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Coda #7
Shotgun
Part of the Coda Series
As a young man, Dominic Jacobsen already suspects he’s gay, and he gets all the confirmation he needs when a rich boy from out of town climbs into the back seat of Dominic’s GTO. One night with Lamar Franklin is all it takes to convince Dominic he’s found the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, that one night is all he'll get before Lamar returns to Tucson.
Fifteen years later Lamar returns to Coda, Colorado, after ending the latest in a string of bad relationships. He’s alone, depressed, and plagued by late-night phone calls from an unidentified caller. Lamar's ready to give up when he comes face-to-face with his past.
Since he was seventeen, Dominic has dreamed of a reunion with Lamar, but that doesn't mean he’s ready for it now. Facing small-town rumors and big-family drama is bad enough, but Dominic won’t risk losing custody of his teenage daughter, Naomi. The only solution is to make sure he and Lamar remain friends and nothing more. Clothes stay on, no matter what.
It seems simple enough. But for better or worse, Lamar has other ideas.
Coda: Which book do I read first?
As a young man, Dominic Jacobsen already suspects he’s gay, and he gets all the confirmation he needs when a rich boy from out of town climbs into the back seat of Dominic’s GTO. One night with Lamar Franklin is all it takes to convince Dominic he’s found the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, that one night is all he'll get before Lamar returns to Tucson.
Fifteen years later Lamar returns to Coda, Colorado, after ending the latest in a string of bad relationships. He’s alone, depressed, and plagued by late-night phone calls from an unidentified caller. Lamar's ready to give up when he comes face-to-face with his past.
Since he was seventeen, Dominic has dreamed of a reunion with Lamar, but that doesn't mean he’s ready for it now. Facing small-town rumors and big-family drama is bad enough, but Dominic won’t risk losing custody of his teenage daughter, Naomi. The only solution is to make sure he and Lamar remain friends and nothing more. Clothes stay on, no matter what.
It seems simple enough. But for better or worse, Lamar has other ideas.
Coda: Which book do I read first?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2015
30 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
About the author
Marie Sexton
70 books2,227 followersMarie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.
The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!
Or, you might want to check out these pages:
Coda: Which book do I read first?
Find a book by trope or heat level.
Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net
The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!
Or, you might want to check out these pages:
Coda: Which book do I read first?
Find a book by trope or heat level.
Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
May 22, 2015
I was underwhelmed by this (hopefully last) addition to the Coda series.
The alternating first-person POV wasn't distinct enough for me to easily differentiate between Dominic and Lamar, the two MCs.
Dominic and Lamar get off in a park together when they're 17. Fifteen years later, they meet again and form a tentative friendship.
Actually, they're not even friends; they hang out and build Lego sets.
Dominic is in the closet and married with a teen daughter. Lamar is depressed and a teacher.
Lamar's car is vandalized, and a bizarre stalking/mystery plot takes over the story.
Lamar is pushy and accusatory. Dominic is scared and runs hot then cold
The steam level is low, and the teenage kid gets too much page time.
We briefly see some of the MCs from the previous books and learn that Matt checks out women more than men and Zach still likes Angelo to fuck other men in front of him. AKA, Shit I Didn't Need to Know.
This story dragged. I found the chemistry between the MCs to be rote and forced.
If you're a die-hard Sexton fan, check this one out. I can't fault the writing. The story didn't work for me, but you may love it.
The alternating first-person POV wasn't distinct enough for me to easily differentiate between Dominic and Lamar, the two MCs.
Dominic and Lamar get off in a park together when they're 17. Fifteen years later, they meet again and form a tentative friendship.
Actually, they're not even friends; they hang out and build Lego sets.
Dominic is in the closet and married with a teen daughter. Lamar is depressed and a teacher.
Lamar's car is vandalized, and a bizarre stalking/mystery plot takes over the story.
Lamar is pushy and accusatory. Dominic is scared and runs hot then cold
The steam level is low, and the teenage kid gets too much page time.
We briefly see some of the MCs from the previous books and learn that Matt checks out women more than men and Zach still likes Angelo to fuck other men in front of him. AKA, Shit I Didn't Need to Know.
This story dragged. I found the chemistry between the MCs to be rote and forced.
If you're a die-hard Sexton fan, check this one out. I can't fault the writing. The story didn't work for me, but you may love it.
April 19, 2020
What I loved:
▲ The Prologue
▲ The Epilogue
▲ The secondary characters: Angelo, Zach, Jared, Matt, Naomi, Elena, and Dimitri
▲ The writing style – as always, it is superior
What I disliked:
▼ The main characters: Dominic was a coward and a selfish asshole, Lamar was weak and pathetic (I love his name though). Their development – if you can call it that – was lame and abrupt.
▼ The conflict
▼ The suspense plotline
All in all
2.5 stars
My favorite quotes.
▲ The Prologue
▲ The Epilogue
▲ The secondary characters: Angelo, Zach, Jared, Matt, Naomi, Elena, and Dimitri
Another eye roll. If they ever made condescension an Olympic event, thirteen-year-old girls would undoubtedly take every medal.
▲ The writing style – as always, it is superior
What I disliked:
▼ The main characters: Dominic was a coward and a selfish asshole, Lamar was weak and pathetic (I love his name though). Their development – if you can call it that – was lame and abrupt.
▼ The conflict
▼ The suspense plotline
All in all
2.5 stars
My favorite quotes.
May 22, 2015
~
This book had a lot of highs and lows for me, with it starting out really strong when the boys meet, for only one summer night, just before their senior year of high school, then being separated for the next 15 years.
And I was able to empathize with Dominic as to how those 15 years went down for him, since lots of people just tend to go with the flow and do what's expected of them.
But... the fact that he betrays Lamar multiple times, by saying he'll never leave, then *poof* , he's gone only moments later...
No. That really impacted my enjoyment of the book and left a very bad taste in my mouth.
So while I did enjoy much of the story, in spite of the middle of the book dragging quite a bit to 'dead horse' Dom's (fairly lame) cowardice, several plot points felt like manufactured melodrama and didn't quite feel real for me.
My favorite parts of the story were the chapters with the characters from the previous Coda stories, which brought back a bit of nostalgia, especially the snarky 'friendship' between the gruff cop Matt and the prickly Angelo.
The story did pick up toward the end, partially redeeming the earlier blah's that I'd felt. Plus, we do get an HEA and even a nice wrap-up epilogue.
I was extremely pleased to see a new book in the series, but this one fell a bit short in its ability to fully engage me from start to finish, which many of the previous books accomplished effortlessly.
Sadly, only 2 1/2 *freedom-lies-in-being-bold* stars this time around, rounding up mainly due to Angelo's gift for subtext to make "fuck you" actually sound like "I will *not* say it, but you know I really do care, right?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
** My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
This book had a lot of highs and lows for me, with it starting out really strong when the boys meet, for only one summer night, just before their senior year of high school, then being separated for the next 15 years.
And I was able to empathize with Dominic as to how those 15 years went down for him, since lots of people just tend to go with the flow and do what's expected of them.
But... the fact that he betrays Lamar multiple times, by saying he'll never leave, then *poof* , he's gone only moments later...
No. That really impacted my enjoyment of the book and left a very bad taste in my mouth.
So while I did enjoy much of the story, in spite of the middle of the book dragging quite a bit to 'dead horse' Dom's (fairly lame) cowardice, several plot points felt like manufactured melodrama and didn't quite feel real for me.
My favorite parts of the story were the chapters with the characters from the previous Coda stories, which brought back a bit of nostalgia, especially the snarky 'friendship' between the gruff cop Matt and the prickly Angelo.
The story did pick up toward the end, partially redeeming the earlier blah's that I'd felt. Plus, we do get an HEA and even a nice wrap-up epilogue.
I was extremely pleased to see a new book in the series, but this one fell a bit short in its ability to fully engage me from start to finish, which many of the previous books accomplished effortlessly.
Sadly, only 2 1/2 *freedom-lies-in-being-bold* stars this time around, rounding up mainly due to Angelo's gift for subtext to make "fuck you" actually sound like "I will *not* say it, but you know I really do care, right?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
** My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
September 25, 2015
Shoot shoot shoot!
Speaking of shooting, in case you were wondering, it's not this kind of shotgun...
But this kind of shotgun...
I loved shotgun riding in the GTO, toking shotgun with wild hormone driven nerves, and then another kind of shotgun completely warmed my heart.
Even though….
I wanted to love this…I thought I would love this…I didn’t love this. *sad face*
It’s always a big bummer when you have high hopes for a book and it falls short; especially when it’s from a favorite author and a favorite series. I’ve always gobbled up the Coda boys, but this one was tough to swallow.
It wasn’t necessarily one major thing that bothered me, but an accumulation of annoyances that dampened my enjoyment.
Things start off strong with a flashback to the past. Dominic is a hometown Coda boy and when a rare out of town stranger captivates him at a party, he confirms his questioning sexuality. Lamar rocks his world that night but slips away as if only a blissful dream. Both move forward with their lives but in very different directions.
Dominic buries his true heart and settles down with a girl, gets married and has a beautiful baby. As illusions always do, his grasp on his fabricated reality dissolves and he’s left with broken pieces of his life. Together with his brother he runs the family auto shop and awaits the day it is passed on. The axis of his world is his daughter. Everything he does revolves around her. I certainly appreciate a dedicated parent, but this was one of my niggles. I wanted to scream after the twentieth time that he pulled the “I have a daughter” excuse. It was overused and pushed me to an angry reader state, and I don’t like to read mad.
I was initially livid that Lamar was with a married man for 2 years, but my fumes settled when I found out how he was deceived and then, I merely felt sorry for him. But then there’s this other thing. I’d say it’s a little thing, but in reality it is a BIG FRICKING THING. I can’t tell you, but man I wish I could! I was so pissed at Dominic that I had to take a time out.
Another problem I struggled with was Lamar’s depression. In the beginning I was blown away with the authenticity of Lamar’s depression. But then, it just kinda floated away. Some huge blows hit Lamar’s mental solar plexus and he was barely fazed. It felt dismissive, as if the early importance of this battle for him had evaporated.
And then…then we have the narration.
I am still a work in progress when it comes to listening and enjoying audiobooks and this was a major setback. We are given multiple voices and some of them made me giggle, others forced my eyes to roll and some drove me nutty. Lamar is Texan but the accent was horrendous and not consistent. The female voices…were bad all the way around. I think it would have been slightly more enjoyable if I had read the story rather than listened.
As far as the writing goes, it was pristine. And then we have my highlights…the rest of the gang. Matt is a strong feature and I still adore this sexy cop, maybe even a little bit more. Jared, Angelo and Zach also have a solid amount of page time…this pleased me greatly. I missed Cole and Jon but loved the glimpse of Hope plastered on the refrigerator. The new characters didn’t do much for me. I tried to appreciate Dom’s family, but it was a struggle.
I hated the barren life Lamar was navigating and truly wanted his happiness. I’m just not sure Lego’s and a teenage crush with a major procrastinating problem is the answer. I’d like to be wrong here, I really would.
If you are a Coda fan, it’s a given…you must give this a shot. But take it from me, drop your expectations down a notch or two, it’ll be a smoother ride that way.
*3 I'll-stick-with-the-main-crew stars*
Speaking of shooting, in case you were wondering, it's not this kind of shotgun...
But this kind of shotgun...
I loved shotgun riding in the GTO, toking shotgun with wild hormone driven nerves, and then another kind of shotgun completely warmed my heart.
Even though….
I wanted to love this…I thought I would love this…I didn’t love this. *sad face*
It’s always a big bummer when you have high hopes for a book and it falls short; especially when it’s from a favorite author and a favorite series. I’ve always gobbled up the Coda boys, but this one was tough to swallow.
It wasn’t necessarily one major thing that bothered me, but an accumulation of annoyances that dampened my enjoyment.
Things start off strong with a flashback to the past. Dominic is a hometown Coda boy and when a rare out of town stranger captivates him at a party, he confirms his questioning sexuality. Lamar rocks his world that night but slips away as if only a blissful dream. Both move forward with their lives but in very different directions.
Dominic buries his true heart and settles down with a girl, gets married and has a beautiful baby. As illusions always do, his grasp on his fabricated reality dissolves and he’s left with broken pieces of his life. Together with his brother he runs the family auto shop and awaits the day it is passed on. The axis of his world is his daughter. Everything he does revolves around her. I certainly appreciate a dedicated parent, but this was one of my niggles. I wanted to scream after the twentieth time that he pulled the “I have a daughter” excuse. It was overused and pushed me to an angry reader state, and I don’t like to read mad.
I was initially livid that Lamar was with a married man for 2 years, but my fumes settled when I found out how he was deceived and then, I merely felt sorry for him. But then there’s this other thing. I’d say it’s a little thing, but in reality it is a BIG FRICKING THING. I can’t tell you, but man I wish I could! I was so pissed at Dominic that I had to take a time out.
Another problem I struggled with was Lamar’s depression. In the beginning I was blown away with the authenticity of Lamar’s depression. But then, it just kinda floated away. Some huge blows hit Lamar’s mental solar plexus and he was barely fazed. It felt dismissive, as if the early importance of this battle for him had evaporated.
And then…then we have the narration.
I am still a work in progress when it comes to listening and enjoying audiobooks and this was a major setback. We are given multiple voices and some of them made me giggle, others forced my eyes to roll and some drove me nutty. Lamar is Texan but the accent was horrendous and not consistent. The female voices…were bad all the way around. I think it would have been slightly more enjoyable if I had read the story rather than listened.
As far as the writing goes, it was pristine. And then we have my highlights…the rest of the gang. Matt is a strong feature and I still adore this sexy cop, maybe even a little bit more. Jared, Angelo and Zach also have a solid amount of page time…this pleased me greatly. I missed Cole and Jon but loved the glimpse of Hope plastered on the refrigerator. The new characters didn’t do much for me. I tried to appreciate Dom’s family, but it was a struggle.
I hated the barren life Lamar was navigating and truly wanted his happiness. I’m just not sure Lego’s and a teenage crush with a major procrastinating problem is the answer. I’d like to be wrong here, I really would.
If you are a Coda fan, it’s a given…you must give this a shot. But take it from me, drop your expectations down a notch or two, it’ll be a smoother ride that way.
*3 I'll-stick-with-the-main-crew stars*
July 28, 2015
The Coda series is one of my favorites. I've read the entire series at least twice. So I was excited to find out there's an addition to it but also apprehensive because the main characters are new.
I understood what Dominic is going through. Even though he was completely stupid, I felt that his struggles were authentic. I know a lot of closeted gay guys had the same struggles. I liked how the author wrote about him and how she made Dominic different from Matt.
I sympathized with Lamar even though I don't understand how someone can be so needy and dependent on his lovers. His depression was not easy to read and I felt it.
I felt the struggle of this couple. But it was tough to read. Probably one of the most stressful journeys in this series. I'm more happy reading when Matt, Angelo, Zach, and Jared appear in the story (and even the "non-mention" of Jon, Cole and Hope) than reading Lamar and Dominic. And for me, that's quite a bad sign.
But don't be discouraged! Even though this has a very difficult beginning and middle, once you get though the dreaded 70 to 80%, it will be all happy and lovely.
Read this after you read the book:
I appreciate how this book is written. it was great. But I rate my books by how I felt about it. And overall, I liked it, but didn't love it enough. Again, don't be discouraged! This is a good book. And if you loved the Coda series, I think you will like this.
For smut lovers, this has little sex so be aware of that.
3.5 STARS. (rounded down)
PREVIEW REVIEW:
I don't know who are these new characters but...
Read
September 21, 2016DNF 39 %. Me da mucha pena porque me gusta mucho la serie de Coda, pero este libro es muy aburrido y hay muchas cosas que me apetecen leer. Tengo interés 0 en saber lo que pasa.
August 1, 2015
It was fun to go back to Coda, and to get little glimpses of the guys from earlier in the series. The story opened well, and there were moments when I empathized with each of the main characters. Lamar was more sympathetic - a guy who took a risk on love and found himself being strung along by a married man. His hurt and depression rang true.
Dominic annoyed me sometimes, with his narrow-minded rigid view of his situation, and his tendency to blow hot and cold when he knew Lamar was fragile from his last relationship. He also did one thing that was both hurtful and out of character, given what he knew about Lamar. That backed me out of the story a bit, because I prefer my MCs to have more empathy. But in the end the author had managed to get me invested in their HEA.
The mystery thread kept me guessing for a long time, and although it was a bit OTT, it wasn't in the direction I expected, so that was a bonus. I really enjoy this author's writing style and her guys, and was happy to get another book in this series. Some of the best moments were with the guys from earlier books, so although this one could be read as a stand-alone, I think it will be more fun for people who have already met Jared, Matt, Angelo and Zach. Recommended for fans of the series.
Dominic annoyed me sometimes, with his narrow-minded rigid view of his situation, and his tendency to blow hot and cold when he knew Lamar was fragile from his last relationship. He also did one thing that was both hurtful and out of character, given what he knew about Lamar. That backed me out of the story a bit, because I prefer my MCs to have more empathy. But in the end the author had managed to get me invested in their HEA.
The mystery thread kept me guessing for a long time, and although it was a bit OTT, it wasn't in the direction I expected, so that was a bonus. I really enjoy this author's writing style and her guys, and was happy to get another book in this series. Some of the best moments were with the guys from earlier books, so although this one could be read as a stand-alone, I think it will be more fun for people who have already met Jared, Matt, Angelo and Zach. Recommended for fans of the series.
June 18, 2015
3.5 stars
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I was happy to go back to Coda and catch up with a lot of the men from the previous books. The prolgue was sweet and it started off really well.
I liked Lamar. He makes bad choices as far as men and is barely hanging on after extricating himself from his 2 year relationship with a married man and moving to Coda where his Aunt and Uncle live and he visited as a child. He is miserable and depressed until he meets up again with Dom, the boy he spent one night with when he was 17 and visiting for the summer. In the past 15 years, Dom has stayed in the closet. Briefly married to his best friend and mother of his 13 year old daughter (the only one who knows his secret), he had many reasons for not coming out and not really any need to. The two men try to build a friendship, but the attraction they felt as teens is even stronger. Both of them make mistakes; while Lamar pushes for more, Dom sends mixed signals saying no, then giving in then pushing away.
Dom's character quickly started to lose me, but at about 82% he did something that really angered me. Minor rant ahead: At this point I really did not want the two MC's to wind up together. I was secretly hoping that Angelo and Zach and Lamar would wind up a happy throuple at the end, although I knew that would never work. Suffice to say, I never warmed up to Dom after that point and wasn't nearly as forgiving as Lamar.
Moving on, I loved seeing Matt and Jared and Zach and Angelo again. Angelo has always been my favorite character in the series and he cemented his place in my heart once again with his friendship and support of Lamar. The story works as a standalone even though many of the characters from earlier stories reappear.
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I was happy to go back to Coda and catch up with a lot of the men from the previous books. The prolgue was sweet and it started off really well.
I liked Lamar. He makes bad choices as far as men and is barely hanging on after extricating himself from his 2 year relationship with a married man and moving to Coda where his Aunt and Uncle live and he visited as a child. He is miserable and depressed until he meets up again with Dom, the boy he spent one night with when he was 17 and visiting for the summer. In the past 15 years, Dom has stayed in the closet. Briefly married to his best friend and mother of his 13 year old daughter (the only one who knows his secret), he had many reasons for not coming out and not really any need to. The two men try to build a friendship, but the attraction they felt as teens is even stronger. Both of them make mistakes; while Lamar pushes for more, Dom sends mixed signals saying no, then giving in then pushing away.
Dom's character quickly started to lose me, but at about 82% he did something that really angered me. Minor rant ahead: At this point I really did not want the two MC's to wind up together. I was secretly hoping that Angelo and Zach and Lamar would wind up a happy throuple at the end, although I knew that would never work. Suffice to say, I never warmed up to Dom after that point and wasn't nearly as forgiving as Lamar.
Moving on, I loved seeing Matt and Jared and Zach and Angelo again. Angelo has always been my favorite character in the series and he cemented his place in my heart once again with his friendship and support of Lamar. The story works as a standalone even though many of the characters from earlier stories reappear.
back-burner-for-now
June 3, 2015
April 15, 2021
2.5 Stars
Shotgun didn't really feel like the rest of the Coda series. I loved how it started out, with 2 boys acting on their attraction, before going their separate ways, and I loved how it ended, with Lamar and Dominic finally together. But the in-between bits, while I still liked it, ok, I didn't love it. I didn't like how Dominic ran hot and cold. For once, I didn't care for the suspense plot, and the resolution to that felt kind of ... dumb? Contrived, at the very least. And I wanted Lamar to be less of a door mat. I did love seeing all the Coda guys, again, though. Love them a lot.
Shotgun didn't really feel like the rest of the Coda series. I loved how it started out, with 2 boys acting on their attraction, before going their separate ways, and I loved how it ended, with Lamar and Dominic finally together. But the in-between bits, while I still liked it, ok, I didn't love it. I didn't like how Dominic ran hot and cold. For once, I didn't care for the suspense plot, and the resolution to that felt kind of ... dumb? Contrived, at the very least. And I wanted Lamar to be less of a door mat. I did love seeing all the Coda guys, again, though. Love them a lot.
June 9, 2015
4 stars for the first half.
1.5 stars for the rest of the book.
A bit drastic, but I lost all the respect for Dominic as the story went on. The guy was SO annoying with his hot-cold attitude, mixed signals, infantile behavior and his closet drama. I wanted Lamar to just kick him to the curb like the miserable piece of sh*t he was. Ugh.
And the book was so good in the beginning! I loved reading how those two met..all that young lust/love, and then meeting again after 15 years..each having been kicked by life a couple of times. Them becoming friends, building trust, getting to really know each other... I'm pissed that Dominic's chickenshit routine ruined this book for me...
Add to that the whole stalker thing that turned out to be so anticlimactic, the weird behavior of Dominic's brother Dimitri, the rushed ending...yeah, I wasn't a happy reader at all.
On the plus side, we get to meet the Coda heroes again. Yay.
1.5 stars for the rest of the book.
A bit drastic, but I lost all the respect for Dominic as the story went on. The guy was SO annoying with his hot-cold attitude, mixed signals, infantile behavior and his closet drama. I wanted Lamar to just kick him to the curb like the miserable piece of sh*t he was. Ugh.
And the book was so good in the beginning! I loved reading how those two met..all that young lust/love, and then meeting again after 15 years..each having been kicked by life a couple of times. Them becoming friends, building trust, getting to really know each other... I'm pissed that Dominic's chickenshit routine ruined this book for me...
Add to that the whole stalker thing that turned out to be so anticlimactic, the weird behavior of Dominic's brother Dimitri, the rushed ending...yeah, I wasn't a happy reader at all.
On the plus side, we get to meet the Coda heroes again. Yay.
July 28, 2015
I was looking forward to reading this book as I'm a huge fan of Marie Sexton's books. It started very good and gripping and I really liked the re-appearance of the couples of previous books. Until - well, until all this back and forth relationship-wise with Dom and Lamar started. I want to be with you, but only as friends, I can't do it anymore, I miss you, I can't do it anymore...
The whole storyline more and more drifted into ' been there, read this' so my reading-fun vanished quite a bit. But there was a very nice happy ending.
The whole storyline more and more drifted into ' been there, read this' so my reading-fun vanished quite a bit. But there was a very nice happy ending.
September 15, 2015
Even Paul Morey couldn't save it, but I will add a star because he is still one of my favorite narrators.
August 6, 2016
I read the first book in the series quite a while ago, and I didn't hate it. I'm in a book-slump right now and thought I would give this a try. (Skipped the other books since the blurbs and reviews from GR friends didn't make them sound awesome.)
So Dom and Lamar had a one-night-teenage-tryst 15 years ago, after which they (obsessively) thought/dreamt about each other. In and of itself this seemed quite romantic, but it was also quite unrealistic.
I'm sure we all have someone we have fond memories of from when we were teenagers, and discovering ourselves, but this was soooo over-the-top-reminiscing for the both of them, that it was almost a ride to crazy-town.
Lamar moves to Coda (where he has family) after a disastrous relationship This speaks to Lamar's character, and was quite off-putting for me.
Lamar gets a job at the local middle school, and starts over, from scratch in Coda.
I thought the description of his depression was well-done, and I loved the thing with the carpet.
Then we have Dom, he is working at his father's garage with his brother and a lot of his family; cousins and such. Dom is a COWARD!
Apparently he is gay, but after his tryst with Lamar (again he obsesses over this tryst!) he has a fling with Elena's cousin and then Elena, whom he impregnates and then marries. This seems misplaced since it is described more than once, just how focused he was on his thing with Lamar.
At this point things start to fall apart for me.
EVERYTHING in Dom's life is about being a good father for Naomi. He doesn't live with Elena any more (she has a new main squeeze), and Dom is really REALLY obsessed with Naomi being his co-pilot and his main-reason for staying in the closet.
(I know I've used the word -obsessed- thrice now, but this book did not pull the punches! Everything was done obsessively -case in point: the teenage-tryst, the subsequent years of pining, the stalker, Dom being a dad, Dom's aversion to coming out.)
I thought it was awesome that Dom wanted to be a good father. But as the story progressed and it became clear that it wasn't so much for Naomi's sake, but more for Dom's own ridiculous reasons, that he had this obsessive (heh, I should be able to spell it without help soon) need for being a good father, I kind of lost the wee bit of respect I had for him.
It became clear that Dom was afraid to come out! I get that it is a personal journey AND a personal choice, but his excuses and actions... LORD, they pissed me off, because they had impact on other people, not just Dom.
***Spoilers ahead... Maybe?!***
And here is why I thought he was a freaking coward. Dom hid behind his excuses that became more and more far-fetched as the story went on, and he strung Lamar along!
Dom promised Lamar that he would be there, then wasn't.
Dom blamed Lamar for the kisses, even though he was the one kissing Lamar.
Dom let his brother dictate how he should live his life 'And that was okay, even though he hadn't been *happy* the last ten years, because it was better than maybe/possibly/can't be sure losing his family.'
I thought the stalker-twist was quite nice, and it let me focus on something else, than the douche that was Dom. I thought Lamar was cool and
Yeah, this book was a miss for me. I will obsessively not think about it anymore!:-)
So Dom and Lamar had a one-night-teenage-tryst 15 years ago, after which they (obsessively) thought/dreamt about each other. In and of itself this seemed quite romantic, but it was also quite unrealistic.
I'm sure we all have someone we have fond memories of from when we were teenagers, and discovering ourselves, but this was soooo over-the-top-reminiscing for the both of them, that it was almost a ride to crazy-town.
Lamar moves to Coda (where he has family) after a disastrous relationship This speaks to Lamar's character, and was quite off-putting for me.
Lamar gets a job at the local middle school, and starts over, from scratch in Coda.
I thought the description of his depression was well-done, and I loved the thing with the carpet.
Then we have Dom, he is working at his father's garage with his brother and a lot of his family; cousins and such. Dom is a COWARD!
Apparently he is gay, but after his tryst with Lamar (again he obsesses over this tryst!) he has a fling with Elena's cousin and then Elena, whom he impregnates and then marries. This seems misplaced since it is described more than once, just how focused he was on his thing with Lamar.
At this point things start to fall apart for me.
EVERYTHING in Dom's life is about being a good father for Naomi. He doesn't live with Elena any more (she has a new main squeeze), and Dom is really REALLY obsessed with Naomi being his co-pilot and his main-reason for staying in the closet.
(I know I've used the word -obsessed- thrice now, but this book did not pull the punches! Everything was done obsessively -case in point: the teenage-tryst, the subsequent years of pining, the stalker, Dom being a dad, Dom's aversion to coming out.)
I thought it was awesome that Dom wanted to be a good father. But as the story progressed and it became clear that it wasn't so much for Naomi's sake, but more for Dom's own ridiculous reasons, that he had this obsessive (heh, I should be able to spell it without help soon) need for being a good father, I kind of lost the wee bit of respect I had for him.
It became clear that Dom was afraid to come out! I get that it is a personal journey AND a personal choice, but his excuses and actions... LORD, they pissed me off, because they had impact on other people, not just Dom.
***Spoilers ahead... Maybe?!***
And here is why I thought he was a freaking coward. Dom hid behind his excuses that became more and more far-fetched as the story went on, and he strung Lamar along!
Dom promised Lamar that he would be there, then wasn't.
Dom blamed Lamar for the kisses, even though he was the one kissing Lamar.
Dom let his brother dictate how he should live his life 'And that was okay, even though he hadn't been *happy* the last ten years, because it was better than maybe/possibly/can't be sure losing his family.'
I thought the stalker-twist was quite nice, and it let me focus on something else, than the douche that was Dom. I thought Lamar was cool and
Yeah, this book was a miss for me. I will obsessively not think about it anymore!:-)
September 22, 2015
I owe Marie Sexton and the Coda series a great big hug because this is the series that got me into reading M/M in the first place. It’s Sexton’s excellent writing and compelling characters that really jumpstarted my love for the genre so I was very excited when I heard that she was going to be releasing a seventh book.
SHOTGUN is all about Dominic Jacobsen and Lamar Franklin. It starts off when they are the ripe young age of 17 and they are both feeling a little curious and reckless. When Lamar comes visits, it spurs this instant attraction and lust and soon they are riding off together to secluded areas for privacy to explore this newfound chemistry. But just as quick and as passionate the encounter is, it’s gone when Lamar returns home. Fifteen years later, Lamar returns to Coda, Colorado and that’s where we see what really happened after he left.
I really, really loved the beginning of this novel. Sexton really put the romance at the forefront and really established their connection from the very first page. You could definitely feel the passion and the yearning so when Lamar left, it made me really sad to see him go. While the rest of the book occurs when the boys are older, I really thought that Sexton did a great job of writing these younger characters. She could definitely write some New Adult M/M romances if she wants to – she certainly has the voice for it.
The rest of the book is a little more complex as it deals with Lamar’s depression and the fact that so much time has passed since they first met. Now the question is, how will they be able to pick up where they left off now that the both of them have lives of their own?
The only complaint I can see if that the whole stalking thing kind of took me out of the story. It wasn’t my favorite aspect and I didn’t think it added much in terms of the story other than something that the boys could look into. But overall, it was nice returning to Coda for awhile.
June 5, 2016
2.75 stars rounded up
I loved Marie Sexton's Coda series -- Promise was one of my earliest introductions into MM romance about six years ago -- but this one definitely my least favorite.
I put ALL the blame on Dominic's shoulder. I thought he was a coward. *scoff* The way he pushed Lamar away with his flimsy excuse AFTER he promised that he would never leave Lamar was off-putting. I was actually wishing that Lamar would stick to his gun and cut off anything relationship-related with Dominic. Yeah, sure, Dominic finally stepped forward in the end, but I already felt pissed off with his hot and cold attitude. Lamar could do better.
I was having difficulties to believe that they were in love with one another, especially when I thought their friendship was a bit on the surface only. Sure, they spent a lot of times doing Legos, but the 'reconnecting after 15 years part' was a bit glossed over, so I just didn't feel it, you know?
I liked Lamar okay; I was glad when he told Dominic to leave (or make a decision). BUT, I was also having doubts when it came to his depression. I mean, I didn't doubt that he was depressed. He seemed like he was. But then the depression was simply gone? Because, what? Because of Dominic? Because of the friendship over Legos? I mean, really? Was it that easy to cure depression if Lamar was as depressed as he said he was?
I'm rounding the rating up because I thought the women in their lives: Elena and Naomi ... rocked!! I also enjoyed seeing the previous Coda characters again: Matt, Jared, Angelo, and Zach. Angelo was awesome and Matt was amusing with his jealousy over anyone looking at Jared with lust *lol*. Not sure if I want to know that Angelo and Zach still doing their open relationship policy; but hey, it works for them so I'm not going to judge.
I loved Marie Sexton's Coda series -- Promise was one of my earliest introductions into MM romance about six years ago -- but this one definitely my least favorite.
I put ALL the blame on Dominic's shoulder. I thought he was a coward. *scoff* The way he pushed Lamar away with his flimsy excuse AFTER he promised that he would never leave Lamar was off-putting. I was actually wishing that Lamar would stick to his gun and cut off anything relationship-related with Dominic. Yeah, sure, Dominic finally stepped forward in the end, but I already felt pissed off with his hot and cold attitude. Lamar could do better.
I was having difficulties to believe that they were in love with one another, especially when I thought their friendship was a bit on the surface only. Sure, they spent a lot of times doing Legos, but the 'reconnecting after 15 years part' was a bit glossed over, so I just didn't feel it, you know?
I liked Lamar okay; I was glad when he told Dominic to leave (or make a decision). BUT, I was also having doubts when it came to his depression. I mean, I didn't doubt that he was depressed. He seemed like he was. But then the depression was simply gone? Because, what? Because of Dominic? Because of the friendship over Legos? I mean, really? Was it that easy to cure depression if Lamar was as depressed as he said he was?
I'm rounding the rating up because I thought the women in their lives: Elena and Naomi ... rocked!! I also enjoyed seeing the previous Coda characters again: Matt, Jared, Angelo, and Zach. Angelo was awesome and Matt was amusing with his jealousy over anyone looking at Jared with lust *lol*. Not sure if I want to know that Angelo and Zach still doing their open relationship policy; but hey, it works for them so I'm not going to judge.
October 1, 2024
Not as good as most of my 3-star books, but not as bad as my 2-star books.
Here’s the thing, this was was very readable. I looked forward to getting back to it each time and it slipped by smoothly. Predictable, but in a comfortable way. The problem is that Marie Sexton created likable characters and then had them behave stupidly for the rest of the book.
Dom, who we’re supposed to believe has been mostly celibate for 15 years, is constantly sending Lamar mixed signals. His fears about coming out are understandable, but all his claims of ‘I can’t’ or ‘I couldn’t’ got really annoying. Lamar, meanwhile, is fragile from a recent breakup but the way he relies on having a man in his life to feel good got annoying too. And, btw, they both do too much blushing for grown men.
Along the way there are some thoughtful conversations and self-reflection. I love Sexton’s dialogue; these characters sound like real people. But the ‘well maybe/no I can’t’ was drawn out too long.
Here’s the thing, this was was very readable. I looked forward to getting back to it each time and it slipped by smoothly. Predictable, but in a comfortable way. The problem is that Marie Sexton created likable characters and then had them behave stupidly for the rest of the book.
Dom, who we’re supposed to believe has been mostly celibate for 15 years, is constantly sending Lamar mixed signals. His fears about coming out are understandable, but all his claims of ‘I can’t’ or ‘I couldn’t’ got really annoying. Lamar, meanwhile, is fragile from a recent breakup but the way he relies on having a man in his life to feel good got annoying too. And, btw, they both do too much blushing for grown men.
Along the way there are some thoughtful conversations and self-reflection. I love Sexton’s dialogue; these characters sound like real people. But the ‘well maybe/no I can’t’ was drawn out too long.
January 30, 2022
1+
Ostatni tom serii, z nowymi całkiem bohaterami, zdecydowanie najsłabszy...
Dom był po prostu cholernym tchórzem, ukrywającym się za pretekstem "dla dobra córki". Ona była na pierwszym miejscu, ona była jego kompasem, zawsze wskazującym mu właściwą drogę, dla niej zrobiłby wszystko, nawet poświęcił własne dobro, szczęście i życie. I okej, tacy ludzie byli, są i będą - tylko u niego to była świetna wymówka, żeby ukryć swoje tchórzostwo. Nie przeczę, kochał córkę jak najbardziej, ale w tak parszywy sposób to wykorzystywał, żeby tylko nie musieć stawić czoła rodzinie, znajomym, całemu miasteczku... Dopóki Lamar był tylko wspomnieniem jednej, wspólnej nocy sprzed 15 lat, mógł marzyć, co by było, gdyby... Kiedy jednak jego marzenia się zrealizowały, najzwyczajniej stchórzył. W dodatku tyle razy obiecywał Lamarowi, że zawsze będzie przy nim, że już nigdy nie potraktuje go chłodno i nie zawiesi przyjaźni - i zawsze za moment robił dokładnie coś innego. Pozwalał dyktować swojemu bratu, jak ma żyć. Bał się, co rodzina może pomyśleć. Wqurwiał mnie niesamowicie przez cały czas, nie tylko go nie lubiłam, ale w dodatku wstydziłam się za niego... I tak, wiem, że to tylko fikcja, ale nie zmienia to faktu, że to, co robi, to, co mówił i to, jak się zachowywał, wywoływało u mnie wstyd i zażenowanie...
Lamar znowu był jakimś ukrytym masochistą. To, jakich wybierał sobie facetów, w których się zakochiwał, tylko to potwierdza. Facetów, którzy go wykorzystywali, którzy ciągle mu mówili, że rzucą dla niego żonę/wyjdą dla niego z szafy, ale oczywiście nigdy tego nie robili. Był tylko ich brudnym sekretem. Łudził się, że poprzez seks dojdzie do miłości. Samobiczowanie się stało się jego najważniejszą i najlepiej wykonywaną w życiu czynnością...
Do tego wątek stalkera - nie zdradzając szczegółów - wg mnie idiotyczny i wzięty szczerze mówiąc z czterech liter...
Jedyną jasną stroną tej książki byli bohaterowie z wcześniejszych tomów: Matt, Jared, Angelo i - nie wierzę, że to piszę - Zach 🤦♀️ Co chyba tylko świadczy o jakości tego tomu w mojej opinii. Tylko dzięki nim 1+, co oznacza 2 gwiazdki na GR...
Ostatni tom serii, z nowymi całkiem bohaterami, zdecydowanie najsłabszy...
Dom był po prostu cholernym tchórzem, ukrywającym się za pretekstem "dla dobra córki". Ona była na pierwszym miejscu, ona była jego kompasem, zawsze wskazującym mu właściwą drogę, dla niej zrobiłby wszystko, nawet poświęcił własne dobro, szczęście i życie. I okej, tacy ludzie byli, są i będą - tylko u niego to była świetna wymówka, żeby ukryć swoje tchórzostwo. Nie przeczę, kochał córkę jak najbardziej, ale w tak parszywy sposób to wykorzystywał, żeby tylko nie musieć stawić czoła rodzinie, znajomym, całemu miasteczku... Dopóki Lamar był tylko wspomnieniem jednej, wspólnej nocy sprzed 15 lat, mógł marzyć, co by było, gdyby... Kiedy jednak jego marzenia się zrealizowały, najzwyczajniej stchórzył. W dodatku tyle razy obiecywał Lamarowi, że zawsze będzie przy nim, że już nigdy nie potraktuje go chłodno i nie zawiesi przyjaźni - i zawsze za moment robił dokładnie coś innego. Pozwalał dyktować swojemu bratu, jak ma żyć. Bał się, co rodzina może pomyśleć. Wqurwiał mnie niesamowicie przez cały czas, nie tylko go nie lubiłam, ale w dodatku wstydziłam się za niego... I tak, wiem, że to tylko fikcja, ale nie zmienia to faktu, że to, co robi, to, co mówił i to, jak się zachowywał, wywoływało u mnie wstyd i zażenowanie...
Lamar znowu był jakimś ukrytym masochistą. To, jakich wybierał sobie facetów, w których się zakochiwał, tylko to potwierdza. Facetów, którzy go wykorzystywali, którzy ciągle mu mówili, że rzucą dla niego żonę/wyjdą dla niego z szafy, ale oczywiście nigdy tego nie robili. Był tylko ich brudnym sekretem. Łudził się, że poprzez seks dojdzie do miłości. Samobiczowanie się stało się jego najważniejszą i najlepiej wykonywaną w życiu czynnością...
Do tego wątek stalkera - nie zdradzając szczegółów - wg mnie idiotyczny i wzięty szczerze mówiąc z czterech liter...
Jedyną jasną stroną tej książki byli bohaterowie z wcześniejszych tomów: Matt, Jared, Angelo i - nie wierzę, że to piszę - Zach 🤦♀️ Co chyba tylko świadczy o jakości tego tomu w mojej opinii. Tylko dzięki nim 1+, co oznacza 2 gwiazdki na GR...
Read
September 28, 2018DNF @50%
This book started out well enough. I'm a fan of the Coda series and was looking forward to it. However, it started dragging so much that i barely managed to keep my focus on it. Plus, while i really liked the MCs chemistry in the prologue, i didn't feel it AT ALL when they meet again 15 years later. Also, a major pet peeve I have is MCs being utter cowards. I just can't stand it. My other pet peeve - doormats. These two MCs were exactly that, respectively, and I just couldn't do this to myself anymore.
This book started out well enough. I'm a fan of the Coda series and was looking forward to it. However, it started dragging so much that i barely managed to keep my focus on it. Plus, while i really liked the MCs chemistry in the prologue, i didn't feel it AT ALL when they meet again 15 years later. Also, a major pet peeve I have is MCs being utter cowards. I just can't stand it. My other pet peeve - doormats. These two MCs were exactly that, respectively, and I just couldn't do this to myself anymore.
June 1, 2015
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
I have been a huge fan of the Coda series since the beginning but this is probably my least favourite in the series and I think that is mainly due to the fact that I just didn’t like Dom.
When Dom and Lamar meet at a party when they are seventeen they are immediately attracted to each other. After sneaking off from their friends and smoking a joint ‘shotgun’ they have a hot and steamy make out session in the back of Dom’s cars, sadly that is about the hottest the sex gets between them for the entire story.
Lamar left Coda the next morning and doesn’t return for 15 years and by then a lot of things have changed. Dom is ensconced in the family business with a failed marriage behind him and a teenage daughter to look after. His family are a mixed bunch but there is a lot of homophobia so Dom has stayed firmly in the closet.
Lamar has spent his life making poor relationship choices and the latest one is the reason he has returned to Coda and took a job at the local school. He has only been there a few weeks but has been plagued by anonymous silent phone calls and now his car has been trashed.
The mystery of who is stalking him and wants him out of Coda is not resolved until the end of the book, I can usually guess who the perpetrator is but I had guessed completely wrong this time.
Luckily Lamar makes friends with the other 4 gay men in town who we have met in previous books as Dom was really no use, even as a friend, a lot of the time. His promise to always be there for Lamar was sadly lacking when push came to shove and this was something I disliked about him intensely. Even when they spent night bonding over Lego kits their friendship meant nothing when Dom got scared.
Lamar pushed and Dominic ran. This went round and round until something had to give and in the end I felt like shaking Dom and telling him to grow up. It was frustrating, he clearly didn’t know his daughter as well as he thought judging by her response, and even though we got a happy ending I still felt like Lamar been treated badly and Dom didn’t deserve him.
I did enjoy seeing the old characters once again and catching up with where they were with their lives and they proved to be good friends to the new man in town when he needed someone.
I have been a huge fan of the Coda series since the beginning but this is probably my least favourite in the series and I think that is mainly due to the fact that I just didn’t like Dom.
When Dom and Lamar meet at a party when they are seventeen they are immediately attracted to each other. After sneaking off from their friends and smoking a joint ‘shotgun’ they have a hot and steamy make out session in the back of Dom’s cars, sadly that is about the hottest the sex gets between them for the entire story.
Lamar left Coda the next morning and doesn’t return for 15 years and by then a lot of things have changed. Dom is ensconced in the family business with a failed marriage behind him and a teenage daughter to look after. His family are a mixed bunch but there is a lot of homophobia so Dom has stayed firmly in the closet.
Lamar has spent his life making poor relationship choices and the latest one is the reason he has returned to Coda and took a job at the local school. He has only been there a few weeks but has been plagued by anonymous silent phone calls and now his car has been trashed.
The mystery of who is stalking him and wants him out of Coda is not resolved until the end of the book, I can usually guess who the perpetrator is but I had guessed completely wrong this time.
Luckily Lamar makes friends with the other 4 gay men in town who we have met in previous books as Dom was really no use, even as a friend, a lot of the time. His promise to always be there for Lamar was sadly lacking when push came to shove and this was something I disliked about him intensely. Even when they spent night bonding over Lego kits their friendship meant nothing when Dom got scared.
Lamar pushed and Dominic ran. This went round and round until something had to give and in the end I felt like shaking Dom and telling him to grow up. It was frustrating, he clearly didn’t know his daughter as well as he thought judging by her response, and even though we got a happy ending I still felt like Lamar been treated badly and Dom didn’t deserve him.
I did enjoy seeing the old characters once again and catching up with where they were with their lives and they proved to be good friends to the new man in town when he needed someone.
March 29, 2016
3.25 Stars
Marie Sexton's Coda series is one of my favorite collections of male/male romance stories. I adore the setting, the fun cast of characters, and, of course, the eclectic romances. Shotgun is the seventh installment, but can be read as a stand-alone since it features a brand new couple: Dominic and Lamar.
These two met as teenagers when their obvious chemistry resulted in a steamy session in the back of a car. Unfortunately, Lamar moved back to Arizona shortly afterwards and they don't see each other for another fifteen years. Their reunion is complicated by the fact that Dominic is still in closet to his family including his teenaged daughter and that Lamar might have a stalker trying to run him out of town forever.
I did like both Dominic and Lamar. They work so well as a couple and just seem to get one another from the get-go. I enjoyed reading about Lamar's journey from the depths of depression to self-confidence despite the mystery surrounding the threatening late-night phone calls. Dominic was also easy to like with his protectiveness of Lamar and devotion to his daughter. I did get annoyed by Dominic's reluctance to come out to his family despite his overwhelming feelings for Lamar. I understood the reasons for his hesitancy, but I felt like he kept leading Lamar on and then backing away.
For me, the best part about Shotgun was the return to Coda and the many appearances of my favorite characters from the series. I loved getting to see Matt, Jarad, Angelo, and Zach as happy, loving couples who are finally secure in their lives. I especially adored the scenes with Matt and Jared since they were the first Coda couple that I fell in love with.
Shotgun was an entertaining vacation read that I finished very quickly. It was not as good as the other Coda books, but I am happy for any chance to revisit this series and those wonderful characters. I do hope that Marie Sexton continues visiting this world in the future!
Marie Sexton's Coda series is one of my favorite collections of male/male romance stories. I adore the setting, the fun cast of characters, and, of course, the eclectic romances. Shotgun is the seventh installment, but can be read as a stand-alone since it features a brand new couple: Dominic and Lamar.
These two met as teenagers when their obvious chemistry resulted in a steamy session in the back of a car. Unfortunately, Lamar moved back to Arizona shortly afterwards and they don't see each other for another fifteen years. Their reunion is complicated by the fact that Dominic is still in closet to his family including his teenaged daughter and that Lamar might have a stalker trying to run him out of town forever.
I did like both Dominic and Lamar. They work so well as a couple and just seem to get one another from the get-go. I enjoyed reading about Lamar's journey from the depths of depression to self-confidence despite the mystery surrounding the threatening late-night phone calls. Dominic was also easy to like with his protectiveness of Lamar and devotion to his daughter. I did get annoyed by Dominic's reluctance to come out to his family despite his overwhelming feelings for Lamar. I understood the reasons for his hesitancy, but I felt like he kept leading Lamar on and then backing away.
For me, the best part about Shotgun was the return to Coda and the many appearances of my favorite characters from the series. I loved getting to see Matt, Jarad, Angelo, and Zach as happy, loving couples who are finally secure in their lives. I especially adored the scenes with Matt and Jared since they were the first Coda couple that I fell in love with.
Shotgun was an entertaining vacation read that I finished very quickly. It was not as good as the other Coda books, but I am happy for any chance to revisit this series and those wonderful characters. I do hope that Marie Sexton continues visiting this world in the future!
June 1, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
We have another book in my beloved Coda series you guys. I about died when I heard this story was coming out, as this is one of my all time favorite series and I have reread these books so many times. I am not exaggerating to say that I recommend this series to just about everyone and would put it on the “must read” list for any m/m romance reader. So clearly, I was coming into this book with high expectations, as I am sure many other readers are as well.
So let’s start with the series itself, shall we? This story takes place in the same world as the original series, though as far as I can tell, these are totally new characters. The highlight of the book for me is that we get a chance to reunite with two of the couples from the series – Matt and Jared, and Zach and Angelo. I loved seeing these guys worked into the story and suddenly realizing, OMG, that’s Matt! Or hey, they are going to Angelo’s house! As I said, I can’t overstate how much I love these guys and I just adored getting to see them again and catch up on their lives. Reading the banter between Matt and Angelo, hanging out with the guys as they watch the Chiefs/Broncos game, checking out things at A to Z, it all brought back my warm fuzzies about the series and totally makes me want to read it again. Now if you haven’t read the other books, this one could probably work just fine. You may wonder why these side characters are getting so much page time, but nothing happens that relies on your knowledge of the other books. I loved the way Sexton worked these guys into the story and loved seeing them again.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
We have another book in my beloved Coda series you guys. I about died when I heard this story was coming out, as this is one of my all time favorite series and I have reread these books so many times. I am not exaggerating to say that I recommend this series to just about everyone and would put it on the “must read” list for any m/m romance reader. So clearly, I was coming into this book with high expectations, as I am sure many other readers are as well.
So let’s start with the series itself, shall we? This story takes place in the same world as the original series, though as far as I can tell, these are totally new characters. The highlight of the book for me is that we get a chance to reunite with two of the couples from the series – Matt and Jared, and Zach and Angelo. I loved seeing these guys worked into the story and suddenly realizing, OMG, that’s Matt! Or hey, they are going to Angelo’s house! As I said, I can’t overstate how much I love these guys and I just adored getting to see them again and catch up on their lives. Reading the banter between Matt and Angelo, hanging out with the guys as they watch the Chiefs/Broncos game, checking out things at A to Z, it all brought back my warm fuzzies about the series and totally makes me want to read it again. Now if you haven’t read the other books, this one could probably work just fine. You may wonder why these side characters are getting so much page time, but nothing happens that relies on your knowledge of the other books. I loved the way Sexton worked these guys into the story and loved seeing them again.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
June 4, 2015
All the books of the Coda Series were 4 stars for me, but this one is a bit under three. The writing is obviously still excellent, I loved the interactions with the ''older'' Coda's characters, but the MCs here go through too much drama and inexplicable changes of mind. If Lamar would have written to Dan Savage for advice about his relationship with Dominic, Dan would have answered DTMFA*.
See also the reviews by Dani(ela) or Todd.
*Dump The Mother-Fucker Already
See also the reviews by Dani(ela) or Todd.
*Dump The Mother-Fucker Already
July 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this added book in the series. I loved seeing Matt, Jared, Angelo, and Zach again and thought their stories meshed well with the current MCs. I liked the main characters and thought their relationship was well done. Sure, Dominic took too long to come to terms with being out to his family, but sometimes people do that. Once he came out, he would not be able to go back. It was great that he got some help from Matt and Jared about how things had worked out (eventually) when they came out. A great ending to a great series.
June 17, 2015
PERFECT!
July 18, 2022
RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE
Venite a leggerla sul nostro blog!
Venite a leggerla sul nostro blog!
April 5, 2017
Ive loved this series. Promises remains probably my favorite book of all.
This was the story of Dominic and Lamarr. They met once at 17 and then 15 years later Lamarr moves to COda and the 2 meet again.
Dominic was hesitamt about starting a relationship for various reasons and to be honest I really wanted to hit him upside the head alot of times to knock some sense into him.
However. in the end everything turns out ok. I am sorry to see the end of Coda and this group of friends.
This was the story of Dominic and Lamarr. They met once at 17 and then 15 years later Lamarr moves to COda and the 2 meet again.
Dominic was hesitamt about starting a relationship for various reasons and to be honest I really wanted to hit him upside the head alot of times to knock some sense into him.
However. in the end everything turns out ok. I am sorry to see the end of Coda and this group of friends.
June 19, 2015
Though this comes from the Coda story line, it is a standalone. However, if I hadn’t read the other books I wouldn’t have found much that I found appealing in this story.
Basically this is about Dominic and his complete unwillingness to be a gay man because he’s afraid of what people will think. Poor Lamar just gets hurt over and over as Dom chooses everyone’s happiness but Lamar’s time and again.
Lamar and Dom met as teenagers and made out once on the night before Lamar left town for 15 years. There is no contact between the two the entire time.
Lamar ends up dating several men with major problems and never finding the “right” guy. He moves back to Coda not realizing Dom still lives there and is in fact teaching his daughter for weeks before realizing who she is.
Dom can’t be gay – he thinks – so he ends up in a failed marriage with a wonderful woman and they have a daughter. For the last several years he’s been raising his daughter and sharing custody with her mother.
When Lamar comes back to town, the attraction is still there. Back and forth we go with the “I want you” “I can’t be around you” but “I want you” but “I can’t be gay” but “I want you” until finally Lamar puts his foot down.
When Matt, the ex, and ultimately his daughter, all finally get him to listen to reason, he finally admits who he is to his family and reaches out to Lamar, hoping it’s not too late.
**
Marie Sexton and the Coda series was one of the first few books in this genre I read. I LOVE them. I was so psyched to see the boys again that I barely skimmed the blurb and just said YES ,YES, YES!
While I was more or less happy to catch up with the guys: all married now, still acting like they did before (ie Jared makes Matt jealous just by breathing, Matt still checks out women more than men, Zach still likes watching Ang with other guys) it wasn’t earth shattering.
I really, really didn’t care for Dom. Not even at the end when he’s supposed to have “redeemed” himself. He just felt like a douche and Lamar could do better.
Though I was happy for the HEA I didn’t feel it as keenly as I had in the other books in this series.
If you are a fan, you’ll probably be like me and be interested enough in the series to continue with this, but if you’re not I don’t know that this will appeal all that much.
Marie writes really well, and I love her descriptions of life in Colorado (makes me homesick!).
I give it a 3 of 5 stars because it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t nearly as good as I was expecting or hoping.
Basically this is about Dominic and his complete unwillingness to be a gay man because he’s afraid of what people will think. Poor Lamar just gets hurt over and over as Dom chooses everyone’s happiness but Lamar’s time and again.
Lamar and Dom met as teenagers and made out once on the night before Lamar left town for 15 years. There is no contact between the two the entire time.
Lamar ends up dating several men with major problems and never finding the “right” guy. He moves back to Coda not realizing Dom still lives there and is in fact teaching his daughter for weeks before realizing who she is.
Dom can’t be gay – he thinks – so he ends up in a failed marriage with a wonderful woman and they have a daughter. For the last several years he’s been raising his daughter and sharing custody with her mother.
When Lamar comes back to town, the attraction is still there. Back and forth we go with the “I want you” “I can’t be around you” but “I want you” but “I can’t be gay” but “I want you” until finally Lamar puts his foot down.
When Matt, the ex, and ultimately his daughter, all finally get him to listen to reason, he finally admits who he is to his family and reaches out to Lamar, hoping it’s not too late.
**
Marie Sexton and the Coda series was one of the first few books in this genre I read. I LOVE them. I was so psyched to see the boys again that I barely skimmed the blurb and just said YES ,YES, YES!
While I was more or less happy to catch up with the guys: all married now, still acting like they did before (ie Jared makes Matt jealous just by breathing, Matt still checks out women more than men, Zach still likes watching Ang with other guys) it wasn’t earth shattering.
I really, really didn’t care for Dom. Not even at the end when he’s supposed to have “redeemed” himself. He just felt like a douche and Lamar could do better.
Though I was happy for the HEA I didn’t feel it as keenly as I had in the other books in this series.
If you are a fan, you’ll probably be like me and be interested enough in the series to continue with this, but if you’re not I don’t know that this will appeal all that much.
Marie writes really well, and I love her descriptions of life in Colorado (makes me homesick!).
I give it a 3 of 5 stars because it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t nearly as good as I was expecting or hoping.
August 19, 2015
I was so excited when I happened upon this book and realized the author had written another book in this series. It's one of my favorite series in the m/m genre and I re-read Strawberries For Dessert a couple times a year. So I went in with open heart and love how it started.
Dominic and Lamar have a hot encounter as teens when Lamar is visiting some family in Coda. Unfortunately, he leaves the following day leaving Dominic confused about his sexuality. For Lamar though, the encounter was eye opening and answered a lot of questions for him.
Years later, Lamar moves to Coda to start a new life and runs into Dominic by chance. They are immediately drawn to one another again, and Dom and Lamar start hanging out as friends. Dom has since been married and has a teenaged daughter and is separated from his wife. But Dom doesn't feel that he can come "out" and that causes a lot of issues for Lamar whose last relationship ended for the same reasons.
If that wasn't enough, Lamar is dealing with a psycho stalker; someone who really does not like that he is in Coda and is trying to scare him off and get him to leave by vandalizing his car and breaking into his home.
I have mixed feelings about this story. I liked how Dom and Lamar met; how their chance encounter shaped each of them, but in different ways. I also love the second chance at love and how they seemed to just be meant for each other, their time apart not really affecting their feelings.
The story lost me a little with the whole stalking thing. It seemed a bit unrealistic to me that in a small town this stalker could get away with numerous acts of violence with no one ever seeing a thing. Though it was the link that let us revisit Angelo, Zach, Jared and Matt--I felt that the whole thing slowed the pacing down bit. Dom's struggle with the decision to come out carried the story for a bit, but then it too became a bit repetitive and I felt like he needed to just make a decision already.
While it was awesome to revisit Coda and get a little bit of an Angelo fix (no Cole though, unfortunately) Dom and Lamar didn't capture me as their predecessors did.
Dominic and Lamar have a hot encounter as teens when Lamar is visiting some family in Coda. Unfortunately, he leaves the following day leaving Dominic confused about his sexuality. For Lamar though, the encounter was eye opening and answered a lot of questions for him.
Years later, Lamar moves to Coda to start a new life and runs into Dominic by chance. They are immediately drawn to one another again, and Dom and Lamar start hanging out as friends. Dom has since been married and has a teenaged daughter and is separated from his wife. But Dom doesn't feel that he can come "out" and that causes a lot of issues for Lamar whose last relationship ended for the same reasons.
If that wasn't enough, Lamar is dealing with a psycho stalker; someone who really does not like that he is in Coda and is trying to scare him off and get him to leave by vandalizing his car and breaking into his home.
I have mixed feelings about this story. I liked how Dom and Lamar met; how their chance encounter shaped each of them, but in different ways. I also love the second chance at love and how they seemed to just be meant for each other, their time apart not really affecting their feelings.
The story lost me a little with the whole stalking thing. It seemed a bit unrealistic to me that in a small town this stalker could get away with numerous acts of violence with no one ever seeing a thing. Though it was the link that let us revisit Angelo, Zach, Jared and Matt--I felt that the whole thing slowed the pacing down bit. Dom's struggle with the decision to come out carried the story for a bit, but then it too became a bit repetitive and I felt like he needed to just make a decision already.
While it was awesome to revisit Coda and get a little bit of an Angelo fix (no Cole though, unfortunately) Dom and Lamar didn't capture me as their predecessors did.
October 21, 2016
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Che emozione tornare a Coda!!! E che meraviglia ritrovare Matt, Jared, Angelo e Zack!!! Ma questa storia non parla di loro: parla di Dom e Lamar e del loro difficile cammino per raggiungere la felicità. I due si conoscono a diciassette anni, un incontro che cambierà per sempre le loro vite; dovranno passare però altri quindici anni perchè si ritrovino. Lamar è diventato un professore, è depresso e sta uscendo da una storia difficile con un uomo sposato. Dom ha una figlia di tredici anni che è tutto il suo mondo e lavora nell'officina del padre; sarà proprio grazie al suo lavoro che Dom incontrerà nuovamente Lamar, appena trasferitosi a Coda. Lamar è vittima di uno stalker che, oltre a tempestarlo di telefonate notturne, non esita a devastargli l'auto. Il loro incontro porterà gioia e speranza nel cuore ferito di Lamar e nell'esistenza arida di Dom, ma li metterà anche di fronte a scelte difficili e emozioni impreviste.
Come al solito la Sexton ci regala una vicenda intensa, nella quale trova sempre posto la realtà quotidiana fatta di difficoltà e scelte che mettono a repentaglio la felicità, ma fatta anche di sentimenti, amicizia e sostegno. Ho amato questo nuovo capitolo della serie (spero vivamente non sia l'ultimo!), anche perchè mescola molto bene dramma, suspense e sentimenti. Non da poco, poi, il modo realistico in cui la scrittrice ci parla della depressione e di ciò che comporta per chi ne è affetto.
P.S.: Da anni il Colorado è tra le mete che vorrei visitare, ma avendo scoperto grazie a Dom che qui vivono i "ragni saltatori" mi sa che dovrò rinunciare a questo viaggio...
Che emozione tornare a Coda!!! E che meraviglia ritrovare Matt, Jared, Angelo e Zack!!! Ma questa storia non parla di loro: parla di Dom e Lamar e del loro difficile cammino per raggiungere la felicità. I due si conoscono a diciassette anni, un incontro che cambierà per sempre le loro vite; dovranno passare però altri quindici anni perchè si ritrovino. Lamar è diventato un professore, è depresso e sta uscendo da una storia difficile con un uomo sposato. Dom ha una figlia di tredici anni che è tutto il suo mondo e lavora nell'officina del padre; sarà proprio grazie al suo lavoro che Dom incontrerà nuovamente Lamar, appena trasferitosi a Coda. Lamar è vittima di uno stalker che, oltre a tempestarlo di telefonate notturne, non esita a devastargli l'auto. Il loro incontro porterà gioia e speranza nel cuore ferito di Lamar e nell'esistenza arida di Dom, ma li metterà anche di fronte a scelte difficili e emozioni impreviste.
Come al solito la Sexton ci regala una vicenda intensa, nella quale trova sempre posto la realtà quotidiana fatta di difficoltà e scelte che mettono a repentaglio la felicità, ma fatta anche di sentimenti, amicizia e sostegno. Ho amato questo nuovo capitolo della serie (spero vivamente non sia l'ultimo!), anche perchè mescola molto bene dramma, suspense e sentimenti. Non da poco, poi, il modo realistico in cui la scrittrice ci parla della depressione e di ciò che comporta per chi ne è affetto.
P.S.: Da anni il Colorado è tra le mete che vorrei visitare, ma avendo scoperto grazie a Dom che qui vivono i "ragni saltatori" mi sa che dovrò rinunciare a questo viaggio...
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