Cross & Crown

Sidewinder #2

by Abigail Roux

When Nick O'Flaherty arrives at the scene of a double homicide to find he has a witness to the crime, he thinks it’s his lucky day. But when he realizes his witness is suffering from amnesia and can’t even remember his own name, Nick wishes he’d gone with his gut and put in for vacation time. Then Nick’s boyfriend and former Recon teammate, Kelly Abbott, joins him in Boston, and Nick finds his hands a little too full as the case and his personal life collide. The witness he’s dubbed “JD” is being tailed by Julian Cross, a retired CIA hitman. To complicate matters further, JD forms an attachment to Nick that Nick struggles not to respond to as they search for the key to JD’s identity. Trying to determine whether JD is friend or foe as they investigate the crime puts them on the trail of a much older mystery. When multiple attempts are made on their lives, Nick is forced to turn to old enemies and new allies to solve a centuries-old crime before he and Kelly get added to the history books. 65,500 words / 248 pages

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Military Fiction, Crime, LGBT

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Abigail Roux was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in sarcasm and painful historical accuracy, she currently spends her time coaching high school volleyball and investigating the mysteries of single motherhood. Any spare time is spent living and dying with every Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers game of the year. Abigail has a daughter, Little Roux, who is the light of her life, a boxer, four rescued cats who play an ongoing live-action variation of 'Call of Duty' throughout the house, a certifiable extended family down the road, and a cast of thousands in her head.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Review posted June 9, 2014











I haven't much to say about this book. So let me cut right to the chase of the matter.

I pretty much devoured Shock & Awe because it was so much fun and the sweat-inducing hotness factor was to my liking. Very much so. Cross & Crown started off strong and I really did feel entertained by the expected snappy dialogue and banter; the quotes I added to my review are proof of that because I found them within the first 20 % of the story. Fact is, I really enjoyed the first half but somewhere along the line I hit a bad patch that consumed the entire second half. I don't even know what to say because I'm so disappointed. The story started meandering too much and I didn't feel engaged anymore. In the end it completely and utterly fizzled out. Funnily enough, the story wasn't overly long page-wise, however, it did feel drawn out for no good reason. No need to beat the proverbial bush, I came to a point where I wanted it to be over. Initially, the prospect of a treasure hunt did sound intriguing but the execution couldn't hold my interest. What I did miss the most, however, was some quality time between Nick and Kelly. IMO, there was no relationship development whatsoever. Besides, Nick acted as the solitary male lead and Kels served as his worshipping adjunct. I just…needed more in that regard. Just telling each other 'I love you' wasn't enough for me. And what was up with Julian whispering one too many times and all the back, shoulder, and thigh patting? I'm very sorry but I can't pat Abigail's back for her latest 'effort' which was more of a failure than success. And last but not least I was very disappointed by the incredibly lame steam level. Again, compared to Shock & Awe the sex was totally lacking in Cross & Crown. And this is all the more frustrating because I know how hot Nick and Kels are together.



I also need to mention the overuse of the word 'melancholy'. I'm seriously getting melancholy when I think about the Cut & Run series, how everything began and I got hooked on Ty and Zane. Cross & Crown, however, is my second three-star rating in a row (after Ball & Chain). I will give this series another shot but if Abigail is not going to seriously up her game, then I will have to take appropriate steps. Meaning, I will have to call it quits because I don't want to spend 7 $ for a hardly average read. As much as it saddens me to admit it, the time will arrive when it's best to cut & run.

In conclusion, I think die-hard fans of Abigail Roux will love it. I'm probably not one of those fans anymore because Cross & Crown didn't cut it for me. Sorry folks.

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, not sorry, this sucked donkey dick.

I'm really trying to understand how anyone expects readers to honestly read this series separately from C&R and keep a straight face. Because between proposal bombs dropped left and right, along with fractured friendships, any reader not reading both would be lost as fuck. Please. Stop trying to pretend you can read them separately.

Also, the author has always done this but it's gotten so much worse I feel: the author has to explain and state the obvious for every single character, feeling, event. It's like watching a movie and completely understanding it (and already can predict the ending) and having that annoying person sitting next to you giving a play by play because the only way they can figure it out is to talk out loud. STOP. IT. You don't have to explain everything to me as if you are standing over my shoulder. I can read just fine on my own.

And I can't take Kelly constantly telling the reader about his wonderment with Nick. Wow, he's bi but he's told people. OMG he didn't hide us. No one made Kelly feel like Nick did. Phew, Nick made Kelly realllllly turned on...how did I miss this when we were Recon? Wow, Sidewinder are the most important, coolest people on the planet.

He's not writing in his diary and he's not 11 yrs old!!!!

You want the reader to fill in parts, because the reader's interpretation is just as important to the experience. You shouldn't ever have to give the reader the experience on a platter as if they are too stupid to read the story themselves.

None of this is realistic. Kelly coming on as a consultant? Please!! Them making out and fucking so everyone else can hear? What is this juvenile frat boy logic that has played out in the last two books (B&C and this one)? I mean really. If you need to "mark your stamp" or "make your claim" on your partner, then you are a really insecure person and are also insecure in your relationship.

If you are going to continuously incorporate history or baseball details, please stop making them into oh so not lovely info-dump piles.

I can't. I just fucking can't.

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upgrading to 4.5 Stars! - Reread 10/29/2024

Full of fun, smexy, and feels, plus the addition of Julian and Cameron (from Warrior’s Cross) simply provided room for more shenanigans in and amongst a high stakes treasure hunt.

Again, the easiest friends to lovers story arc ever. Though this gets muddled in a convoluted mystery, it simply serves to further showcase why Nick and Kelly click together so perfectly.

“If our foundations are built on gunpowder, then so be it. They’re foundations all the same.”

—————————————
3 Stars

A solid entry that was low on angst because Nick and Kelly already have a great foundation; they are just ironing out the fine details. In turn this story was high on chemistry with plenty of snark, revealing insights, and fun.


Cut & Run Series
1. Cut & Run - 5 Stars
2. Sticks & Stones - 5 Stars
3. Fish & Chips - 5 Stars
4. Divide & Conquer - 5 Stars
Warrior’s Cross - 4.5 Stars
5. Armed & Dangerous - 5 Stars
6. Tigers & Stripes 5 Stars
7. Touch & Geaux - 5 Stars
Shock & Awe (Sidewinder #1) - 5 Stars
8. Ball & Chain - 5 Stars
Cross & Crown (Sidewinder #2) - 4.5 Stars
9. Crash & Burn - 5 Stars
Part & Parcel (Sidewinder #3) - 5 Stars

[Shurrn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm officially on Team Nick & Kelly!
Spoiler Free Review

"I think we needed this," Kelly admitted.
"What?"
"I think we're based off murder and mayhem." Kelly pushed up, sitting cross-legged and facing Nick. "We've never known each other in times of peace."

Confession time: when I read the first book in the Sidewinder series, Shock & Awe, I didn't fall in love with Nick the way I expected to. I was immediately smitten with Kelly, but the two of them together? Meh...

It was hot... But I never felt their chemistry or relationship ever lived up to the kind of complex quality I came to expect... After all, these two had to live up to seven books worth of Ty & Zane by the time they were given their own spin-off.

Is that fair? Probably not, but it's true...

Let me stand before you and say Cross & Crown was everything I hoped it would be for the character development of Nick & Kelly. It made me fall in love with them both, and I am officially a believer in this Sidewinder spin-off couple...

NICK O'FLAHERTY

"I love you," Nick whispered. "Has nothing to do with the circumstances, or our history, or how close to death we've come together. I would love you in any incarnation of yourself."

Nick is back on the Boston PD working as a detective. He's been steering a desk for weeks and has finally gotten his first big case... Unfortunately, the case lands in his lap the same weekend Kelly is flying in for a visit... We've got a combination murder/robbery and the only witness has amnesia. Obviously, Nick can't walk away from his job, and when the motive for the robbery starts to point to danger and treasure hunting, he pulls his boyfriend in as a consultant...

KELLY ABBOTT

"If the words 'I want you to go home until it's safe' come out of your mouth, I'm going to break one of your ribs,"

Kelly was instrumental in getting Nick to go back to his job at Boston PD, but the separation between them has been difficult on them both. They were looking forward to a few weeks of quality time, but Nick's work takes precedence, and Kelly gets pulled in as well. It doesn't take long for an already complicated case to morph into an elaborate mystery worth killing over...

There were several cameos from characters in the Cut & Run universe... You already know from the blurb that Julian Cross has a large part to play in this story, and we get a few phone calls out to our favorite power couple Ty & Zane (Tane? Zy? Never mind, that's ridiculous)... For the sake of maintaining the "spoiler free" tag, I can't tell you how these three men play into the story, so you'll just have to read it and find out... Cause it's awesome...

THE PLOT:

"So not only do we got a witness who's got no idea what happened, he's got no idea who he is?" He barely restrained an incredulous laugh. "That's not a witness, it's another fucking crime."

Crime and mystery are two things Abigail Roux does best, and she hit it out of the park with this one.
Heists
Murder
Amnesiacs
Shoot-Outs
Irish Mafia
Kidnapping
CIA Hit Men
Treasure Hunts
a Century-Old Mystery...

I think I figured out why Cross & Crown worked for me so much more than Shock & Awe... Kelly was recovering from a gunshot wound in Shock and Awe. He and Nick were holed up in his secluded cabin in Colorado. They were turning a decade long friendship into something more, and they were doing it with humor and sweat...

I think I needed to see these two characters work together to face a common adversary. Maybe I've come to expect a level of danger and action from Abigail Roux that I didn't find in the first Sidewinder book? No matter the reason, I think that Cross & Crown places Nick and Kelly firmly alongside some of my favorite literary couples... Including Ty and Zane.

I can't wait to see what's next for them.

This whole universe has become a Stop-Drop-And-Read for me. I literally stop what I'm reading and give up my beauty sleep for these books... And I am NEVER disappointed... That is so rare, and I am always impressed. Abigail Roux, you're fucking awesome...



My Other Reviews in the Cut & Run Series:

Cut & Run - My Review
Sticks & Stones - My Review
Fish & Chips - My Review
Divide & Conquer - My Review
Armed & Dangerous - My Review
Dine & Dash - My Review
Stars & Stripes - My Review
Touch & Geaux - My Review
Ball & Chain - My Review
Crash & Burn - My Review

My Reviews in the Cut & Run Universe:
I will update the list as more books are published.
Warrior's Cross - My Review
Shock & Awe - My Review
Cross & Crown - You're Reading it

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I have to say, I'm pretty surprised by the mostly mixed reviews of this one. I'm not a rabid fan-girl of Abigail Roux, but I definitely have a soft spot for all things Cut & Run related. Maybe it was the REALLY good narration by Brock Thompson (excellent choice, by the way), or just that I'm used to not really following the plot of Abigail Roux's stuff, but I had a great time listening to this one!

While I'm on the topic of the narration, I really have to hand it to Brock Thompson. He kept SO many voices distinct and separate, did a great Boston accent (I went to college there so I know my Boston men!), and an Irish accent to die for (no, I have no idea if it was accurate, but it was hot). I think the narration for this book was a huge factor in my rating, and I really want to thank whoever chose this narrator because he was much better than the average reader.

I actually really like the pairing of Nick and Kelly. They are a solid, low drama couple, and I enjoy going on adventures with them. Sure, they get into a ton of dicey situations, but there is very little angst between them, romantically speaking, which I appreciate. This book takes them on more crime solving expeditions and mayhem ensues.

I think if you are reading an Abigail Roux book you can't worry too much about accuracy and departmental procedures and all of that mumbo-jumbo. No, I'm sure that Nick's having a suspect sleep on his boat with him and teaming up with random other people isn't to department code. Honestly, I really don't care. Sure, this book was a little Dan Brown-ish and this book REALLY doesn't stand well if you try to read it apart from the Cut & Run series, but despite those facts, I just thought that it was really fun.

I think I'll keep listening to every Sidewinder book because of how entertained I am by them, and isn't that the point of reading after all? This book was sexy, exciting, and high-energy and kept me wanting more.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning! Rant I call review.

Oi! This was a letdown, it’s definitely me and Super Nick not the book. It was my 3rd try at least I made it to the end, Yay! me...



After reading B&C which let’s face it, was Nick’s book because Ty & Zane were basically reduced to secondary characters. I expected it to continue from there, and wanted to love it but well as they say you can’t always get what you want.

So if you have watched the Indiana Jones films, you will be rolling your eyes while reading this, the treasure hunt plot was ridiculous , and at some point I got lost and stopped caring.



I have a feeling that the author loved super Nick's character, and had to make other characters small for Nick to shine well she managed to create Super Nick, and reduced Kelly to just a minor character who had to tag along and drool over his boyfriend while following his every command.

-Julian , my wonderful CIA Assassin take no prisoners, shoot first ask questions later Julian *sighs* was reduced to a nobody. Even in A&D he was not a helpless character; here he was reduced to begging Super Nick for help, really? and what the hell was he doing in this book?



-What’s with the beef between Nick and Ty, He was in love with Ty in D&C even kissed him, He was ok with Ty in T&G even convinced Zane to forgive Ty, they were ok by the end of B&C, so did I miss another book or what happened? They are best friends. I loved their friendship now it's all ruined. I feel cheated.

-Kelly was basically written here to worship Nick, and be horny all through. It was like Kelly smiled, Kelly shrugged.... Ummm! Kelly is a Doctor for f*** sake!



-I loved these two in S&A, they had chemistry, the sex was hot but in this book , I did not feel that at all.

Oh! and JD Really! Really! The guy had amnesia then all of a sudden he runs off trying to find himself! Like how? And hitting on Nick when Kels was there not cool!



Again this is one of those books I feel if I read it 2 years ago ,maybe i would have enjoyed it, but after reading so many amazing MM Romance-mystery books, this was not that interesting. (I am looking at you Adrien with an E)

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally) 3 Stars

I’m about ready to launch a Kelly Abbott fan club. No joke. This guy is so endlessly entertaining. He’s sweet, he’s kick-ass, he’s funny as f*ck, he’s filthy in the bedroom (and I love it!!), he’s loyal and he’s intelligent. If I was rating this book solely on my enjoyment of Kelly’s character, it would be a solid 5 stars.

However, the treasure hunting mystery plot in this particular book left me feeling all sorts of meh. This came as quite the surprise because I consider myself quite the history buff and a lover of fictional archaeologists/treasure hunters on screen, but sadly, Nick and co. had nothing on good old Indy or Ben Gates.

I think my apathy stemmed more from the lack of an engaging mystery and less from any indifference to the characters themselves, because like I said, I adore Kelly, and Nick is no slouch either. Plus, the presence of one Julian Cross is always a bonus. So yeah, I loved the characters, but not so much the story.

********************************

Read #2: October 2024

(Upgraded) 4.5 Stars

Seriously, what was my damage the first time I read this?! I commented about feeling meh about the plot but almost a decade on I had an absolute blast reading this story!!!!

Nick and Kelly are two of my favourite M/M characters, ever. This feeling has only grown surer and steadeier as I've gotten older and read hundreds (well, thousands) of other M/M books. They simply rank HIGH for me in book coupledom, and I'm kind of shocked stupid that I ever rated a book they were in lower than 4 stars. What was I thinking?!?

The banter and the friendship and the love between these two men is pretty much my ideal definition of what a friends-to-lovers dynamic should be like. You feel the camaraderie, the care, the enjoyment in one another, the ability to trust and be vulnerable in ways you can only do with people who know you inside and out. All of it is perfect, and that's before you factor in the incendiary sexual chemistry and passion they've finally let unleash after years as brothers-in-arms and ride-or-die besties. They're simply perfect together.

Beyond my unhealthy level of love for this pair, I also LOVE Julian Cross and Cameron from Warrior's Cross (and, later Armed & Dangerous). The heavy presence of Julian in this story, in particular, was so very welcomed and helped elevate the stakes to a more exciting level—his name is in the title, after all.

I'm not sure if I've ever re-read a book and changed my rating so drastically, but I think something must have been seriously wrong with Meags of 2015, because I can't even recognize my original "meh" feelings towards this plot, let alone fathom how I could have given anything with Nick and Kelly (or Julian) 3 measly stars. I'm so glad I finally re-read this.


Cut & Run universe READING ORDER

Cut & Run 1 - Cut & Run (4 Stars)
Cut & Run 2 - Sticks & Stones (4.5 Stars)
Cut & Run 3 - Fish & Chips (5 Stars)
Cut & Run 4 - Divide & Conquer (5 Stars)
Julian Cross - Warrior's Cross (5 Stars)
Cut & Run 5 - Armed & Dangerous (5 Stars)
Cut & Run 6 - Stars & Stripes (5 Stars)
Cut & Run 7 - Touch & Geaux (4.5 Stars)
Sidewinder 1 - Shock & Awe (5 Stars)
Cut & Run 8 - Ball & Chain (4.5 Stars)
Sidewinder 2 - Cross & Crown (4.5 Stars)
Cut & Run 9 - Crash & Burn (5 Stars)
Sidewinder 3 - Part & Parcel (5 Stars)

[Aviva · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should have been called Mr Perfect, the Horny Boyfriend and the mysterious coffee adventures.
(And it's more 1.5 stars only because the cover is really pretty.)

Yes the coffee adventures were weirder than the mysterious artefacts. Why did they waste so much coffee? How his partner of three years couldn't remember that Nick didn't drink coffee? Why Nick and the coffee obsessed partner suddenly went in the bin to take the coffee back they just throw away???

A warning though, these characters aren't Nick and Kelly, Nick and Kelly have been killed somewhere along the books. These ones are shells of characters suffering from brain trauma or possessed and dead inside, and are now manipulated by a puppet master who has no idea of what she is doing.


This fake Nick is perfect in everything, his writing is beautiful, he is the best driver Kelly has ever known, he is so perfect at fucking (he even uses his badge to do some exhibitionism) and of course, he has “the purest heart of anyone he'd ever known”. Yep because he is a shiny white knight apparently.
But also he is ordering everyone around, losing his temper, shouting, he can't do anything by himself (why does he give his own phone to Kelly just for the guy to search a name through his contacts, dial it for him then give the phone back to Nick?),keeps glaring at people, and abuse his power.
Mr Perfect is actually an asshole. But a perfect one, of course!

But this turns the boyfriend on (yes because fake Kelly is non-stop referenced as “the boyfriend”.) I have no idea where this boyfriend is coming from, he doesn't sound at all like the Kelly from D&C or T&G, this one is always horny, always smiling, he likes to be claimed and petted (I think it's a secret werewolf book actually between these two and their need to claim each other, Nick being also an arrogant Alpha, and JD compared to a puppy (a puppy Nick wouldn't be against doing).

We had a moment of not showing but telling where we are reminded how fake Kelly is capable and another where actually , for a short time, he is really competent taking Julian Cross down. Well, it was a pale imitation of Julian, but at this point, whatever .
But it was too late, I couldn't appreciate it with all the moments spent in this Kelly's head, daydreaming about Mr Perfect. (Really they spent so much time thinking, I forgot what they were doing.)
But wait! This Kelly can be (and here we are entering mild spoilers territory) consultant for the Boston police! Yes, even if you don't have the certification, it seems than being a boyfriend's cop gives you plenty of opportunities!
Kelly doesn't seem to care though, he just “nods obediently”, lets Nick play the dominant alpha asshole with him and is basically his boy toy.


And then, because the perfection wasn't whole, fake Nick becomes a living talking history book.
How anyone can spout obscure dates and historical details at random is beyond me. I like history, I didn't spend five years studying archeology and getting a fucking degree if I didn't like history but this was just history info-dumps and general show-off from the author's part.
Now let me start ranting about the archaeology part.
It was great if you want to think archaeologists are treasure hunters and be among these people destroying excavations sites to search for the ”treasure” (yeah, well you can keep digging for the gold, chances are graves looters and XIXth century archaeologists already went there, if there were any to start with!), now if you want the reality of archaeology, just run away from this book. I don't care that this is fiction, why perpetuating the myths of secret societies and hidden treasures like this is the everyday job of an archaeologist???
If you claim to be a history buff, you try to make your book realistic and actually “discuss the differences between reality and fiction in the field” as a character said! The same character using the cover of teaching a pop culture archaeology course. What the hell is that??? How Super Nick, with all his historical knowledge and cleverness didn't question the absurdity of that???

But why am I looking for realism in a book that rewrite his characters' history? This is a big spoiler I suppose (I don't even know, I was just rolling my eyes non-stop at this point)
Ready? Okay, Nick is considered like a son by the Irish mob boss in Boston. Wow! I had no idea, no one had, I suppose. Not only this Irish mob boss owes Nick favours but Nick got helped from him to protect his sisters and he paid for his Parris Island ticket.
Weird that this has never been mentioned, even when we were in Nick's head in B&C and he visited his family.
Weird that no one has never known or questioned it when apparently he was openly telling stories about it in the army (not like Ty, his best friend since they were 17 years old, would have looked more into these stories).
Weird than Mob daddy never threatened Nick's abusive father.
Is this supposed to make this character a super badass? Because it doesn't work.
Ah and another element of rewriting history, Nick owns a bike now. A shame he never bonded with Zane about that.

Now two things that are continuity issues in my opinion.

1- What the hell???? We got a Nick and Kelly proposal in a Ty and Zane book and then we learned they haven't really talked about the future and anyway Nick was drugged so Kelly doesn't know and doesn't ask. Oh and talking about miscommunication issues, the one time Kelly tries to have a talk, Nick thinks they are breaking up. No reason. But fear not, they resolved it with sex.

2- Ty and Nick are no more best friends!!! Apparently this heartfelt talk they had on the cliff in B&C was nothing. They aren't talking anymore. So Nick and Ty's issues were interesting in B&C but if it's going to happen in Book 9 again, well let's say I'm already not optimistic about book 9.

So if I understood it correctly, these are two series, right? Completely independent ?
Why in this case bring a proposal in a book where they aren't major characters and then change things again about it here? And why having Nick and Ty's issues here? Because if not for the part about their friendship, Nick could have found about JD 's accent with someone else. It was clearly a moment of drama between Ty and Nick and it didn't really have its place here.
And talking about Ty, Nick is turning more and more into Ty, he was supposed to be the calm one but now he can't keep his temper in check but Kelly knows he is alright when he is bitching.
It makes me wondering if Roux can only write Ty Grady's clones.


Also about the other characters, well Hogan was weird and obsessed with coffee but mostly useless, Julian wasn't the Julian Cross we knew (and Cameron's kidnapping was a piss-poor idea of a plot. Using the same idea again? Really??)
And JD was bland, no interest, no chemistry and the amnesia plot was utter bullshit (for more technical details than just “bullshit” go see Icesumly's review. She knows what she is talking about, not like some authors!)

Okay now about the ending (spoiler obviously), after Nick -being Super Nick- healed perfectly and basically giving to the doctors “ no choice but to let him check himself out”, he decided to quit again. What is the point of quitting then not quitting then quitting, all of this because the first time your lover told you so then because you chose him over your profession, you quit again?

Ah and the best , the best fucking part! Nick is going to be a historian (or archaeologist? This doesn't look very clear in Roux's head since they go in a pseudo archaeology team where by definition archaeologists, well, know their history. We don't just dig and make holes in the ground and run around searching for treasures waiting for the historians to light the path with their obsucre details and dates you know.)
So Nick is now admitted in a pseudo archaeology/treasure hunting team without any qualifications or degrees. I don't know if Roux knows how bad the job market is lately, but finding an archaeologist or historian position is already hard but having this job without any qualifications is like believing in unicorns.
Oh and they took the pseudo archaeologist/ treasure hunter woman with them for their next adventures of Mr Perfect and the Horny Boyfriend playing Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, so it gives an idea of how bad it is going to be.

This was an ordeal to read, so of course I won't read their next adventures. It just allowed me to mourn the characters.
This quote summed up perfectly my rage and grief at this book (until I just detached myself from the book and laughed at the absurdity of it. )

“The feeling of having lost something precious made his chest ache, but it was tempered with so much anger he tried not to touch it at all.”

Goodbye Nick, Goodbye Kelly, I'm sorry you died like that.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was very National Treasure-ish. At times I found the treasure hunt interesting but at other times I was a bit bored.

I like Nick and Kelly, I do. But they're no Ty and Zane. And I think I liked Nick and Kelly a bit more in Shock & Awe.

I wish this one had focused a bit more on Nick and Kelly's relationship and a bit less on Nick's case. But I guess it served its purpose.

Still an enjoyable read, I can appreciate the shorter length for sure...but I could've used a bit more steam.

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of this series, which is a spin-off of the Cut & Run series. The problem with the first book kind of carries over into this one: the characters aren't developed well enough to stand on their own. The main guy, Nick, was developed - kind of - but not consistently. Yes, I understand that people can be different on the inside than they are on the outside, and that people have different aspects of their personalities, but the inconsistency in this guy's personality was like that of Sybil (way old reference) or that creepy serial killer guy that James McAvoy (there you go, young un's).



So Nick, the guy who could be nicest, supportive, most patient guy in the universe who will always be the voice of reason - or who may be a berserker who will kill everyone in the room if his hair-trigger is pulled - is our hero police detective who is trying to figure out who an amnesiac witness is and why a bookstore was robbed. The answer is soooo obvious: Treasure Hunters. That's right, it's like Occam's Razor - the simplest conclusion is usually correct.


That's science, bitch!

So, yeah, this was a worse version of National Treasure.... and, and.... just to even say that is setting a pretty damn low bar. Plus, I hate those kind of stories. Wheel-spinning scavenger hunts bore the crap out of me.


Well, that took a dark turn.
But it did give me a good idea for when I fake my own death. A treasure hunt that ends at a mysterious cliff above the ocean. My family will love it.

So, the story was kind of 'meh', the characters were kind of undeveloped, and the romance has always been pretty iffy because these two guys just decided one day, after being close friends for 15 years and one of them not even gay, that they would start having sex. There was never any believable heat between them at all. I think I have more sexual tension with my best friend than these guys had. Of course, my bestie is a saucy little minx and she knows it. *wink wink*

Okay, so maybe both are bilingual. That solves everything.



There is one other thing I want to address about this series, and really the Cut & Run series is weak on this too, and that is that I really can't picture these guys because there was never a physical description of them given. We know that Nick has red hair, and he is often described as a big guy, but that tells me nothing. I think the other guy, Kelly, has brown hair, but I'm not sure. And, then suddenly, there is a description of Nick's wet hair being curly. I had no idea he had curly red hair. Actually, that distresses me a bit because curly red hair makes me think of this:


Please God No!!!

But, I suppose it's trying to be this:



It's weird because most books will give us a way to envision the people, but the authors of these two series leave it ALL to our imagination. And, I really can't be trusted with that kind of thing. Truly, if you tell me to think "attractive guy" I will always revert to this:


(Oh, uh, sorry, I was away picking the perfect A.S. gif for the last 30 minutes or so. Had to make sure to get the right one. Yeah, that's the reason. I did it for you.)

So, now that my mind is completely diverted, I'll just wrap this up by saying, Eh, this series is not really worth the trouble. Stick with the Cut & Run series instead.

[Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ ~ ~

3.5 Stars

My Review:

This is something of a split decision. I recommend the read, but it started stronger than it ended, for me. I think you'll identify this one as a cross between the movies National Treasure and Da Vinci Code. I suspect that was intentional (National Treasure is referenced in the narrative) and it makes for a good bit of fun. The treasure seeking adventure plotted out well enough, but it's some of the characters emotional reactions that didn't make sense at times.

THE CHARACTERS:

He joked about being the bad cop and how everyone here considered him a hard-ass, but Kelly knew better. Nick had the purest heart of anyone he'd ever known.

Nick O'Flaherty - I'm a sucker for a big, redheaded, alpha. Add to that his honor, intelligence and undeniable love for Kelly and you can't help but love him.

"It's me, babe," Kelly whispered against Nick's chest. "It's Doc, you're safe."

Kelly Abbott - Kelly really can keep his cool under pressure. He has much to contend with in this book, but he keeps it together, always with a smile and good humor.

Fuck, he was kind of Nick's type.

JD (John Doe) - I really liked JD. I have no idea if Roux has plans for him in the future though. I was sort of hoping that she had plans to "use" him a bit more here (i.e., MMM) but alas, that didn't materialize.

Julian Cross - Julian's, all too brief, appearances and castrated, cut-off-at-the-knees weakness did.not.work.for.me. Okay, maybe he's one of my book boyfriends, and I can't help it, but most of his actions were not in his nature. Compromised or not.

THE STORY:

Kelly and Nick's vacation plans are usurped by a case that Nick has to see through. What seems to be a run-of-the-mill robbery turns out to be much more. Adventures, shoot outs and cemetery scenes ensue. That's okay, we like that stuff. We also like the hot, passionate love scenes Roux writes.

"Soft spot?" "Please," Kelly said with weak laugh. "If we weren't a thing, you'd be all over him." Nick opened his mouth to protest, then shut it with a snap of his teeth. "You're probably right," he admitted.

There's also JD, a witness who's memory loss keeps us from knowing if he's the good guy or the bad guy. Not to mention his attraction to Nick, and visa-versa, also keeps us from knowing if he's a good guy or not. (I was hoping for not, as I mentioned above, in the MMM sense, but that's just me.)

The state of Nick and Ty's fracturing friendship was a topic only the bravest of men would touch on. Zane had balls of brass to do it.

There are brief, very brief, appearances by Ty, Zane, Julien Cross and Cameron. That's probably where my frustration started. Lesson learned? Keep the story solidly about the MC's, sure? But in this case, it was too clipped. Sorry, maybe some of us just can't be pleased.

THE WRITING:

The tell-tale marks of Roux's writing are all here. The good and the not-so-good. Snappy, interactive banter, quick, smart comebacks, and deeply romantic, soul-touching confessions wrap you up in the characters. Adventure, wrapped in mystery surrounds you in an entertaining getaway. But, missed opportunities, misplaced sentiment, continuity errors and frustrating, incomplete character appearances just leave me wanting something more.

Again, I recommend the read, particularly for fans, you'll like what's here. You'll just miss what's not.

I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:

http://www.attentionisarbitrary.com

[* Meli Mel * · Rating 3 out of 5]

♥♥♥ 3.75 "Crazy Treasure Hunt" Stars ♥♥♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"I think we're based off murder and mayhem." Kelly pushed up, sitting cross-legged and facing Nick. "We've never known each other in times of peace."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

I was so excited about this book!! Especially after reading Ball & Chain. This is where Nick and Kelly's relationship really lured me, and left me wanting more.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"I love you," Nick whispered. "Has nothing to do with the circumstances, or our history, or how close to death we've come together. I would love you in any incarnation of yourself."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

If you've read Ball & Chain then you know how Nick and Kelly's relationship ended off. Well, quite a bit of time has passed since that book. Now, Nick is investigating a double homicide. This is where he finds his only witness is suffering from Amnesia...(I know!!). He doesn't even remember his name so they give him the nickname of JD (John Doe). Here Nick is, investigating what happened, while Kelly comes into town to spend some time with Nick for some romance. Unfortunately, they keep getting cock blocked by the people surrounding them and the investigation.



I am a HUGE fan of Abigail Roux and her Cut & Run series. I had my hope up for this one. However, I didn't think it met my expectations completely. I absolutely loved Nick and Kelly's chemistry that was shown in the previous books. And this one, we barely got to see it. The main focus of the book was about the mystery, while the romance aspect of it, was really low for me. I was all ready to get all kinds of turned on by these two, and I did, but it wasn't enough. I did soak up whatever sweet scenes we did get, because those parts just completely melted my heart.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"Are we talking about Tyler?" Julian asked, leaning forward to put his face between the two of them from the backseat. "Please do call him, I have missed being handcuffed to every possible surface whenever I speak."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

I was so freaking happy to see, Julian Cross in this book. But, I was expecting more of that love/hate connection he shares with Ty and Zane to happen with Nick and Kelly. I wanted more hilarious banter between all of them. There were a few parts that made me chuckle, don't get me wrong. And Julian had be cracking up a few times too. Still, I wanted more. And I was kind of sad about how Nick and Ty's relationship has ended up. I thought they had somewhat moved forward, but I guess not much. I really hope it gets better between them in the following book. I need their bromance to be strong again.



Then there was the whole JD thing. As the book moves along, JD seems to become attracted to Nick. At first I didn't trust him, since we have no idea if he is a bad or good guy. But, by the end, I really liked him. He was shy and forward all at once, which was endearing to me. I'm kind of hoping to see him in future books too.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"I'm sorry I questioned this," Kelly said as he tapped Nick's chest.

"It's okay to question, Kels. But I promise I'll never give you a reason to."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

This book was high in suspense with a very over the top treasure hunting plot. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the ending as well. But, I was still missing a lot from this one. I needed there to be a little more focus on Nick and Kelly's relationship, and see it move forward. I needed more steam from these two, because I know how hot these two can get. And I wanted more of that funny banter. Overall, it wasn't a bad book. There was still plenty to like, even if I did want more of everything. I did enjoy myself and even found the crazy plot to be quite entertaining. The few glimpses of Nick and Kelly's relationship that we did get, has me very excited about the next book. I can't wait to read it and I hope that it's better, too!

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot, sexy, alpha men, a treasure hunt, a piece of (hopefully accurate) American history, an Irish treasure… an Irish anything, really! Geeze that accent is HOT, gets me every time! Yea, got the audiobook and man was that awesome. Also that Boston swagger, flipping delicious.
Totally solid book 2, will read again for sure (also just FYI there’s some connection to the Cut & Run series happening, so you might want to read that first to fully get the background story here… not absolutely necessary though, just easier to get in on everything)

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm feeling very prickly right now....

I don't want to talk about it....
*silently stews*
Okay okay, it took me THREE weeks to finish.
That's really all I need to say....

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm going to be honest right now and say that I only liked this as much as I did because of Kelly and Julian. I might have liked it a bit more if Cameron had been in this some more, but he wasn't so... That's not to say this isn't a good book. It's just, I'm not a huge fan of Nick and it makes it hard for me to love books where he's an MC. However, he and Kelly are sort of a sweet couple and he does seem to make Kelly happy.

I love Abigail Roux. I have since I read Cut & Run way back when. She gave me Ty and Zane and Cameron and Julian, and now Kelly! So I'll always love her for that. Cross & Crown was not a book I was overly excited for when I first read the blurb. I mean, it sounded like cheating could be on the horizon and if the people who know me know that I despise cheating in my books, but there wasn't any here. There was the potential for it, but nothing happened.

The fact Julian was in this book made me so happy. I couldn't have been happier when I first heard the news and I was glad he didn't take over the book, though I do want more of him. He was... different in this book. Softer and just different. I love Julian, so I don't mind as much. But I can agree with others who think he's not the same Julian.

I'll probably keep reading this series, but it will be for Kelly more than anything. And because it's Abigail Roux and I love her books.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written December 19, 2015

3.7 Stars - Adventurous, steamy, romantic and a lot of fun characters in a M/M series with old beloved friends

Book #2

As an wholeheartedly addictive Ty & Zane and Cut & Run series admirer couldn't I but like this friends series first part. It was way too short but ★★★★☆ (3.8) to Shock & Awe back last Easter. It was time for part two with Kelly & Nick.



My applauses and big smile!
My very first 'Roux' audiobook — 6:50 hrs very well narrated by Brock Thompson. My first but not last with him. An extra half added star for Mr. Thompson and this audio edition.

My second but not last Sidewinder series book. This was fun, romantic and well done. A pleasure to meet these men once again. Glad to know it will be more.

************************************************

Kelly Abbott still living in Denver Colorado is visiting his oartner (lover) Nick O'Flaherty a detective but also a former Recon teammate, in Boston. They are supposed to spend some yummy nice days on Nick's boat and just enjoy each other for a week.

A treasure-hunters case (adventure) with historical echoes from old Boston times...

But... Nick and his police colleagues just started to investigating a murder outside a second-hand bookshop. There was an attempted robbery to steal some old printed treasures. The police got a (adorable sweet) male witness with amnesia and to top it all is also Julian Cross, an infamous retired CIA hitman (and our hero from Warrior's Cross (5 stars)), turning up near the crime scene.

Nick's lazy days with his visiting beloved boyfriend is kind of destroyed. — Or maybe not?!

“What are books good for?”
“Hitting intruders?” Nick mumbled. He rubbed his eyes again. “Doorstops. Insomnia. Special interrogation techniques. Silencing bedmates in the middle of the night.”

What to say? There isn't any review-writing time right now and I'm sure there are thousands already great ones out there to read.

I enjoy this audiobook listening — just 7 hrs and that is a perfect length — and I'm sincerely looking forward to the next just published third book with Nick & Kelly, they are freaking adorable together and to at last get my teeth in the final book (#9-Crash & Burn) with my all-time-M/M-favorites Ty & Zane.

************************************************

I LIKE - Jippie yay, I do - AR knows how to do it


*******

[clear skies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please be aware that this review will contain spoilers and no I don't want to use the spoiler tag for my whole review. Please be warned.


.


I wavered on a two - three stars and I settled for two because in all honesty I was left a little annoyed. This book is so self-indulgent that I'm sure the author gave herself a pat on the back. Nick like Ty are (to me) her favourite characters and just like Zane - Kelly is a fodder for their other halves. It is annoying beyond belief. I think Roux is the only author I have ever come across that actually favours one MC over the other.

Why this book is self-indulgent because the author wrote a crap load of fact about Boston and whateverthefuckelse and I have no idea nor do I care about. I have little to no interest in history and whether this was well-researched or not I have no idea. The plot is high and tight in this book which I can appreciate (shame I couldn't care for it). Nick is back in Boston and back as a detective after Kelly tells him to take his job back. He's out behind desk duty and he's sent to a murder scene where one guy has amnesia and could either be a victim or suspect. OBVIOUSLY this case lands in Nick's lap just in time for Kelly to arrive (because apparently we just have to do it the Cut & Run way).

The writing was annoying and I said in one of my statuses that if you're going to write a shit load of 'facts' then make it interesting. I'm sure many readers did enjoy the way it was written but I did not. And when the "case" came to a close I could have shot every character and more for wasting my bloody time.

So no the majority of the plot = the case was just beyond annoying.

I was surprised how much sex there was not in this book. I felt that was missing and anyone who reads my reviews knows how much I don't like much sex in my book. It was refreshing though.

The relationship...the fact is I felt little connection at times. When Nick and Kelly did connect is was lovely to read. I think Kelly can be a great character but stop making him this idiotic loon and show some more depth to him. It's fine that he's ultimately a happy guy but there were glimmers were we saw much more depth.

Nick isn't as interesting the author would like him to be (same with Ty) the ones that are and can be interesting are never focused on i.e. Zane and Kelly.

The editing did seem tighter in this book. I find the hilarity of Roux's editor to really put me off. Some fans like it I assume, but for me I find it a little too awkward as a customer. I tend to wonder if this has been looked over critically or if the editor assumes the author shits rainbows and every word is amazing. I have no idea but that is what I feel like as a customer.

JD was the guy who Nick would have been with if the fans hadn't made Kelly the man (and that's one good move from the fans). I didn't understand where and how JD and Nick had a "connection" - I didn't see it and it read rather forced. Other than JD inappropriately making a play for Nick twice just showed what a classless idiot he was and I hope we never see him again.

Julian Cross as per was dynamite.

I'm still confused as to why Nick is so angry at Ty for. I find his sudden anger to be hypocritical and it seems like there has been some sort of re-write about Nick's personality and his friendship with Ty that I might have missed - who knows? I could care less.

Overall, this wasn't a pwp like the book #1. The case bored me and I felt like Kelly was Nick's sidekick rather than his boyfriend. Some touching moments from both men at times but again this book fell short for me.

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

nick and kelly have me on a chokehold 😭😭


oh and i loved seeing my bb julian in this <3

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️&#x1f3a7;&#x1f4da; Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio - 3.5 stars
Story - 4 stars

[Lucie V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

✅(🆗) Historical intrigue / Treasure hunt
✅(🆗) Pace and action
✅(🆗) Romance and smut
✅(🆗) Plot is convoluted at times
🆗 Characters
🆗 WTF happened to Julian? And Kelly?
🆗 Nick’s anger and resentment toward Ty
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: amnesia, mention of abduction, shooting

Maybe 2.5 stars...

It was not bad per se, it was just not good either. Especially after reading almost all of the Cut & Run series, I am used to better quality books from this author.

You need to read Ball & Chain (from the Cut & Run series) before reading this book to understand everything that is mentioned.

Contrary to Shock & Awe, where it was mostly the beginning of Kelly and Nick’s romantic relationship, there was action and a plot in this book. If you enjoy historical mysteries and treasure hunts, you will probably love this book, but as was the case with Ball & Chain, I found that the plot was a little overcomplicated near the end, and I struggled to understand everything that was happening. Also, I am a visual person, so having to read the description of a cipher using symbols felt so abstract to me, and I ended up not understanding how the ciphers worked at all. I just trusted that it made sense and continued reading because trying to visualize it was giving me a headache. Eventually, I just got lost with all the clues and mild info-dump and stopped caring about the treasure hunt…

The fact that Nick managed to get Kelly in as a consultant, without any background check, paperwork, or producing any proof that he would be a useful consultant for the case, seemed very convenient. Almost like it was done by the author for the sole purpose of allowing Nick to share every detail with Kelly, even if it defied all logic.

JD… I honestly don’t have anything to say about him, so I’ll just skip to Julian.
Yes, Julian Cross was in this book, and while I was thrilled at first, eventually I just had to wonder why he was in the book. Where is the ruthless and vicious CIA operative? What happened to him for him to be forced to beg Nick for help and tag along like a nice sidekick for the whole book? Why did it have to be him, and not any other police officer or friend? What happened to Julian?!?! I need to understand!!!

I love Nick and Kelly, and I am glad they are both happy together, but I would have loved more relationship development, or at least to feel that they are building something deeper than what they had. Sadly, we don’t see much of this development, and it feels like insta-love. Especially because Kelly went from wondering if he might be attracted to men, to getting into a relationship with his long-time best friend whom he was slightly attracted to before, but nothing too big or he would have known that he was bi, to being constantly turned on by Nick and wanting to bone him 24/7.

Kelly also lost his personality somewhere between Ball & Chain and this book. All he did was be amazed by everything Nick did and lust after him. He used to be clever, quirky, sassy, and a badass. I fear he went through the same weird trip Julian did, and they both lost the fun and interesting part of themselves along the way. Hopefully, they will find their personality again before the series ends, because this Kelly was not the Kelly we had in the other books. It was a washed-out, bleached, and boring version.

I tried not to let the events of Ball & Chain affect my appreciation of this book because it follows Nick and Kelly instead of Ty and Zane. However, I am still annoyed with Nick’s resentment toward Ty, and the shit he told him in the last book, and since he mentioned their uneasy relationship a few times, I can’t help but be annoyed with Nick. Sadly, it affected my overall appreciation of this book. I hope these two will talk it out in the next book and resolve their issues.



1. Cut & Run ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Sticks & Stones ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Fish & Chips ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
4. Divide & Conquer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭕️ The Warrior’s Cross ⭐⭐⭐ (standalone)
5. Armed & Dangerous ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
5.5 Dine & Dash ⭐⭐⭐
6. Stars & Stripes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Touch & Geaux ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍀1. Shock & Awe ⭐⭐⭐ (Sidewinder trilogy)
8. Ball & Chain ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍀1.5 High & Tight ⭐⭐⭐ (Sidewinder trilogy)


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[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nick and Kelly's story continues













This was we me before I read this book.

And what is now?

Was there a build up - yes
Was there an anticipation - yes
Did this book deliver? - not for me

To be fair there were few good moments but overall I was really close to DNF and I have not DNFed yet. Anyway I have finished and was really glad its over.



I must say I have not enjoyed the recent work of Ms.Roux as much as her earlier pieces. Don't know whats the reason behind that... but sadly I am unsure if I will continue with this series.

I know there absolutely will be readers who enjoy this book and the favorite characters and the whole "treasure hunt" thing and I am truly happy for them. It's nice when you love something and it's just keeps delivering and you love it more... Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me.

Overall just two stars as I gave three stars to books I enjoyed more.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-Read, 2024

Here’s the thing about doing a full on re-read of a beloved series and its spinoffs. Sometimes you just keep going.

It’s sort of an obsession, a need, a drive, to read one right after the other and well, in this case, it is now a little over two weeks it is now almost two months later and I’m just now thinking I need to get these off my Currently Reading shelf. (Do not ask me why I wrote this but didn’t post it. My life is OUT OF CONTROL!)

I’ll go check out my original reviews in a minute, but off the cuff, something about Nick & Kelly this re-read just isn’t the same for me. I don’t know what it is exactly but there were more than a few times where I was thinking that Nick needed someone different in his life. I feel like that is a bad way to think, I know they love each other, something just feels off this time.

Ok, so wow, I really loved this my first read and my audio re-read, much of the same. Although with the audio it looks like I took in down a star. What I do agree with though, the “treasure hunt” part was still fun and I of course love getting any bits of Julian Cross but, as I mentioned above, I am struggling this go round with the romance. I’m also tired of Nick being mean to Ty, ha!

That’s about all I can add. It’s just been too long and I didn’t take any notes. I was just totally obsessed with moving on.
*******
If you want a true review of this book you will not get it here. I love all these books and all these characters and honestly can't find fault with any of the series, characters or the books. I guess I am one of those people that will love it regardless, but I don't know what that regardless is in reference to because they all rock.

This book incorporated everything I love. It was fucking awesome and I loved every single page of it. For real, American History? This was like a Cut & Run novel infused with Indiana Jones and National Treasure. Yeah, so fucking awesome. Read.

[Jenni Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars that I'm rounding up to three all because of Kelly.

This one was a bit boring in my opinion. It was still a nice change of pace from the chaos of Ball & Chain but I found myself sort of missing the shenanigans from past books. The sex was, of course, on fire but all the talking they did just made my eyes glaze over a bit. I'm a history buff and I really dig archaeology (<--see what I did here?) but I couldn't grasp what was going on at times. I couldn't see the picture in my head and it became confusing to the point that I just didn't care any more.

The snappy one liners and snarky comebacks were here, if less in abundance than previous books. The book's saving grace was Kelly. I've always been enamored of him and his character didn't disappoint. I didn't really care for how Julian was portrayed either. He seemed a bit emasculated. I missed his bad-assery.

It took me a really long time to read this but I did finish and it was okay. I even liked it a bit in parts.

OK, I'm done now. Don't really have anything more to say.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I love this series, I really do... Cut & Run series, and now Sidewinder series... I love them! I love the characters! Ty&Zane have a place in my heart forever, and now I have Nick & Kelly there too! They are great together, funny, sexy... they are hot...

In this book there is also Julian Cross and Cameron! That was amazing, because I love them too...

If in the book Nick and Kelly were constantly saying "I love yous", in my review I am constantly saying "I love them", because is true!

I just wish that we could "see" more of the hotel scene, because after so much sexual tension, the sex must have been glorious!!!

I want more... much more!!!

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot military boys and amnesiacs and treasure hunting, oh my!

I love a good mystery, yes siree Bob. Throw in some cops and sexy gay military dudes and I may just faint from all the excitement.

Okay, I’m gonna operate on the assumption that if you’re reading this, you know all about my good friend Abigail Roux (*waves to Ms. Roux*), her boys Ty & Zane from the Cut & Run series, and of course the guys from Sidewinder—that little Marine Force Recon team? Perfect. Now that we have that settled...

Cross & Crown is our fair Nick’s turn to shine, and shine he does. Nick is off desk duty, back on the police force in Boston, and still dating fellow Sidewinder Kelly. Those two…I SWOON. Bless, I love them together. Where was I...?

Oh, right: Nick is in Boston and he’s landed a case involving a mysterious heist/murder at an old bookstore, and the lone surviving witness doesn't remember a lick about what happened. John Doe, JD for short, is strangely knowledgeable about details surrounding the case, though. Does that mean he’s a bad guy? Hmmm. And wait! Julian Cross makes an extended appearance! Julian Cross. The man, the sexy ex-CIA agent, complete with his Irish accent and all business...

I loved that Kelly just happened to be in town when things started going bananas on Nick’s case. I guess I did think it *sorta* silly that he was brought in as a “consultant.” But Kelly gets to kick some serious ass in this book, so it’s all good.

As per usual with Roux, the story and writing are rock-solid. I loved seeing the possessive—and softer—side of Nick. He and Kelly are delish together. I also love that we get little nuggets of info about Ty and Zane in the Sidewinder stories, plus a Ty cameo-by-phone and *maybe* some making up after that big fight between Nick and Ty? Hmmm? My lips are sealed; you’ll have to read for yourself. ;)

Cross & Crown is jam-packed with shoot-outs, a fascinating historical riddle, tattoo discussions, a kidnapping, occasionally jealous boyfriends, satisfying sexy time(!) and a perfectly perfect Scooby-Doo who-done-it reveal (that’s becoming quite the theme with me lately). I thought it was exciting and I enjoyed it a *skosh* more than Shock & Awe (it’s substantially longer and meatier, too).

My verdict? Go out and buy it now. What are you waiting for?!?

[Alicia J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating really a 2.5 and that's being generous.

What in the HELL happened in this book? What in the hell is happening to ANY book that Abigail Roux is releasing from the Ty/Zane and Spin-Offs?!?!?! The last Ty and Zane book was RIDICULOUS. And this one is right there with it.

Possible spoilers - I have no idea where my rant is about to go. Just beware.

I love Nick. I LOVE Kelly. The best thing about Kelly is how funny he is. He wasn't this time. Maybe a little, but not typical off the wall Kels. The book started out great, but very quickly it became this treasure hunt from hell. I usually love connecting with other characters from other books - i.e. Julian & Cam. However, this time it just pissed me off. You didn't really get an update on them other than the term "husband" being used. What's the point in bringing him back if I can't have any info on them?!?!

Just like in the last Cut & Run book - there was more bullshit and not enough relationship. Stupid. I loved Shock & Awe - this one - it fell SO flat. I'm not sure if Abigail is in a rush to get these books out, but if you go back and read the first Cut & Run books you'll see how the relationship develops between Ty and Zane. I was hoping for more of that with Nick and Kelly in this series.

But.

NO.

Just some whack ass treasure hunt. I'm getting really irritated with this. The Cut & Run Series is one of my all time favorites, and I had high hopes for The Sidewinder series, but she's seriously going to have to step her game up on the next one, or I'm just going to have to be done with this shit.

over.and.out.

for now.

UGH.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed it, but got a little lost somewhere in the middle. I love Nick and Kelly together and realize that for as long as they've know each other they are only months into the sexual part of their relationship, but I would have liked to see more of them together as a couple. I felt like that got a bit short-changed in this installment. Seeing as how they did manage to work out a plan for going forward, I hope that the next one will build on them as a couple. There were a couple of sex scenes that turned into a fade to black or a cockblock, and I was a little surprised. After Shock & Awe, if Nick and Kelly are getting out the video camera, I want to see what happens.

It's always nice to see Julian, and we do get a glimpse of where Nick and Ty's friendship stands at the moment. It seemed like this was a transition into where the future of the series is going and while I enjoy a good mystery with history, I really want to see the focus on the relationship of Nick and Kelly and the other Sidewinders who will be appearing in the future.

[jagr9563 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually never give books only a 1 star. Even if they deserve it. But I just could not in good conscience give this book more than a 1 star. I'm also not going to hide any spoilers because I think people need to know what they are getting themselves into with this book, and that happens to be a love affair between the author and the main character and nothing else. Super Nick could do no wrong while Kelly tagged along and did whatever Super Nick asked/TOLD him to do, while Kelly had his tongue hanging out of his mouth drooling like a puppy after his master with food. Seriously, it was that bad.

So now onto the actual review - which will be a little hard since I actually finished this book well over 2 weeks ago but haven't had the desire to review it and now have forgotten most of what the book was about except for the ridiculous plot points. And, this review is probably not going to make any more sense than the book did unless you've actually read the book, so my advice is good luck.

First thing I remember - bringing Kelly on as a consultant for this case just because he was visiting his selfish boyfriend who didn't/wouldn't take any time off for his visit - umm, ridiculous - no law enforcement agency would do that, not even in pretend-land.
Second - demoralizing and weakening Julian Cross so that Super Nick could be the hero and save the day - devastating. Julian was such a dynamic character in Warrior's Cross and in Armed and Dangerous, that for the author to write him so weak, well, it's as if she either didn't read her own books, didn't remember his character or didn't review his details (you know, like a good researching author should).
Also disturbing and no real solid reason behind it for me is Super Nick's absolute anger bordering on hatred towards Ty - which if we are to believe the book Ball and Chain - were inseparable and so close that they were like brothers and Super Nick was part of Ty's family that got treated like a son (even though we never heard ANY of this in the first 7 books of the series - at all) I personally think the author was showing her own growing aversion to Ty through Super Nick - because at one point Ty was just as "Super" in her eyes as Super Nick is now. He has definitely fallen off of that pedestal.
Next thing was all of the useless history facts that nobody, no matter how well educated they are would be able to remember (because the facts were so obscure) but also recite them at the drop of a hat right at the perfect time they were needed (but really, were they needed? Most of the time, no - this seems to be what the author was actually researching more than keeping the characters true to their real personalities as they were written in previous books)
In fact those history tidbits were so distracting and boring that often times I would forget why they were being spouted off in the first place, and wondering what they had to do with anything, until I was so confused I had to just pretend I knew where the plot was going and move on to the next ridiculous thing. Which brings up the Irish mafia. (conveniently a branch located right in Boston) Umm... I really don't even know what to think of that absolutely pointless plot other than the author had to put that in there to once again bolster Super Nick's persona into a bad-ass that has connections to the mob. And not just random connections, but connections to the DON (or whatever the mob boss is called in the Irish mafia) who owed Super Nick favors, not the other way around. Wow. Super Nick really is super! *eye-roll*
And this finally leads me to the "treasure hunt" - which in all honesty could have been a GREAT plot point, if the writing around it had been solid, if it would have had a point, and if it would have had more of a climatic end result. As it was - it was confusing, had no real meat or "umpf" behind it, made it seem as if the characters were just running around like chickens with no head, and the conclusion was so anti-climatic I thought I missed something and couldn't believe the book was finished. Not that I wanted the torture of reading it to continue, but to have some sort of non-confusing conclusion would have been nice rather than this cluster fuck.

In conclusion to this review - no I do not dislike or hate the character Nick. I just wish the author didn't feel it necessary to shove his 'prowess' down our throats and come to our own conclusions that he is a bad-ass. Instead she shred all the other characters, to the point of being out of character, just to make him stand out into the Super-Hero she wants him to be.

The end.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little ho-hum for me. I liked it, but there were parts where I was a little bored.

I do like Nick and Kelly together, and I love Julian. But when they were going into the history stuff regarding the treasure there were times where I had to push to keep going because I just didn't care.

Of course, I will continue to read the series, and I did like the book, just not as well as the others.

[Bitchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole, I really liked this. Nick wasn't Super Nick this time, Kelly was badass, and the frat boy hijinks was kept way down.

There were a few things that are referenced in this book that happened in Ball & Chain, so that kind of proves a bunch of readers' point that this series really can't stand alone. For instance (spoilers mostly for B&C)
Nick's surgery, his family history, Nick & Kelly's engagement, Ty's cousin Emma, are all things that happen in B&C. And I have to ask, if Nick doesn't even remember proposing to Kelly in B&C, what was the point of it even happening? Is this supposed to appease those of us who were pissed that Nickels' engagement usurped Ty & Zane's, in their own book?

A reader isn't going to feel like they've been plunked down in a strange city with no GPS, more like they walked in on the middle of a conversation. They've missed a few details, but can follow along just fine, but plan to pull someone aside later to ask what they've missed. IMO, this is C&C without reading the C&R series first.

I must say though, that this book left me cautiously optimistic about the last C&R book. This one just felt much tighter and made more sense to me than B&C day. I really enjoyed all the history bits. Fortunately, I don't know enough to know if the details were perfect, so I just took the story as it was.

JD was very likable, and wasn't nearly the monkeywrench to Nick & Kelly as the blurb made it appear. It was more Nick feeling bad for this guy than Nick genuinely wanting him. Julian felt off though, not nearly as much fun or as kick ass as I remembered him, but it has been years since I read Warrior's Cross.

As I said earlier in my review, Kelly was bad ass in this one. Gone was the giggling, the weed (not that I have a problem with weed), the constant "fuck me".

There were a few things I didn't get about the people searching for the treasure though. There was apparently three groups- Nick & co, people hired by a pharmaceutical company (that was a WTF for me, just seemed silly), and this other group who we never learned ANYTHING about. Who was the Irish guy, how did he learn about the treasure, how did he know enough about Julian to take Cam. How is it that Julian deals in antiques (his cover job), and once JD pointed out that this display case in the bookstore would have a secret compartment, Julian knew how to open the compartment, but didn't know first thing that the case had a secret stash?

Still, in spite of the little niggles, I really enjoyed this book. It revives my hope that C&R book 9 won't be a big ol' mess like B&C was. There were no flat out stupid things, like mosquito netting in Scotland in winter. The sex was hot but didn't overshadow the story. (which I was afraid of, based on various Interrogation Room posts where it seemed like all Kelly was was "so much fun to fuck!" for Nick) Nick & Kelly are a completely different type of couple than Ty & Zane, and I enjoyed their dynamic. I do hope it's not much longer before Nick & Ty make up, this distance between them is killing both of them.