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Spy vs. Spook #3
Forever
Sequel to Houseboat on the Nile
Spy vs. Book Three
Lately, life is both sweet and sour for intelligence operatives Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann. The sweet is they’re settling into a relationship; Mark has found a condo in Alexandria with the help of Quinn’s mother, Portia; and Mark and Quinn are looking forward to spending the holidays in the Caribbean.
As for the sour, something shadier than usual is going on at Langley. Useless missions and sleepless nights are leaving Quinn exhausted, and then Portia’s life is threatened. When Quinn discovers the accident was no accident and the egomaniacal Senator Wexler is involved, he’s out for blood.
To this point, Mark has stayed out of Quinn’s CIA business. But hurting Quinn and those he loves isn’t on the table, so at Mark’s instigation, they set out together to deal with Wexler. The only it’s the first time Quinn will see Mark at his deadly best, and Mark isn’t sure how his lover will react.
Spy vs. Book Three
Lately, life is both sweet and sour for intelligence operatives Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann. The sweet is they’re settling into a relationship; Mark has found a condo in Alexandria with the help of Quinn’s mother, Portia; and Mark and Quinn are looking forward to spending the holidays in the Caribbean.
As for the sour, something shadier than usual is going on at Langley. Useless missions and sleepless nights are leaving Quinn exhausted, and then Portia’s life is threatened. When Quinn discovers the accident was no accident and the egomaniacal Senator Wexler is involved, he’s out for blood.
To this point, Mark has stayed out of Quinn’s CIA business. But hurting Quinn and those he loves isn’t on the table, so at Mark’s instigation, they set out together to deal with Wexler. The only it’s the first time Quinn will see Mark at his deadly best, and Mark isn’t sure how his lover will react.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
16 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
January 7, 2025
7th re-read January 2025
________
Still perfect!!
________
Still perfect!!
May 13, 2013
OH GOD, She has done it Tinnean, you genius. I actually loved this book more than the other two. OH MY FUCKIN GOD.
As people can see from my other reviews, I am a huge fan of Tinnean's series. The third book might actually be my favourite. I really don't know though because this entire series is amazing and I find it hard to pin point my favourite book. If I could take all the books and combine them it would make me so happy because I wouldn't have to chose.
We pick up a short time after the end of Not My Spook!. We get a really great opening scene and the set up of the book was brilliant. I loved the returning of a hated character and It kept me on edge wondering what would happen next. Of course Mark's job was brought into it in a big way and the way he and Quinn were affected by this. It was also nice to see Mark in action. I adore him, and sometimes wish his job was a bigger part.
The relationship was brought into the story well. You can feel so much and yet we know both Mark and Quinn have something against confessing their feelings. Their relationship was strengthened and we saw a bit of jealousy from Quinn. I loved that and how we got to see how much Mark really means to him. I think he's starting to see he's in love with Mark. Mark might take some more time, but what can you do?
My heart was in my throat during a certain brief return of a non-character. I was really jumping up and down when I read it. But if you are a fan of the series you will do that too. It takes so much not to love this series and so far, I have loved every book that has been released in this series. People need to read it!
This is a must read series for me!
As people can see from my other reviews, I am a huge fan of Tinnean's series. The third book might actually be my favourite. I really don't know though because this entire series is amazing and I find it hard to pin point my favourite book. If I could take all the books and combine them it would make me so happy because I wouldn't have to chose.
We pick up a short time after the end of Not My Spook!. We get a really great opening scene and the set up of the book was brilliant. I loved the returning of a hated character and It kept me on edge wondering what would happen next. Of course Mark's job was brought into it in a big way and the way he and Quinn were affected by this. It was also nice to see Mark in action. I adore him, and sometimes wish his job was a bigger part.
The relationship was brought into the story well. You can feel so much and yet we know both Mark and Quinn have something against confessing their feelings. Their relationship was strengthened and we saw a bit of jealousy from Quinn. I loved that and how we got to see how much Mark really means to him. I think he's starting to see he's in love with Mark. Mark might take some more time, but what can you do?
My heart was in my throat during a certain brief return of a non-character. I was really jumping up and down when I read it. But if you are a fan of the series you will do that too. It takes so much not to love this series and so far, I have loved every book that has been released in this series. People need to read it!
This is a must read series for me!
April 19, 2013
I NEED more Mark & Quinn!!
Please? This was definitely my favorite of the series so far. Like a said before, these guys just do it for me...sexy alphas all wrapped up in jealousy and hotness! This one was just so much better written; even though I gave the previous books both 5 stars, they were flawed. This one didn't have all the crazy POV changes and the repetitiveness that I was used to, so the flow was much smoother.
I loved, loved every moment of this book. They've gone through so much in the past year together. And I had no questions about what they really feel for each other at the end, but so much that I wanted to happen just DID NOT happen! While there are promises of forever, I'm just greedy and want more of their story...NOW.
I will forever hold out hope for the publishing of Spy vs. Spook #4. And I'm really looking forward to the release of Portia's story.
Please? This was definitely my favorite of the series so far. Like a said before, these guys just do it for me...sexy alphas all wrapped up in jealousy and hotness! This one was just so much better written; even though I gave the previous books both 5 stars, they were flawed. This one didn't have all the crazy POV changes and the repetitiveness that I was used to, so the flow was much smoother.
I loved, loved every moment of this book. They've gone through so much in the past year together. And I had no questions about what they really feel for each other at the end, but so much that I wanted to happen just DID NOT happen! While there are promises of forever, I'm just greedy and want more of their story...NOW.
I will forever hold out hope for the publishing of Spy vs. Spook #4. And I'm really looking forward to the release of Portia's story.
November 16, 2024
Mark y Quinton ya se están estableciendo como una pareja para la familia, y aunque todavía no son capaces de darse muestras de afecto en público (por sus trabajos), su vida privada es mas estable que nunca. Sin embargo, cuando hay un atentado a la vida de la Sra. Mann (la mamá de Quinton), Mark tomará cartas en el asunto para "cancelar" a aquellos involucrados en el incidente. Pero cuando Quinton le pide que le deje participar con el principal responsable, Quiton se da cuenta de lo que Mark es capaz de hacer y porque es "El Mejor". Pero podrá Quinton vivir con eso? Será capaz de Mark de aceptar su separación sino? Nuestra pareja podrá tener su final feliz?
Este libro fue muchísimo mas entretenido que los anteriores, quizás porque ya conocíamos a los personajes, quizás porque ya no es la vida de ninguno de los dos que esta en riesgo, quizás porque no hubo casi nada de esa doble narración que me fastidiaba tanto. Pero lo cierto, es que este libro es un final estupendo para la serie, incluso aunque no tiene su HEA, y no sean aceptados por sus respectivas agencias, la interacción de ambos personajes se volvió cómoda, la química apareció no solo en las escenas eróticas, y la participación del resto de la familia Mann le dio un toque mas personal a todo.
En fin, se que hay otra serie spin-off de esta (una con Matheson), pero la voy a dejar para leerla mas adelante, porque es seguro que leeré otras cosas de este autor mas adelante.
Este libro fue muchísimo mas entretenido que los anteriores, quizás porque ya conocíamos a los personajes, quizás porque ya no es la vida de ninguno de los dos que esta en riesgo, quizás porque no hubo casi nada de esa doble narración que me fastidiaba tanto. Pero lo cierto, es que este libro es un final estupendo para la serie, incluso aunque no tiene su HEA, y no sean aceptados por sus respectivas agencias, la interacción de ambos personajes se volvió cómoda, la química apareció no solo en las escenas eróticas, y la participación del resto de la familia Mann le dio un toque mas personal a todo.
En fin, se que hay otra serie spin-off de esta (una con Matheson), pero la voy a dejar para leerla mas adelante, porque es seguro que leeré otras cosas de este autor mas adelante.
January 18, 2014
Sophisticated, cool as a cucumber but still deadly " Ice Man " Quinton Mann and " Don't mess with me cos I'm slightly psycho" Mark Vincent I'm going to really miss you! This trio of Spy v Spooks has been one of my favourite series up to date. It's been fun, very sexy and extremely likeable!!
The stories have flowed nicely between books, the underlying thread keeping them all connected but the real enjoyment for me has been watching the interplay, attraction and growing commitment that these two secret agents have cultivated - as supposed adversaries - under the radar of their respective agencies and colleagues. I connected to them straight away in book one - ' HouseBoat' but by ' Forever ' I was fully invested in their relationship and rooting for them to see they were made for each other. Not your typical love story but then again these are not ' typical ' protags considering their backgrounds. Mark in particular has this stone cold emotionless facade that he portrays to the majority but you know under all that there's a man whose loyalty and devotion , once earned, make him a fierce protector, friend and lover. Quinn, although cool and suave on the surface , is hiding a passionate nature that can only be triggered by the right person and boy does Mark trigger it!! Together these two generate some mighty ST and chemistry.
The story allows for a little far fetchedness because of its bond like style, complete with a licensed to kill attitude and nefarious villains... I just loved it, and all the characters who I grew to love as well as Quinn and Mark... it was like being part of a slightly twisted family!! :D
Thanks Tinnean for creating these complex but still endearing guys. I'm definitely in their fan club now!!
The stories have flowed nicely between books, the underlying thread keeping them all connected but the real enjoyment for me has been watching the interplay, attraction and growing commitment that these two secret agents have cultivated - as supposed adversaries - under the radar of their respective agencies and colleagues. I connected to them straight away in book one - ' HouseBoat' but by ' Forever ' I was fully invested in their relationship and rooting for them to see they were made for each other. Not your typical love story but then again these are not ' typical ' protags considering their backgrounds. Mark in particular has this stone cold emotionless facade that he portrays to the majority but you know under all that there's a man whose loyalty and devotion , once earned, make him a fierce protector, friend and lover. Quinn, although cool and suave on the surface , is hiding a passionate nature that can only be triggered by the right person and boy does Mark trigger it!! Together these two generate some mighty ST and chemistry.
The story allows for a little far fetchedness because of its bond like style, complete with a licensed to kill attitude and nefarious villains... I just loved it, and all the characters who I grew to love as well as Quinn and Mark... it was like being part of a slightly twisted family!! :D
Thanks Tinnean for creating these complex but still endearing guys. I'm definitely in their fan club now!!
April 14, 2014
★★★★★5 Wow!!! Stars★★★★★
I absolutely loved this last installment of this series; it was the perfect ending to Mark and Quinn's story.
Here are pretty much my reactions throughout the novel ➜
The first:
I one-hundred-percent loved the portrayal of Mark and Quinn's relationship. First, we got to see a lot of their insecurities. Quinn was afraid that Mark will leave him if he showed emotions and proved that he was fallible and a human being because he thinks that Mark first became infatuated with Quinn's Ice Man persona that can't be rattled at all. But Mark assuages his fears:
Mark, on the other hand, is afraid that Quinn is going to wake up and realize that Mark has done a lot of horrible things for his agency and the people he cares about without the slightest bit of remorse. But Quinn is of course there for him:
I love that their relationship is equally give-and-take. They are so attuned to one another and are able to cater to each other's needs perfectly. Their relationship has truly developed beautifully.
The second:
This could just be me, but I was a tad annoyed that most of the sexy time *wink wink* was fade to black or happened off-screen. Pooey! I expected a little more of the fun times in a 350-page+ book! :'(
The third:
The last 30 or so pages were extremely intense when Mark and Quinn worked together to target one man. There were flipping Bentleys, ambulance-stealing, punches thrown, slipping of drugs...yeah, INTENSE!
Last but certainly not least
Our HEA!!!
I absolutely loved this last installment of this series; it was the perfect ending to Mark and Quinn's story.
Here are pretty much my reactions throughout the novel ➜
The first:
I one-hundred-percent loved the portrayal of Mark and Quinn's relationship. First, we got to see a lot of their insecurities. Quinn was afraid that Mark will leave him if he showed emotions and proved that he was fallible and a human being because he thinks that Mark first became infatuated with Quinn's Ice Man persona that can't be rattled at all. But Mark assuages his fears:
"I got you." He shrugged. "All those others...You're so much more than the Ice Man, but that was all they saw when they looked at you."
"And what did you see?"
"You, Quinn," he repeated. He cupped my cheek, then tipped my chin up. "Their problem was they didn't know how to melt the ice."
Mark, on the other hand, is afraid that Quinn is going to wake up and realize that Mark has done a lot of horrible things for his agency and the people he cares about without the slightest bit of remorse. But Quinn is of course there for him:
"Didn't it occur to you that I'd earned my reputation, Quinn? Did you think I was going to give Wexler nothing harsher than a dirty look?"...
"You care about me. And dammit, Mark!" I smacked his arm again. "I know what you're capable of. I've seen you in action, remember?"
I love that their relationship is equally give-and-take. They are so attuned to one another and are able to cater to each other's needs perfectly. Their relationship has truly developed beautifully.
The second:
This could just be me, but I was a tad annoyed that most of the sexy time *wink wink* was fade to black or happened off-screen. Pooey! I expected a little more of the fun times in a 350-page+ book! :'(
The third:
The last 30 or so pages were extremely intense when Mark and Quinn worked together to target one man. There were flipping Bentleys, ambulance-stealing, punches thrown, slipping of drugs...yeah, INTENSE!
Last but certainly not least
Our HEA!!!
"You're not letting me go?" I shook my head.
"Okay, as long as you accept that I won't be letting you go either."
He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine, then drew back and looked into my eyes. "Forever, Quinn."
I cupped his face in my palm and rubbed my thumb over his cheekbone. "Forever, Mark."
October 21, 2014
GAH.
I don't even have words for how perfect this series is.
And it's not that I'm a big, fat baby who cries over books, it's just that I'm a big, fat baby who cries over books.
I don't even have words for how perfect this series is.
And it's not that I'm a big, fat baby who cries over books, it's just that I'm a big, fat baby who cries over books.
February 17, 2013
I'm finding this difficult to review. I actually enjoyed the characters, the two MCs and the secondary characters, but quite a lot of the plot I found confusing, parts were extremely rushed other sections were irrelevant. One particular chapter, the family New Year Get-Together with Uncles, Mother and the MCs left me extremely confused even after re-reading the whole section.
Many loose ends were not dealt with; the father killed in Germany, Mark's Uncle and family at the funeral, Quinn's CIA friend with the menage a trois relationship, the provinance of the early 19th Century sword and whatever it was that Mark had discovered.
There were also too many descriptive passages regarding food, buffets, dinner menus, take-out.....and then others describing wallpaper, carpets, vases of flowers.
Graphic Sex....well there's another bone of contention. Too much. Mark's in his 40's, testosterone levels are those of 17 year old boys in this novel.
I did actually enjoy the read however, even though in parts it was incredibly naff. I won't be re-reading these anytime soon.
Many loose ends were not dealt with; the father killed in Germany, Mark's Uncle and family at the funeral, Quinn's CIA friend with the menage a trois relationship, the provinance of the early 19th Century sword and whatever it was that Mark had discovered.
There were also too many descriptive passages regarding food, buffets, dinner menus, take-out.....and then others describing wallpaper, carpets, vases of flowers.
Graphic Sex....well there's another bone of contention. Too much. Mark's in his 40's, testosterone levels are those of 17 year old boys in this novel.
I did actually enjoy the read however, even though in parts it was incredibly naff. I won't be re-reading these anytime soon.
February 2, 2013
Loved, loved, loved this series! I'm not sure if the author is going to continue with it, but I hope so. There's so many more questions I want answered! (like what happens when their respective agencies found out about their relationship?) And of course, I want more Quinn & Mark!! They are officially one of my top 10 favorite couples now.
February 1, 2018
*Re-read* Yes, this series is still a 5 star read! I love ❤️ every bit of it. Until next time Mark and Quinn, keep it sexy! 😘
November 22, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
This review is for the whole series (Houseboat on the Nile, Not My Spook!, and Forever).
For weeks, I've had a plan to read the first of this series, Houseboat on the Nile with my awesome friend and reading buddy Laddie, and then just that week, I got so sick. That was last week, by the way. I didn't know if I'd be in the mood to read these at all. I had a fever and a hard time concentrating. But then, it worked out perfectly. I spend several days reading this whole series, back to back. I couldn't put them down, really. I had to know what happened to Quinn and Mark.
I did have some trouble getting into them. My cold medicine soaked brain was not up to deciphering complicated plots and a whole shitload of characters and their names. That's how I thought this was going to be, and indeed the first 30k to 40k of the first book was just like that. But, then it all seemed to click for me, and I really got into them. I was almost glad I had the excuse of being sick and didn't have to do anything more than lay around and read this series to my heart's content. And the good thing, is that combined, they're about 360k words -- a very good chunk that you can spend time getting into!
The basis of the story is the rivalry between the various government agencies in DC. Set in 2002, the story switches point of view between several characters, but mostly between two men -- Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann. Mark is a WBIS senior agent and most think him a loose cannon. Actually, they're all afraid of him. His bureau is known for their unusual tactics, and Mark Vincent is the best of the best. Quinn is a CIA director and just as well known for his family and all around class as his success in his career. He's just one in a long line of government operatives, including his mother Portia, who was a code breaker for NSA during the Cold War. They're both extraordinary men, and by nature of the organizations they work for, hate each other.
When Mann finds out that Vincent has been doing a little snooping into his past, he sets out to up the ante, but the result is that they both find they have an extreme sexual attraction to one another. Is it real? Or is it a game to one up the other? Neither can quite figure it out, but they know they can't stop.
At it's heart, this is a really wonderful story. Mostly, that comes from these two characters their their chemistry, which is incredibly hot. The games they play on each other are hilarious, and I loved seeing them slowly come together and realize that they have actual feelings for each other. Watching them maneuver the minefield if their intelligence careers while trying to carry on a clandestine relationship was the best part of this story. I would read their books forever and wished that they went on and on and on.
But, I also can't deny that these books are riddled with problems. Knowing ahead of time that these were previously one book of original online fiction, helped me to realize where the problem was, or else I might have been really confused. Now, I haven't read that original book which was called Mann of My Dreams, but it seems to me from reading these released by Dreamspinner that they most likely weren't changed very much. And that is a problem -- they still read like online fiction. And while they're good, they could have been great, with a really smart and exacting editor to bring them new life. The biggest problem with the published books is the repetition, which I have heard others complain about as well. And it isn't just the style of the writing, which takes both characters point of view and shows the same events, over and over. While tiring at some points (because this series would have been at least half the length, otherwise), that didn't bother me too much. I embraced the style and ran with it. But, there is a lot of other repetition within that should have been cut -- whole paragraphs reminding us what happened a few chapters ago and whole scenes that are repeated to remind us, but 5 to 6 times over the whole series. It is one thing to remind us in the beginning of a sequel the few key points that happened in the first book, not everyone reads the books back to back like I did, I understand that. But, that is something from the online fiction that should have been cut. We aren't reading this an online serial, so we don't need to be reminded of things that happened, which online, we might have read several months or even years ago.
It was fundamental problems like that that really bothered me. Not just mistakes, but glaring problems. I ended up feeling that I might as well have just read them online for free if they had all that. So while I absolutely loved the story and adored the characters, I found the writing fundamentally flawed, which really affected my enjoyment of the story. I had hoped that some of these things might get better with each subsequent book -- after all, I read these types of comments on each book page at Goodreads and thought they might influence how the later books were edited, but not. I didn't see any difference, which made me a little sad.
I wholeheartedly recommend this series, but, I will warn you to brace yourself to be at least a little annoyed. If I were rating these books based solely on how much I loved the plot and characters, it would easily get a Loved It! rating, but since I'm not, especially since I felt there should have been more changes since this was an online book that the author then published, I had to lower the rating for all three books to just Pretty Good.
Have any of you read these books? What did you think?
This review is for the whole series (Houseboat on the Nile, Not My Spook!, and Forever).
For weeks, I've had a plan to read the first of this series, Houseboat on the Nile with my awesome friend and reading buddy Laddie, and then just that week, I got so sick. That was last week, by the way. I didn't know if I'd be in the mood to read these at all. I had a fever and a hard time concentrating. But then, it worked out perfectly. I spend several days reading this whole series, back to back. I couldn't put them down, really. I had to know what happened to Quinn and Mark.
I did have some trouble getting into them. My cold medicine soaked brain was not up to deciphering complicated plots and a whole shitload of characters and their names. That's how I thought this was going to be, and indeed the first 30k to 40k of the first book was just like that. But, then it all seemed to click for me, and I really got into them. I was almost glad I had the excuse of being sick and didn't have to do anything more than lay around and read this series to my heart's content. And the good thing, is that combined, they're about 360k words -- a very good chunk that you can spend time getting into!
The basis of the story is the rivalry between the various government agencies in DC. Set in 2002, the story switches point of view between several characters, but mostly between two men -- Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann. Mark is a WBIS senior agent and most think him a loose cannon. Actually, they're all afraid of him. His bureau is known for their unusual tactics, and Mark Vincent is the best of the best. Quinn is a CIA director and just as well known for his family and all around class as his success in his career. He's just one in a long line of government operatives, including his mother Portia, who was a code breaker for NSA during the Cold War. They're both extraordinary men, and by nature of the organizations they work for, hate each other.
When Mann finds out that Vincent has been doing a little snooping into his past, he sets out to up the ante, but the result is that they both find they have an extreme sexual attraction to one another. Is it real? Or is it a game to one up the other? Neither can quite figure it out, but they know they can't stop.
At it's heart, this is a really wonderful story. Mostly, that comes from these two characters their their chemistry, which is incredibly hot. The games they play on each other are hilarious, and I loved seeing them slowly come together and realize that they have actual feelings for each other. Watching them maneuver the minefield if their intelligence careers while trying to carry on a clandestine relationship was the best part of this story. I would read their books forever and wished that they went on and on and on.
But, I also can't deny that these books are riddled with problems. Knowing ahead of time that these were previously one book of original online fiction, helped me to realize where the problem was, or else I might have been really confused. Now, I haven't read that original book which was called Mann of My Dreams, but it seems to me from reading these released by Dreamspinner that they most likely weren't changed very much. And that is a problem -- they still read like online fiction. And while they're good, they could have been great, with a really smart and exacting editor to bring them new life. The biggest problem with the published books is the repetition, which I have heard others complain about as well. And it isn't just the style of the writing, which takes both characters point of view and shows the same events, over and over. While tiring at some points (because this series would have been at least half the length, otherwise), that didn't bother me too much. I embraced the style and ran with it. But, there is a lot of other repetition within that should have been cut -- whole paragraphs reminding us what happened a few chapters ago and whole scenes that are repeated to remind us, but 5 to 6 times over the whole series. It is one thing to remind us in the beginning of a sequel the few key points that happened in the first book, not everyone reads the books back to back like I did, I understand that. But, that is something from the online fiction that should have been cut. We aren't reading this an online serial, so we don't need to be reminded of things that happened, which online, we might have read several months or even years ago.
It was fundamental problems like that that really bothered me. Not just mistakes, but glaring problems. I ended up feeling that I might as well have just read them online for free if they had all that. So while I absolutely loved the story and adored the characters, I found the writing fundamentally flawed, which really affected my enjoyment of the story. I had hoped that some of these things might get better with each subsequent book -- after all, I read these types of comments on each book page at Goodreads and thought they might influence how the later books were edited, but not. I didn't see any difference, which made me a little sad.
I wholeheartedly recommend this series, but, I will warn you to brace yourself to be at least a little annoyed. If I were rating these books based solely on how much I loved the plot and characters, it would easily get a Loved It! rating, but since I'm not, especially since I felt there should have been more changes since this was an online book that the author then published, I had to lower the rating for all three books to just Pretty Good.
Have any of you read these books? What did you think?
Read
March 9, 2017Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
I adore this series. It's so... everything. Mark and Quinn and EVERYTHING... perfect.
I wanted something with this and I didn't get it.
What I got was one hundred times better and it brought me to tears.
Perfect.
I adore this series. It's so... everything. Mark and Quinn and EVERYTHING... perfect.
I wanted something with this and I didn't get it.
What I got was one hundred times better and it brought me to tears.
Perfect.
November 22, 2012
4.5 stars
Published version of original episodes of "Mann of my Dreams":
- Coming Home
- Be It Ever so Humble
- It Had to be You
- Blue Champagne
- My Christmas Always
- Blue Moon
Read the story first as Mann of my Dreams as online fiction, re-read the published version. Still love it ^_^
Just keep in mind that it's rather long ;o)
Published version of original episodes of "Mann of my Dreams":
- Coming Home
- Be It Ever so Humble
- It Had to be You
- Blue Champagne
- My Christmas Always
- Blue Moon
Read the story first as Mann of my Dreams as online fiction, re-read the published version. Still love it ^_^
Just keep in mind that it's rather long ;o)
April 20, 2017
QUOTES I ADORE <3!!
@ 27% -
“Fuck me, Mark.” He shifted, spread his legs, and I fell into the space between them. He gripped my waist with his knees. “Please, Mark,” he whispered against my neck, and I shivered from the moist warmth. “Take me now.”
My cock was at his hole, and all it would take for me to be inside him was just a single thrust of my hips.
There would be nothing between us, no latex barrier, nothing to blunt his heat and tightness, the feel of his internal muscles clenching and relaxing, caressing my cock. I’d be surrounded by him, and when I came, he’d be filled with my semen.
That thought made me so hard I ached.
And because I wanted it, because there was nothing in the world that I wanted more at that moment than to be buried balls-deep inside my lover, without a goddamned condom separating us, I said, “No.”
“Mark?”
“I’ll make love to you, Quinn.” I shifted off him and scrabbled in the drawer of the nightstand."
~ ADOOOOOOORE *insert cartoon heart eyes here*!! <33333333!!
Also @ 27% -
“Please. I don’t need you to be careful—”
“I know what you need, baby.” I spooned up behind him, parted his cheeks, and drove into him, and we both groaned. For long minutes, we just lay like that.
“Are you… are you going to move, Mark?”
“No. I told you I knew what you need.”
“And you think what I need is to be tortured like this?”
I nipped his ear. “No. You need to know you’re safe. That we’re both safe.” I rocked my hips, his internal muscles clenched around me, and it was enough to keep me hard. “I’ve got you.”
“Yes, you do.” He shivered again.
“Now that we’ve got that settled, how about you go to sleep?”
“Always think you know what’s best, don’t you?” he murmured.
“Can I help it if I do? Go to sleep.” I kissed the spot just below his ear, and he hummed in drowsy pleasure and went limp in my arms.
And he didn’t have any more nightmares."
~ LOVE. LOVE. LOVE!!
@ 100% -
***What a GLORIOUS wrap-up of the end of this trilogy. But this isn't the end of these glorious men :-). I have Mark & Quinn's spinoff series now <3!!
"He framed my face with his hands. “I’m not such an idiot that I’ll let you go.”
“What?”
“I didn’t realize it then—didn’t realize it until after Paris.” He stared steadily into my eyes. “I named the boat for you.”
“Oh!” I couldn’t catch my breath. That he’d admitted that ...
He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine, then drew back and looked into my eyes. “Forever, Quinn.”
I cupped his face in my palm and rubbed my thumb over his cheekbone. “Forever, Mark."
~ LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE ❤️!!!
******
Still savouring ... :-)!!
This is currently on my "currently reading" queue. I'll start this one after I've finished all the others on said queue :-)! I'm not in a rush to finish this, which is why it's taking me so long. Gahhhh I adore these men <333!!
@ 27% -
“Fuck me, Mark.” He shifted, spread his legs, and I fell into the space between them. He gripped my waist with his knees. “Please, Mark,” he whispered against my neck, and I shivered from the moist warmth. “Take me now.”
My cock was at his hole, and all it would take for me to be inside him was just a single thrust of my hips.
There would be nothing between us, no latex barrier, nothing to blunt his heat and tightness, the feel of his internal muscles clenching and relaxing, caressing my cock. I’d be surrounded by him, and when I came, he’d be filled with my semen.
That thought made me so hard I ached.
And because I wanted it, because there was nothing in the world that I wanted more at that moment than to be buried balls-deep inside my lover, without a goddamned condom separating us, I said, “No.”
“Mark?”
“I’ll make love to you, Quinn.” I shifted off him and scrabbled in the drawer of the nightstand."
~ ADOOOOOOORE *insert cartoon heart eyes here*!! <33333333!!
Also @ 27% -
“Please. I don’t need you to be careful—”
“I know what you need, baby.” I spooned up behind him, parted his cheeks, and drove into him, and we both groaned. For long minutes, we just lay like that.
“Are you… are you going to move, Mark?”
“No. I told you I knew what you need.”
“And you think what I need is to be tortured like this?”
I nipped his ear. “No. You need to know you’re safe. That we’re both safe.” I rocked my hips, his internal muscles clenched around me, and it was enough to keep me hard. “I’ve got you.”
“Yes, you do.” He shivered again.
“Now that we’ve got that settled, how about you go to sleep?”
“Always think you know what’s best, don’t you?” he murmured.
“Can I help it if I do? Go to sleep.” I kissed the spot just below his ear, and he hummed in drowsy pleasure and went limp in my arms.
And he didn’t have any more nightmares."
~ LOVE. LOVE. LOVE!!
@ 100% -
***What a GLORIOUS wrap-up of the end of this trilogy. But this isn't the end of these glorious men :-). I have Mark & Quinn's spinoff series now <3!!
"He framed my face with his hands. “I’m not such an idiot that I’ll let you go.”
“What?”
“I didn’t realize it then—didn’t realize it until after Paris.” He stared steadily into my eyes. “I named the boat for you.”
“Oh!” I couldn’t catch my breath. That he’d admitted that ...
He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine, then drew back and looked into my eyes. “Forever, Quinn.”
I cupped his face in my palm and rubbed my thumb over his cheekbone. “Forever, Mark."
~ LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE ❤️!!!
******
Still savouring ... :-)!!
This is currently on my "currently reading" queue. I'll start this one after I've finished all the others on said queue :-)! I'm not in a rush to finish this, which is why it's taking me so long. Gahhhh I adore these men <333!!
February 8, 2014
This was a hit out of the park winner!! I loved this book! Exciting, fun and sexy!!
This is book 3 in the series and the fun and excitement continues, Mark and Quinn are growing closer all the time and it absolutely makes my heart all melty and gushy. As the two get closer Mark gets more involved in Quinn’s family, and i gotta tell you it absolutely warmed my heart to see it happen. And the suspense part was fun as well, Quinn’s mom Portia is in a car accident that wasn’t an accident and immediately Mark’s sets out find those responsible. Dangerous and deadly, Mark has no qualms handling out his own justice, no one hurts what’s his. The difference this time is Quinn wants in on this operation, and the two set off to make Wexler pay, their way.
Of course the chemistry and heat between Mark and Quinn continues to fire up my kindle, the sex is hot, the emotions felt real and I was again absolutely hooked. I loved that Quinn knew how to reach out and keep Mark from bolting without making a big production about it. And at those moments when he saw Mark feeling afraid or unsure he would simply not let Mark run and hide.
Just as I posted this review Trisha informs me there will be more of Mark and Quinn, OH YAY OH YAY!!. So I am adding these few lines to my review. These 3 books have been exciting, steamy, emotionally satisfying and I will be waiting for the next time and the next installment. This was my first series and books by this author and it won't be my last.
A winning book and series! Highly recommended!
This is book 3 in the series and the fun and excitement continues, Mark and Quinn are growing closer all the time and it absolutely makes my heart all melty and gushy. As the two get closer Mark gets more involved in Quinn’s family, and i gotta tell you it absolutely warmed my heart to see it happen. And the suspense part was fun as well, Quinn’s mom Portia is in a car accident that wasn’t an accident and immediately Mark’s sets out find those responsible. Dangerous and deadly, Mark has no qualms handling out his own justice, no one hurts what’s his. The difference this time is Quinn wants in on this operation, and the two set off to make Wexler pay, their way.
Of course the chemistry and heat between Mark and Quinn continues to fire up my kindle, the sex is hot, the emotions felt real and I was again absolutely hooked. I loved that Quinn knew how to reach out and keep Mark from bolting without making a big production about it. And at those moments when he saw Mark feeling afraid or unsure he would simply not let Mark run and hide.
Just as I posted this review Trisha informs me there will be more of Mark and Quinn, OH YAY OH YAY!!. So I am adding these few lines to my review. These 3 books have been exciting, steamy, emotionally satisfying and I will be waiting for the next time and the next installment. This was my first series and books by this author and it won't be my last.
A winning book and series! Highly recommended!
April 18, 2013
3.7
If you like the spy/killer type stories you will end up loving Mark and Quinn. It is unavoidable how fun the two of them are in these stories. As each book progresses, the writing smooths out and some of the initial issues such as really long over lapping POV switches are better. There are still some story lines that drop, but it is not overall impactful to the entire story - just niggles and why were they there to begin with if they are going to be dropped.
Overall, I would continue to read stories about these two and the cast of secondary characters. The secondary characters such as Quinn's mom, uncles, and the friends (rentboys, other spies, etc) really make these very long stories a good time.
If you like the spy/killer type stories you will end up loving Mark and Quinn. It is unavoidable how fun the two of them are in these stories. As each book progresses, the writing smooths out and some of the initial issues such as really long over lapping POV switches are better. There are still some story lines that drop, but it is not overall impactful to the entire story - just niggles and why were they there to begin with if they are going to be dropped.
Overall, I would continue to read stories about these two and the cast of secondary characters. The secondary characters such as Quinn's mom, uncles, and the friends (rentboys, other spies, etc) really make these very long stories a good time.
August 22, 2021
The final in the Spy vs Spook trilogy and I enjoyed this better second time around. Having read some of the spin off series, I know the characters better and I think this enhanced my enjoyment. Portia is a great secondary character and Mark's interactions with Novotny add a good bit of humour.
October 7, 2013
Mark and Quinn are back again, but this time, they are much more connected than they have been in the past; their relationship has deepened substantially since Mark rescued Quinn from his kidnappers/torturers in Paris, and it is clear just how committed they are to the other (well, it's clear to the reader; it's oddly unclear to them). Again, the non-romance plot does not serve as an independently interesting aspect of the story; rather, it is the emotional terrain on which Mark and Quinn negotiate their issues and reach a better understanding of what, exactly, their relationship is and what it ultimately means. It's a little bit frustrating to see them repeatedly make the same misjudgments of the other -- after each little blow-up, one or the other thinks that it signals the end of the relationship, and the repeated conversation becomes tiresome. Also, for reasons that I cannot comprehend, neither one is prepared to say the "l" word to the other, though it's crystal clear that this is the word that describes their feelings for one another. Still, it's an enjoyable follow up to Not My Spook!, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
(Added bonus: Tinnean almost completely drops the alternating POV technique. Most of the story is told from Mark's perspective.)
(Added bonus: Tinnean almost completely drops the alternating POV technique. Most of the story is told from Mark's perspective.)
September 4, 2013
Oh...
Ok I rarely do this, but this I must do it. I will not write a review. Read this one, Trisha said EXACTLY what I think.
Yeah I can't add a review.. This book is too amazing, too good, too funny too... Remarkable.
I had serious troubles with all the repeated scenes on book one and two (two point of views, Mark and Quinn's, same scene you read from BOTH men). This book didn't had it.
It's perfection.
It's sad, it's full of suspense, full of action, full of jokes (that crack me up!!!!) and most of all, full of love!.
That's why I can't add a review... I loved it so much, I'm specheless.
I wish I could give 5 thousand stars... Gr don't allow it... So I'm giving 5 stars.
Yeah 5 (thousand) stars
And looking forward for more... I need more!
Ok I rarely do this, but this I must do it. I will not write a review. Read this one, Trisha said EXACTLY what I think.
Yeah I can't add a review.. This book is too amazing, too good, too funny too... Remarkable.
I had serious troubles with all the repeated scenes on book one and two (two point of views, Mark and Quinn's, same scene you read from BOTH men). This book didn't had it.
It's perfection.
It's sad, it's full of suspense, full of action, full of jokes (that crack me up!!!!) and most of all, full of love!.
That's why I can't add a review... I loved it so much, I'm specheless.
I wish I could give 5 thousand stars... Gr don't allow it... So I'm giving 5 stars.
Yeah 5 (thousand) stars
And looking forward for more... I need more!
July 14, 2014
I love these guys!!!
Had to contact author to get timeline since it jumps series. According to author Pick Up the Pieces is next unless I want to read Portia's story, which I'll skip. So its off to read the two in the side series and back to If You're Going Through Hell Keep Going where we pick up Mark and Quinn again.
Had to contact author to get timeline since it jumps series. According to author Pick Up the Pieces is next unless I want to read Portia's story, which I'll skip. So its off to read the two in the side series and back to If You're Going Through Hell Keep Going where we pick up Mark and Quinn again.
October 3, 2015
This is the best book in the series. While they still haven't gotten to the point I want them too, they are so close it made my cry with joy.
April 2, 2014
Review to come
February 15, 2017
Mark & Quinn's story ended on a note that suited their unconventional relationship. This is the book that I enjoyed the most in the series I'm not sure if the editing improved or I just got used to the jumping around and repetition that the books in this series have had.
It was good to read a series with MCs that were different, they did things as part of their employment that made them callous at times due to the necessary detachment they needed to perform these, at times, inhumane actions. However they were able to grow and develop their relationship with each other at the same time. It feels like it occurred over a longer timeframe but the story arc of the series took place in just over a year.
It was good to read a series with MCs that were different, they did things as part of their employment that made them callous at times due to the necessary detachment they needed to perform these, at times, inhumane actions. However they were able to grow and develop their relationship with each other at the same time. It feels like it occurred over a longer timeframe but the story arc of the series took place in just over a year.
August 30, 2013
I’ve read all three books of the series and have decided to give them one review together.
This is the story of two hot guys in two different agencies. They aren’t supposed to like each other, the agencies do not think very nicely of the other ones.
But they do, both Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann are tough guys, Vincent is even a bit spooky ;) He has very high morals concerning the people he cares of but for the rest of the world? You better do nothing to annoy him. Their chemistry is really good, the stories are entertaining and captivating. The writing is neither to flowery nor to generic, it has a simple but unique quality that I really enjoyed.
The whole series has just one flaw. I had the feeling while reading, that this had been written in more parts and put together later to just three books. Sometimes facts or connections got explained in the middle of the book despite we already have read this – in the same book. And there are large parts where we get told the same events from both POVs, so after reading about a week from Mark’s POV we get the same week from Quinton’s POV, too. Sometimes it was interesting, sometimes not so much. Unfortunately later, when I really had hoped for both POVs – then we got only one ;)
The books also have some very good supportive characters, it’s a bit a pity that in the last one they don’t play such a big role anymore.
But I’m not complaining. These are long books and totally worth a read. I enjoyed Mark’s bluntness and willingness to do whatever needed to be done very much, as Quinton’s realization that Mark definitely was his weak spot.
I recommend them.
This is the story of two hot guys in two different agencies. They aren’t supposed to like each other, the agencies do not think very nicely of the other ones.
But they do, both Mark Vincent and Quinton Mann are tough guys, Vincent is even a bit spooky ;) He has very high morals concerning the people he cares of but for the rest of the world? You better do nothing to annoy him. Their chemistry is really good, the stories are entertaining and captivating. The writing is neither to flowery nor to generic, it has a simple but unique quality that I really enjoyed.
The whole series has just one flaw. I had the feeling while reading, that this had been written in more parts and put together later to just three books. Sometimes facts or connections got explained in the middle of the book despite we already have read this – in the same book. And there are large parts where we get told the same events from both POVs, so after reading about a week from Mark’s POV we get the same week from Quinton’s POV, too. Sometimes it was interesting, sometimes not so much. Unfortunately later, when I really had hoped for both POVs – then we got only one ;)
The books also have some very good supportive characters, it’s a bit a pity that in the last one they don’t play such a big role anymore.
But I’m not complaining. These are long books and totally worth a read. I enjoyed Mark’s bluntness and willingness to do whatever needed to be done very much, as Quinton’s realization that Mark definitely was his weak spot.
I recommend them.
November 10, 2013
This story was surprisingly good. Surprising because I hadn't read anything by this author previously, and certainly not the first books in the series, but I was able to pick up enough about the characters to become engaged with them fairly quickly and I truly enjoyed their dynamic.
The author's voice was engaging, regardless of which MCs POV we were getting. Quinn Mann, aka The Ice Man, CIA agent, handsome, wealthy and sweet as any romantic like me would hope to find. Mark Vincent, non-CIA, but nevertheless just as deadly, in fact, maybe more so, is a self-proclaimed psycho but not really. He's just a hard-nosed operative who doesn't take bull from anyone but it's obvious that he totally loves Quinn. His poor self-esteem keeps rearing it's ugly head but it also makes him endearing and I rooted for him in his quest to keep Quinn.
I definitely need to go read the first two books and then read this again. I suspect it may be a 5 star read the second time, especially after I know more about these men.
The author's voice was engaging, regardless of which MCs POV we were getting. Quinn Mann, aka The Ice Man, CIA agent, handsome, wealthy and sweet as any romantic like me would hope to find. Mark Vincent, non-CIA, but nevertheless just as deadly, in fact, maybe more so, is a self-proclaimed psycho but not really. He's just a hard-nosed operative who doesn't take bull from anyone but it's obvious that he totally loves Quinn. His poor self-esteem keeps rearing it's ugly head but it also makes him endearing and I rooted for him in his quest to keep Quinn.
I definitely need to go read the first two books and then read this again. I suspect it may be a 5 star read the second time, especially after I know more about these men.
October 25, 2015
Why I continued reading this series despite it being not that fun for me is because of Mark Vincent. He represents the kind of agent that I really like. Someone consistent and unchanging since book 1. Unchanging in the sense that they don't let just anything to affect or modify their character. Falling in love didn't make him soft or didn't make him want to change so that his lover would see him as a better person and I'm glad Quinn is the type of partner that doesn't need or want Mark to become someone he's not.
Though for me, this book was too long. Aside from the characters, I'm glad that there wasn't so much repetition of scenes in this book.
Though for me, this book was too long. Aside from the characters, I'm glad that there wasn't so much repetition of scenes in this book.
April 14, 2013
LOVED THIS SERIES! LOVED!
And this last book was the strongest of the three.
Once again, this trilogy was a trilogy in the sense of Lord of the Rings. It's really just one story split into three books. DON'T START WITH THIS BOOK!
Go back to book one and then devour.
I adored both main characters and loved that you get to see things from both POVs. However, at the end, we didn't switch back for the ending scenes. And that made me a bit sad. I didn't want things to end.
This series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GO! BUY THEM! READ! NOW! I'll wait . . .
And this last book was the strongest of the three.
Once again, this trilogy was a trilogy in the sense of Lord of the Rings. It's really just one story split into three books. DON'T START WITH THIS BOOK!
Go back to book one and then devour.
I adored both main characters and loved that you get to see things from both POVs. However, at the end, we didn't switch back for the ending scenes. And that made me a bit sad. I didn't want things to end.
This series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GO! BUY THEM! READ! NOW! I'll wait . . .
March 29, 2015
4.5 STARS
Now this book was a cracker, I'll be honest and say book 1 and the beginning of book 2 has way too much identical POV overlap, it's just too similar for me personally but I persisted because of the strong, well established MC's in a huge power play strutting around spraying their territory
So if you like to see two into the lives of two fucked up Alpha males working in intelligence spy/sppok setting then these are great.
Now this book was a cracker, I'll be honest and say book 1 and the beginning of book 2 has way too much identical POV overlap, it's just too similar for me personally but I persisted because of the strong, well established MC's in a huge power play strutting around spraying their territory
So if you like to see two into the lives of two fucked up Alpha males working in intelligence spy/sppok setting then these are great.
October 19, 2013
I just love this series! This one may be my favorite of the three. Quinn was a bit of a hot mess in this one which I just loved and Mark was just....Mark. So hot and sexy. These two are absolutely perfect together. Add some agency drama, a bit of snark and lots of lovin' and we've got a winner. Loved it!
March 24, 2014
My favorite of the series. Mistakes do not even bother me as I love these guys so much. We know they love each other but neither can admit it but actions speak louder than words. I love see Quinn's family. I can visualize these two in and out of their tuxes. WOW. I love the supporting characters. I want more.
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