The Face in the Water

Iron on Iron #1

by Gregory Ashe

Come to Missouri! See the sights! Solve a murder! When Teancum Leon, a wildlife veterinarian, and his husband, semi-reformed conman Jeremiah Berger, go to a conference in central Missouri, they’re expecting a short and uneventful trip. Tean will present a paper, attend a few panels, and network (under duress). Jem is looking forward to unlimited poolside drinks, some well-deserved couple time, and peace and quiet. Instead, they find themselves drawn into a frantic search after the head of the association goes missing. Worse, Tean’s friend from grad school is arrested—and charged with murder. Their investigation takes them face-to-face with a fervent conspiracist, a band of wildlife traffickers, the owner of a big cat sanctuary, and more. But the real killer doesn’t want to be found, and they’ll do anything to stop Tean and Jem from learning the truth. Lucky for them, they’ve got a reluctant group of allies. Not so lucky for them? Their allies are…well, characters.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Crime, LGBT, Audiobook

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2023

About the author

I'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.

While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!

My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.

Reviews

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*tgif! if you had any prior plans this weekend, throw them out the window, because it's this "Jem" of a read's release day! venture forth for the most captivating start to the greatest assemble series in crossover history 🦸

calling all newcomers to the world of Gregory Ashe! if you want to jump into this crossover with the most context surrounding these characters and their backstories, please scroll to the bottom for a recommended reading order 😊

some encounters slip past the body's defenses, settle behind your sternum, and call the heart and lungs home. so each beat, each breath, sparks a cascade of stored, ineffable emotional responses that circumvent the logic center, seeing straight through us, and all we can do is feel.

(...no, Tean, this isn't a discussion on T cruzi or lung fluke!)

this book is just that: a groundbreaking shakedown of crossovers rivaling that of the Avengers; a writer’s ambitious project to execute mammoth logistics and interpersonal explorations under the looming, sinister underbelly of an operation too close to home; and a piece of art i will inevitably fall short of describing because words are not enough.

almost three years mark Tean and Jem’s last on-page appearance in the Hazardverse timeline, and yet right off the bat, it’s like we never left. GA expertly paints the perfect set of circumstances to ease us back into their tender dynamic, near and dear to our hearts, while also leaving room for old, lingering insecurities to take hold. this resurgence threatens their stability, but the course back to harmony is Goldilocks's "just right," neither too glib nor too angsty. the authentic bridging of that gap sans feelings of disconnect, of being recklessly dumped into the fray, is a testament to the attentive care taken to stay true to these characters.

i've been imagining GA's racing brain like a hamster shot out of a cannon straight onto a spinning wheel, and by some miracle, never losing momentum. between eight unique personalities, each scene is a delicate balancing act of whom to showcase whilst juggling many other hearty plot components in the span of a single volume. however, even with these varying degrees, he pads the spaces with the most chaotically creative off-the-cuff remarks and back-and-forths. he encapsulates the characters with such suave accuracy, it makes picking each voice out of a lineup a cakewalk. and of course, it wouldn't be GA without clever hints alluding to what’s to come in brief visions of hairline cracks and fissures fast reaching a bursting point.

with thrumming pulses along its elaborate circuitry and the wherewithal to intuitively know the perfect amount of acceleration and deceleration for pivotal character moments, the plot is electrifying kinetic. the authentic display of men supporting men - emotionally, physically, brotastically - and offering each other a safe space to sit and discuss their own brutal yet beautiful treks in life will always make me misty-eyed. they're oftentimes abrasive, other times playful, and now and again, vulnerable.

they're spectacularly human.

so i hope you've been swearing like a sailor to fill up your swear jar coffers, because those precious nickels and dimes will have a chief role to play come August 11!

Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book; this is my honest review :)

---initial reaction---

status: deceased

banging on pots and pans to get everyone’s attention because the first book of IRON ON IRON (the Hazardverse crossover) is arriving this August!!

excitement personified - no better way to describe how i feel at this very moment. once i saw that not only were my babies Tean and Jem coming back, but coming back after a timeskip as (blurb spoilers) *wheezing noises* work and packing struggles begone! i live with a renewed sense of purpose 😌

---new to the Hazardverse?---

i can't blame you for immediately adding this beaut to your tbr after seeing the gorgeous cover, but did you know that this is actually book 1 of an epic crossover adventure featuring *eight* protagonists across GA's four primary mystery series? i know that's a whole lot of words and overwhelming numbers, so to help break it down, here's a simple guide:



the listed order from top to bottom is my personal reading recommendation (based on cameos and other easter eggs) for the Hazardverse - what we lovingly call this set of interconnected books - but feel free to go wherever the wind takes you as you jump between couples.

for more details, check out his website: https://www.gregoryashe.com/hazardver...

everyone else: who is ready to rumbleeeeee? *maniacal cheers* with Iron on Iron next up on GA's publishing schedule, there's no better time than now to confirm our completion status as we await this next phase 😎

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook - 5 stars

Story -4 stars

Main cast - Tean and Jem

Loved the ensemble cast.

Enjoyed the interactions, the mystery and the romance part.

Many thanks to the author for the complimentary audiobook.

[Cyndi (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was a poorly planned reread on my part. I thought I had a week to reimmerse myself into this series before getting my Kickstarter copy of The Evening Wolves, but surprise surprise - it came yesterday! Cue all the angst of an impossible decision! But I will persevere because I loved going back to the beginning of this mystery and catching all of the smaller details I missed the first time. If I could give this book more stars, I would do it for the Tean & Emery bar scene alone.

-------Original Review--------

I recently listened to a podcast about parasocial relationships and realized while reading this book that I might be in one with 8 fictional men who were born in Gregory Ashe’s brain. As each couple entered stage left in this Hazardverse, Assemble crossover event, I nearly fell out of my chair with excitement. It was a “it’s 3am on Christmas morning and I think I heard Santa” level of giddiness. I adore these characters (in a healthy, non-obsessive kind of way) and seeing them interact with each other in this book made me levitate. There have been cameos in the past, but nothing like this and never with Tean and Jem added to the mix. The emotions I experienced during all of their interactions ran the gamut. I laughed, I cried, I felt my hackles rise. I wanted to convince them to trust each other because I knew that they could. I wanted to interject and tell them which stories to share. I wanted them to stop trading insults for five seconds and realize how much they had in common. I smiled until my face hurt as two characters I’ve been dying to see share the page went full on Battle of the Brains. Every personality shined with a reliability that only an author who knows their characters down to their marrow would be able to pull off in such a perfect way. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - I loved this book so much.

I was surprised when I found out that Tean and Jem would be starting the series, but I now realize how necessary it was. I loved seeing them outside of their natural habitat, especially my favorite regimented wildlife veterinarian, Tean. I honestly couldn’t wait to see what the Missouri humidity would do to his hair and was not disappointed at all. Per usual, GA didn’t just create a mystery to be solved. He let the mystery and the upheaval it caused shine light on cracks that weren’t visible when life progressed according to regularly scheduled programming. That light was primarily focused on Tean and Jem in this book, but there were cracks all around. Since the book hasn't been officially released yet, I'll leave it at that.

A few random thoughts:
1. I always love it when people first see John-Henry’s tattoos. I have this “yeah, you thought you knew” reaction every time.
2. Soft Hazard is my favorite Hazard.
3. Don’t for a second think that I missed the subtle reference to a certain character's shadowy alter ego. Whether that was just a wink and a nod or a serious hint of what’s to come, I’m here for it either way.

To say I’m looking forward to the next book would be a gross understatement. Auggie and Theo were my entry point into this shared universe, so they hold a special place in my heart. I'm worried about the obvious strain in their relationship. Timeline wise, they’ve been a couple the longest, yet they feel the least solid. The sneak peek at the end of this book did nothing to assuage my fears, but I have faith in Thuggie. October 6th can’t come soon enough!

[NikNak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 4.5 for me😍

I’ll be honest. I was a little nervous about how all this would come together.
We’ve been lucky enough to have been granted closer access to Greg writing processes over the last couple of year and this series has really been hyped up by us fans. A cross over between all our favourite characters ? Yes please!

Without spoiling anything. When I started reading this book I did have a small niggling doubt that the crossover perhaps wasn’t going to turn out quite as successful as I’d hoped. There are a lot of characters and ALOT of personalities to introduce into the mix and I wasn’t sure there would be enough of everyone for me to be truly satisfied.

However, I needn’t have doubted our supreme leader. About 1/3 into the book I started to feel like I was amongst old friends. Some slightly frustrating and annoying friends.. but still very comforting.
The mystery element was fun, as always and we got our mix of fun , somber and heartwarming which is pretty much this authors signature.

I am very much looking forward to our next book in the series.

Thanks Greg ❤️

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much funnier than I was expecting!!

I loved how Tean and Jem fit into the group, and all four couples working together to solve the crime was so entertaining.

Considering each of the eight characters has their own strong and distinct personality, it actually impressed me that they all stayed true to themselves. Everyone felt like they acted exactly how they would in their own series.

I really liked Emery debating with Tean, Auggie and Jem absolutely have to be best friends now, and North needs a medal for dealing with Shaw for this long.

The bad guy just had me picturing Joe Exotic as soon as it was stated he ran a big cat sanctuary - I couldn't unsee it and even when the guy was described, my brain kept superimposing leopard print and tacky jewellery onto him 😂

I think I also like the shorter book length and the faster pacing too!

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jem and Tean and it’s funny because I never thought of them ever being in the Hazardverse yet here they are. I forgot how much I loved them and it was such a gift that they are in another series and that this first book was from their point of view.

If you are reading this book you really should make sure you’ve read all the other books. There is a reading order on Ashe’s website but I read them as they came out. I first read Pretty Pretty Boys shortly after it was released because I love mysteries. I wasn’t sure at first if I liked the book but something pulled me in because I continued the series as each book was released and I fell in love with Emery and John.

North and Shaw are really special. They appear silly and goofy but as you keep reading there are many surprises. That series has some of my favorite books written by Gregory Ashe.

I took longer to read Theo and Auggie’s books. I don’t know why but of course as soon as I started I was telling myself “why did I wait so long?”.

Those three series are connected in certain ways and you see these characters appear in each others books at times. That was always a treat! This book is like that treat but on steroids.

Back to Jem and Tean. They are from Utah so that’s why I never even considered them meeting up with the Missouri boys. A few years have passed and they’re married! What?!? They are also foster parents to two girls and I need to see this in a book. Them all together at home. Tean is still shy and reserved in many ways, unless you mess with Jem. Jem has tried very hard to leave his conman ways behind him but it’s a part of him. When they visit Missouri for an animal conference for Tean, Jem is feeling insecure. He has time on his hands and so he sees an opportunity to con someone. Unfortunately this con gets him in deep trouble. This coincides with Tean’s friend being accused of murder. Throw in Hazard and Somerset attending the conference as a gift from their son, Auggie and Theo are there because Auggie is the conferences photographer/social media person and North and Shaw are there because they’ve been hired to find one of the conference goers.

Things get pretty crazy with all of these characters together. Jem and Tean don’t know these other men and therefore they don’t know if they can be trusted. In true Jem and Tean style they get themselves in many troubling situations trying to clear Tean’s friend of murder. It was fun to see these two once again becoming involved in this mess. They work together so well. I love how much they love each other and just get one another. There were so many sweet moments.

The mystery was interesting and there is so much more to come. I am beyond excited for more! More madness, more mysteries, more murder and definitely more mayhem. Everything I’ve come to expect and love from GA.

*ARC received for review
*All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Face in the Water is the first book in the eagerly-awaited crossover-to-end-all-crossover series, Iron on Iron from the seemingly non-stop-pen and imagination of Gregory Ashe. The series comprises four books, and each one features one of our favourite detecting couples – Hazard and Somerset, North and Shaw, Tean and Jem, and Theo and Auggie – as PoV characters, while they all also appear as supporting characters in the other books. It’s seems like a massive undertaking, juggling eight very distinct character voices, their existing relationships (the six Missourians (?) all know each other) and new ones (Jem and Tean are the outsiders, which puts Jem on edge) – keeping them all very much ‘themselves’ while having them work together (mostly) to solve a crime – oh, and by the way, did I mention the complex, clever mystery? I know authors write crossover books, but a crossover series on this scale? I’m not sure I’ve come across that before. That said – this is Gregory Ashe so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that he manages it, ALL of it, with aplomb and makes it look easy.

The PoV characters in The Face in the Water are wildlife vet Teancum Leon and his husband Jem Berger. They’re in Missouri to attend a conference where Tean is due to give a keynote speech, and we catch up with them as they’re checking into the hotel where it’s being held. They’ve been together for over three years and are clearly working on being better people for each other and the family they’ve created (they’re foster-Dads to two girls aged ten and six). But being so out of his element – among a bunch of highly educated people he can’t help but see as more Tean’s intellectual equals than he is – Jem lets his insecurities get the better of him and can’t resist slipping back into his comfort zone. He finds a mark and although he initially intends only to scam him out of a coffee or something small-scale, the guy leads him to believe he is somehow involved in trafficking rare animals. Knowing how disgusted Tean is by the practice – and with a part of him (a part he tries hard not to acknowledge) needing to feel like he’s doing something to make Tean proud of him - Jem agrees to meet the guy at out of town dive-bar to see what he can find out.

At the club, Jem takes the opportunity to do some snooping and does indeed find evidence of animal trafficking – and more – and barely manages to get away without being caught poking around. When he gets back to the hotel, he hasn’t figured out how to tell Tean what he was up to and is happy to take advantage of the distraction offered by the fact that the conference organiser, Yesenia, seems to have gone missing. It’s only later they find out she’s been murdered – and Missy, one of Tean’s friends and colleagues, is the prime suspect.

As usual, Gregory Ashe has crafted a thrilling, twisty mystery that will keep you guessing and have you on the edge of your seat as Jem and Tean – sometimes helped, sometimes hindered by their new friends – work to prove Missy’s innocence and find out who did kill Yesenia and why. But I suspect that the big draw for fans is the prospect of having so many of our favourite characters interacting on the page for more than the odd cameo appearance – and it’s masterfully done. These are eight very singular individuals with a wide variety of character traits and temperaments, and not only are they all immediately recognisable (even when Jem and Tean don’t know who they are, WE do – not just through physical description but also by the style of their interactions and their connections to each other) but a flavour of their personal relationships comes through as well, whether it’s Emery’s cranky pedantry, John-Henry’s aura of general peacemaker, Auggie’s mischievousness or Theo’s obvious protectiveness – all the little tells, the things that make any one of them so uniquely himself, are here. And my most favourite thing of all is when an author enables me to see characters I already know and love through the eyes of others, so I absolutely lapped up those scenes where Jem and Tean meet and spend time with the rest of the gang. We love Hazard, but he can come across as an uptight arsehole to those who don’t know him (well, at times, even to those who DO know him!); we know Theo isn’t a controlling dickhead, but his being so protective of Auggie can make it look that way; we know John-Henry is a decent human being, but Jem very quickly twigs to his “cop eyes” and is understandably wary of him. As for Shaw? Well, meeting him for the first time is certainly An Experience! The scenes where all eight of them interact are absolutely brilliant, but I also very much enjoyed those between two characters who have never interacted before - Somers making sure Tean is okay, for instance, or Tean and Hazard’s little heart-to-heart, which is just lovely.

But wonderful though all those interactions are, the author takes care to keep Tean and Jem at the centre of the story and continues to show how these two very different men – probably the sweetest of Gregory Ashe’s couples – continue to love and support and defend and be proud of each other every day. It might be three years since Mr. Ashe last wrote them, but from the moment they step onto the page, and despite the big changes in their lives, they’re still the same Jem – understanding and indulgent of his slightly neurotic husband – and Tean - protective and proud of how far Jem has come – and the affection and tenderness that has always underpinned their relationship permeates their every interaction. One of the best things about their relationship is their ability to keep talking through their mistakes and working together to fix them, and in this story, they’re given the opportunity to take a good look at their life together and to realise where they’ve stopped listening as much as they should have and that they need to do a little more work so they can come out stronger on the other side. Despite their traumatic and problematic pasts, Jem and Tean have always felt – to me – like the most secure of Ashe’s couples (well, apart from Hazard and Somers, who have had a lot longer to sort themselves out!) and I love their affectionate teasing and caring, supportive dynamic.

The Face in the Water comes after several years, thirty full-length novels and numerous short stories spent getting to know the eight principal characters, so I have to say that I think it’s unlikely that someone new to Mr. Ashe’s work would be able to pick up this book and enjoy it as much as someone who is familiar with at least some of his other series. The mystery is solved here, but when that door closes, another opens to point us in the direction we’ll be going in the next book, The Girl in the Wind, wherein Theo and Auggie will take centre stage.

Do I have any criticisms? A couple of minor ones (mostly due to North and Shaw being a bit too obviously the ‘comic relief’), but this book serves up such a wonderful mixture of suspense, humour, tenderness and insight, is so full of sparkling dialogue and vivid detail, and has been crafted with so much love and care that my small niggles don’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things. The Face in the Water is an absolute treat for the author’s growing number of fans, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book so slowly to savor all that wild character interactions!

Tean and Jem steer the story and it’s their POVs. Having their perspectives when they meet Shaw/North, Emery/John-Henry and Auggie/Theo was pretty mind blowing 🤯.

They are all in Auburn, Missouri for a conference. They all come together to solve a murder and to free an innocent woman. Poor Missy!

Shaw and North are their same old selves. Shaw is extra wild in this one. The things he says 🫣😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Emery has a bit of a professional crush on Tean. It was pretty sweet. John-Henry was his usual self. Keeping Emery from going off the rails 😆😆Emery’s original police partner pops up. It took me a bit to remember him. There were Easter eggs all over this book! I’ll definitely need to do a reread.

Jem is still Jem. The heart to hearts he has with Tean are truly special. I’m glad we got to read those. They really are a great match and to see how their lives have progressed since their last book was fun too!

All the nefarious characters in this one made you second guess who really was the bad guy/woman. They were all pretty terrible. All the MCs were in peril quite often. It was a bit stressful at times especially the Bengal Tiger part! Eeeek 😳😳😳

The end is a conclusion of sorts but leads to another mystery… I’m really looking forward to book 2.. this time from Theo and Auggie’s POV.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't want to write this review and maybe I'm just defective or biased or... IDK pick an adjective but I did not like this.

I don't like Jem at all.
Tean didn't wow me at all.
Even Emery was a little too extra for me.

I've not pulled the trigger on the North & Shaw series but if Shaw is like this in all of those...



The thing is... this mofo right here ended on a MAJOR CLIFF which, quite frankly, annoys the bejesus out of me. I absolutely haaaaaaate being left on a cliff but should I subject myself to being annoyed by these jokers more just because I'm toxically curious?

Seems a hair masochistic...

I'm also ordinarily a huge fan of GA so I kind of want to give him another shot but what if the next one ends on a cliff and I'm in the same place with these characters as I am now? Then I'm going to be super fussy.

Hard decision is hard.

Anyhoo, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“—if anything happened to you. I love you so much, I would die if I lost you. Probably.”

Jem couldn’t help it. The grin burst out.

“Well, I don’t know for sure,” Tean grumped. “From a scientific standpoint.”

“That’s ok. I can accept probably.”

For a long, quiet moment, Tean looked at him. The sound of the lake came through the open slider, and the smell of water, and that muggy blanket of heat weighing down every inch of exposed skin. “I would die,” Tean said softly.

This review was probably the hardest I ever had to write as I usually just string up some nonsensical words immediately after finishing a book. The Face in the Water I consumed in about four hours about ten days ago. A part of me feels like I need to reread this book to do it justice with this review but I'm not sure how sensical I can ever get with it as most of my experience can be summed up with a video edit of me screaming and tearing up with different emotions - one could say the entire breadth of emotions.

I honestly don't know where to start as this book gave me everything I wanted and more. I was so excited to see all these characters again and together. Jem and Tean being the first POVs we get in this series was the best choice as we got to see the three other couples - who already know each other - through their fresh eyes and god, what a group of weirdos (said affectionately). I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for GA to juggle all eight of these characters on the page but I adored the roles each of them played here - not only the detective work they individually shouldered but also as agents of the narrative.

Theo and Auggie were relatively in the background but they had one of my favorite scenes in the entire book and their quiet presence only made me more excited for the second book which will be from their POVs and I feel like we've been already promised some good protective!Theo story coming up.

North and Shaw are always a blast to me, in their own books, with their cameos, even with simple name drops - I'll admit, I was kind of worried here as I see they tend to get a little flanderized by the readers because of their more humourous disposition (see: Shaw hardly being discussed in any other way except the "he loves Hazard" lens) but my trust in Greg in writing his characters paid off as while they were providing the most of the humor as I thought they would, the execution was not only elevated by their quirks, subtleties, and the genuineness in their relationships but it was also simply hilarious.

Hazard and Somers, of course, had the biggest supporting role. It made me tear up with how much I love them both and their journey from beginning to here (especially considering I'm in the middle of an arc one reread); they carried the most genuine and heartfelt plot threads through their interactions with Jem and Tean and created some of the best dialogues I've seen from GA.

Jem and Tean were obviously the heart of this book, though. If you know anything about me and my feelings about this entire shared universe with now 38 books, then you know how fcking much The Lamb and the Lion series means to me. It's not just my favorite series in Hazardverse; it's simply three of my most favorite books of all time. Having Jem and Tean back and being in their heads again was everything I was ever looking for. We see them a few years after where we've left them, in an entirely new and different stage of their relationship, but they are as supportive and soft and loving with each other as ever. Iron on Iron is a series of feel-good books (I know it's written by Gregory Ashe, just believe me) and I cannot think of anything as feel-good as how Jem and Tean feel about each other and talk to each other and support each other. Even their little insecurities they experience in this book just feel warm, I don't have any other words for how they make me feel.

It was genuinely the best experience to see them situated in this new setting so I could live their love and support for each other through the actions, reactions, clashes, and vulnerable moments they had with the other guys where it concerned the other. My only criticism of this book is (which is not a criticism at all) that it only made me want that second Jem and Tean arc so badly. I feel it as a literal ache in my heart that we didn't get to see those few years between their last book and now. The internal turmoil Jem was going through in this one, while understated compared to anything else GA has ever written, just makes me wonder more about those initial few years of their relationship. Greg if you see this, please give me a second arc with them.

This ties perfectly to how I feel about the ending of this book. I want more! I'm just getting used to reading Greg's books one by one and painfully waiting for the next installment and it doesn't fit my "I need to consume everything about this NOW" way of living. Especially with this book as it justifiably feels like one piece of four and especially with that ending 👀👀 There are already so many precious dynamics established here with one book and I want to see every other possible combination and I want to see more of the ones we've already got. And I want more laugh-out-loud moments (shoutout to Jem's humor I couldn't fit anywhere else in this review). While I don't want it to end ever, I'm also looking forward to seeing these dummies from Theo and Auggie's POV as soon as possible.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Evelyn220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ oh how I missed all my boys! The banter in this is brilliant. All four couples riff off each other perfectly. Absolutely hilarious all the way through. Probably the funniest GA book in the Hazardverse.
The murder mystery was intriguing and kept me engaged, and it’s nice to see more of Jem and Tean as an established couple, happy but still working on their relationship issues.
Highly recommend the audio!

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Delightful Rollercoaster!!

AMAZING NARRATION by JF Harding!! 😍😍👏😍😍
For best enjoyment, be a fan of Ashe’s other couples: Hazard & Somerset, Theo & Auggie, and North & Shaw. All of them join Tean & Jem for this whirlwind of a murder mystery!

I admit I got a little lost in the murder plot at times, but I trusted that these 8 guys would figure everything out 😂!

A MUST for Ashe fans!

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read October 2025: This time I was trying to pay more attention to the mystery since I'm doing a series re-read, but I kept getting diverted by JEM, MY BELOVED!! (Although on second read, the mystery was solid.) Can't wait for the new Tean and Jem series, although the whole foster kids storyline remains an own-goal if you ask me: the timeline for getting married, buying a house -- neither of which had happened by the end of Lamb and Lion -- as well as going through the process to be certified as a foster parent, getting kids placed, and getting those kids settled in (which we must assume they are, given how they're talked about in this book) is technically feasible in the max 2 years between when L&L ended and Iron on Iron start up, but it seems like a real stretch with zero slack. Not to mention then leaving those kids for literally WEEKS ON END with someone who, one must assume, is not foster-certified. GA is by necessity a plotter, but this was some pantsing bullshit, right here!

-------

I gave not a single shit about the mystery, but I loved being back with my faves. Was worried whether Tean and Jem, transplanted into a new environment and a crossover series, would still feel like the Tean and Jem I adored from Lamb and Lion. Thankfully, GA really nailed the tone on these two: more settled than they were at the end of their series, but still the same warmth, the same banter, the same gentleness and generosity with each other, and the same "us against the world" ride-or-die partnership.

It was especially interesting to see how Jem -- our sunny but suspicious conman -- reacted to the Wafflehouse and St Louis gangs. His fellow-feeling with Auggie, resentment/ dislike of Theo, bafflement towards Shaw and North, and immediate distrust of J-H felt very real to his character and history.

Mystified why GA bothered to give them foster kids that they then leave (with Hannah! Yay, Hannah!) for weeks at a time, but whatevs. Like with GA and head trauma, GA and "how bureaucratic processes/ children work" is something one must just accept.

Excited to see how the relationships between these 8 great characters develop!

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧🎧🎧 Audio Review 🎧🎧🎧

Terrific stuff once again from the awesome Mr J.F. Harding. I SO hope he does the final 2 stories in the series too.

📚📚📚 Book Review 📚📚📚

Wonderful. Plenty of laughs, the banter is full of snark, the murders are complicated and everyone is clueless...until Tean and Jem do their thing. LOVED catching up with everyone [well, except maybe Shaw 🥴, who was as irritating as ever but quite funny too], and the next story The Girl in the Wind [which I think might have Theo and Auggie front and centre] takes place back in good old Wahredua. Great to be a part of Greg's Kickstarter project. Ooh, and for you audiophiles 🎧 out there, J.F. Harding is behind the mic 🎤 for this particular instalment I understand and also I would assume The Girl in the Wind.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gregory Ashe's characters...from all his books. Here we get to meet some new ones...lots of new ones. They have all some of the good and as well as some of the annoying personalities that we would meet by going to a meeting or by working with a group of people. Some we would love...some we would simply tune out... and some we would start plotting their slow painful deaths. In this new series, Iron on Iron...Gregory Ashe combines characters from some of his other series, and some new characters for this series and the results produce another winner from this author. Emery and John Henry, North and Shaw, Theo and Auggie, and Tean and Jem all under the same cover. We know these "people" and WOW! seeing them work and play together...fantastic. How he has combined and paired these people is crazy ...but IT WORKS. The teams come in from all over the map to solve this case, and we get to see new friendships formed, new relationships developed.... but don't worry... the partners are all still together, both in the work life and romance life. The case is nicely tied up in the end. I hope this series will continue to feature the characters like this.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting all four of these couples together is both genius and madness and I'm all in for it. If you haven't read at least some of the author's previous books featuring the couples, I don't think this is the place to jump in. This one is from Jem and Tean's POV but everyone has plenty of page time. I really enjoyed seeing the characters reacting to the dynamics of the different couples and maybe seeing themselves reflected back at times too.

Having Hazard and Tean together was fantastic! Emery has definitely met his match in Tean and did I even sense some jealousy/crushing on Emery's part? I look forward to them meeting again.

The mystery is complex with plenty of players as GA tends to write and while the main whodunnit is wrapped up, it opens up a whole new one for the next book (Theo and Auggie).

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant - my favorite characters … bloody hilarious amongst the cleverly woven crime. A favorite for this year

[Agalactiae · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5

"The Face in the Water" est donc le premier tome de la série « Iron on Iron », une nouvelle série cross over entre quatre séries phares de Gregory Ashe. Nous allons donc y retrouver Jem et Team (The Lamb and the Lion), Shaw et North (Borealis), Emery et John (Hazard and Somerset) et Auggie et Theo (The First Quarto).
J'étais autant excitée que sceptique en fait avant de démarrer ce roman. Comment faire pour que tous ces personnages si charismatiques se retrouvent à mener une enquête ensemble, comment doser l'ensemble et rendre tout crédible ? Réponse, eh bien, Gregory Ashe l'a fait !

Même si nous retrouvons tous les personnages, ce premier tome est plus concentré sur Tean et Jem. C'est ainsi que nous retrouvons ce couple, qui est alors marié, invité à suivre une conférence dans le Missouri. Jem est plus là pour suivre son mari vétérinaire, et ils s'attendent à passer un moment sympa... Sauf qu'un événement va se dérouler et Jem et Tean vont jouer les enquêteurs, parmi d'autres ^^
J'ai été étonnée de voir ce gros changement dans le couple, je ne dévoile rien, c'est indiqué dans la premier phrase du résumé. Même si la nouvelle qui se déroule après « The same end » nous laissait imaginer que du positif pour le couple, là c'est un peu le grand écart (ou presque). Mais l'auteur a bien mené tout ça, car nous percevons des bribes des choses dont nous sommes passé à côté (du moins, j'espère que l'auteur reviendra sur cette saga un jour et nous offrira une saison 2...).

J'ai adoré ce premier tome en fait ! Et ce n'est pas uniquement car j'y retrouve trois de mes couples préférés. Jem et Tean étaient un peu les outsiders dans tout cet univers, car ils n'ont jamais rencontrés les autres personnages. Ce qui n'était pas le cas de Emery, John, Shaw, North, Auggie et Theo qui se croisent dans leurs romans respectifs. On ressent le manque de confiance de Jem, qui se retrouve à côté de ces enquêteurs professionnels, à côté de son Docteur Leon, à côté de ces personnes qu'il qualifie d'intelligentes, sous-entendu : ce qu'il n'est pas. Les anciens démons reviennent et font pas mal cogiter Jem, mon petit Jem.
Mais c'était aussi si beau de voir le couple formé par Jem et Tean plus soudé que jamais. Jem place des doutes et des interrogations dans la tête de son mari, mais ils ont appris à communiquer durant ces années, on le voit alors et c'est génial de les voir discuter de leurs erreurs, de leurs pensées... Quel chemin ils ont parcouru ! Ils se sont construit un joli foyer ensemble, un foyer dont ils sont fiers, j'étais si fière d'eux à mon tour ! Ces deux personnages sont uniques tout simplement ! Et puis Jem ne perd en rien de son humour ^^ J'adore tellement ce couple, si beau et si solidaire. Tean est si protecteur de Jem, j'adore la façon dont il le perçoit, dont il parle de lui, c'est magnifique... Je repense à une conversation, déclaration, bien particulière qui m'a donné les larmes aux yeux...

C'était aussi un bonheur de retrouver tous les autres personnages. Shaw et North sont égaux à eux-mêmes hein. On va dire que l'auteur a posé les justes doses me concernant ^^ Ils ont vraiment un humour qui leur est propre, qui peut parfois être lourd, mais ils me faisaient sourire ! J'espère qu'ils auront l'air plus sérieux quand même dans le tome qui leur sera consacré.
Auggie et Theo sont là, peut-être un peu plus en retrait comparativement aux autres, mais ils sont présents tout de même (Auggie, toujours prêt à dégainer l'appareil ^^), ce sont des personnages que j'adore et il me tarde de les voir dans le tome suivant.
Emery et John, ben ce sont Emery et John, mes chouchous d'amour, égaux à eux-mêmes. Que j'ai aimé les retrouver ! J'ai adoré leurs échanges, mais aussi les échanges avec Jem et Tean ! Ils ont de jolies réflexions, j'ai adoré leurs moments. Bon, Emery ne mâche pas ses mots, comme d'habitude j'ai envie de dire et peut se montrer blessant, mais c'est Ree, et on l'aime pour ça, surtout qu'il se rattrape bien ^^
Tous ces personnages sont identifiables, reconnaissables, de part leur physique (notamment au début lorsque Jem et Tean les voient sans les connaître en les décrivant, nous percevons aussi les scènes alentours), mais aussi et surtout leurs comportements, leurs manières d'interagir. Gregory Ashe a vraiment créé des personnages uniques, réalistes qui ne se ressemblent en aucune façon, et c'est encore plus marquant lorsqu'on les voit ensemble !
Et si cette série les rassemble tous, on sent bien que c'est le couple formé par Jem et Tean qui est mis à l'honneur ici. Tout est parfaitement bien dosé !

L'intrigue est vraiment bien menée, comme d'habitude j'ai envie de dire ! Le mystère est résolu à la fin de ce premier tome, mais il laisse tout de même des interrogations et la porte ouverte à la suite ^^ Il est bien évident que je me jetterai sur le tome suivant lorsqu'il sortira ! J'ai si hâte de tous les retrouver !
4,5/5


**** Nouvelle : "All the feels" ****

Oh mais cette nouvelle était excellente ! Elle se déroule juste après les événements de "The Face in the Water" où nous suivons Jem et Tean dans leur nouvelle maison provisoire ^^

J'ai tellement aimé cette nouvelle, je me suis bidonnée avec tous les personnages. J'adore voir Emery sortir de ses gonds ! Oh et puis être témoin de cette nouvelle complicité naissante entre Jem et Colt était excellente !

Une nouvelle qui se dévore bien sûr trop rapidement, mais qui fait son effet !

[Em Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Crystal D. Budy · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/11 update: Happy release day, everyone! Wooooooot!! Run to your nearest digital retailer and get this asap because it was glorious.

Okay, nobody breathe, because JEM AND TEAN ARE BACK!! 🎉🎉
The whole team is back which is just as exciting but the focus here are Jem and Tean and omg I didn't realize how much I'd missed them until I started reading.

This book is the first book in the Iron on Iron series, which is a crossover/team-up of all the books in Gregory Ashe’s Hazardverse, featuring characters from the Hazard and Somerset Mysteries, the Lamb and the Lion, the First Quarto, and the Borealis Investigations. Do I think you need to have read all of the Hazardverse books in order to read this book? Yes and no. I think you'll be able to enjoy the story without and GA does a good job of explaining major bits without it feeling like an exposition dump. But I do think you will appreciate it much more if you know who these characters are and understand their backstories. You might snicker at some of the jokes and wackiness, but you probably won't keel over laughing like I did.

I consumed this book in a day because I could not stop reading. Y'all. It's so good. The way all the dynamics weave together and most important JEM AND TEAN! It's been so long since their series ended, since we last got to see them, and let me tell you -- there's a lot of catching up to do. But no matter what, they are as beautiful and ever. Even when they argue, they're (usually...) so gentle with each other, and that's something I've always loved about them. That continues straight into this story like we never left them. The fact that the first sentence of this book is "I'm not catastrophizing" is just chef's kiss. Seeing Jem so proud of Tean and wanting to talk him up every chance he gets is always so great.

The Characters
The A-Team! The Avengers! The Justice League!
Whatever you call them, I love them and already can't get enough.
One of the things I've been looking forward to the most about this crossover was seeing the characters from each other's POV, and GA did not disappoint at all. Aside from getting to hear their physical descriptions from Jem and Tean's POV, we also get each their reads on their personality. Jem in particular has a few choice mental words to say about a few of the fellow Hazardverse characters and it all felt so nicely in-line with his own personality.

All eight characters are not on page at the same time a lot, but when they are it's written so well. Juggling that large of a cast of characters who all have distinct personalities can be daunting, and GA handles it with ease. Honestly, there were times when he didn't even need a dialogue tag -- you can tell exactly who is speaking. That, to me, is the sign of an excellent character voice. And to be able to bring eight of them to one scene and maintain each unique voice -- whew. 😅

And the banter! The banter is epic. The chemistry between all eight of these guys sparks off the page. And even when it was just a few of them or, honestly, just Jem and Tean, it reminded me of why I fell in love with this universe of books in the first place.

The Mystery
This book has a self-contained mystery as well as an overall arching one that will follow the team through the Iron on Iron series.
I won't give away any spoilers, but both plots believably intermingled to make for a satisfying but nicely intricate mystery that I'm intrigued to see how it will play out throughout all the books.

We also get a surprise from the past that will no doubt be a thorn in everyone's side moving forward which the inner sadist in me is greatly looking forward to. 😂
And we end on a juicy enough cliffhanger that it left my binge-reading self sad I have to wait for the next one.

This was an awesome read, I will definitely be reading again because honestly I read it so fast I need to reread slower and take my time to savor it like a wine fine, and 20/10 would recommend you immediately run and get this when it releases on August 11th.

Can't wait for book 2 -- The Girl in the Wind, coming October 6th!

Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Antara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!

"Teancum Mahonri Leon," Jem said, sitting up and dislodging him. "I have never once in my life regretted anything with you."

Happy release day! For those new to Gregory Ashe, The Face in the Water is the first book in the Iron on Iron crossover series, which features all eight protagonists from the Hazardverse. Each book contains the POVs of one of the four couples (Jem/Tean, Theo/Auggie, North/Shaw, and Hazard/Somers) with the other protagonists playing supporting roles. This one is Jem and Tean's book.

The Face in the Water is to the Hazardverse what The Avengers (2012) is to the MCU. While it's possible to understand the story as a standalone, especially since the mystery is unrelated to anything that's happened before, I don't think the book would be as enjoyable without being familiar with all the Hazardverse characters. Half the fun is seeing all these characters come together for the first time and seeing all the interpersonal relationships and dynamics.

To say that I had high expectations for this book is an understatement. I had no idea how GA would juggle writing dialogue for all these characters in the same scene, but he skillfully pulled it off. His characters have such strong and unique personalities, quirks, and ways of speaking that you can always tell who's talking, even without dialogue tags.

I loved getting to see the other characters through Jem & Tean's eyes and seeing the new relationships form. It's little surprise that my two favorite scenes in the book are between Hazard & Tean, and Somers & Tean. The banter, mystery-solving, and action are all top-notch, but what really shines for me are these intimate heart-to-hearts that result in the characters seeing themselves and each other in a new way.

My only complaint is that ALL of the group scenes had Shaw acting ridiculous and Hazard yelling/cursing everyone out, and it was just so much and so often that they started to annoy me even though they're my absolute favorite characters. In their respective books, these qualities are balanced out by other aspects, but here this is what we see most of the time, so they felt a bit like caricatures. I love them with all my heart and their over the top personalities are funny, but it can be exhausting when it's nonstop. It's like too much of a good thing, you know?

I loved everything else though and I can't say enough what a delight it was to see all my beloved characters together. The climax of this book was also a highlight for me, with heart-pounding suspense and such vivid detail that I could picture the whole thing as if it were the third act of a movie. The cliffhanger and book 2 preview have me dying for what's next. We've already gotten a glimpse of conflict between Theo & Auggie in this book, and I can't wait to see what's going on with them.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh where do I even begin?? I've been SO excited for this series to start ever since it was announced, and the first entry gave me everything I wanted and more. Seeing all these characters that have been so fleshed out in their own series finally interacting with each other and helping (and not helping??) each other is such a treat. That said, if you haven't read GA's other series yet, I highly recommend doing so before reading this one (personally, I think the story and the characters will still make sense even if you haven't, but it'll be MUCH more rewarding if you have). Thanks to my friend Alyssa for posting the recommended reading order in her own review!

As always with GA's books, this was a wonderful balance of intriguing plot and character/relationship development. You'd think with eight main characters in this series, you'd start to mix people up or forget who was speaking at any given point, but because these characters are so fleshed out already, everyone has a very unique voice and it wasn't a problem at all. This first book is from Jem and Tean's point of view, and I'm so glad because I missed them so much! It was SO fun to watch all the other characters be introduced through their eyes (Tean running away from Auggie the photographer had me absolutely howling). The scenes with all eight of them together were my favorites, but I also loved the moments between any two characters we don't normally see interact. I will never get over Hazard literally following Tean so he could continue arguing with him!!!! And every time they decided they needed to correct the other! While so many of these crossover interactions were fun and silly, there were also moments that made me clutch my heart. I really enjoyed Hazard and Tean's heart-to-heart at the bar, and I especially appreciated Jem's overall wariness around all these new people - particularly Somers and his "cop eyes" - and his reaction to feeling cornered. GA's balancing act is nothing less than spectacular - all eight characters were featured pretty heavily, but this still very much felt like Jem and Tean's book.

This has nothing to do with any of the above, but I'd be remiss not to mention that the only sex scene in this book involved a character talking about heat death while he's being blown and I have to give GA props for that - it was perfectly in character and I can't imagine that happening and somehow making sense in any other book! 😂

I'm so excited for The Girl in the Wind already! Should we start a tally of injuries and concussions for these poor characters?

Thanks so much to the author for providing an ARC!

[StayCalm81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I was hoping for and more!
The satisfying feeling after reading almost 30 books to arrive to this place where you know this characters so well and love them so much. GA is a genius and one of the best writers I’ve ever read. How he managed to write a book having (several times together) 8 characters with such defined and strong personalities and making it look fluid, consistent and true to their self’s is beyond words. This series is a treat for the fans, I laughed so many times, hurt for them, rooted for them, I’m in awe.
The mystery was very engaging and to see all 8 working together and contributing with their strongest assets was chefs kiss.
Team and Jem as always showing us how to treat the person you love, they’re the kinder couple, they are adorable together and they always talk everything out with the utmost respect and love. 💕 I love them so much.
It was a joy to see their interactions with all the other characters. Particularly Hazard and Tean, Jem and Auggie, Shaw and North, John-Henry and Tean, Shaw and Jem, just precious… To see characters we know so well through Tean and Jem’s eyes was mesmerizing.
One of the things I most admire about GA writing is the way he portrays relationships in an extremely realistic way (It’s also very frustrating at times 😅) we see all their flaws, fears, insecurities and how it affects their relationships romantic or not.

As Hazard puts it:

“Life is messy. Life is a crazy fuckfest where you can die because an elephant did a headstand on you. And relationships are even messier. Resolving things is all well and good, but if you think you’re going to resolve everything, forever, then you need to be in a relationship with a body pillow.”

About to start book 2, Auggie and Theo have my heart and I know I’m going to hurt, with them the angst is always skyrocketing.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read Hazard and Somerset books so I was familiar with them and apparently I have read the first North and Shaw book but I can remember nothing of it and I have never heard of Theo and Auggie.
I found there was way too many characters here and as I didnt know / remember 4 of them I didn't get the dynamics and I have to say not sure what they added to the story. Why were they all there?
I thought the mystery wasn't that great either. They arrest 2 people, 1 never to be heard of again (Heather). We saw nothing of the investigation and the police seemed totally incompentant.
The book ends on what is the middle of the story, although not a traditional cliffhanger so I shall probably read book 2 I just hope I am not so disengaged.

[Shanna (shannasaurus_rex_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I loved this so much. The banter between Jem and Tean so just so good, and there were so many funny moments that had me laughing out loud. I wasn’t sure how Ashe would pull it off, putting all 4 of his couples in one books, but it worked so well. This is like my Avengers. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed Hazard & Somerset until they showed up, and it was so nice seeing them. I can’t wait for their book in this series.

[Nelly S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: review written a month afterwards.

I liked this but it was a LOT!
A lot of action.
So many characters.
Rapid-fire banter between Gem and Tean, including cameos with Hazard and Somers, North and Shaw, and Theo and Auggie.
I had to go back and reread paragraphs at times to keep everything straight.
The mystery was okay.
It took me a while to get back to the series and move on to book 2.

[Terri]

This is a series for Gregory Ashe fans; you're going to be lost if you don't know all these characters at least a little bit. It'd been awhile for some, for me.

These are not romances. The couples are established in the four series from which these guys originate. Serises? Is there a plural for series?

That said, I did guess whodunit, but that did not detract from the story at all. And the end is a very loud DOT DOT DOT. Which sent me to buy the next book.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars, all our favorite characters have come together and it’s a thing of beauty! This first book in the “Iron on Iron” crossover series is from the perspective of Jem and Tean (of “The Lamb and the Lion” series, a trilogy starting with “The Same Breath”). Tean is my all-time fave so this was a dream come true.

All the duos we know and love are there for various reasons; Hazard and Somers, North and Shaw, Auggie and Theo, and Jem and Tean. Greg does a fantastic job balancing different motivations, personalities, and levels of trust and mistrust that are authentic to the characters and keep things interesting.
Jem and Tean get some great 1:1 moments with some of the other characters as well as interactions in small groups and the chaos of all 8 together, and I was thrilled to see the ways they all engaged with one another.
As always the mystery is interesting, complex, has an emotional connection to our protagonists in some way, and keeps us on our toes. I’d read it as a fascinating mystery novel without the romance element, but of course the combination of a fascinating mystery and lovable, flawed, complex characters with both angst and humor is what makes Gregory Ashe consistently my favorite author.

Since each novel centers a different couple, the emotional relationship arc of our main characters is smaller than what we see with the longer series where the arc is 3-6 books, and Greg handles it magnificently; we get to see individual and relationship growth with Jem and Tean that is handled in a satisfying way with the truncated timeline. It’s lighter on angst and steam, and heavier on humor in comparison, but another absolute home run.

I’m looking forward to and nervous for the next one, “The Girl in the Wind,” which will come out in October and be in the perspectives of Auggie and Theo!

If you haven’t read the previous series, there are a ton of fantastic series by Gregory Ashe that feature these same sets of characters. You could absolutely enjoy this as a standalone but I would recommend checking out either “Pretty, Pretty Boys” the first Hazard Somers book, or “The Same Breath” the first Jem and Tean book and learning more about the characters.

Link to Pretty Pretty Boys: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Link to The Same Breath: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Side note, if you aren’t in the Facebook group, “The Gregorian Order,” you are missing out on livestream discussions of previous series, fan art, exclusive short stories, and other updates! Definitely join: https://m.facebook.com/groups/thegreg...

*Disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Although I backed the Kickstarter for the paperbacks as well 😁

[Laura Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Gregory Ashe announced the Iron on Iron crossover series, I knew it was going to be good. However, I don’t think I was quite prepared for just how good it was going to be.

The Face In The Water hits the ground running — sprinting — as the first in this series. It was beyond wonderful to dive back into the lives of Tean and Jem once more. Instead of coming across like a sequel, The Face In The Water feels more like catching up with old friends. In typical Gregory Ashe fashion, the characters are allowed to live and breathe off the page, so it was lovely to see how far they’ve come.

The thing that makes a Tean & Jem novel so special is the abundance of heart and soul in these books. Every chapter is obviously written with so much care and love. It comes through in the attention to detail in Tean’s job as a wildlife veterinarian and in his deep love for animals, and it shows in the way Jem is trying every day to be a better person for the family he’s created. Mostly it’s evident in the love between the two characters that, after everything we went through with them in the Lion and The Lamb trilogy, feels wonderfully nostalgic.

The story is, of course, flawless. I never feel any trace of trepidation when starting a new Gregory Ashe book, because I know it’s going to be, to its core, remarkable storytelling. Considering this book has eight main characters on the stage at almost all times, each one is masterfully interwoven into the story, each of them bringing their own strength. Nothing felt like it had been shoehorned in, the plot flowing perfectly.

To say I am excited for the next in the series would be an understatement. I adored this book, and it was an incredible start to the Iron on Iron series.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed the ebook version of this HERE , so I won't rehash that, but I had to gush over the audio version because J.F. Harding's narration is Just So Unbelievably Good!

This is book one in a crossover series featuring four sets of Ashe's couples - Jem & Tean from The Lamb and the Lion, Theo & Auggie from The First Quarto, North & Shaw from Borealis Investigations and Emery Hazard & John-Henry Somerset - and each couple takes the lead in one book. The original narrators are on board, so lucky us, we get TWO JFH narrations, as he narrated both The Lamb and the Lion and The First Quarto, and he does an absolutely outstanding job. Not only are his voices for Jem, Tean, Theo and Auggie consistent, his portrayal of the other characters (ones he hasn't performed before) is superb, too. This is the first time I've actually felt that John-Henry has his own distinctive voice, and JFH's portrayal of Hazard is incredible. He's no slouch when it comes to North and Shaw either - he absolutely nails North's assholery and Shaw's goofiness, and I have to say that I really wish he was narrating the whole series.

Can't wait for book 2!