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Cole #5
Bloodlines
Darkness follows Cole like a malevolent shadow as he uncovers the haunting secrets lurking within his bloodline. Haunted by a sadistic serial killer targeting his family, Cole and his companions embark on a perilous journey to unravel the chilling mysteries that bind them. With time slipping away and the threat growing ever closer, Cole must confront his deepest fears before the sinister forces tearing his family apart consume them all. Will Cole and his allies defy the looming evil, or will they become its next victims in a battle for survival against a merciless adversary?
CONTENT Profanity, Gore, Physical/Mental/Sexual abuse, Emotionally Traumatic Events.
CONTENT Profanity, Gore, Physical/Mental/Sexual abuse, Emotionally Traumatic Events.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
4 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Bishop
136 books523 followersPen name of author A.M. Snead.
Born and raised in scenic Coos County, Oregon, CJ enjoys the small town atmosphere and down-to-earth country folk who populate the area. She is a single mother and lives with her 18-year-old daughter, 1 horse, 4 dogs and 6 cats deep in the country woodlands which gives her plenty of time to write.
She is a Christian and a strong supporter of the LGBT community and favors gay erotic romance when it comes to writing. She hopes that her stories of love and acceptance will help further compassion and understanding for LGBT people who she feels is greatly misunderstood and persecuted - in a large party by the Christian community.
Most of all, she is hopeful that her stories will bring comfort to those who have been told that God hates them because they are different. It is her strong belief that God loves everyone and His love covers all.
Born and raised in scenic Coos County, Oregon, CJ enjoys the small town atmosphere and down-to-earth country folk who populate the area. She is a single mother and lives with her 18-year-old daughter, 1 horse, 4 dogs and 6 cats deep in the country woodlands which gives her plenty of time to write.
She is a Christian and a strong supporter of the LGBT community and favors gay erotic romance when it comes to writing. She hopes that her stories of love and acceptance will help further compassion and understanding for LGBT people who she feels is greatly misunderstood and persecuted - in a large party by the Christian community.
Most of all, she is hopeful that her stories will bring comfort to those who have been told that God hates them because they are different. It is her strong belief that God loves everyone and His love covers all.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 28, 2025
Concluded… for me.
I wanted Cole’s backstory, and boy was it traumatic! I’ve had issues with the writings of CJ Bishop for a good while, but to her credit, the characters kept me coming back. That speaks volumes for her ability to draw readers in and get them invested. I appreciate more about this world she created than I dislike. However, with the conclusion of this book, I just might be done.
I don’t care for just how extremely graphic (and repetitive) the books have become. The stories are decent, but had I not already been so invested in the characters, I would have dropped these several books ago. I was glad this book was less preachy while still remaining true to the men being believers with varying degrees of faith in God. I am thrilled to reach a conclusion of sorts to Cole’s history. I cried more than laughed in this book. The trauma was gruesome and at times drug out a bit much for me. Fans of macabre will likely love it. I have my limits and this one pushed slightly beyond them at times. I definitely don’t recommend trying to eat anything while reading this one!
I’m happy to know what became of Henry and Ezra. I had the end predicted before half way through the book, though knowing did not spoil the moments of revelation. I still love my Cowboy and his brother Cochise. Those are going to be my favorite gangsters possibly forever. Because of them, there’s still the possibility I will read books that feature them heavily. Outside if that, I felt this book brought me to a satisfied stopping point. It was well written, but still not great, even though it has moments of greatness. It kind of feels like breaking up with an old friend, but my psyche is done. I can’t handle how each book tries to level up the gruesome details over the previous book. Many won’t mind it, and I do recommend the series to anyone who liked M/M with strong character development and good storytelling. I think this book could have been a chapter or two shorter with less rehashing details between each character. As usual, all the men shed lots of tears at the drop of a crumb. Some eye rolls for that. I wanted to give it 4 stars, but had to go with 3.4, dropped to 3. I don’t have plans to continue with Hunter. I’m sure it will be an exciting story filled with emotion, but I am done. I want to remember my favorites as they have developed to this point. I may even read several books again and again. I hope if you read the multiple series in the Phoenix Club and Cowboy Gangster world, you enjoy the ride as much as I have.
I wanted Cole’s backstory, and boy was it traumatic! I’ve had issues with the writings of CJ Bishop for a good while, but to her credit, the characters kept me coming back. That speaks volumes for her ability to draw readers in and get them invested. I appreciate more about this world she created than I dislike. However, with the conclusion of this book, I just might be done.
I don’t care for just how extremely graphic (and repetitive) the books have become. The stories are decent, but had I not already been so invested in the characters, I would have dropped these several books ago. I was glad this book was less preachy while still remaining true to the men being believers with varying degrees of faith in God. I am thrilled to reach a conclusion of sorts to Cole’s history. I cried more than laughed in this book. The trauma was gruesome and at times drug out a bit much for me. Fans of macabre will likely love it. I have my limits and this one pushed slightly beyond them at times. I definitely don’t recommend trying to eat anything while reading this one!
I’m happy to know what became of Henry and Ezra. I had the end predicted before half way through the book, though knowing did not spoil the moments of revelation. I still love my Cowboy and his brother Cochise. Those are going to be my favorite gangsters possibly forever. Because of them, there’s still the possibility I will read books that feature them heavily. Outside if that, I felt this book brought me to a satisfied stopping point. It was well written, but still not great, even though it has moments of greatness. It kind of feels like breaking up with an old friend, but my psyche is done. I can’t handle how each book tries to level up the gruesome details over the previous book. Many won’t mind it, and I do recommend the series to anyone who liked M/M with strong character development and good storytelling. I think this book could have been a chapter or two shorter with less rehashing details between each character. As usual, all the men shed lots of tears at the drop of a crumb. Some eye rolls for that. I wanted to give it 4 stars, but had to go with 3.4, dropped to 3. I don’t have plans to continue with Hunter. I’m sure it will be an exciting story filled with emotion, but I am done. I want to remember my favorites as they have developed to this point. I may even read several books again and again. I hope if you read the multiple series in the Phoenix Club and Cowboy Gangster world, you enjoy the ride as much as I have.
December 6, 2025
I loved Bloodlines and struggled to put it down. The story is amazing and I enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews