Our new detective agency isn’t exactly booming, and I can’t quite tell whether it’s because we’re three strange men trying to solve others’ problems or the pig.
It might be the pig.
Of course, nothing can ever be simple for too long with Felix and Lane around. When Grayson–a man I used to work with–calls, everything is thrown out of control. I’d been willing to give him my heart once, but after my world was shattered by outside forces, I’m not sure there’s any heart left to give. But life for someone like me doesn’t stay quiet… though maybe quiet isn’t what I need. Maybe someone to pull me out of my past and push me toward our future is who I’ve been waiting for all along.
Grayson
I’m determined to clean up the past and make Cal’s life better, even if he has no idea what I’m doing… even if he’s determined to never speak to me again. Yet when events lead us together, I can’t stop myself from being overwhelmingly happy to be in his presence again. He might believe that he’s a bad guy, but I see him for the amazing, kind, and funny person he is. But first we have to end the past that’s been haunting both of us once and for all. Thankfully, he’s going to be right by my side as we do it.
Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.
✅ Characters ✅ The pig ✅ Pace ✅(🆗) Plot ✅(🆗) Romance ✅🆗 Flashbacks ❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mild PTSD, mentions of past killing
3.5 stars
I will keep this one short.
I like that this book is not as over-the-top as the other books in the series are. Of course, there is still Alice Winters’s brand of silly humour in this book, but it was toned down, and felt more serious than the other books in the series, which makes sense since Cal is less over the top than Felix and Lane.
There were a lot of flashbacks in this book, and I am not the biggest fan of flashbacks. Some were long, and I was more interested in the “present” chapters than the flashbacks, especially since I feel the flashbacks did focus more on how the army took advantage of Cal than on what happened between Cal and Grayson.
The romance is cute but a little underdeveloped. The book focuses on Cal figuring out what happened when he quit the army and trying to forgive Grayson, but besides the glimpses we get in the flashbacks, we do not see a lot of their romance. Because of that, it was a little harder for me to root for them and get invested in their romance. I liked Cal in the previous books and want him to be happy, but I was expecting more buildup and development for their romance.
I am used to Alice Winters’s books having multiple points of view, and I kept waiting for Grayson’s chapters, but there were none. It’s not a big deal, but I think it would have helped me care a little bit more about him and his relationship with Cal.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was entertaining and a fast-paced, quick read, but it was not my favorite from this author. I liked seeing more of Antinio, though, and wouldn’t mind having more books in this series, because the characters are funny and so easy to love.
Felix & Lane are Alice’s first series with this characters (who repeat in every book since just with different names and plots) and made me fall in love with her humour. This is about Cal and Grayson who were side characters in the original trilogy, who are carbon copies of the only characters she knows how to write. It was overall enjoyable but also left me feeling a bit empty.
I also find myself continuing to lose my taste in cop and military characters with everything that’s been going on with the fascism and genocides around the world.
This book was a brilliant addition to the series and I was so happy to see Cal & Grayson get their HEA.
No spoilers but the plot worked perfectly for me and, while one of the revelations had me wanting to punch things very hard, it also made me want to grab Cal and give him the biggest hug.
Felix is Felix, he's possibly even more unhinged than Leland is and his antics make me howl every time he appears.
I know we've technically wrapped up the main storyline now with these guys, but I hope Alice comes back for more utterly bonkers escapades.
There's the usual AW nonsense going on here, but there is also Cal and Grayson's story which I really enjoyed. I also somehow missed Antonio's story along the way and will have to go find that one.
The macro pig, omg, THE PIG!!! I've been curious about Cal's story since he was first introduced in the series. He was a mess, in need of help, of love, of hugs, of companionship. He found that in Felix and Lane and their very weird and peculiar life. But what about the elusive Grayson who Cal seemed to hate so much without giving us a reason why? We finally get the reason and the backstory and I was so heartbroken for Cal; he wanted to build something with Grayson, long distance or in whatever shape, but then that awful day happened and when he needed him the most, Grayson was not there to gather the pieces. Getting all the pieces of the puzzles was essential to understanding both sides and I forgave Grayson when Cal did because Cal is the sweetest prickliest teddy bear and if he accepts you then who am I to do otherwise? As usual the action was actioning, the humour humouring, and the freaking macro pig not micro and with an attitude. It was amazing!!
There was just one tiny thing that, not bothered me exactly, let's say confused me; each chapter started with a character's name, right? That usually means there's dual POV, but in this book it seems it was only done to differentiate between Present Cal's chapters from Past Cal's chapters, and that single Felix's chapter. I was sad not seeing Grayson's chapters, I kept hoping until the very end!
The long awaited reunion of Cal & Grayson is here after its everything you expect from this group and do much more. Learning why Cal is the way he is and can understand more why Grayson not being their for him destroyed him as much as it did. With the help of this motley crew Grayson is able to show the bad side of a person he once trusted and slowly be able to earn the right to talk to Cal again. Felix is as Felix always is bringing more chaos into a situation than you think possible, Lane enjoying every minute of it, along with Antonio who they adopted in the last story to round this bunch. The wait may have been long but so worth the ride to see the two finally get the happy life they should have had so long ago.
After the end of the last book in this wonderful series every now and then I would randomly think to myself “I wonder how Cal is doing?” Well now I know and what a journey he and Grayson have on the way to their HEA. Their story certainly gave me some feels ranging from sadness at what Cal has been through to snort laughing at the shenanigans of Felix, Lane and Antonio. Yes, the usual crew are involved in all sorts of dangerous but fun undertakings along with Copper and Brigs - the not so micro pig. (Spoiler alert - Felix still has a hankering for wanting to steal animals!) Circumstances bring Cal and Grayson back into each other’s lives and it stirs up all sorts of memories and emotions for Cal. Fortunately he has Lane, Felix and Antonio looking out for him and also Arthur. Arthur is the only friend Cal had growing up and he’s a very grumpy old man who I absolutely adore. There’s the usual action and drama that this merry band of men are magnets for, some heart warming and heart breaking moments and a very hard earned but well deserved HEA for two wounded yet wonderful men.
Different story somewhat. Different couple with our old pals there too. Enjoyed it but a bit slow in parts and just didn't have the same feel. 3.5 rounded to 4
Ah, I am so glad that Alice gave us Cal's story. Having done a re-listen in preparation, it really felt like the In Darkness series wasn't done until we knew just what went on with Grayson and why Cal was suffering so badly.
Expect a slow burn. There's a lot for them to get through before we can get to the sexy stuff, which suited both the story and the characters. These aren't young guys. They are more mature (in some ways, lol) and have seen some stuff.
There are chapters from Felix, which I loved, and the gang is deeply involved in the secrets of Cal and Grayson's past coming back to haunt them.
Plenty of action, some surprises, and of course, Felix being the joy that he is. Great story.
FR- Alors alors.... alors j'ai une affection particulière pour cette série qui est la première de l'auteure.
Je me rappelle encore quand j'ai lu les premières pages du premier tome et que je ne savais pas trop où je mettais les pieds. Aujourd'hui, Alice Winters est une de mes auteurs chouchous et même si je ne lis pas tous ces romans, In Darkness reste une série spéciale pour moi.
Wandering in Darkness est un tome compagnon.
Alice Winters nous livre ici l'histoire de Cal et Grayson. Mais Felix et Lane ne sont jamais loin. On retrouve tous les éléments qui font le charme de cette série : des personnages complètement loufoques, des situations rocambolesques et des animaux… particuliers. J'ai passé un excellent moment de lecture et j'ai trouvé particulièrement touchante l'histoire de Cal. C'est un personnage très attachant qui n'a pas eu une vie facile. L'enquête est prenante et je me suis laissée prendre au jeu.
La romance entre Cal et Grayson est vraiment adorable et j'ai aimé chaque moment de ce tome.
C'était un réel plaisir de retrouver ces personnages et cet univers. Une fois de plus, j'ai énormément ris avec toutes les péripéties que vivent les personnages (Felix est clairement un de mes personnages préféré). Les scenes de sexes sont tardives dans le roman mais arrivent au bon moment et sont bien dosées.
En résumé, un excellent tome d'une série qui restera toujours spéciale pour moi. ENG-So, so... so, I have a special affection for this series, which is the author's first.
I still remember reading the first pages of the first volume and not really knowing what I was getting into. Today, Alice Winters is one of my favorite authors, and even if I don't read all of her novels, In Darkness remains a special series for me.
Wandering in Darkness is a companion volume.
Alice Winters delivers the story of Cal and Grayson here. But Felix and Lane are never far away. We find all the elements that make this series so charming: completely wacky characters, incredible situations, and… unusual animals. I had a great time reading it and found Cal's story particularly touching. He's a very endearing character who hasn't had an easy life. The investigation is captivating, and I got caught up in it.
The romance between Cal and Grayson is truly adorable, and I loved every moment of this volume.
It was a real pleasure to reconnect with these characters and this universe. Once again, I laughed so hard at all the adventures the characters experience (Felix is definitely one of my favorites). The sex scenes are late in the novel, but they arrive at the right time and are well-timed.
In short, an excellent volume in a series that will always be special to me.
Wandering In Darkness is the perfect title for this sweet man’s story. He really has been wandering in the dark for the last couple of years, after finding a group of friends he thought would be his family, only for one devastating event to tear everything apart.
I know after the last In Darkness book a lot of us were wondering about Cal, how he was doing, what his story was, and who exactly was this Grayson guy? Well, wonder no more, Wandering In Darkness gives us all the answers! And while this was an entertaining read, and had some really fun moments, there was that hint of darkness that this series is known to have. Cal’s story was a little heartbreaking, and I wanted to just wrap him up in a hug and never let him go. I’m so glad Felix and Lane took him under their wings.
Learning what brought Cal to this point in his life was rough. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, what was done to him. Grayson didn’t either. I didn’t realize how tough things had been for Cal, so it’s not surprising it all hit him so hard. I was so happy when Cal and Grayson reconnected.
This story had a lot of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, and the suspense kept me on edge. But the shenanigans of this crew, especially Felix of course!, brought light and levity to what otherwise could have been a very heavy read. Once again Ms. Winters is able to bring a good balance of feelings to her story.
So, the big question is...will there be more Darkness to come? I didn't realize how much I missed these guys, and now I want more, more, more!
I’ve been a fan of Alice’s books since I purchased Hidden in the Darkness back in 2020, and haven’t looked back since. I throughly enjoyed this book. It’s full of weirdness, humour and snark that I’ve come to expect from one of Alice’s books. I’m so glad that she decided to write Cal and Grayson’s story, as I’ve been interested in them since I was first introduced to Cal and all the sh*t he’s overcome. I also thought that it was another good addition to the In Darkness Series. I see Felix and Lane are up to their old antics and Cal, Grayson & poor Antonio are along for the ride. I really love the relationship between Cal and his grumpy a*sehole elderly veteran of an ex neighbour’s friendship, they both get so much out of it even if it doesn’t really seem like it lol.
I liked the flashback scenes as we got to see how Cal & Grayson met and what lead up to Cal’s downward spiral. My heart absolutely broke when I heard what happened that made Cal completely break down and turn to alcohol as a way to cope. All I can say is guilt is a powerful thing, even though he was just following orders he still believes he’s at fault. I’m glad that Cal found Felix and Lane, even though his life has been endangered quite a bit since then but they’ve definitely helped him heal a wee bit. The acknowledgements made me smile. I’m looking to reading more books from Alice Winters in the future. I’d definitely recommend this book, series and author to everyone.
Wandering in Darkness is the fourth book in Alice Winters’ In Darkness series. I read the first three books in this series when they came out way back in 2018-2019. This series was my introduction to Winters’ writing and I loved the first three books, so I was excited to learn the series was continuing. I am kind of mixed feelings about whether this one works as a standalone or not. First off, we shift gears here, moving away from Lane and Felix and over to Cal and Grayson, so I do think that makes this one more accessible for new readers. And I’ll admit, given how long it’s been since I read the first books, I honestly had no memory of Cal (who I believe was introduced in book three) and didn’t remember much in the way of plot details from the series, so I was coming in somewhat “new.” But we also don’t get a ton of information to orient us when the book starts and there are references to past events presented as if readers should know who people are and what happened in prior books.
This is the series that started it all for me with Winters’ writing, so I was glad to get a chance to jump back in this world. Overall I found this one entertaining and a fun romantic suspense.
Cal and Grayson's happily ever after is anything but smooth sailing—and that’s exactly what makes it so satisfying. From the moment Cal receives the unexpected message from Grayson, asking him to pick up his dog, the emotional tension is palpable. Cal’s heartbreak is still fresh, and the last thing he wants is to reopen old wounds. But enter Felix, the chaotic glue of this crew, who insists on tagging along and dragging Lane, Antonio, Copper, and the not-so-micro pig Brigs into the mix. What follows is a whirlwind of absurdity, danger, and laugh-out-loud moments that only Felix could turn into a comedy of errors. The reveal of why Grayson left is unexpected and adds complexity to his character. Watching Cal and Grayson navigate their pain, confront the past, and slowly rebuild trust is a beautiful, messy process. Their reconciliation feels earned, not rushed, and their HEA is a triumph of vulnerability and love. This crew is unforgettable—chaotic, loyal, and full of heart. If you love stories where humor and heartbreak collide, and where love is fought for tooth and nail, this one’s a must-read.
Poor Cal! If you have been reading this series you should have picked up that there is something going on with Cal. Alice Winters has finally written his story with some very good use of flipping between past and present in his life. The main story and all the usual suspects….um I mean characters are around and the pig. Well the pig is a big, or rather BIG part of the story even though he mostly sleeps. This book is not as funny as some other Alice Winters books, but that trademark sense of humor is still there otherwise why would a pig be so involved. Cal and Grayson have a past and as Ms Winters pushes them together Grayson is just what Cal needs, along with Felix, Lane, et all including the pig. I really wonder what animal Felix “adopts” next. Please Ms Winters can we have some more?
Oh how I have loved Cal since we were first introduced to him. It was obvious something dark had happened and he was in a downward spiral because he didn’t want to confront whatever it was. Felix had so much compassion for him and took him in even when he didn’t want help. Now, in his own book, he is sober and in a much better place emotionally.
The whole backstory behind why Cal was in such a bad way when we first met him plays out in flashbacks that interweave with current day events and were placed perfectly throughout the story. I am so happy Cal and Grayson got a second chance at romance that was basically stolen from them previously.
Felix and co matchmaking and stealing animals in the background had me cackling and provided so much comic relief. This continues to be one of my favourite series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I have to say - this is a series that I jumped into not expecting for it to be a personal favorite but it’s one of my top 5 series of all time and getting another novel - and for it to be Cal’s literally made me so happy. This series has a lot of heavy feels, emotional backgrounds, found family and so much love. It builds and builds - the hijinks of Lane and Felix, the menagerie of animals, and all the laughs make it a truly unforgettable series. This story is about Cal, his background and the challenges he’s faced - as well as his story with Grayson. It’s a wonderful and emotional read, with lots of time with Lane & Felix, and of course Antonio too! 5 stars!
When I saw we were getting Cal's story I immediately re listened to the entire series! So, I needed this story even more than I did before! I think my favorite thing about Cal's story is that it is actually heartbreaking, and we deal with that. We feel it along with him despite his happy demeanor. We understand Grayson's genuine need to make things safe and right for the two of them finally. Felix has made Cal his mission, so we get all the mistakes and chaos that come along with being someone Felix cares about! There was an accidentally not so small pig in the mix of course! Now I all need is a Joel narration soon!
It was alright, but not really a romance. There was a lot of past/present/past/present, but the action was front and center through all of it. I've always thought this author's chief strength was action-driven dialogue, though, and that relationship-building and romance were a particular weakness of hers. This book didn't do anything to change that perception. I've "gone off" her in recent years because I'm looking for more of a non-sexual connection between romantic partners, and that's not something her writing delivers. It wasn't delivered in this book, either. I will say that at least the sex didn't happen in a really strange place in the plot like it has in other books, though.
Wandering in Darkness is finally Cal’s story! Poor Cal, there is something going on with him, I like how we get so experienced Cal’s past and present, this gives us a better understanding of his life and how this affects his present. This book of course have his crazy and hilarious moments, Felix and his pets are a great source of entertainment! I loved the chemistry between Cal and Grayson. They are throw together and is what Cal need along with Felix and Lane friendship, overall this was an amazing book, lots of fun and action.
I am so glad that we finally got Cal’s story. He really deserves his HEA, and in true Alice Winters fashion, it is a hilarious and heartwarming journey. Felix, Lane and Antonio are all there to add laughter and calamity along the way, but this is definitely Cal and Grayson’s story. Cal has a heartbreaking history and it’s a lot to reconcile old hurts with Grayson’s unexpected reappearance. Their reconnection is slow but sure; the trust between them having to be rebuilt in a beautiful and somewhat messy process. I am so glad I got to remember why I love this series so much!
Wandering in Darkness is book #4 in the In Darkness series by Alice Winters. I loved being back in this world! This story is about Cal and Grayson who were side characters in the original trilogy. This story had a lot of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, and the suspense kept me on edge. Learning what Cal and Grayson have been through only makes their HEA better. Add in the crazy from the rest of crew and I was glued to my kindle, turning page after page! The wait may have been long but so worth the ride to see the two finally get the happy life they should have had so long ago.
Where to start? First, I just realised how much I've missed Felix, his menagerie and long suffering Lane. Next, Felix and Cal are a combination- Felix really helps Cal get through some dark times, Brigadier Oinksalot is an added bonus, lol. There is a lot going on, a mystery, slow, burn second chance romance, with lots of humour, action and above all, friendship. I loved how the gang rallied round Cal, embraced Grayson and embroiled themselves in a new caper. This was definitely worth waiting for!
This is an another amazing story by Alice Winters that I just love. And I am so happy that we finally get Cal and Grayson's story. I absolutely love Cal and Grayson! I love learning about these two history and why they had a falling out. Just another crazy story with the all these characters in this world (especially Felix ;-}). I just love this world and I am definitely hoping for more because I just read about these characters.
Loved Cal’s story! We finally get to meet Grayson and he’s so sweet. He knows he made some wrong choices and is ready to make amends if Cal lets him. Through another abduction and some gun-slinging, the crew uncover the plot that affected Cals old team and try to right the wrongs of the past. I would love another story with this group and the new detective agency…hint hint.
I absolutely love this series. I was so glad to see Cal get his HEA. I've been waiting a while for more from this series. This book made me laugh quite a lot, especially Felix and that pig. Cal and Grayson go through a lot in this book and was so happy when they finally got their HEA.
I was beyond excited when I heard there was going to be another "In Darkness" book and Wandering in Darkness certainly didn't disappoint. It was brilliant. All the gang were here along with a fabulous new character, Arthur. I loved Arthur and I really hope he appears in future books and I can't wait to see what animal Felix "adopts" next.