What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lamb and the Lion: Wolves Among Us #2
The Same Blood
Blood will tell.
Life is better for Jem Berger. He’s got a job that he’s good at. He’s got a boyfriend he loves. He’s talking more with his mom, even though he’s not sure if he should call her mom. And there’s been no sign of the murderous pack of psychopaths Jem and Tean ran into a couple of months before.
Sure, it’s not a job he loves. And things with Tean have been…weird lately—therapy, mood swings, a growing sense of distance. And when Jem’s mom calls, it’s not like they have anything to say to each other.
But overall, things are definitely better.
Until, that is, a snowstorm traps Jem and Tean at a resort in the Wasatch Mountains, and they find themselves caught up in another murder—one in which Jem’s mom is the prime suspect. Worse, Jem and Tean discover that the resort isn’t as isolated as they thought. And someone is hunting them.
Life is better for Jem Berger. He’s got a job that he’s good at. He’s got a boyfriend he loves. He’s talking more with his mom, even though he’s not sure if he should call her mom. And there’s been no sign of the murderous pack of psychopaths Jem and Tean ran into a couple of months before.
Sure, it’s not a job he loves. And things with Tean have been…weird lately—therapy, mood swings, a growing sense of distance. And when Jem’s mom calls, it’s not like they have anything to say to each other.
But overall, things are definitely better.
Until, that is, a snowstorm traps Jem and Tean at a resort in the Wasatch Mountains, and they find themselves caught up in another murder—one in which Jem’s mom is the prime suspect. Worse, Jem and Tean discover that the resort isn’t as isolated as they thought. And someone is hunting them.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2026
About the author
Gregory Ashe
140 books1,859 followersI'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 28, 2026
"God," Jem said. "I can't believe I was so stupid."
"You weren't stupid. You did what you thought was best."
"Yeah, well, it can be both things."
I love Jem & Tean so much 😭
I wasn't sure what I was in for when Greg mentioned this book had a bit of a different vibe, but it was perfect! The Same Bones was a wonderful book, but I found it incredibly depressing, so I appreciated the change of pace here. Of course, there were still several heavy moments (this is a GA book after all), but for the most part this felt like an earlier Lamb & Lion book before all the things happened and complications set in 😅
I won't go much into the story other than to say I hated everyone that wasn't Jem & Tean with the exception of Jem's younger siblings. It was precious watching Jem (and Tean) interact with Milo and Maeve. It made my heart happy thinking about them becoming dads one day 🥹 Everyone else was a horrible person, and I wish them the worst 😆
The best thing about this book was the character and relationship development 👏🏻 Jem and Tean both came to important realizations regarding their families that were well overdue. I think freeing themselves of those burdens was a much needed step in building their own family, and I love that for them. Speaking of... Thanks, Greg. You got me again 🫶🏻
Needless to say, I can't wait to see what's in store for The Same Flesh, especially after the preview snippet at the end of this book 👀 Hopefully, Jem will finally get his double bang 🍑🍆🍑🍆 The poor boy's still running a two bang deficit 😔 Admittedly, trying to solve a murder while running from crazy killers in wolf masks doesn't lend itself to one bang much less two. Next time, Jem, next time 🤣
"You weren't stupid. You did what you thought was best."
"Yeah, well, it can be both things."
I love Jem & Tean so much 😭
I wasn't sure what I was in for when Greg mentioned this book had a bit of a different vibe, but it was perfect! The Same Bones was a wonderful book, but I found it incredibly depressing, so I appreciated the change of pace here. Of course, there were still several heavy moments (this is a GA book after all), but for the most part this felt like an earlier Lamb & Lion book before all the things happened and complications set in 😅
I won't go much into the story other than to say I hated everyone that wasn't Jem & Tean with the exception of Jem's younger siblings. It was precious watching Jem (and Tean) interact with Milo and Maeve. It made my heart happy thinking about them becoming dads one day 🥹 Everyone else was a horrible person, and I wish them the worst 😆
The best thing about this book was the character and relationship development 👏🏻 Jem and Tean both came to important realizations regarding their families that were well overdue. I think freeing themselves of those burdens was a much needed step in building their own family, and I love that for them. Speaking of... Thanks, Greg. You got me again 🫶🏻
Needless to say, I can't wait to see what's in store for The Same Flesh, especially after the preview snippet at the end of this book 👀 Hopefully, Jem will finally get his double bang 🍑🍆🍑🍆 The poor boy's still running a two bang deficit 😔 Admittedly, trying to solve a murder while running from crazy killers in wolf masks doesn't lend itself to one bang much less two. Next time, Jem, next time 🤣
May 1, 2026
I love Jem and Tean, these two are so precious and need to be protected at all costs. But they keep getting themselves involved in these cases that are hurting them both physically and emotionally. They really need to stay home with Scipio, I will read them still, they can definitely entertain me e been sitting on their couch doing nothing. But no, Gregory Ashe has to keep putting them in these situations and this one made me mad.
I hate Jem’s mom and she is number one on my list of people who need to meet a very bad end at the hands of Ashe’s imagination. She messed up my sweet Jem so bad and as Tean put it was the cause for all of his problems. What he goes through in this book, and how he still doesn’t want to see her in a bad light, made me want to wrap him in a hug. And poor Tean had to watch this and not know what to do. I felt his frustration and his powerlessness and it broke my heart.
Tean, my sensitive messy haired, wild eyebrowed, smart and clever man, he has to have the happiest of endings ever, and not just the kind Jem would suggest 😜. He carries around so much baggage and is just beginning to scratch the surface of it. I am so glad he is living his life with Jem and I know he’ll be ok. Unless Ashe keeps putting him in harms way! But Jem is always there to take care of him.
I have to say that I didn’t like this mystery that much. The characters were definitely annoying and them being stuck in a lodge wasn’t as exciting as them going to different places. Plus I didn’t understand why the wolves were present but I know there’s a reason and I’m sure I’ll find out in the next book. A bright spot in the story was Maeve and Milo. I really loved them and seeing Jem and Tean with them.
What I did appreciate about the story was the growth that was made for both Jem and Tean as a couple but also personally. They do have to face a lot from their messed up pasts in order to move forward. The connection between them was shaken a bit for the first time ever and that scared me. But of course they trust and love each other and the way they face that love is so beautiful. I was crying at Tean’s letter to Jem. And the ending….we know it’s coming but I was so happy!
There’s definitely a lot of trouble still brewing and the next book should be a doozy. I just love these characters so much.
**I received an advanced copy for review
**All thoughts and opinions are my own
I hate Jem’s mom and she is number one on my list of people who need to meet a very bad end at the hands of Ashe’s imagination. She messed up my sweet Jem so bad and as Tean put it was the cause for all of his problems. What he goes through in this book, and how he still doesn’t want to see her in a bad light, made me want to wrap him in a hug. And poor Tean had to watch this and not know what to do. I felt his frustration and his powerlessness and it broke my heart.
Tean, my sensitive messy haired, wild eyebrowed, smart and clever man, he has to have the happiest of endings ever, and not just the kind Jem would suggest 😜. He carries around so much baggage and is just beginning to scratch the surface of it. I am so glad he is living his life with Jem and I know he’ll be ok. Unless Ashe keeps putting him in harms way! But Jem is always there to take care of him.
I have to say that I didn’t like this mystery that much. The characters were definitely annoying and them being stuck in a lodge wasn’t as exciting as them going to different places. Plus I didn’t understand why the wolves were present but I know there’s a reason and I’m sure I’ll find out in the next book. A bright spot in the story was Maeve and Milo. I really loved them and seeing Jem and Tean with them.
What I did appreciate about the story was the growth that was made for both Jem and Tean as a couple but also personally. They do have to face a lot from their messed up pasts in order to move forward. The connection between them was shaken a bit for the first time ever and that scared me. But of course they trust and love each other and the way they face that love is so beautiful. I was crying at Tean’s letter to Jem. And the ending….we know it’s coming but I was so happy!
There’s definitely a lot of trouble still brewing and the next book should be a doozy. I just love these characters so much.
**I received an advanced copy for review
**All thoughts and opinions are my own
July 9, 2026
A- / 4.5 stars rounded up.
This second book in Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion: The Wolves Among Us series absolutely cannot be read as a standalone; you really need to have read the previous book ( The Same Bones ) and the first series for this one to make sense. There are probably spoilers for those books in this review.
The Same Blood picks up a couple of months after The Same Bones, in which Jem and Tean discovered the existence of a sadistic group of killers who like to go around wearing Halloween-style wolf masks – and who are still at large, albeit gone to ground. In the meantime, Jem has found another soul-destroying job, Tean is still with the Wildlife Department, and while they did talk a little about the problems that have been dragging them down and Tean started seeing a therapist, they’re still not communicating well and Jem is finding it difficult to cope with the very different version of Tean – often withdrawn and snappy - he’s seeing at home.
The mystery element of the book is kicked into play when Jem receives a phone call from his long-estranged birth mother, Brigitte. She abandoned him when he was just a kid, leaving him to years of bouncing around the foster system and learning to do whatever he needed to do to survive – he didn’t even know her name or where she was until she stole his identity and took out (and defaulted on) several credit cards in his name ( The Same Place ). Amazingly, Jem hasn’t cut her out of his life completely (even though Tean thinks he should) and they have some occasional contact. Even so, he’s surprised to get a call from her asking him to come to an ‘intimate family’ dinner at a high-end restaurant at a ski resort in the Wasatch Mountains - oh, and he can bring Tean, of course. Jem doesn’t want to go... but he kinda does, so he and Tean make the one hour drive to Kolen Lodge.
Brigitte’s new husband, Gerald, is considerably older than she is, and is a former mission president who now runs what Brigitte describes as a ‘coaching’ business. When the conversation almost immediately turns to Jem’s sexuality and talk of how Gerald’s program could help him to “put away these deviant urges” it’s very clear that ‘coaching’ is code for ‘pray the gay away’ at best, conversion therapy at worst. Tean, who grew up in a Mormon family and is now only vaguely tolerated by them, is, not surprisingly, on edge and quietly furious throughout all of this; he’s seen it all before and given his own struggle to come to terms with being gay, wanting to live authentically, and the way he’s spent so much of his life making himself smaller and thinking he didn’t deserve to be happy... the conversation brings up some very unpleasant associations.
Jem and Tean decide to leave – only they can’t, because a blizzard has set in and the resort is cut off. Reluctantly, they take a room at the hotel, and are woken up the next morning by Jem’s phone ringing non-stop. It’s Brigitte – and she tells them that Gerald is dead from a suspected fall; his body has been found outside on one of the snow-covered walkways by one of the hotel staff. Jem and Tean agree to make the ID, and when Tean is able to get a look at the body, he can see that Gerald didn’t die as the result of a fall – he was hit on the head and likely died from blunt force trauma.
The mystery element of The Same Blood is your classic ‘country house’ trope where all the suspects are trapped under the same roof/in the same location. This one is expertly crafted – there’s a fairly large pool of suspects, all of them connected to Gerald’s spiritual coaching operation - and I appreciated the exposé of the bigotry and hypocrisy of LDS teachings, especially with respect to same sex attraction. [As an atheist who believes many of the world’s ills have been caused by the misinterpretation of religious teachings, I’m always pleased when someone really puts the boot in, so while reading about this and Tean’s reaction to it all was quite stressful, I was also eating it up with a spoon.]
While the mystery is satisfyingly convoluted, it’s really a vehicle to carry the exposure of just how awful Jem’s mother really is, and to trigger the trauma Tean is still dealing with as the result of his Mornon upbringing. And he really is triggered; I don’t think we’ve ever seen him so angry about, well, everything; he’s angry at his parents and just finally admitting that they have only ever loved him conditionally; he’s angry at Ammon, he’s angry at Brigitte for how she treated Jem, and he’s angry at Jem for clinging to the hope that she might, after all, turn out to be the mother he’s always wanted her to be. Honestly, I was angry at Jem myself at times, for being so frustratingly blinkered about Brigitte’s obviously shady behaviour and her complicity in her husband’s equally shady business dealings. He’s a bit more clear-sighted when it comes to her neglect of his much younger half-siblings – which hits way too close to home – but he still tries too hard to excuse her entitlement and self-centredness. Tean understands why he’s doing it and tries to be sympathetic, but he’s stretched so thin himself that he just doesn’t have the spoons to be able to cope with everything at once, and this leads to some serious conflict between him and Jem. The author does a fantastic job here, because I could absolutely feel Tean’s fury ratcheting up and up until he couldn’t hold it in any more; he’s all over the place emotionally, he feels out of control and as though he doesn’t even recognise himself sometimes; and even though he knows this is part of the process he’s going through with his therapy, it doesn’t make it any easier to manage. And while Jem fully supports Tean’s choice (to undergo therapy), he’s distressed by Tean’s changed behaviour and reactions. Tean has always been Jem’s safe place, has given him the kind of stability he’s craved and never had, and having that stability start to fracture is hard for him.
Thankfully, though, Jem and Tean are so deeply in love and so committed to each other that while this all contribtues to the formation of quite a large speed-bump along the road to happiness, they’re able to get past it by talking more openly than they have for some time (Tean’s letter… my heart!), coming to some important realisations about their families and about what family means to them. The character and relationship development going on here is absolutely stellar, and Gregory Ashe’s ability to put his characters through the emotional wringer with such deep understanding, and to communicate all that to his readers with such clear insight is truly masterful.
The plotline about the wolves ticks along nicely in the background for most of the book until near the end, when they show up in a genuinely scary explosion of violence. That said, however, I did feel their appearance was just a little bit… shoe-horned in, as a way of reminding us of the overarching plot. We don’t yet know why they’re so set on getting to Jem and Tean (and Daniel) – obviously, they’re trying to cover their tracks and don’t want to be identified, but they must also know that there’s no hard evidence against them at this point. I’m sure all will be revealed in the next book.
I really enjoyed The Same Blood and am eagerly looking forward to reading the next instalment, but there were a few inconsistencies that niggled at me that I can’t quite ignore, the main one being that I realised after I’d finished that I wasn’t actually sure who’d killed Gerald! Maybe that’s a secondary detail (what’s really important is what’s happening in Jem and Tean’s relationship!), but it still feels weird for that to be so unclear by the end. And the whole section with River (a journalist who shows up a bit conveniently, and is then just as conveniently disposed of, never to be seen again) feels a bit tacked on in what is otherwise a very tightly plotted story. But none of those things detracted from my enjoyment of the book or stopped me from powering through it, and I’m going to jump into book three as soon as I can.
This second book in Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion: The Wolves Among Us series absolutely cannot be read as a standalone; you really need to have read the previous book ( The Same Bones ) and the first series for this one to make sense. There are probably spoilers for those books in this review.
The Same Blood picks up a couple of months after The Same Bones, in which Jem and Tean discovered the existence of a sadistic group of killers who like to go around wearing Halloween-style wolf masks – and who are still at large, albeit gone to ground. In the meantime, Jem has found another soul-destroying job, Tean is still with the Wildlife Department, and while they did talk a little about the problems that have been dragging them down and Tean started seeing a therapist, they’re still not communicating well and Jem is finding it difficult to cope with the very different version of Tean – often withdrawn and snappy - he’s seeing at home.
The mystery element of the book is kicked into play when Jem receives a phone call from his long-estranged birth mother, Brigitte. She abandoned him when he was just a kid, leaving him to years of bouncing around the foster system and learning to do whatever he needed to do to survive – he didn’t even know her name or where she was until she stole his identity and took out (and defaulted on) several credit cards in his name ( The Same Place ). Amazingly, Jem hasn’t cut her out of his life completely (even though Tean thinks he should) and they have some occasional contact. Even so, he’s surprised to get a call from her asking him to come to an ‘intimate family’ dinner at a high-end restaurant at a ski resort in the Wasatch Mountains - oh, and he can bring Tean, of course. Jem doesn’t want to go... but he kinda does, so he and Tean make the one hour drive to Kolen Lodge.
Brigitte’s new husband, Gerald, is considerably older than she is, and is a former mission president who now runs what Brigitte describes as a ‘coaching’ business. When the conversation almost immediately turns to Jem’s sexuality and talk of how Gerald’s program could help him to “put away these deviant urges” it’s very clear that ‘coaching’ is code for ‘pray the gay away’ at best, conversion therapy at worst. Tean, who grew up in a Mormon family and is now only vaguely tolerated by them, is, not surprisingly, on edge and quietly furious throughout all of this; he’s seen it all before and given his own struggle to come to terms with being gay, wanting to live authentically, and the way he’s spent so much of his life making himself smaller and thinking he didn’t deserve to be happy... the conversation brings up some very unpleasant associations.
Jem and Tean decide to leave – only they can’t, because a blizzard has set in and the resort is cut off. Reluctantly, they take a room at the hotel, and are woken up the next morning by Jem’s phone ringing non-stop. It’s Brigitte – and she tells them that Gerald is dead from a suspected fall; his body has been found outside on one of the snow-covered walkways by one of the hotel staff. Jem and Tean agree to make the ID, and when Tean is able to get a look at the body, he can see that Gerald didn’t die as the result of a fall – he was hit on the head and likely died from blunt force trauma.
The mystery element of The Same Blood is your classic ‘country house’ trope where all the suspects are trapped under the same roof/in the same location. This one is expertly crafted – there’s a fairly large pool of suspects, all of them connected to Gerald’s spiritual coaching operation - and I appreciated the exposé of the bigotry and hypocrisy of LDS teachings, especially with respect to same sex attraction. [As an atheist who believes many of the world’s ills have been caused by the misinterpretation of religious teachings, I’m always pleased when someone really puts the boot in, so while reading about this and Tean’s reaction to it all was quite stressful, I was also eating it up with a spoon.]
While the mystery is satisfyingly convoluted, it’s really a vehicle to carry the exposure of just how awful Jem’s mother really is, and to trigger the trauma Tean is still dealing with as the result of his Mornon upbringing. And he really is triggered; I don’t think we’ve ever seen him so angry about, well, everything; he’s angry at his parents and just finally admitting that they have only ever loved him conditionally; he’s angry at Ammon, he’s angry at Brigitte for how she treated Jem, and he’s angry at Jem for clinging to the hope that she might, after all, turn out to be the mother he’s always wanted her to be. Honestly, I was angry at Jem myself at times, for being so frustratingly blinkered about Brigitte’s obviously shady behaviour and her complicity in her husband’s equally shady business dealings. He’s a bit more clear-sighted when it comes to her neglect of his much younger half-siblings – which hits way too close to home – but he still tries too hard to excuse her entitlement and self-centredness. Tean understands why he’s doing it and tries to be sympathetic, but he’s stretched so thin himself that he just doesn’t have the spoons to be able to cope with everything at once, and this leads to some serious conflict between him and Jem. The author does a fantastic job here, because I could absolutely feel Tean’s fury ratcheting up and up until he couldn’t hold it in any more; he’s all over the place emotionally, he feels out of control and as though he doesn’t even recognise himself sometimes; and even though he knows this is part of the process he’s going through with his therapy, it doesn’t make it any easier to manage. And while Jem fully supports Tean’s choice (to undergo therapy), he’s distressed by Tean’s changed behaviour and reactions. Tean has always been Jem’s safe place, has given him the kind of stability he’s craved and never had, and having that stability start to fracture is hard for him.
Thankfully, though, Jem and Tean are so deeply in love and so committed to each other that while this all contribtues to the formation of quite a large speed-bump along the road to happiness, they’re able to get past it by talking more openly than they have for some time (Tean’s letter… my heart!), coming to some important realisations about their families and about what family means to them. The character and relationship development going on here is absolutely stellar, and Gregory Ashe’s ability to put his characters through the emotional wringer with such deep understanding, and to communicate all that to his readers with such clear insight is truly masterful.
The plotline about the wolves ticks along nicely in the background for most of the book until near the end, when they show up in a genuinely scary explosion of violence. That said, however, I did feel their appearance was just a little bit… shoe-horned in, as a way of reminding us of the overarching plot. We don’t yet know why they’re so set on getting to Jem and Tean (and Daniel) – obviously, they’re trying to cover their tracks and don’t want to be identified, but they must also know that there’s no hard evidence against them at this point. I’m sure all will be revealed in the next book.
I really enjoyed The Same Blood and am eagerly looking forward to reading the next instalment, but there were a few inconsistencies that niggled at me that I can’t quite ignore, the main one being that I realised after I’d finished that I wasn’t actually sure who’d killed Gerald! Maybe that’s a secondary detail (what’s really important is what’s happening in Jem and Tean’s relationship!), but it still feels weird for that to be so unclear by the end. And the whole section with River (a journalist who shows up a bit conveniently, and is then just as conveniently disposed of, never to be seen again) feels a bit tacked on in what is otherwise a very tightly plotted story. But none of those things detracted from my enjoyment of the book or stopped me from powering through it, and I’m going to jump into book three as soon as I can.
May 16, 2026
This one was incredibly stressful at the end, and yet… I have some small quibbles. Weirdly, unlike the previous book, I had more understanding or patience or whatever for the difficult behavior of both Jem & Tean. I understood Jem’s feelings about his mother & her new family, I understood Tean’s emotional dysregulation, it all felt very clear & important for them both to experience & then reconcile with each other. The epilogue was particularly lovely.
The quibbles I have come from a couple of other places. As I was finishing the book this morning, I realized that I honestly had no idea who had committed the inciting murder, even though I read the solution yesterday. I know it wasn’t as important as the other developments in the book, but still feels a bit problematic. Usually I forget the culprits of GA’s novels after a while, but like barely 18 hours later? 😬😬
The other quibble is that when the “wolves” eventually show up, it is an absolutely terrifying section that is some of GA’s best writing, just so genuinely scary. But I also felt myself thinking, why is this here? I know we’re continuing the overarching plot into the third book, but it just felt out of place here. The whole section with River the journalist felt a bit shoehorned in and extremely convenient in an otherwise very tight snowed-in-power's-out thriller. & I honestly just do not understand (maybe I need to revisit the first book) why the wolves are out for Jem & Tean in the first place, why they ended up at this resort, why any of this is happening. I don't think anyone who read the first book would have forgotten how fucking scary they are, so I do feel like they could have just been kept as background trauma (GA's fave) and not actually been active in this one, even if that sequence is fantastically written. 🤷🏻♀️ Anyway, still great, still really enjoyed it, still looking forward to the conclusion!
The quibbles I have come from a couple of other places. As I was finishing the book this morning, I realized that I honestly had no idea who had committed the inciting murder, even though I read the solution yesterday. I know it wasn’t as important as the other developments in the book, but still feels a bit problematic. Usually I forget the culprits of GA’s novels after a while, but like barely 18 hours later? 😬😬
The other quibble is that when the “wolves” eventually show up, it is an absolutely terrifying section that is some of GA’s best writing, just so genuinely scary. But I also felt myself thinking, why is this here? I know we’re continuing the overarching plot into the third book, but it just felt out of place here. The whole section with River the journalist felt a bit shoehorned in and extremely convenient in an otherwise very tight snowed-in-power's-out thriller. & I honestly just do not understand (maybe I need to revisit the first book) why the wolves are out for Jem & Tean in the first place, why they ended up at this resort, why any of this is happening. I don't think anyone who read the first book would have forgotten how fucking scary they are, so I do feel like they could have just been kept as background trauma (GA's fave) and not actually been active in this one, even if that sequence is fantastically written. 🤷🏻♀️ Anyway, still great, still really enjoyed it, still looking forward to the conclusion!
May 21, 2026
Review of advance Kickstarter copy from Author
4.25 stars from me. I found this quite a difficult read, mostly cos I wanted Jem to pull his head out of his a**e and realise that his 'biological' mother was never going to be there for him, she was just absolutely incapable [and a complete bitch to boot], and he so wanted her just to behave as his ideal of a mom, loving and finally wanting him in return...but no. And poor struggling Tean just had to stand by and watch his man keep getting hurt, nothing he could say or do changed Jem's mind. On the plus side, Jem has now gained 2 siblings who together with Daniel, Ammon's son from book 1, will be in his and Tean's life from now on.
The 'Wolf' men made a few appearances, and I guess will feature quite prominently in the last story of the trilogy, The Same Flesh. They are truly creepy and extremely dangerous, and I won't be too upset when that particular Arc is over. The reporter unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had gotten involved in something she had no clue how to escape from...there was no way the murderers from book 1 would let her survive.
The idea of a band of Mormon 'holier than thou' do-gooders, going around policing and 'outting' [blackmailing] guys from their messaging conversations was pretty twisted; the fact that a few of them were hooking up on the side was quite funny. As far as the murders went, Gerald was obviously no loss whatsoever and the fact that no-one was truly upset over his demise told me all I needed to know about what others thought of him. Good riddance 👏.
4.25 stars from me. I found this quite a difficult read, mostly cos I wanted Jem to pull his head out of his a**e and realise that his 'biological' mother was never going to be there for him, she was just absolutely incapable [and a complete bitch to boot], and he so wanted her just to behave as his ideal of a mom, loving and finally wanting him in return...but no. And poor struggling Tean just had to stand by and watch his man keep getting hurt, nothing he could say or do changed Jem's mind. On the plus side, Jem has now gained 2 siblings who together with Daniel, Ammon's son from book 1, will be in his and Tean's life from now on.
The 'Wolf' men made a few appearances, and I guess will feature quite prominently in the last story of the trilogy, The Same Flesh. They are truly creepy and extremely dangerous, and I won't be too upset when that particular Arc is over. The reporter unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had gotten involved in something she had no clue how to escape from...there was no way the murderers from book 1 would let her survive.
The idea of a band of Mormon 'holier than thou' do-gooders, going around policing and 'outting' [blackmailing] guys from their messaging conversations was pretty twisted; the fact that a few of them were hooking up on the side was quite funny. As far as the murders went, Gerald was obviously no loss whatsoever and the fact that no-one was truly upset over his demise told me all I needed to know about what others thought of him. Good riddance 👏.
May 14, 2026
I wasn’t going to read this in one sitting. I was going to savour it. Make it last. Spread it out over a week even.
I did not do that.
I did not do that.
May 26, 2026
¿Para qué elegir entre Daddy o Mommy issues si puedes tenerlos todos? Es mi honor presentar: Family issues.
Este fue un libro difícil de navegar porque lidia con traumas que salen del inframundo pero son muy comunes lamentablemente: religión y familia. Por suerte, los protagonistas son Jem y Tean, y hacen de la situación más llevadera.
“They ruined everything. They ruined everything. Oh my God, they ruined my whole life.”
Entre los ataques de rabia que tenía, agradezco el humor que entregan Tean y Jem (incluso cuando están en sus momentos delulu). Hay varias partes que me angustiaron bastante y hay partes que las encontré muy lindas. Como siempre en los libros de Gregory Ashe, cada risa viene con un golpe emocional que me deja tiesa.
Y dentro de todas las cosas emocionales que pasan, estaba firme leyendo… hasta que llegó la escena de la carta y las lágrimas salieron como un tsunami. A quién tengo que demandar por ese daño emocional.
“I think it’s okay to be mad about the past. But I also think, hey, look at us now, we’re pretty great.”
“I think that’s part of growing up,” Tean said. “Discovering that your parents are people too, and that they’re not who you thought they were.”
“That’s life, right? It’s like you always say. We’re in this meaningless universe, and we’re always alone, and all we can do is try to connect for a few moments before it’s all over”
El final fue perfecto. Lloré.
Este fue un libro difícil de navegar porque lidia con traumas que salen del inframundo pero son muy comunes lamentablemente: religión y familia. Por suerte, los protagonistas son Jem y Tean, y hacen de la situación más llevadera.
“They ruined everything. They ruined everything. Oh my God, they ruined my whole life.”
Entre los ataques de rabia que tenía, agradezco el humor que entregan Tean y Jem (incluso cuando están en sus momentos delulu). Hay varias partes que me angustiaron bastante y hay partes que las encontré muy lindas. Como siempre en los libros de Gregory Ashe, cada risa viene con un golpe emocional que me deja tiesa.
Y dentro de todas las cosas emocionales que pasan, estaba firme leyendo… hasta que llegó la escena de la carta y las lágrimas salieron como un tsunami. A quién tengo que demandar por ese daño emocional.
“I think it’s okay to be mad about the past. But I also think, hey, look at us now, we’re pretty great.”
“I think that’s part of growing up,” Tean said. “Discovering that your parents are people too, and that they’re not who you thought they were.”
“That’s life, right? It’s like you always say. We’re in this meaningless universe, and we’re always alone, and all we can do is try to connect for a few moments before it’s all over”
El final fue perfecto. Lloré.
June 3, 2026
I thought this was a very emotional book. Triggers abound. But it's also a good murder/mystery as well. Plus Jem and Tean banter in this book. That was missing in the first book in this series. Family and how problematic they can be fills the pages. Their effect. I really enjoyed the well named The Same Blood, and lord knows I'm a glutton for punishment, but I'm keenly awaiting book #3.
May 12, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
The Same Blood is the second book in Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion: Wolves Among Us series. It is the second set of books in the Lamb and the Lion universe and the books all feature Jem and Tean, so you are going to want to read these in order. I love this couple, so I was super excited when Ashe announced the books were continuing beyond the first series. This story features the snowed in trope, which is one of my favorites, and Ashe uses it to great effect here, creating almost a locked room mystery with everyone trapped at the resort.
I found this one a great installment and I really enjoyed the snowed in mystery. Ashe does a great job tying the suspense plot to Jem and Tean and their journey, and I think this was a wonderful addition to the series.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
The Same Blood is the second book in Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion: Wolves Among Us series. It is the second set of books in the Lamb and the Lion universe and the books all feature Jem and Tean, so you are going to want to read these in order. I love this couple, so I was super excited when Ashe announced the books were continuing beyond the first series. This story features the snowed in trope, which is one of my favorites, and Ashe uses it to great effect here, creating almost a locked room mystery with everyone trapped at the resort.
I found this one a great installment and I really enjoyed the snowed in mystery. Ashe does a great job tying the suspense plot to Jem and Tean and their journey, and I think this was a wonderful addition to the series.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
April 30, 2026
An emotional thrill ride. The Same Blood picks up where The Same Bones left off, throwing the reader — along with the characters — back into the thick of it; and my god, is it good to be back.
This closed circle murder mystery perfectly balances both its own stand-alone story as Jem and Tean hunt down a killer in a secluded, snowed-in ski lodge, while also artfully drawing in the main narrative arc at play. While the characters fight real life monsters they’re also battling monsters they’ve both carried within themselves for so long; the ending climax resulting in a masterful blend of demons both past and present.
Full of heart, humour, and hijinks!
This closed circle murder mystery perfectly balances both its own stand-alone story as Jem and Tean hunt down a killer in a secluded, snowed-in ski lodge, while also artfully drawing in the main narrative arc at play. While the characters fight real life monsters they’re also battling monsters they’ve both carried within themselves for so long; the ending climax resulting in a masterful blend of demons both past and present.
Full of heart, humour, and hijinks!
May 11, 2026
OMG, this book!
There is so much going on here! Amon asks Jem for help because Daniel is being watched. Almost at the same time, Jem's mom is asking him to attend a "family dinner". Talk about batiming! Jem ends up agreeing to help Daniel on the condition that Tean is kept out of it.
Tean is still dealing with all the emotions therapy is bringing to the surface, and Jem is trying not to be scared by the unpredictability of his moods. But Jem and unpredictability don't mix well :( So, things between them aren't perfect. Not bad, not really. But a bit... troubled.
They ended up agreeing to go to the dinner, even though it's a long way from their home. It goes as well as you can imagine. Brigitte's husband, Gerald, who is some Mormon big... something, quickly shows his true colours and, dismissing Tean's presence in Jem's life with a wave of his hand, offers Jem the chance to 'help' him to be a 'real man' *bangs head against every hard surface close to her*.
Yep, it goes downhill very quickly from here.
If things weren't bad enough, a snowstorm traps them in the lodge. The VERY expensive lodge. And they can't even enjoy a good night's sleep because Gerald has the truly bad manners of dying.
Soon, it becomes crystal clear that it wasn't an accident and that they are trapped in the lodge with a killer.
The pool of suspects is quite wide, as lodging there, too, is a Gerald's 'spiritual coaching group' (tell me they are in conversion therapy without telling me they are in conversion therapy), Gerald's PA, Stephen, and, of course, Brigitte. This last one creates a lot of tension between Tean and Jem, as Jem stubbornly denies that his mom could have anything to do with Gerald's killing.
God! I'm so sad for Jem throughout almost this whole story. And so angry on his behalf! He knows, deep inside himself, that his mom is not a good person, but he can't stop wanting her to care about him. As the story advances, his need grows stronger, and Tean's anger at the situation gets almost unbearable. Of course, this puts them at odds with each other. It's heartbreaking!
If things weren't strained enough, they discover a woman hidden in the closet of their room. And she manages to escape, but Tean recognises her as the woman who was watching him before, when they were at the bar, waiting for a never-arriving Birggitte.
Eventually, they find out she's a journalist investigating the Rydel Owens' case. And she's been followed. Yep, the 'wolves' are here. This prompts Jem to come clean to Tean about Amon asking for his help regarding Daniel.
Meanwhile, secrets are coming to light: Gerald's 'kind and tender' help is, of course, nothing but bullying, manipulation and shaming. Stephen, who claims to have been 'saved' by him, might not have been gay at all, and may have some ulterior motives (money, of course!) to be Gerald's faithful helper. Gerald's briefcase disappears, and soon enough, Maeve and Milo do, too.
Jem is beaten more than once and almost killed by being pushed into a tree well... And there is another dead body. All in the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the snowstorm.
I mean, this book gives you no respite, not at all. There is emotional pain, physical pain, fraught relationships and truly bad decisions (Jem's mostly).
I get why Jem needs to defend Brigitte, why he so desperately needs to be on her side, to be her knight in shiny armour, I get it. But it's painful to watch, because I know, with no doubt whatsoever, that he'll never get to be loved by her. She's your garden variety narcissist; nobody exists beyond her needs, so Jem's efforts are destined to fail. And, shees! you can see the little boy who only wants to be loved by his mom and... argh!!!
And I also get why Tean is incandescent with fury. It's not only that he sees Briggitte for who she is; it's everything. The memories brought by the despicable techniques used by Gerald to 'convert' his clients (they are paying him, and paying him a lot; therefore, clients is the correct word), the pressure created by the families, the emotional blackmail, the spying... His parents getting a divorce and overwhelming him with messages and phone calls that he doesn't want to answer aren't any help, either.
So they getting in a horrible fight is to be expected, but no less painful for it.
I love how they manage to get over it, I simply adore Tean's letter to young!Jem, I can see their love shining in these moments, and it's a thing of beauty ♥
And it's good we get these moments, because the worst is yet to come. The wolves... oh, my god! the wolves! River found out why the wolves are after her, but when Tean and the kids (yeah, Jem found the kids, or more accurately, they found him, but they are now under Tean's charge) go to her room to find out what it is, the wolves attack. Those scenes are terrifying, and I mean it. Heartstopping frightening *shudders*
But then, we have the final chapter, when we can begin to see the Tean and Jem we find in The Face in the Water and yeah... my battered heart was healed *happy smile*
Good things surround them: they love each other, Daniel found in them a safe place, and Jem will be sure that Maeve and Milo are cared for. But the wolves are still out there, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them.
In short, I can't recommend this book enough. I can't recommend this series enough. What am I saying? I can't recommend Gregory Ashe enough! Go, go and read. All the books! All. Of. Them!
There is so much going on here! Amon asks Jem for help because Daniel is being watched. Almost at the same time, Jem's mom is asking him to attend a "family dinner". Talk about batiming! Jem ends up agreeing to help Daniel on the condition that Tean is kept out of it.
Tean is still dealing with all the emotions therapy is bringing to the surface, and Jem is trying not to be scared by the unpredictability of his moods. But Jem and unpredictability don't mix well :( So, things between them aren't perfect. Not bad, not really. But a bit... troubled.
They ended up agreeing to go to the dinner, even though it's a long way from their home. It goes as well as you can imagine. Brigitte's husband, Gerald, who is some Mormon big... something, quickly shows his true colours and, dismissing Tean's presence in Jem's life with a wave of his hand, offers Jem the chance to 'help' him to be a 'real man' *bangs head against every hard surface close to her*.
Yep, it goes downhill very quickly from here.
If things weren't bad enough, a snowstorm traps them in the lodge. The VERY expensive lodge. And they can't even enjoy a good night's sleep because Gerald has the truly bad manners of dying.
Soon, it becomes crystal clear that it wasn't an accident and that they are trapped in the lodge with a killer.
The pool of suspects is quite wide, as lodging there, too, is a Gerald's 'spiritual coaching group' (tell me they are in conversion therapy without telling me they are in conversion therapy), Gerald's PA, Stephen, and, of course, Brigitte. This last one creates a lot of tension between Tean and Jem, as Jem stubbornly denies that his mom could have anything to do with Gerald's killing.
God! I'm so sad for Jem throughout almost this whole story. And so angry on his behalf! He knows, deep inside himself, that his mom is not a good person, but he can't stop wanting her to care about him. As the story advances, his need grows stronger, and Tean's anger at the situation gets almost unbearable. Of course, this puts them at odds with each other. It's heartbreaking!
If things weren't strained enough, they discover a woman hidden in the closet of their room. And she manages to escape, but Tean recognises her as the woman who was watching him before, when they were at the bar, waiting for a never-arriving Birggitte.
Eventually, they find out she's a journalist investigating the Rydel Owens' case. And she's been followed. Yep, the 'wolves' are here. This prompts Jem to come clean to Tean about Amon asking for his help regarding Daniel.
Meanwhile, secrets are coming to light: Gerald's 'kind and tender' help is, of course, nothing but bullying, manipulation and shaming. Stephen, who claims to have been 'saved' by him, might not have been gay at all, and may have some ulterior motives (money, of course!) to be Gerald's faithful helper. Gerald's briefcase disappears, and soon enough, Maeve and Milo do, too.
Jem is beaten more than once and almost killed by being pushed into a tree well... And there is another dead body. All in the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the snowstorm.
I mean, this book gives you no respite, not at all. There is emotional pain, physical pain, fraught relationships and truly bad decisions (Jem's mostly).
I get why Jem needs to defend Brigitte, why he so desperately needs to be on her side, to be her knight in shiny armour, I get it. But it's painful to watch, because I know, with no doubt whatsoever, that he'll never get to be loved by her. She's your garden variety narcissist; nobody exists beyond her needs, so Jem's efforts are destined to fail. And, shees! you can see the little boy who only wants to be loved by his mom and... argh!!!
And I also get why Tean is incandescent with fury. It's not only that he sees Briggitte for who she is; it's everything. The memories brought by the despicable techniques used by Gerald to 'convert' his clients (they are paying him, and paying him a lot; therefore, clients is the correct word), the pressure created by the families, the emotional blackmail, the spying... His parents getting a divorce and overwhelming him with messages and phone calls that he doesn't want to answer aren't any help, either.
So they getting in a horrible fight is to be expected, but no less painful for it.
I love how they manage to get over it, I simply adore Tean's letter to young!Jem, I can see their love shining in these moments, and it's a thing of beauty ♥
And it's good we get these moments, because the worst is yet to come. The wolves... oh, my god! the wolves! River found out why the wolves are after her, but when Tean and the kids (yeah, Jem found the kids, or more accurately, they found him, but they are now under Tean's charge) go to her room to find out what it is, the wolves attack. Those scenes are terrifying, and I mean it. Heartstopping frightening *shudders*
But then, we have the final chapter, when we can begin to see the Tean and Jem we find in The Face in the Water and yeah... my battered heart was healed *happy smile*
Good things surround them: they love each other, Daniel found in them a safe place, and Jem will be sure that Maeve and Milo are cared for. But the wolves are still out there, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them.
In short, I can't recommend this book enough. I can't recommend this series enough. What am I saying? I can't recommend Gregory Ashe enough! Go, go and read. All the books! All. Of. Them!
Review of advance copy received from Author
So a couple weeks ago I was trundling around in a state of low-grade anxiety (life stuff gonna life stuff) when this ARC ticked in to my inbox, and I thought, "Great! More Jem and Tean! The perfect antidote to my crushing stress!" because apparently I'm a dumbass who never learns.
Because this! Was! Stressful!
All credit to GA that I kept obsessively reading despite (because of?) the fact that I could feel my blood pressure ratcheting up by the page. The mystery was no great shakes: its main function was to thoroughly expose Jem's horrible mom and wretched stepfather and, in the "conversion therapy + blackmail but call it spiritual coaching" aspect, trigger Tean's trauma related to his upbringing and the LDS church. It was engaging enough, with some sympathetically drawn characters (and a couple of cuttingly drawn ones), but as usual with GA, it's really about our characters' reactions and the interplay between them. It's been a couple weeks since I finished my fugue-state read, and do I remember who the baddie was? No. No, I do not. (Thankfully, that matters not a bit.)
What I do remember is that Jem is frustratingly obtuse about his mother's shadiness and complicity in both her husband's business and possible other wrongdoing. He is marginally more clear-eyed about her neglect of his much younger half-siblings -- that hits a bit closer to home -- but still eager to excuse her spoiled sense of entitlement and her selfish need to always be the center of attention. Tean is sympathetic to Jem's unwillingness to see what's in front of his face, but only to a point: his own reserves are stretched thin, not just from the immediate crime but also from the aftermath of the events of book 1, his guilt and wariness about Daniel (and, lurking always in the background, Ammon), and the emotional demands of therapy that he has, thankfully, finally accepted he needs.
I really appreciated how GA dealt with the emotional and relationship ramifications of Tean's therapy. Tean is extremely dysregulated: his emotions are all over the place, and he feels out of control and, at times, almost unrecognizable to himself. He knows that this is part of the process, but it doesn't make it easier to deal with. Jem, meanwhile, is supportive of Tean's journey, but also -- in a character note I've rarely seen in other books that touch on therapy -- unsettled by Tean's changed reactions and behavior. Jem craves stability, and Tean -- for all the drama of their early friendship/ relationship -- has always signified that for him. This new unpredictability is thus, to Jem, fundamentally terrifying; and exacerbating this is Jem's sense that he can't be honest about it, for fear of upsetting Tean's progress by making him feel guilty and ashamed. What's notable about this installment is not just that they're admitting these emotions in their own POVs, but that they are both able to articulate them, if haltingly, to each other. The communication between Jem and Tean is not perfect, and indeed, there are some extremely frustrating moments where one or the other backs away or bites down on their feelings rather than face a hard conversation. But in contrast to their earlier relationship, these conversations are eventually had, and in such a heavy book, it's encouraging to feel their relationship getting more honest, brave, and resilient.
Meanwhile, the wolves mystery is, for the most part, ticking along in the background, until it explodes in renewed violence at the end. I'm curious to see where this goes, and whether we get any clarity in the next book as to why the wolves are so hung up on Daniel, Jem, and Tean. It would, of course, make sense in the immediate aftermath for them to try to get rid of any inconvenient witnesses; but by this point, they must know that none of the survivors have any incriminating information on them, so is it just spite? A sense of an unfinished task? Revenge? It's currently unclear, but I trust that we'll get more answers in the finale.
The snowed-in aspect was a bit of tropey fun, giving a menacing, claustrophobic vibe. Though I dearly hope Tean and Jem got everything comped in the end. I don't need to add their tanking credit scores to my aforementioned stress!
All in all, an effective second book that, yet again, puts Jem and Tean through the wringer -- seriously, these two need a fully-paid spa day with no murders -- while setting up the big showdown to come. And what an ending! Happy tears!
I got an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
Because this! Was! Stressful!
All credit to GA that I kept obsessively reading despite (because of?) the fact that I could feel my blood pressure ratcheting up by the page. The mystery was no great shakes: its main function was to thoroughly expose Jem's horrible mom and wretched stepfather and, in the "conversion therapy + blackmail but call it spiritual coaching" aspect, trigger Tean's trauma related to his upbringing and the LDS church. It was engaging enough, with some sympathetically drawn characters (and a couple of cuttingly drawn ones), but as usual with GA, it's really about our characters' reactions and the interplay between them. It's been a couple weeks since I finished my fugue-state read, and do I remember who the baddie was? No. No, I do not. (Thankfully, that matters not a bit.)
What I do remember is that Jem is frustratingly obtuse about his mother's shadiness and complicity in both her husband's business and possible other wrongdoing. He is marginally more clear-eyed about her neglect of his much younger half-siblings -- that hits a bit closer to home -- but still eager to excuse her spoiled sense of entitlement and her selfish need to always be the center of attention. Tean is sympathetic to Jem's unwillingness to see what's in front of his face, but only to a point: his own reserves are stretched thin, not just from the immediate crime but also from the aftermath of the events of book 1, his guilt and wariness about Daniel (and, lurking always in the background, Ammon), and the emotional demands of therapy that he has, thankfully, finally accepted he needs.
I really appreciated how GA dealt with the emotional and relationship ramifications of Tean's therapy. Tean is extremely dysregulated: his emotions are all over the place, and he feels out of control and, at times, almost unrecognizable to himself. He knows that this is part of the process, but it doesn't make it easier to deal with. Jem, meanwhile, is supportive of Tean's journey, but also -- in a character note I've rarely seen in other books that touch on therapy -- unsettled by Tean's changed reactions and behavior. Jem craves stability, and Tean -- for all the drama of their early friendship/ relationship -- has always signified that for him. This new unpredictability is thus, to Jem, fundamentally terrifying; and exacerbating this is Jem's sense that he can't be honest about it, for fear of upsetting Tean's progress by making him feel guilty and ashamed. What's notable about this installment is not just that they're admitting these emotions in their own POVs, but that they are both able to articulate them, if haltingly, to each other. The communication between Jem and Tean is not perfect, and indeed, there are some extremely frustrating moments where one or the other backs away or bites down on their feelings rather than face a hard conversation. But in contrast to their earlier relationship, these conversations are eventually had, and in such a heavy book, it's encouraging to feel their relationship getting more honest, brave, and resilient.
Meanwhile, the wolves mystery is, for the most part, ticking along in the background, until it explodes in renewed violence at the end. I'm curious to see where this goes, and whether we get any clarity in the next book as to why the wolves are so hung up on Daniel, Jem, and Tean. It would, of course, make sense in the immediate aftermath for them to try to get rid of any inconvenient witnesses; but by this point, they must know that none of the survivors have any incriminating information on them, so is it just spite? A sense of an unfinished task? Revenge? It's currently unclear, but I trust that we'll get more answers in the finale.
The snowed-in aspect was a bit of tropey fun, giving a menacing, claustrophobic vibe. Though I dearly hope Tean and Jem got everything comped in the end. I don't need to add their tanking credit scores to my aforementioned stress!
All in all, an effective second book that, yet again, puts Jem and Tean through the wringer -- seriously, these two need a fully-paid spa day with no murders -- while setting up the big showdown to come. And what an ending! Happy tears!
I got an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
May 14, 2026
I wish that life were not so hectic right now, because it's been a couple of weeks since I finished The Same Blood: my memory's no longer fresh and I can't deliver the detailed thoughtful review this book deserves. Fortunately I can point to @Kathleen's review, here.
GA is playing with a classic mystery trope here -- the isolated country house, with a small stable of suspects. He's used this setup before, in Transposition, the second Hazard & Somerset book, where the heroes are stuck in a literal mansion. Here the "mansion" is an upscale resort, where Tean and Jem are trapped because Jem's agreed to meet his mother, Brigitte, and her post-Jem family for dinner and a blizzard has come on.
Dinner does not go well, and also Brigitte's atrocious husband, Gerald, gets bumped off overnight. "But after that, things get ugly," I'm tempted to say: Gerald was running a pray-away-the-gay grift, so we need not mourn him. Tean and Jem naturally become enmeshed in the investigation of Gerald's murder and its sequels: the resort's security chief, while no dummy, is also shorthanded and, well, has less experience in criminal investigation than any Greg Ashe couple with more than a single book devoted to them.
Also, once the weather clears, the Wolves show up. These people, man. GA excels at creepy terrifying villains (Uncle Ronnie, oh God), but the Wolves elicit desperate physical fear ratcheted up to 11.
But never mind the Wolves, because after all we're here for Jem and Tean, who are having a bad time of it. Tean's in therapy (good) but his self-investigation leaves him angry and dysregulated (essential, sure, but no fun for either him or Jem). Also, his parents are divorcing, Ammon is after him to help out with baby gay Daniel, and the pray-away-the-gay grift is sandpaper on his every last nerve. As for Jem ... well, he would really, really like to have a mother, specifically a mother who loves him, and in spite of everything Brigitte has done to him and not done for him, he keeps hoping she will turn out to be that mother after all. He's defensive of her and of his hopes for her, and when she says Jump he, well, you know. Cue conflict between him and Tean, since Tean is discovering the depths of his own parents' betrayal in loving him only conditionally. He's angry at them. He's angry at Ammon. He's so, so angry at Brigitte, and angry at Jem for his perennial hope that this one time Lucy won't snatch the football away.
No spoilers for the ending, of course, but get your tissues ready and prepare to rejoice.
Thanks to GA for the ARC; this is my honest review.
GA is playing with a classic mystery trope here -- the isolated country house, with a small stable of suspects. He's used this setup before, in Transposition, the second Hazard & Somerset book, where the heroes are stuck in a literal mansion. Here the "mansion" is an upscale resort, where Tean and Jem are trapped because Jem's agreed to meet his mother, Brigitte, and her post-Jem family for dinner and a blizzard has come on.
Dinner does not go well, and also Brigitte's atrocious husband, Gerald, gets bumped off overnight. "But after that, things get ugly," I'm tempted to say: Gerald was running a pray-away-the-gay grift, so we need not mourn him. Tean and Jem naturally become enmeshed in the investigation of Gerald's murder and its sequels: the resort's security chief, while no dummy, is also shorthanded and, well, has less experience in criminal investigation than any Greg Ashe couple with more than a single book devoted to them.
Also, once the weather clears, the Wolves show up. These people, man. GA excels at creepy terrifying villains (Uncle Ronnie, oh God), but the Wolves elicit desperate physical fear ratcheted up to 11.
But never mind the Wolves, because after all we're here for Jem and Tean, who are having a bad time of it. Tean's in therapy (good) but his self-investigation leaves him angry and dysregulated (essential, sure, but no fun for either him or Jem). Also, his parents are divorcing, Ammon is after him to help out with baby gay Daniel, and the pray-away-the-gay grift is sandpaper on his every last nerve. As for Jem ... well, he would really, really like to have a mother, specifically a mother who loves him, and in spite of everything Brigitte has done to him and not done for him, he keeps hoping she will turn out to be that mother after all. He's defensive of her and of his hopes for her, and when she says Jump he, well, you know. Cue conflict between him and Tean, since Tean is discovering the depths of his own parents' betrayal in loving him only conditionally. He's angry at them. He's angry at Ammon. He's so, so angry at Brigitte, and angry at Jem for his perennial hope that this one time Lucy won't snatch the football away.
No spoilers for the ending, of course, but get your tissues ready and prepare to rejoice.
Thanks to GA for the ARC; this is my honest review.
May 12, 2026
A new installment of Jem and Tean! I love these two so much. And look, we all know that GA likes to write his characters on bumpy rides. And those of us who read GA’s series tend to be of a type that enjoys seeing GA’s characters on said bumpy rides. We know this. And so we can’t be surprised that this book is a bumpy ride for our men. And yet it still hurts when they go through it. Because they do. They go through it in this one. Through. IT.
This book is full of people hurting our men. Mostly emotionally. Sometimes physically. There are a lot of characters hate in this one. Ammon (with a receding hairline – yes!!). Jem’s mom. Jem’s stepdad (term used loosely). Others who I will not name for the sake of spoilers. But there is a plethora of jerks being mean to our boys in this book and a lot of suffering as a result. And oh, GA writes the angsties so so well.
The mystery takes place at a resort. Jem and Tean have gone to the resort/lodge to have dinner with Jem’s mom and her husband when a sudden storm hits. Not only is everyone snowed in, but the storm is raging, the power is in and out, and – of course – there’s a murder. Can our boys solve it before the storm ends and the murder is able to get away?
There is a lot in this book about Jem and his relationship with his mom and about Tean and his feelings about Jem’s mother and about his own parents and struggles with them. There are themes of neglect, abandonment, love, and need for security. There’s the deep wish to be seen and loved and chosen and how not getting these things echoes through the lifespan. It’s about how love shapes us through its presence and its absence. And let me tell you, there is lots of heartache here.
But there’s also some very lovely moments between Jem and Tean. And of course, the requisite dark humour needed in a Jem and Tean book – never change, Tean. Not to mention some interactions between Jem and his much younger siblings that I adored – Jem with children is always a favourite.
Overall, I loved this book. Another great installment for two fantastic characters with all the angst, humour, emotional depth, and character development we expect for GA. Can’t wait for the next one!
Note: I received an ARC of this book for honest review.
This book is full of people hurting our men. Mostly emotionally. Sometimes physically. There are a lot of characters hate in this one. Ammon (with a receding hairline – yes!!). Jem’s mom. Jem’s stepdad (term used loosely). Others who I will not name for the sake of spoilers. But there is a plethora of jerks being mean to our boys in this book and a lot of suffering as a result. And oh, GA writes the angsties so so well.
The mystery takes place at a resort. Jem and Tean have gone to the resort/lodge to have dinner with Jem’s mom and her husband when a sudden storm hits. Not only is everyone snowed in, but the storm is raging, the power is in and out, and – of course – there’s a murder. Can our boys solve it before the storm ends and the murder is able to get away?
There is a lot in this book about Jem and his relationship with his mom and about Tean and his feelings about Jem’s mother and about his own parents and struggles with them. There are themes of neglect, abandonment, love, and need for security. There’s the deep wish to be seen and loved and chosen and how not getting these things echoes through the lifespan. It’s about how love shapes us through its presence and its absence. And let me tell you, there is lots of heartache here.
But there’s also some very lovely moments between Jem and Tean. And of course, the requisite dark humour needed in a Jem and Tean book – never change, Tean. Not to mention some interactions between Jem and his much younger siblings that I adored – Jem with children is always a favourite.
Overall, I loved this book. Another great installment for two fantastic characters with all the angst, humour, emotional depth, and character development we expect for GA. Can’t wait for the next one!
Note: I received an ARC of this book for honest review.
May 12, 2026
JEM AND TEAN FOREVER.
Truly, I love them so so much. I know they are fighting through it right now, but I just adore how even when they aren't in the best place, they turn to each other. It's like they automatically know that the other is their safe space and with everything they've gone through in their lives it's just like the best feeling ever that they have a safe spot to land (even when they forget or are rude or WHATEVER).
I love how we're kinda making our way to the Iron & Iron timeline. We all were like 🤯 when we had their story but I'm LOVING seeing how it came to be. They're just so sweet together and they're the best family and I love them. (Also they make me cry and I'm not okay in the best way).
The mystery was GOOD. Some things I could guess, some caught me completely off guard, and the overarching trilogy mystery is SPOOKY AF.
Please tell me there are 821489124810 more stories planned for these two.
Truly, I love them so so much. I know they are fighting through it right now, but I just adore how even when they aren't in the best place, they turn to each other. It's like they automatically know that the other is their safe space and with everything they've gone through in their lives it's just like the best feeling ever that they have a safe spot to land (even when they forget or are rude or WHATEVER).
I love how we're kinda making our way to the Iron & Iron timeline. We all were like 🤯 when we had their story but I'm LOVING seeing how it came to be. They're just so sweet together and they're the best family and I love them. (Also they make me cry and I'm not okay in the best way).
The mystery was GOOD. Some things I could guess, some caught me completely off guard, and the overarching trilogy mystery is SPOOKY AF.
Please tell me there are 821489124810 more stories planned for these two.
May 30, 2026
The Same Blood is the second book in the Wolves Among Us series.
(Someone please tell me there are more trilogies planned for them, because I love them so much)
Even though he still hasn't caught the pack of wolves from the first book, Jem gets calls from his mother telling him she wants them to be a family. Jem agrees to a dinner that will mark the start of another case. Tean continues with therapy and really grows as a character here.
The mystery is pretty good, I couldn't figure it out.
In this book, the author does mix in other themes that were already present for Tean, but here she brings them to the forefront, such as the character’s religious trauma.
I'd really like to see how things turn out for them, given how they are in Iron on Iron. They're already taking the first step when Tean asks Jem a pretty important question. ;)
Looking forward to reading the third book
(Someone please tell me there are more trilogies planned for them, because I love them so much)
Even though he still hasn't caught the pack of wolves from the first book, Jem gets calls from his mother telling him she wants them to be a family. Jem agrees to a dinner that will mark the start of another case. Tean continues with therapy and really grows as a character here.
The mystery is pretty good, I couldn't figure it out.
In this book, the author does mix in other themes that were already present for Tean, but here she brings them to the forefront, such as the character’s religious trauma.
I'd really like to see how things turn out for them, given how they are in Iron on Iron. They're already taking the first step when Tean asks Jem a pretty important question. ;)
Looking forward to reading the third book
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a fantastic book. This second instalment in the Lamb and the Lion series, Wolves Among Us, absolutely delivers.
Jem and Tean have always been my favourite characters from the Hazardverse, so it feels so good to be back with them again. That said—why can’t any Gregory Ashe characters have decent parents? My heart broke watching everything unfold with Jem’s mum.
The human/wolf hybrids are back too, and honestly, they were terrifying here. The hotel room scene with Tean and the reporter genuinely gave me chills—the power cuts, the scraping sounds, the distant howls… pure nightmare fuel. This series doesn’t usually lean into horror like that, so it really stood out.
And then—the engagement! I loved that moment so much. Now all I need is a full story about their Disneyland trip.
Cannot (with a capital C) wait for the next book.
Thanks, as always, to the author for the ARC.
Jem and Tean have always been my favourite characters from the Hazardverse, so it feels so good to be back with them again. That said—why can’t any Gregory Ashe characters have decent parents? My heart broke watching everything unfold with Jem’s mum.
The human/wolf hybrids are back too, and honestly, they were terrifying here. The hotel room scene with Tean and the reporter genuinely gave me chills—the power cuts, the scraping sounds, the distant howls… pure nightmare fuel. This series doesn’t usually lean into horror like that, so it really stood out.
And then—the engagement! I loved that moment so much. Now all I need is a full story about their Disneyland trip.
Cannot (with a capital C) wait for the next book.
Thanks, as always, to the author for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2026
Ashe has an incredible talent for creating complex, deeply flawed characters whose struggles feel authentic and relatable. Poor Jem never really got his “nookie” holiday….as he keeps mentioning. The mystery is expertly crafted, with never ending twists and turns. I swear there is ALWAYS one thing I need to look up….tree wells are a thing! Every revelation feels earned, and the stakes remain personal as well as gripping. Ashe's sharp dialogue and vivid storytelling pull you completely into the characters' lives, making every triumph and setback hit hard.
This book perfectly blends mystery, romance, and family drama (BRIGITTE!!!!) into a powerful and unforgettable read.
A brilliant addition to the series and an easy five-star rating. Gregory Ashe continues to prove why he's one of the best writers in the genre.
This book perfectly blends mystery, romance, and family drama (BRIGITTE!!!!) into a powerful and unforgettable read.
A brilliant addition to the series and an easy five-star rating. Gregory Ashe continues to prove why he's one of the best writers in the genre.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Same Blood delivers the emotional gut-punch you'd expect from Gregory Ashe — Jem and Tean are both reeling from parent drama, and honestly, the parents in this series keep setting new lows. There's really nothing to like about Jem's mom in particular. The angst is real, and even though I hate seeing our boys suffer (or do I?), I couldn't stop reading.
This installment juggles two mysteries and a wave of new characters. The main mystery is well-crafted and satisfying. The subplot — picking up threads from The Same Bones — feels a bit thin, but I suspect Ashe is playing the long game and the payoff will be in Book 3.
Emotionally raw, compulsively readable. Bring on The Same Flesh!
This installment juggles two mysteries and a wave of new characters. The main mystery is well-crafted and satisfying. The subplot — picking up threads from The Same Bones — feels a bit thin, but I suspect Ashe is playing the long game and the payoff will be in Book 3.
Emotionally raw, compulsively readable. Bring on The Same Flesh!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh my god this book. THIS BOOK!!!
I feel like nothing I can say will do it justice. The character development is unreal.
Both Tean and Jem have to come to terms with some hard truths regarding their parents and it's painful but it leads them to realise that they ARE a family, the two of them and Scipio they can be their own unit and love each other like they always deserved to be loved. And let me tell you that after everything they've been through, nay, after everything WE've been through, I sobbed like a baby. It's sooooooooo beautiful and moving. These guys. These guys deserve the world and Greg is giving it to them with so much love my heart can hardly handle it.
I feel like nothing I can say will do it justice. The character development is unreal.
Both Tean and Jem have to come to terms with some hard truths regarding their parents and it's painful but it leads them to realise that they ARE a family, the two of them and Scipio they can be their own unit and love each other like they always deserved to be loved. And let me tell you that after everything they've been through, nay, after everything WE've been through, I sobbed like a baby. It's sooooooooo beautiful and moving. These guys. These guys deserve the world and Greg is giving it to them with so much love my heart can hardly handle it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a thrill ride. This was a fast-paced mystery, filled with twists and turns and anchored in emotional conflict. Both Jem and Tean have to deal with long-buried traumas, neither in a particularly healthy manner. My heart broke for both of them in turn. The underlying arc from the first book in this series is still bubbling away in the background, but this story mainly dealt with Jem reconnecting with his estranged mother, secrets, lies, lost family, and found family.
It had the perfect ending, but now I need the boys to get some closure on the wolf-men situation!
It had the perfect ending, but now I need the boys to get some closure on the wolf-men situation!
July 4, 2026
What a rollercoaster ride this one was.
I love how Tean and Jem continue to work through their shit together. They are such a great pairing and by far one of the more healthier relationships on the Hazardverse 😅 (next to the OTP that is Jem and his one true love Scipio).
Love that we get to see some of the gaps being filled in that got mentioned in the cross over .
Looking forward to the next in the series and having some anxiety of the horror movie style chapters making a reappearance in the conclusion . The wolves are eerie!
I love how Tean and Jem continue to work through their shit together. They are such a great pairing and by far one of the more healthier relationships on the Hazardverse 😅 (next to the OTP that is Jem and his one true love Scipio).
Love that we get to see some of the gaps being filled in that got mentioned in the cross over .
Looking forward to the next in the series and having some anxiety of the horror movie style chapters making a reappearance in the conclusion . The wolves are eerie!
June 23, 2026
The layering of the story mystery and the series arc was INTENSE, and that climax had me on the edge of my seat. Good Lord.
I just want to wrap Jem up in a blanket and hug him forever. My poor baby.
Also, that ending. Damn you, Gregory, for making me cry.
I just want to wrap Jem up in a blanket and hug him forever. My poor baby.
Also, that ending. Damn you, Gregory, for making me cry.
May 14, 2026
love these guys
I love these guys and am so looking forward to the next book. Of all the books Mr.Ashe has written my favorites include Tean and Jen.
I love these guys and am so looking forward to the next book. Of all the books Mr.Ashe has written my favorites include Tean and Jen.
May 22, 2026
Worth the wait
I have always loved Gregory Ashe's books and this one is no different. I can't wait for the next installment of Tean and Jem!!
I have always loved Gregory Ashe's books and this one is no different. I can't wait for the next installment of Tean and Jem!!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews