to my “must read” list. You would be hard pressed to go past reading books of this standard. Don’t miss out on this enjoyable experience.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
June 19, 2015
Insurance investigator finds love while on the job in this M/M romance.
Jeff needs a vacation, but is quickly recycled into another investigation into a planting of expensive artifacts in a UK farming town. Jeff needs to seduce the son of the possible thief, Alan. Alan is a kind generous history teacher who honestly falls for Jeff. That's when things get complicated because they start to be in love for real, but Jeff is hiding too many lies that could make everything explode into hurt feelings and loneliness.
I liked Jeff, but he was put into an impossible situation with Alan.
The HEA makes sense in this story, but the ex-boyfriend obsession was weird and how was he getting money/time to keep showing up at the wrong moments? It was like he didn't have a job and an ex-wife and kid to pay for. That part of the story was upsetting.
Fun read with a good introduction to the heritage laws in England because the story would be different in France where the owner of the propriety where artifacts do not get as much from the sale because they are not allowed to sell or export.
245 pages
3 stars
Jeff needs a vacation, but is quickly recycled into another investigation into a planting of expensive artifacts in a UK farming town. Jeff needs to seduce the son of the possible thief, Alan. Alan is a kind generous history teacher who honestly falls for Jeff. That's when things get complicated because they start to be in love for real, but Jeff is hiding too many lies that could make everything explode into hurt feelings and loneliness.
I liked Jeff, but he was put into an impossible situation with Alan.
The HEA makes sense in this story, but the ex-boyfriend obsession was weird and how was he getting money/time to keep showing up at the wrong moments? It was like he didn't have a job and an ex-wife and kid to pay for. That part of the story was upsetting.
Fun read with a good introduction to the heritage laws in England because the story would be different in France where the owner of the propriety where artifacts do not get as much from the sale because they are not allowed to sell or export.
245 pages
3 stars
September 6, 2013
This was absolutely the business for me. Terrific characters, well constructed story, good source of external conflict causing lies and deceit and masses of exciting incident.
Also it didn't hurt that there were some very well written females who didn't fall into the usual categories for male male romances - no vengeful exes, or predatory cougars determined to drive the OTP apart here. And the lads were very sweet, each in their own way.
There were things I would like to have seen more of - can't say what they are cuz of spoilers - but on the whole this was a terrific read and well worth 5 stars.
Also it didn't hurt that there were some very well written females who didn't fall into the usual categories for male male romances - no vengeful exes, or predatory cougars determined to drive the OTP apart here. And the lads were very sweet, each in their own way.
There were things I would like to have seen more of - can't say what they are cuz of spoilers - but on the whole this was a terrific read and well worth 5 stars.
July 26, 2014
There were lots of things about this that should have made me not like it, but somehow I still did. It needed further proofreading, there were some punctuation issues as well as characters referred to by the wrong name. I think this might have worked a bit better for me if the balance of the book had been a bit different, I needed to spend more time with the couple after Jeff's assignment had been revealed in order for the ending to be convincing for me. I also am really not a fan of . Despite that, I still liked Jeff and Alan and wanted them to have a happily ever after.
November 17, 2012
I felt so bad for Jeff from the beginning of the story. He was clearly upset about the last case, he hasn't had a chance to regroup, and he doesn't really want to scam an innocent by-stander. AND this is all before he even really falls for the guy. What sure have been a simple retrieval turns out to be so much more. Alan has to deal with feeling used. This story is full of tension and really draws the reader into the story.
September 16, 2012
Very good m/m romantic suspense a covert recovery agent for an insurance company who isn't able to keep his emotional distance from the guy he's gotten close to for a job, even knowing that things won't end well. The ending seemed a bit rushed, alas, but otherwise this totally sucked me in.
September 10, 2016
2.75 to 3 stars
February 26, 2013
3.5 stars. Good story, high quality writing, too many Secrets (followed by brooding, I hate brooding), ending felt a little rushed. Pretty good.
September 12, 2012
enjoyable.
December 9, 2012
Provided for review. Review can be found at http://manohmanreviews.blogspot.com/
May 22, 2013
3.5 stars
Read
May 30, 2020Loved it
December 13, 2012
3.5 stars
March 16, 2015
Lots of telling and I was super bored.
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