Into the Lyons Den

Assassin/Shifter #16

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

FBI Special Agent Devin Lyons and Russian mob boss/FBI ally Andrei Panchenko have been at each others' throats for years. Literally. They've had their hands around the other's throat lots of times. When Andrei barely escapes a bold attempt on his life, government big shot James Jacobs decides to put Devin in charge of Andrei's safety. After all, who better to keep the Russian alive than the man who wants to do the killing himself?

Andrei Panchenko knows two things as fact: Devin Lyons hates him. And the FBI agent is the sexiest man he's ever seen. Forced into cohabitation, Andrei tries to figure out why the agent wants him dead. He has been nothing but honest in owning up to his crimes and kills only the vilest men who manage to escape justice. But still Lyons (who has his own violent record) treats him with contempt. In the meantime, Andrei notices a touching side to the man that he's never seen before. And THAT scares him more than any gun.

Devin Lyons hates Andrei Panchenko. It's one of the things in his life that he can count on. Until he's forced to spend time with the ridiculously beautiful and sexy man. Seeing the "real" Andrei turns Devin's world upside down until he's not sure whether he wants to kill Andrei or make love to him.

A common enemy of both men is determined that neither will have the chance to do anything except die. When a life-changing secret is revealed, will the resulting fallout bring the two men together or separate them forever?

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Fantasy

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

I have been blessed in this life to not only have parents that support me, but kids that do as well. I grew up in a loving but "Old School" French household. My parents worked for the airlines (TWA) so I was able to see a lot of Europe as a kid. I moved to Seattle Washington at the age of 22 and stayed there for twelve years before moving to Alaska for a little over two. Fairbanks, AK was one hell of an experience and I wouldn't hesitate to go back! I spent a little over a year in South Carolina before moving back to Arizona. I then left for Kansas for five years and now reside in Arizona. I've been connected to the military in one way or another for over half my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. Writing has become my full time job and I've never been so happy doing a job I love and being able to do it in my jammies. I plan on writing until I dry up and die. Hopefully, that won't happen soon!

Reviews

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Just notes because I don't have time to write a proper review:

Keegan thinks it's sexy that his husband is murdering people?

Why does every couple have to be gay, even those that are just mentioned in passing?

Faulty logic. He doesn't need to protect Andrei from others so he can kill him. He can just kill him immediately.

Migraines are more than just bad headaches! And you aren't going to feel energized if you get into an altercation while you have one!

Andrei revels in torturing. Even if they're bad guys, that's horrible. Devin smiles and admires him for it. This book is unsettling.

Deven talks about how ridiculously huge the house is, how enormous the closet is with a whole wall for shoes then says Andre didn't flaunt his wealth??

A gay club in Russia?? An out business man/mafia leader? Has she read a newspaper?

Andrei's 44 and head of the Russian mob and he's wearing low rise jeans and a muscle shirt?

Talk about romanticizing the mob.

So stupid. He would not be in the position he is with that kind of money in Russia if he were so law abiding and nice.

8 new couples introduced so far 117/174 pages in my reader.

More women then usual which is good. This is a positive trend I see in the series.

This time she gave some of them the exact same names and they joked about it because that was confusing. As if all the J names weren't already.

Really nice that they are older than the standard (in their 40s) and the same age as each other.

Plot was better than most of the others.

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Devin absolutely stayed true to form.. Finally understanding who he is and why he hated Andrei so much...so worth it.

Andrei started out a little weak, but by the end the real Andrei returned.

I love these two, they will remain two of my favorites in this series...and i look forward to seeing them in future installments.

With that said...omg, all the names at the end was brain overload. I was so lost trying to figure out who was whom. It was a bit much, too much for me and i just admitted defeat and moved on.

[Phaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my god, Sabine is back. And she’s staying! Scary. :O

But I am getting ahead of myself. This book? Yeah, I really enjoyed it. There’s still a lot silliness but the romance in this case really worked for me.

I really like Andrei. Yep, he’s completely unreal in his amazingness, but even so, I still like him. Underneath the overpowering attributes he seems so… normal. Vulnerable, too, in a very normal, divorcee kind of way. Kinda dig his overly formal speech (achieved by a simple lack of contractions) too, even if it might seem contrived in anyone else.

The writing’s definitely gotten better overall. This story has a tighter feel, as well. Possibly because (for the most part) the usual masses of superheroes are not around to blab about everyone’s relationships. (Still plenty of people doing that, but at least not the usual set.) And the romance itself deals with a classic I-hate-you situation.
None of the stories yet have had this much actual struggle and conflict between the protagonists. Tristan and Scott tried for that, but here they’re playing with actual hurt. Genuine inner isolation and want-but-can’t. Makes me realize just how rare that has become in my recent readings.
There’s also a fairly solid mystery going on regarding Devin's remembered and unremembered past. (The explanation sounds absolutely ridiculous when they sum it up for us later. Heh. XD Regardless, it made for a fun story.)

And after so much heartache the extended mushy payoff feels proportional for once. And it’s not drama-free either.
Naturally, at the very end setups for future books take over – as though trying to make up for the lack thereof during the majority of the book. Ha! I’ll take it.

There’s still room for head-shaking or confusion, of course.

The thing that bugs me (and has bugged me since its first occurrence) about the Damon side of the assassins is that clearly there’s an entire series or two hidden (or not so hidden) in it. My guess is the author wrote those stories first and then started this one as an offshoot or something and this one just happened to be published. Since a book concerning that other side has come out now, I’m wondering whether it will be a prequel of sorts and finally depict the events we keep getting summaries of – or whether it’s a continuation. (Which would seem fairly ridiculous, given that everyone’s already had kids and those kids apparently had their own romances too.)
It simply seems like such a waste to get all the recaps. Plus it really brings home how ridiculous it is that absolutely everyone is gay, married another man, and had kids together, almost all of which went the same way. We’re looking at the future of this series.
Okay, so being given the humongous web of back stories makes sense in retrospect – but honestly it is way too involved to keep straight without having actually read the attached stories.
I really love the way Devin echoes my thoughts on the reuse of names. This works because the author and the characters are poking fun at it. (Still makes for one hell of a confusing web of stories.)

The rest of this is going to be very random, just stuff that gave me pause.

At one point, he’d thought he had a chance with Scott Delange, but that had never come to fruition.

What? You mean during those five minutes between meeting him and his shutting you down? Exaggeration much?

He had to admit that the mansion didn’t really look like he thought it would. Yeah, there were some frills but it wasn’t filled with expensive furniture. It was tastefully done.

And this after a description of how over-the-top everything is. Phht.

*super sigh* I am mystified that these people have been able to keep any secret at all. (And I already knew about Viktoriya, so someone likely did mention her.) And now the secret daughter just pointlessly pops in to say goodbye to her father when the latter is about to leave with a shady character. Smart.
Then again, the wolfy side of things is at least as bad. These days it seems like they just tell anyone and their extended family.

I am confused. If Andrei has not been with anyone since Vince, how can his last sex have been a year ago? Well, I suppose he was just referring to not having a relationship since then, but… Hm.

As for Devin, what confuses me is the apparent contradiction between “my parents were killed” and “I do not know who I am”. I guess I could find explanations for how that works – but the narrative simply does not do a very good job of making it clear.

Quite a feat to grab a man between your legs when your ankles are taped together…

The girl at the orphanage annoys me a little – or rather the preferential treatment that everyone showers on her over the other kids. Pushy girl.

Wasn’t Jesse a big, buff and slightly rough guy? He’s a bouncer, right? When did he change into the sweet damsel in distress? The, um, Juliet to Noah’s Romeo. Not to mention youthful. (Just how long can he have been in the Navy if he’s that young? And I thought Tristan’s been out for a while, so how were they able to meet there if Jesse’s turn was by necessity more recent?)
He and Noah have a very odd romance. It seems to have sprung completely out of nowhere right into full-blown emotion. Weird.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long awaited (ok maybe not that long), much anticipated Andrei/Devin story. I really enjoyed it. Sandrine sure knows how to write and weave characters into a story. And this series definitely sets the record for me. Even though I wasn't able to remember who was who at all times, the storyline was always clear. Often times, I found myself remembering certain characters in the next paragraph or so.

Devin continues to be the same crazy bastard as he was in the previous books. There even may have been a time or two that I wanted to kick his ass myself. But, aside from his hate/love/hate relationship with Andrei, there is a lot more going on in this segment for him. The mystery and events surrounding his memory loss and who he is, why he felt the way he did about Andrei, and more, are all explained and helped me have a better understanding of Devin. Though I don't recall if we ever found out what Devin's physical issue was. Hmmmm.

Andrei was a bit of a question for me. I kept picturing him as this mature head of the mob guy, but he came across as a bit immature through most of this story. I do love his character though, and it did get better by the end.

I love these two together. They do make a great fit and I really like how they don't take any crap from each other. Now it's time to hurry up and wait for Nik and Colin, my second-most anticipated book of this series.

[Sherryt · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH.MY.GOD. Just when I thought this author couldn't do any better. She did. Those of us who met Special Agent Devin Lyons on LRO will not be disappointed in this book. Sandrine keeps true to form the characters she created and had this reader devouring this book. I laughed, I cried, I shouted, I screamed and then I started all over again. The relationship between Andrei and Devin began a long time ago. The two snarled and hissed at each other, we all knew something would explode and boy did it.

The reveal in this book is almost as good as it was on LRO. There, the entire board blew up with posts and we all cried for more. Sandrine has a way of grabbing you from the first paragraph and holding on. There's never a dull moment of skimming to get to the good part because it's ALL good!

Lyons Den has Devin Lyons protecting the man he hates (Already a good story). Andrei is already attracted to the Agent and has a hard time trying to figure out why Lyons hates him so much. These two fight, snarl, hiss and kiss and it's just FANTASTIC. There were so many lines I wanted to highlight, I should just highlight the whole book! The snarky/witty comebacks for these two is just hilarious. I can't wait for Nikolai's book!!!

[Purplegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was good. Andrei's actions did not scream mobster with dancing at clubs, drinking hot chocolate and other things. Mobsters just don't do those things. It wasn't as bad as Viscous Vince though. Devin stayed true to form I can't complaib about him. The author can write romance for these guys well. Andrei and Devin's story was very believable due to the way the two have interacted in the past books. I loved Chris and his bubbly attitude. As always, it's good to see the interaction with all of the groups from previous books. Now I am waiting for Nik's story.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too many characters introduced towards the end, with many having the same names of previous characters. I've kept a spreadsheet to keep track of them leading up to the book just to keep them all straight. Then this book dumped a whole bunch more making it so confusing. I found it ridiculous and didn't even finish the epilogue. I won't be reading anymore books from this series. It's run it's course for me.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd read 2-2020
I cried. Did I cry the first time? I don't know, but Andrei broke my heart at times. Love these two.

First read 1-22-2014
Devin and Andrei. HOLY SHEEP!!!!!

I will say the Santorno names confused me.

Overall, this book was great. It didn't disappoint, but I was kind of confused by Chris was always around. I mean, he has his own husband. Weird.

Nik was cracking me up. #4. HA HA!

[Makhda · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I disliked :
- Too many characters. I can't keep up with it.
- Jesse is supposed to be this tough guy, right? I mean he's a bouncer. Why do I feel like he's Jules from 'Romeo and Jules'?..

But I liked Devin and Andrei nonetheless.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I think this is the best one so far ... even better than Russian Prey

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Man is it hard to keep up with all the different characters and to throw a character plot twist..lol This is why I love this series/author

[T.M. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone has ordered a hit on Andrei Panchenko. When he manages to escape the first attempt on his life unscathed, James Pruitt sends Agent Lyon's to Russia to be his bodyguard. Devin Lyons hates Panchenko with a passion. The only thing he hates more is the thought of someone, other than himself, ending his life. As the story unfolds we travel through three countries, delve into the past Lyon's can't remember, and learn of the future Panchenko longs for.

The sexual tension between these two is so think, you could cut it with a knife. And yet, they fight it. In an almost comical war for domination Andrei refuses to change his life in the wake of the attempt on his life, and Devin is determined to provide the protection he needs. Shadowing his every move, Devin learns there is more to Andrei than meets the eye. His tough exterior is fading and Andrei manages to get a little more under his armour everyday. Little by little they chip away at the other's over bearing exterior, the facade they present, the supposed hate that only goes skin deep. Let's just say their idea of foreplay is a sparring match where fists and clothes are flying, and blood as well as some sexy sensual kisses are exchanged. When the dust settles, which man will wind up on top (pun intended!)?

I blew through this book in one setting! Every book in this series has managed to not only grab my attention from the start, but hold my attention until the very end. At the end of every installment I find myself anxiously awaiting the next, I seriously hope this series never ends! Gasq-Dion manages to hold true to the series by including updates with a lot of our favorite characters, and yet add's something fresh and new to the mix by uncovering Lyon's elusive past. As well as a sneak peak at "The Nik of Time" book 17, out April 1st 2013.

[annapi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I'll say one thing for this, it was a short, easy read, and I've read worse. That's about all the good I can say for it, because it was boring. It gets 2 stars from me because I actually started out liking it - it seemed interesting enough, an FBI agent is assigned to protect a Russian mob man whom he hates and has tried to kill, but is secretly attracted to.

Then came the boring old tropes of tired romances - the push-me-pull-you of a love-hate relationship, the "I-don't-want-to-love-again-because-I-don't-want-to-be-hurt-again" scenario, and then throw in a past lost to amnesia - this was a cornucopia of soap opera dramas, emphasis on the "corn". And all the characters! Being book 16 of a series, I knew there would be background characters whose stories were told in other books, but I never expected ALL of them to make an appearance. Too many names and relationships (95% of them gay of course) to keep track of. The dialogue tried to be cute and witty, and sometimes succeeded, but overall it was just eye-rolling.

I might read another because of a challenge, but this taste of the series does not have me looking for more.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might be my favorite story so far! I've loved watching the whole Devin/Andrei love/hate relationship that has been building through the series. This story really stays focused on them throughout - until the very end when we meet a gazillion people that I'm sure I'm going to have to keep straight in coming stories!

Someone tries to kill Andrei and James sends Devin to guard him - only it's really difficult for them to keep their minds on business ;) Then the son of a guy that Andrei killed a long time ago decides to make a play for him and Devin is beyond jealous. Mikhail does his best to charm Andrei, but in the end, it's obvious that there are real feelings there for Devin.

Finally, finally, it looks like Devin and Andrei will be together, but of course that would be WAY too easy. There is a kidnapping and a rescue and a very surprising reveal. But things turn out right in the end :D

I cannot wait for Nikolai and Colin's story next!

[Szinna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nem tudom, hogy sírjak, vagy nevessek ezen a könyvön. Tudom, nem korrekt megítélni valamit, ha a közepéből látsz egy apró darabot (ez pedig egy sorozat 16-ik része), de ez siralmas volt. Ebben a könyvben mindenki homoszexuális, vagy biszexuális. Gyakorlatilag mindenkinek aki házas férje van. Azt, hogy hogyan van ezek után, előtt vagy közben gyerekük fel nem foghatom (bár az előző részekből ez valószínűleg kiderül). A kemény, tökös bérgyilkosok, orosz maffiózók és FBI ügynökök egymás ölében ülnek, időnként ostobán vigyorognak egymásra sőt kuncognak, én meg ilyenkor WTF pillanatokat éltem át. A szereplők számának és rokoni kapcsolatainak nyomon követéséhez egy komplex adatbáziskezelő is kevés volna. Ráadásul hogy a búsba hívhatnak egy férfit Voronovának. Az a nőnemű változata a névnek. Bevallom becsületesen 19%-nál nem jutottam tovább.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why oh why do I keep reading these books? They are like a drug and I am an addict, I just can't seem to get enough. I actually found myself stalking Amazon the day this was to be released at midnight so that I could finally read about one of my favorite couples from the series.

I feel like we have been waiting forever for Devin and Andrei to come together and I was so happy when they finally did. Now I can not wait for the next book Nik of Time which I have also been anticipating for a while. How am I supposed to wait until April? I'm a junkie and I need my fix!

[Taya:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book back in 2013 and kinda sad I didn't love as much the second time around. The couple's development was good. I remember the history of the series but I really remember the author pausing the story one too many times to explain who this person. I think this is my friend would've been good enough. Multiple minor characters with the same name were introduced in this book. It felt like it was an unnecessary addition to the story. I'm just going to hold on to the good memory of enjoying multiple books by this author and move on.

3 stars (2nd read)

[Ate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assassin/Shifterシリーズは、今までこれを含めて２冊買いました。

シリーズでいうと、マフィアや軍人やら殺し屋や人狼やらのとにかく強くてキャラの濃いのがわんさと登場するし、金持ちなキャラが多いので行動もゴージャズだし世界を股にかける話が多いので人気がある理由は分かる。

この話もリバ設定は横に置いても、気の強い年下のＦＢＩ捜査官が日頃嫌っている年上のロシアマフィアのボスの護衛をしないといけなくなるところから話が始まり、二人の対立関係から恋愛関係になる展開が、強い男同士のカップル好きな私には大好きな設定なので、他のキャラの二人への冷やかしやらも含めてなかなか面白く読めました。

たぶん、日本のＢＬ漫画好きには好かれそうな内容に思える。

でも、私にはメインキャラ以外のキャラクターがごちゃごちゃしすぎて読みにくいし、心の変化が唐突だったり、一度、二人の関係ができあがればベタベタ・ラブラブになりすぎるのも元の硬派なキャラとのギャップがありすぎて好きじゃない。それに、セックスのモラルが低いキャラが多いので、元彼がそこら中にいるし、周りがゲイカップルだらけになってるのも好みじゃないところ。でも、まあ、その辺りはその人の好みでしょうね。

[Jilrene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I read this one out of order. Oh, well. I like this series, but my favorite characters are the military/assassin guys. After I read about Vince and Keegan, I just couldn't wait through 9 books to read about Devin and Andrei.

If you're following the series, this one is quite good. I enjoyed the mystery of who was trying to kill Andrei. The solution to Devin's animosity to Andrei is an interesting twist.

[Sheilad37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved finally reading their story.

[Susu · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Soooo good it made it worth the wait. This series just keeps getting better and better!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so hard at times to keep up with all the different people in this series but despite that I enjoyed this story.

[I~❤️~Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

✮4 Stars✮

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Can't wait for the next one.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great add to the series. These two have been fighting since day one, I couldn't wait for their story so we can finally know get all the questions answered. Boy oh boy were they. I DID NOT see this coming AT ALL! Holy Plot twist batman! Amazing can't wait for the next.

[Janeylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Cielo Coperto · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★

[Robyn White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Ameraude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tettem még egy próbát, de sajnos az írónő stílusa nekem nem jön be :(

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Devin and Andrei's story