Evil's Embrace

Investigating Love #2

by L.M. Somerton

Investigating Love:

Being thrown together in extreme circumstances is not the best foundation for a relationship. Alex and Conor must juggle the demands of their jobs as police detectives with their personal lives. With Alex as demanding in the bedroom as he is at work, will Conor be able to accept that submission is not weakness. Finding out will be the most important investigation of their lives.



Evil’s Embrace by L.M. Somerton



Book Two in the Investigating Love series



Never underestimate the power of obsession.



After the trauma of the Rasputin case, Detective Inspector Alex Courtney and his boyfriend, Detective Constable Conor Trethuan, are in desperate need of a holiday.

The peace and tranquillity of Cornwall can’t eradicate Conor’s nightmares, though, and the unbearable prospect of losing Alex drives him to confess feelings that he isn’t sure are reciprocated. Alex responds in the best way he knows how—by issuing orders and claiming Conor’s body as well as his heart.

Prematurely recalled to work, they are thrown into a dangerous trafficking case focused on a leather bar with a hardcore reputation, Spikes. Conor is sent in undercover, not knowing that he is only a decoy. When Alex learns that the motivation behind his team’s involvement in the case might not be as straightforward as it seems, he realises that his actions might jeopardise not just their relationship, but Conor’s life, too. A shadowy figure from Conor’s past is about to step into the light.



L.M. Somerton
About the Author:
Lucinda lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She's fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Contemporary, M M Contemporary

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2014

About the author

Lucinda lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She's fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and some not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit to preferring this instalment of the Investigating Love series more enjoyable than the first. In fact, all the issues I had with the first I would say were null and void in this, second, book.

I truly felt there was much more to Alex and Conor's relationship than in the first story and so I became much more invested in it. I loved seeing them on holiday at the start - some open-ended story lines here I feel, I wonder if they are persuade in the third instalment? Seeing where Connor had come from and the life he'd known previously before joining the police force and become Alex's partner was great. i loved seeing these moments between Alex and Connor, the insight to the two of them away from the pressures of the job.

Then, of course, the job came calling and again I was riveted. I hated the situation Connor was put in, it made me feel quite sad at times. It was so against his personality type...I didn't hate Alex quite so much this time round for letting his boyfriend get into this situation (by letting I mean because he is Connor's boss therefore literally let him walk into the environment)though, maybe because I liked Alex more on the whole, he didn't feel like the bully this time round that he did before. It did heighten the angst and the 'oh no' feeling of reading. I felt Alex truly loved Connor in this story (not just lip service for a kinky fuck) and that made a huge difference to me reading it.

In both instalments I liked the mystery that the police are trying to solve. LM Somerton writes this well, she knows when to cut a scene to heighten anticipation, how much to feed you so you'll read on wanting more. She is able to play my emotions just right, leave me on that cusp of anger and sadness and wanting so much for it all to work out for the MC's. There were some twists I didn't see coming, which was good.

I'm quite looking forward to reading the third instalment in this series. Now I've grown to like Alex as well as Connor I'm much more invested in the series. The British vibe from the story completely appealed to me too. No surprise there huh!! It's a good read that I'd recommend.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

[Caroline Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE

Four months on and Connor is almost recovered and ready to return to work after his run in with a serial killer. His final two weeks off are to be spent with his boyfriend Alex in Cornwall. The first half of this book is like a romance as these two men who have been through so much together but know very little about each other finally get a chance to spend some quality time together. The D/s side of their relationship is gradually increasing and although it still sometimes makes Connor feel weak he is learning slowly that that is not what being submissive means.

When they are called back early to help with an important case the facts are thin but Connor is once again sent undercover and into danger. This time he will be waiting tables in a leather bar with a dubious reputation and even more dubious clientele. He is more than willing to play his part though if it puts a stop to the human traffic ring that has already resulted in the death of another Police Officer.

There is a lot more at play than is visible on the surface and someone from Connor’s past is hell bent on revenge and will go to whatever lengths required to obtain it. Mix that in with the fact that Connor hasn’t been told the entire truth about the case and his situation and things suddenly don’t look so good. Alex is terrified that Connor won’t be able to see past the lies and ever forgive him.

I’m really enjoying Alex and Connor. Their relationship may have started suddenly and quickly but there is real depth to it and I love that Alex is a growly and grouchy Dom who just about melts when Connor smiles.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Evil's Embrace' is the second book in L.M. Somerton's series, 'Investigating Love'. After the action-packed and exciting ending to the first book, where Alex saved Conor from the serial killer known as Rasputin, I was looking forward to jumping into more adventures with these two police officers. Somehow, before I even started reading, I knew the author would take me on another wild ride.

It's been four months since Alex rescued Conor, and they're heading to Cornwall for two weeks in the cottage Conor's grandparents left him. It's an interesting place, perched high on the cliffs, with smugglers’ tunnels running from the beach to up above. Conor gives a little history on the area, which both Alex and I appreciated. It was nice for them to relax and spend time together, that didn't involve investigating crime or stopping a killer. Conor gets the chance to show Alex his favorite places, and introduce him to old friends. Unfortunately, they get called back to the city, as an investigation has hit some serious hurdles, and the powers that be need Alex and his team.

Human trafficking is a nasty business, and, unfortunately, it happens with young boys more than most people are aware. Spikes is a gay bar in the warehouse district, running to a rougher clientele, but also the hub for the kidnapping which Vice has been working on. Conor is sent in to pose as a waiter after a detective in Vice, who was undercover, was murdered. But there's a lot more going on here than even Alex is privy to, and when it all hits the fan…well, let's just say a pig farm smells sweeter.

Another exciting, action-filled addition to the series. I really liked that I got the opportunity to watch Conor accept his submissive side, and learn how to deal with it. He and Alex made a very attractive D/s couple. Thank you, Lu, I so enjoyed it!

NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of L.M. Somerton and was excited by the chance to review this book, especially since I enjoyed Rasputin’s Kiss – while not absolutely necessary, reading that first will help give you a better understanding of Alex and Conor’s backstory.

The book picks up 4 months after the events of Rasputin’s Kiss; Conor is still living with Alex, recovering from his ordeal at the hands of the serial killer. Connor has been given the green light to go back to work and will as soon as he and Alex return from a well-earned vacation in Cornwall. Alex and Conor have an interesting relationship; forced into pretending to be lovers as part of an undercover investigation, their attraction to each other grew and their undercover relationship became real. Alex is a Dom and Conor his submissive though he still has trouble understanding his need to submit to Alex.

Read the full review on Love Bytes

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is another book I've read before when it was an online free story. That said, I do enjoy the writers work and particularly the characters in this series. This time Alex and Connor's holiday to Cornwall is cut short when they must return to London for a case involving a murdered undercover police officer and a human trafficking investigation. The police work side of things is very light plot wise, but still the story is fun.

[Janeylou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed compared to the first one
Can there be too much sex? ...well there was..

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the second installment of this series, Alex and Conor have became closer on vacation. When they get called back early the team comes together to help Vice Squad with human trafficking of young men and the murder of an undercover police officer. Alex is told to put Conor in as a decoy in on of the roughest gay bars in town.
With things heating up and with Alex finding out information that could possibly have him loose Conor's love, Alex is terrified that things could get out of hand quickly when Conor is on his own.
When the story got going even from the beginning I loved it, but I love the drama more. The uncertainty of what's going to happen. I'm going to read the third one for sure but I hope there will be more.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Conor and Alex and the job of Police Detectives continues.
Enjoyable read.

[Christina Griner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from readict! Even as a book 2, it has the best characters you can't help but want to read more about them!

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Overall for both and Evil's Embrace

The first two books in the Investigating Love series by L.M. Somerton (I say ‘first two’ because I have to believe she isn’t finished with these two MCs yet!) are intriguing and sexy, and have a number of good qualities with which to suck the reader in. We’ve got a smoldering Detective Inspector, who is also a Dominant, in Alex Courtney, and a feisty, yet submissive (yes, you read that right), pretty boy, who is also a very adept police detective, in Conor Trethuan. Somerton also gives us lots of fun Britishisms, creepy villians, and a good cast of supporting characters, as well as two smoking hot covers!

In Rasputin’s Kiss, Inspector Courtney – who is perhaps surprisingly, given his role in the department, refreshingly ‘out and proud’ – meets Conor when he is chosen to role play as Alex’s boyfriend, and essentially be the bait for a serial killer who is targeting young, pretty, gay men. As they are getting to know each other, and working on the case – which involves going to a BDSM club to hopefully flaunt Conor in front of the killer – Conor begins to learn things about his nature that are unexpected to him. He likes it when Alex goes all Dom on him but has a very hard time reconciling that submissive side with his very outspoken and independent side. The relationship that develops between them would definitely qualify as insta-love by most people’s definition, but it wasn’t a massive turn-off for me. Sometimes insta-love works, and these guys’ feelings for each other come across as very genuine.

Evil’s Embrace picks up not long after we leave Alex and Conor in Rasputin’s Kiss. The resolution of the case in the first book was traumatic, as the blurb suggests, and in the beginning of this next installment, Conor and Alex are taking a much needed holiday. They go to Conor’s seaside cottage in Cornwall, which he inherited from his grandparents. The holiday is cut short, however, when they are called back to the office to help investigate some suspicious activity by the owners and investors at a local leather club. A heavy part of the storyline in this book is Conor’s further exploration of his submissive side, and his trying to understand and accept that it’s okay to be that way and to want the things he wants with Alex. The two are very much in love, and while their sex scenes together are very passionate and steamy, I do have to say that there was TOO MUCH sex in this book. *GASP* I know. And, some people will disagree with me, I’m sure – but, for me, there were many sex scenes that were just superfluous and did not further the story.

The police-work, and the cases in both books were definitely interesting and exciting. Especially in Rasputin’s Kiss. And, Somerton is fantastic with her descriptive prose. The villain’s hideout in Rasputin’s Kiss is absolutely brought to life by her words. You can also picture perfectly the beauty of Cornwall and the cottage in Evil’s Embrace. But in both cases I found the first half dragged a bit for me, whereas, again, in both books, the second half really took off and became completely engaging and had me quickly turning the pages.

There was also one bit that I felt was left hanging in Evil’s Embrace. While on vacation, they visit with a couple from the village who have known Conor since he was a young boy, and also begin to delve into a possible mystery with a tunnel from the seaside cliffs below the cottage. Sadly, however, this mystery is not brought up again. Perhaps it will come up in book 3? I thought for sure it would be tied in with the case in Evil’s Embrace, but it wasn’t.

Overall, I am enjoying the series and hope we see more of Alex and Conor. And Sergeant Higgs!! I absolutely adore Higgs.

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star review by Colette

I am a fan of L.M. Somerton and was excited by the chance to review this book, especially since I enjoyed Rasputin’s Kiss – while not absolutely necessary, reading that first will help give you a better understanding of Alex and Conor’s backstory.

The book picks up 4 months after the events of Rasputin’s Kiss; Conor is still living with Alex, recovering from his ordeal at the hands of the serial killer. Connor has been given the green light to go back to work and will as soon as he and Alex return from a well-earned vacation in Cornwall. Alex and Conor have an interesting relationship; forced into pretending to be lovers as part of an undercover investigation, their attraction to each other grew and their undercover relationship became real. Alex is a Dom and Conor his submissive though he still has trouble understanding his need to submit to Alex.

The first part of this book is Alex and Conor on holiday in Cornwall, staying at secluded cottage Conor’s grandparents left him. They spend their time surfing and hiking and getting to know each other, outside of work and the stress that comes with the job.

Unfortunately, their holiday is cute short when they are called back to work and Conor once again is sent undercover – this time at a leather bar. Conor is an extremely attractive man, though very shy and having to parade around the bar in skintight leather being groped by strange men is not something that is easy for him. Fortunately another waiter, Jaime, and the bouncer, Bubba watch out for him. Meanwhile, Alex has some suspicions about the case, things are not what they seem and there is more to this investigation that either Conor or Alex is aware of.

While this is not as intense as Rasputin’s Kiss, it is a very good book. I liked finding more about Conor’s past and where he is from and seeing his relationship with Alex grow and deepen. L.M Somerton’s descriptions of the Cornish coast are lovely and she beautifully captures the dynamics of the D/s relationship.

I look forward to the next book in this series, which I think may return Alex and Conor to Cornwall.

A copy of this book was provided for review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews, guestposts and giveaways!

[Angela Goodrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Somerton has penned another great installment in the Investigating Love series. Alex and Conor are back – kinda, sorta. Evil’s Embrace begins four months after Rasputin’s Kiss and Alex and Conor are headed out of town on a two-week holiday before Conor’s return to work now that he has fully healed from his injuries. I should note that while you can read this book without having read book one first, you’ll have a better appreciation of Alex and Conor if you read Rasputin’s Kiss first.

During the first part of the book we get to see the guys spending relaxed one-on-one time together away from work, giving readers of book one a chance to see how their relationship has progressed and continues to do so. From their interactions it is clear that they have developed deep feelings for one another, cementing the relationship that began in Rasputin’s Kiss. Their chemistry is palpable and this ratchets up the sex scenes significantly. Taking it up another notch is that Conor is learning more about his submissive nature and the Dom in Alex is more than ready to teach his brat a lesson or two (or three…). But even as their feelings grow and their relationship strengthens, their work threatens to get in the way of their relationship.

As with book one, Evil’s Embrace is a romantic suspense novel (which means fewer specific details to avoid spoilers in my review). I felt that this one packed more of a punch in the suspense department because Ms. Somerton laid a couple of false trails as to which suspense element the guys were facing. I was disappointed that the “trail” they encountered while on holiday wasn’t revisited once they returned to the city, I can only hope that the author returns to it because the potential plotline was compelling. Despite that minor disappointment, Evil’s Embrace was a great read. The storyline flowed and I found myself swept up in the action, devouring the book in a matter of hours. Tarot’s Touch, book three in the series, is next up on my reading list and I am looking forward to finding out what is in store for Alex and Conor.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

[Phaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's sex, really, occasionally interrupted for romantic outings. Any plot is incidental.
Well, except for the bit with Connor alone undercover and even that is bisected by a sex scene without real context (Alex does not even seize the moment to reconnect verbally; he seems entirely uninterested in whatever Conor might have to say).
But yeah, especially the first third of this book is all romantic togetherness and sex, disconnected from the rest of the “plot”. A plot that, by the way, seems full of holes or incomprehensible reasoning by almost everyone. Don’t ever get me started on the villain, his motivations, or his decisions. It’s ridiculous.

But there’s plenty that does not work for me regarding the romantic relationship as well. Some of their exchanges are sweet, but overall Alex seems weirdly careless when it comes to Conor’s wellbeing (like after the showdown at the end), and he alternates between forcing his way and feeling guilty for it when he suddenly is struck by fear of losing Conor. Super self-centered, to be honest.

I don’t know. Again, like in book one, there were a few details I liked. But on the whole things did not work that well for me. Awful structuring with this self-contained first third, plus focus on sex beyond all else, and incomprehensible (or mind-numbingly stupid) character decisions on all fronts.

Conor’s still ends up being the best out of them all. Although Jamie and Bubba were nice, reliable (if clichéd and thus predictable) fun. Come to think of it, either (or both) of them would have made for a much better arch villain. Also might have made much more sense.

Finally, because it really matters the least… What’s up with the dramatic title? The first one was weird too (why “kiss”? maybe the kiss of the guy’s knife? and why was he called Rasputin at all?), but this seems to make even less sense. It’s just isn’t that kind of thriller. (It’s not really any kind of thriller, but that’s not the point.) There certainly is no menacing presence or the feeling of lurking evil – or even a significant embrace, either literally or figuratively.

[Susan65 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blogger Girls

I struggled a little bit with this sequel to Alex and Conor’s story. I believe it had more to do with the soft and fluffy slow start and less to do with the actual characters, as I really loved them both. Conor is still struggling with his need to be a submissive, and Alex is still the overbearing Dom who thrives on Conor being naughty just so that he can spank him. Cute at the beginning, but it got a little old after awhile as the sex scenes all seemed to be the same ol’ same ol.

In this installment, the boys are taking a vacation to recover from the injuries of their last case, the Rasputin torturer, and also to spend a little quality time together as boyfriends. That trip is cut short as the boys are called back to work on a new case. One where all the cards are not put on the table and one of the boys is flying blind…which does not bode well for either of them.

I had forgotten how shy Conor was in the last book so it took me a few minutes to reconcile his hesitancy at working undercover in a rowdy bar. What I hadn’t forgotten was how beautiful and perfect he was…and that got a little old reading about over and over again. Alex is still super bossy, and I am normally pretty good with some BDSM, but this book fell a little flat for me. It was so close to being really good, but something was missing, and I can’t put my finger on it. I am thinking it was how easily everything always fell into place, but whatever it was, it was a good story, it just lost a little something from the first book.

So I do recommend this book. The series is extremely interesting, and I will be reading the next story, but it was not my favorite.

[J. Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy LM Somerton's novels, but I now have a new favorite. Evil's Embrace is, IMO, her best one yet.

We were introduced to Alex and Conor in Rasputin’s Kiss and experienced their lust-at-first-sight mutual attraction. In Evil's Embrace we see them deepen their relationship as they continue to learn about each other. This novel strikes a perfect balance between blossoming romance, danger and intrigue, and beautiful descriptive prose. The trip Conor and Alex make to picturesque Cornwall has me aching to take a vacation there myself.

Alex is the typical hard-headed but hot-as-hell dom that Lucinda writes so well. Conor is a gorgeous, not-so-submissive sub. I thoroughly enjoyed their smart dialog as their relationship power shifted back and forth and they each sought some modicum of control. The cocky humor had me in stitches more than once.

If I was going to complain about one aspect of this novel, it could be that it had too much hot, steamy sex in it. But why would I ever complain about something like that? Highly recommend with the caveat that you should make sure you have spare batteries for your vibrator before you start reading. ;-)

[Molly Lolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review on Molly Lolly
Four and a half stars!
I’d almost forgotten how much I enjoyed Alex and Conor. Almost. Even though this is the second book in the series, you truly don’t have to read the first to enjoy this one. However, I recommend you do because it was good. I loved the scenes where Conor finally lets go and enjoys his submission. Makes it all the better when he can relax into it. There was a wonderful conversation about collars and different ways of expressing that kind of commitment between them. Alex also explained to Conor how submitting didn’t make him weak. I thought it was a very important distinction for them to have. Conor was struggling with his needs versus what he felt he should be. The scene where Conor shared important people in his life was fun to read. I loved how Alex showed how much he loves Conor just by his reactions and interactions with those people. As always I want more from these two, but I also want more from Jamie and Bubba.

[Taylor Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I've become rather picky about my m/m stories, in that I really want more of a story and plot than just a series of sex scenes. I'm beginning to find that L.M. Somerton's stories are more a stringing together of sex scenes rather than a meaty story. In this book in particular, the actual 'story' starts about halfway through the book. The first half, Connor and Alex spend basically having sex at Connor's beach house on vacation. There's a hint that something might be going on in cave nearby, but nothing ever comes of that (maybe she'll come back to it in another book?). Not sure that I'm willing to continue this series.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 30/05/2014
Author: L.M Somerton
Recommended for: fans of action books

I recieved this book through Goodreads First Reads competitions

I thought that this was a very good book written by the extremely talented L.M Somerton in the series Investigating Love. Even though I read this book before the others I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything apart from maybe abit of the background, but after reading this book I immediately went and got the rest of the series. A really great action filled book. I really enjoyed reading this book and the rest of the series.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Mimi]

I must be having an off night, DNF but will reread later. On Ch. 4 of 14. The plot so far is good and the sex is hot D/s my fav but not feeling it tonight. Review t come at a later date.

[Emilie]

DNF 70%