Collusion

Diversion #2

by Eden Winters

Dead men can’t love.

Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter “died” in the line of duty while working off a ten-year sentence in service to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, only to be reborn as Simon “Lucky” Harrison. The newbie he trained, former Marine Bo Schollenberger, is now his partner on (and maybe off) the job. It’s hard to tell when Lucky doesn’t understand relationships or have a clue what any sane human is doing in his bed. Bo’s nice to have around, sure, but there’s none of that picking-out-china-together crap for Lucky.

While fighting PTSD, memories of a horrid childhood, and a prescription drug addiction, Bo is paying for his mistakes. Using his pharmacy license for the good guys provides the sort of education he never got in school. Undercover with his hard-headed partner, Bo learns that not everything is as it seems in the world of pharmaceuticals.

When a prescription drug shortage jeopardizes the patients at Rosario Children’s Cancer Center, it not only pits Bo and Lucky against predatory opportunists, but also each other. How can they tell who the villains are? The bad guys don’t wear black hats, but they might wear white coats.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller

226 pages, ebook

First published February 24, 2013

About the author

You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.

She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures, she has written over thirty gay romance novels, lost count of novellas and short stories, has won Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s cosplaying for children's charities or hanging out at the farm being a mother, grandmother, and vegetarian.

Her natural habitats are hardware stores and on the backs of motorcycles.

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars for the story

3.5 stars for the Audiobook

Enjoyed this one more than i thought i would. The narrator is new to me, i loved his voice but his narration was slow. He did a good job of giving the characters distinct voices and i enjoyed his interpretation of Grumpy Lucky.

The mystery/case was weak IMO, it was not that engaging, i found myself zoning out during those parts. I hope the next one is much better. That knocked off 1 star.

Bo and Lucky's interactions, were so entertaining. Bo is the complete opposite of Lucky yet they fit so perfectly together. I am happy the way their relationship is progressing, slow, steady and passionate.

Walter!



Lucky is the best part of this series. His thoughts and every time he opened his mouth, i was like:



Looking forward to more of Bo and Lucky and their adventures.

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio - 4.5 stars
Story - 4.5 stars

I am loving Bo and Lucky’s relationship development. These guys….*sigh*

The case they worked in this book was a heart-wrencher for me. I never heard of the Grey Market before this book, so this was also an enlightening read.

This series is winner!

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow up to Diversion. Lucky and Bo are back as partners on and off work. Lucky has developed feeling for Bo, which he would never admit to even to himself. The case they are working on in this book is heartbreaking since it deals with sick kids and Bo and Lucky get in deeper than they should get involved in any case. We get to see the tender part in Lucky's personality, which hardly ever comes out except where Bo is concerned. As always the humor and sexiness are present in the story line.

[Florence . · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 “I love this man. And it scares the ever-living hell out of me” stars



“Why are you with me?” “What?” […] “Because you’re one hard-assed son of a bitch, cocky little bantam rooster—” “Hey!” “And I never have to turn around to see if you’re there. I know you got my back.”

Lets keep this short shall we. I bought the box sex of the first three books in this series and after I finished this, I just continued reading and as i’m typing this, I just finished book 3 in the series. I read two books in the last 24 hours, if that doesn’t tell you how much I love this series then I don’t know what will.

Here is a short list of my thoughts about this book, as I wrote them down while reading the book. This book and book 3 are kind of blending together in my head since I read them back to back, so i’ll just make a longer review for book 3:

▪️Lucky is such a fucking asshole
▪️Damn Bo is such a saint
▪️The plot is so engaging in this one, I love following the guys around as they do their job
▪️Lucky is such a selfish jerk with low esteem and commitment issues but I love him so much
▪️Why can’t these people ever talk to each other instead of pushing the other away?
▪️Why can’t these two just seek out the other when they need them?
▪️The relationship development is so damn good here, I love seeing their connection grow, it’s perfectly done
▪️I really love to see the changes in Lucky and how the guy is actually trying to be better for Bo
▪️Jesus christ, I love these guys so much
▪️T-Rex is the best pet name ever
▪️God the sex scenes are so good in this
▪️These books are so damn entertaining, I have the best time reading them

[Christelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the diversion series with Lucky and Bo, 2 unusual narcotic agents partnered in life and job. This is not a standalone, so reading diversion first is necessary to understand Bo and Lucky and the development of their relationship.

Luck is still an insufferable bastard (his words, not mine) and Bo a nice guy trying to do good despite a shitty past. Bo keeps his insecurities to himself as much as Lucky keeps his growing feeling for Bo. After a few months seeing each other whenever their jobs allow them, they are finally back on a mission about the trafficking and tampering in a pediatric hospital of cancer drugs.

I found the set up of the investigation interesting and the suspense around it well done. But what made it for me was seeing Lucky opening up to his emotions. His inner thoughts were hilarious and profound at the same time. Still a bastard, but never letting Bo’s down. A complete case of opposite attracted to each other, each slowly rubbing on the other.

Conclusion : I will keep going with this series.

[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this one! Again we get a lot of action, bad guys, and suspense. Lucky is still super arrogant, but he's SO good in doing his job. We get him finally admitting his feelings and it was great to witness his soul searches. Bo is a sweetie. Too nice for his own good. He's a little too trusting, and he'd give his life for helping others.

This book was sadder, as our guys are working in a pediatric cancer facility. Oh poor Stephanie 😭

Loved this ending!! 💗 Looking forward to reading more!

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is shaping up to be a great series!

Hot agents
Hot sex 🔥
Lucky is getting feels 😱
Bo is starting to hold his own

Plot wise:
Cancer drug shortage
Gray market drugs
Possible counterfeit drugs
Kids cancer hospital 💔
Lucky gets his people—well, almost all of them because some assholes do dirty shit and it’s still legal.

Finally:
I ❤️ U’s exchanged!!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book once again gives us a thriller/mystery based around an unusual premise - the fact that there are drug-trafficking issues which involve prescription drugs intended for completely legitimate uses. I'd known about the problem of counterfeit drugs, particularly in the third world where life-saving medications are not infrequently outdated, repackaged, diluted, or outright counterfeit. I was even aware of all the recent drug shortages here, but I hadn't realized the degree to which those had made doctors desperate for the meds their patients needed. A compassionate doctor's willingness to go to any length for their patients opens the door to both skyrocketing grey-market profit-scalping, and a higher risk of bad drugs finding their way into good, reputable settings. The author clearly has command of her subject, and the details are used well, clear in their motivating power, but not overwhelming. Fascinating.

This book also gives us Lucky and Bo, not out together since they're still co-workers, but in a relationship that includes hot sex, and a lot of confusion on Lucky's part. He'd like to believe he and Bo are just fuck-buddies, but his reactions to Bo are too extreme to keep fooling himself forever. Lucky is a great character, a man hiding a warm heart under years of accumulated smart-assery. He pretends to be hard, but the cracks in that facade are getting wider. He's matured somewhat, and is gaining a less self-centered view of the world, or perhaps admitting to one he had all along. Bo is still a guy you have to love. His patience with Lucky is impressive, and he has his flaws and vulnerabilities too. Some of the most emotional parts of the story involve the conflicts between Bo's head and his heart. This book is a little less intense than the first, but moves the characters forward nicely.

There's a good balance of mystery/action and romance here. If you've enjoyed the first book, definitely read this sequel. (But if you haven't, don't start here - read Diversion first - you'll fall for these two guys and understand this one far better.)

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay! I'm very much invested now. I loved the romance and the banter, and the subplot stubbed me in the gut so I'll call it a win!

[Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky is without a doubt one of the most contrary, difficult, idiotic, scared MCs I've ever read, and STILL I love this dude.
Because he is also gritty and true, extremely loyal (when you've been let in), smart and self sufficient.

His relationship with Bo is incredibly confusing, but dogdamned lovely (AND sexy) at the same time. And Lucky might be pretending to NOT be in a relationship with Bo, but he knows (AND loves the truth!) And what Lucky does to make Bo happy makes me smile, every damn time:

"Damn, that was good. So good he almost didn't mind the steamed broccoli the chicken shared a plate with. Green things belonged in flowerpots or in gardens, not on plates. He saved the broccoli for last."

...

"However, he also avoided bacon when Bo wasn't around, on the off chance that someone who's undergone years of medical training might be right."

This series is definitely another take on the whole 'mystery'-genre. And normally I do prefer my mysteries with murder, but this is FUN and clever and well-written, which means that I don't really miss the "normal".
It is kind of complicated, though, with all the scientific language for the drugs and since it is not an over-worked genre it is not the "normal" (murder) police procedures and so on, but that just means you need to keep your brain on, when reading.
This was not a problem for me, since I think this is a fantastic series, but it is not a light fluffy read.

As for the rest of it... Lucky and Bo is fast approaching favourite-MM-couple-status in my book. They really do make me smile and swoon like a loon *wink*.

[Vio · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.65 stars
Why is it that most sequels crash? Collusion sort of did for me. I had difficulty with the chemistry between Lucky and Bo, I couldn't help feeling there was a change in dynamics. I dug deep to work out what the niggles were and its Bo he's not the same. Somehow he comes across as weaker and less interesting. And what happened to the physical side of the relationship, not sexy enough for me. Lucky's as funny as ever and cracked me up, a darling. The mystery and banter were a win, it was a good follow up just not a fantastic one.

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Audio Review***

I really like Darcy Stark's interpretation of Lucky and Bo. The other voices he does are also great, even the female ones...so I'm definitely carrying on with the audio series. Good choice Eden!!


***Book Review***

4.5 stars. Great second story in the series...the bad guys were rounded up and arrested both in Canada and Mexico, and Bo finally discovers that Lucky does have a heart and loves him back.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I didn't expect Lucky to get as far in acknowledging his feelings in this book. He is learning to talk about his emotions and tries really hard for Bo's sake. (even though he's still a bit trying himself!) And you just have to love Bo! The man is a darling hundred times over.
Really enjoyed part two if this increasingly addictive series!

[Feliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel to fully lived up to the expectations said first installment aroused. Again, the overall subject matter were shady goings-on around legal prescription drugs, cancer medications in this case. The scary thing is, there's a real background to this book's plot. As the author states in a foreword, there has been a perilous shortage of vital drugs in the US for a while now, creating a gray market where artificially run-short pharmaceuticals are sold at horrendous prices--and the hospitals desperate enough to buy there can't even be sure they don't get poisonous counterfeit or stuff rendered ineffective through wrong handling.

Anyway, to the story. It starts with a bang, and we're right in the middle of an action against larcenous warehouse employees, listening to Lucky's compelling narrative voice. As the blurb states, former drug trafficker Lucky Lucklighter "died" in the previous book, only to be reborn as Simon Harrison, agent to a DEA subdivision. Lucky and his partner, Bo, are later on assigned to an undercover stint in a children's cancer clinic in order to dig up gray market dealings going on there. And that's where the combats start--on several frontlines at once.

Pharmacist Bo, discharged from the Marines due to PTSD and consequently led astray from the straight and narrow by a drug addiction, takes the sickly children's fates to heart, so much so that he almost forgets he's "only" undercover as the clinic's pharmaceutical buyer and not actually responsible for the patient's care. He works himself half to death trying to provide much-needed meds for the children and comes perilously close to getting caught in the very trap he's supposed to set.

Lucky thinks he's better at keeping his distance, but finds that he isn't immune to the children's suffering. On top of that, Bo and Lucky are more than just work partners. Lucky might fight it as hard as he wants, he's getting emotionally involved, much to his horror. Lucky has learned the hard way that forming attachments only causes trouble; he can see his partner's predicament and attempts to make him see reason--and suddenly he finds himself playing opposite Bo instead of at his side. Will their work partnership survive this conflict? And what about their private relationship, which Lucky found himself barely able to acknowledge so far and now realizes is more than worth taking a risk for?

Like in the previous book, Lucky's narrative voice captured me from the start. It's as cynical, snarky, and straightforward as Lucky is himself, or as Bo puts it, "all cocky bantam rooster" and a delight to read. Although we only see Bo through Lucky's eyes, we get a good picture of his fierce honorableness and his stubborn determination to believe in the good in humanity. The latter makes Bo vulnerable, which in turn wakes a strange sense of protectiveness in Lucky the likes of which he'd thought long gone from his ability. As they work together to overcome both the outward threat and their private issues, they grow, together and toward each other.
The ending was just the cherry on top, so very appropriate for those two men and their respective personalities, satisfyingly warm but still open enough to leave room for the two of them to grow further.

Highly recommended!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooopsie, I slid from book 2 right into book 3 and forgot to do a review. Bo & Lucky are without a doubt one of the most incredibly dysfunctional couples going and for this I adore them. Really what's not to love about a couple who can't even be honest with themselves, much less each other about their feelings.

These two men are an interesting study in balance. Bo is compulsively neat and tidy, he's a vegetarian, he's trusting (too much so according to Lucky), he's social, methodical, likes to gather the information before making his decision. While Lucky is well...he's the opposite. He's messy, he'll eat all the bacon he can get his hands on (as long as no one tells Bo), he's anti-social, he goes by his gut instinct, he trust...no one, well that is until Bo. He trust Bo, he knows Bo's got his back...well damn when did that happen.

Bo & Lucky both work for the SNB (Southern Narcotics Bureau). They're partners, Lucky doesn't do partners or at least he didn't until Bo came along. Now Lucky does partners, well one partner, yup he does Bo every chance he gets and Bo is just fine with that. But they're just partner's with benefits right? Well it may have started that way, but as their current case progresses Lucky is forced to look more closely at how he feels about a lot of things not just Bo.

Bo & Lucky are undercover at a Children's Cancer Hospital trying to resolve some questionable happenings caused by a nationwide drug shortage and trying to juggle their relationship both personal and professional isn't always easy when you don't see eye to eye, but it can net some interesting results both personally and professionally.

As if life isn't complicated enough Lucky's trying to sort out his feelings for Bo, and Lucky doesn't do feelings, not even his own. Then there's Bo's strange behavior since they started their current case. It's enough to give guy a headache but add to it the company picnic and throw in a few sick kids...looks like Lucky might have to do feelings after all.

I love Bo & Lucky and while this book gives enough background that a person can read it as a stand alone I strongly recommend reading the first book in this series both for the background information and the entertainment value. Ms Winters has taken two men total opposites and made them fit. Their strengths are each others weakness and how they view each other is not really what one would expect. They are at times a study in contradiction and yet the way they fit works and is incredibly entertaining and endearing. They love each other because of their faults not in spite of them(don't tell Lucky I said it's love, he'll be pissed. He doesn't do feelings, ok?).

[Anke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this second book in the series. I had some problems getting into the story, as I felt as if I was thrown into the middle of the action, but soon I was totally gripped. For me, this was more a crime story than the follow-up of the love story between Lucky and Bo, which is not bad at all. I was rather speechless regarding the topic of medication shortage. As English is my second language, I had some problems with following all the facts presented, but that didn't take away my reading fun. The relationship between Lucky and Bo progressed further in a realistic way with an enjoyable ending and I'm already waiting for the next book.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

I have long been a fan of Eden Winter’s Diversion series, and I have been really enjoying the chance to revisit the books now that they have started coming out in audio. I first read Collusion way back in 2013, but this is one of the stories that has always stuck with me, even amidst so many wonderful books in this series. The story it tells about a prescription drug shortage and the life-and-death effects this has on patients in dire need of medication is just really intense and emotional. That the story is based on a real life, similar drug shortage the U.S. faced makes it all the more poignant. There is just such great emotion in this story as Bo deals with working at a children’s cancer hospital and desperately trying to locate legal and safe drugs for the patients, and we also get to see a tender side to Lucky as well. On top of that, this story moves the relationship between Bo and Lucky forward so nicely, with Lucky finally accepting his feelings for Bo.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Bo & Lucky *and Walter*, the investigations are hella interesting, and this one really hurt my heart. Lucky's an asshole but he's an honest asshole, and I like that. I'm loving seeing the heart that he denies, as Bo brings it to the surface.

I think this is going to end up a favorite series. :)

[Esra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that I love this book more than the first one.
It is also a big plus for me that there are many crime and mystery elements in the book.
And I loved the ending!
I can't say that I warmed to this couple yet, but I loved reading their relationship development.
Although Lucky claimed to be against any kind of relationship and pretended to not be in a relationship with Bo, we eventually witness him confess his feelings, firstly to himself and then to Bo.

[Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I’m really getting into this series.

Lucky & Bo are 2 undercover agents for the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. Book 2 picks up where book 1 left off…and finds us following the pair into a new assignment. There is a lengthy and informative intro to the book to set the stage for when the US was suffering a great prescription drug shortage and the resulting “gray market”.

The thing about this series is that the author CLEARLY has done her research…and it’s impressive. It’s amazing the things I’ve learned about the prescription drug industry and the corruption surrounding it. And this book is no different. It did, however, start to get a bit preachy by the end…minor details.

But back to the romance…Lucky is actually even more adorable in this one. He’s less bristly. And as he’s realizing his true feelings for Bo, it’s hard not to be endeared towards him. Bo faces some deep challenges with his assignment and there are times we’re led to wonder if he’s as good of a guy as we thought he was. Answer? Duh. ☺ The two of them together? You can still feel the chemistry, the attraction, the passion, and the need. And now, in book 2, you also feel the love. *big smile*

Great second installment. I’m kinda hooked…

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Review: Upping it to 4.5 Stars

I'm still loving the soft drawls Darcy Stark gives to both Lucky and Bo. It's not stereotypical, or over-exaggerated. It's also not easy to pull off. (Seriously, good narrators with an ear for a non-native accent are rare; I can't say Darcy's is perfect, but it's great.)

Also, I think I have a better appreciation for the subject matter (again) this time around. Sometimes re-reads lose their shine...rarely do ratings go up from me based on content and not JUST the quality of a narrator's performance. This one was a combination of both.


Original Rating 17Jul2016: 4.2 Stars

Yeah, I'll read the next one for certain. Something about Lucky, er, Simon? appeals to me; I love his asshole personality fighting the desperate desire to belong to someone and be loved...to do right even if it's not really his forte.

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, this series is good! On to the next one...

[Niinii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky and Bo are the best. 💕💕

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to Diversion, this story finds MC's Lucky and Bo initially working on separate assignments but just after finishing, as they report for duty, they are quickly reassigned to work on a new case. The national prescription drug shortage has hit hard at Rosario Children's Hospital, the leading children's cancer hospital in the southeast. Bo is assigned to be assistant pharmacy buyer and Lucky is assigned to the receiving department.

The author goes into depth on the issues that affect hospitals due to shortages of certain drugs and the ethical question of purchasing from the gray market where quality control is questionable. I found the topic extremely interesting, though complex and confusing at times. Bo, being Bo, is sucked into the humanity aspect of the problem and allows himself to get too close to the situation and the people involved. Lucky maintains more of a detachment, though he too becomes emotionally involved with a little girl cancer patient who he meets one day. These emotional attachments put a face to the theoretical issues and help the reader stay involved in the story.

When children start dying from a new batch of medicine, Lucky moves up the timetable to put a stop to the gray market purchases. Much to Bo's distress, he finds his supervisor is involved, and is disgusted with himself for being so gullible. Meanwhile, Lucky goes with a receiving department co-worker who is freaked out about a pickup he has to make from what appears to be a disreputable source. Lucky, of course, gets into further trouble as the situation goes from bad to worse and he's ultimately put into a life and death situation.

During the evolution of this situation, and especially when confronted with his own mortality, Lucky faces some relationship facts that he's tried to ignore. He loves Bo. He doesn’t know how to love, and he surely can't say it, but he finally admits to himself that he loves Bo. Then, while recuperating from his injuries, he learns that the little girl he befriended has died and he determines to find all of those involved who have managed to escape from justice. He's also determined to somehow track the bad batch of gray market drugs back to their source and see those responsible punished.

The conclusion of this story is very satisfying, and there's some love on the beach in the final moments of the book which will definitely put a smile on your face. If you loved Bo and Lucky in book one, don't miss this book. I also highly recommend this to those who like a good crime-solving adventure, and to those with an interest in the health care field. Ms. Winters did a fantastic job bringing this problem to light.

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.

[Caipi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to in January 2019

This book with it's heavy topic just broke my heart again!
I enjoyed listening to it and hope that book 3 will soon be available on audible too!

--------------------
Read in September 2016

A great sequel to Diversion!

This time Lucky and Bo were assigned to work undercover at Rosario Children's Cancer Center, where a prescription drug shortage jeopardized patients and desperate health workers tried to get the drugs from the gray market.
As expected, this job had emotionally burdened our warmhearted Bo heavily. But even Lucky, always cynical and emotionally detached, had at some point a breakdown when kids died.
So this topic was hard for the MCs as well as for me as reader, because even though this was fiction, it's based on the well researched facts of medication shortages in the US in 2011.

Despite everything, it was great to read how the MCs themselves, as well as their relationship, grew and became stronger. Lucky and Bo are definitely one of my favorite couples and I'm happy that there are already three more books with them available.

Suspense, romance and snarky humor, a perfect mix for me!
4,5 stars

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

For readers looking for something entertaining to read with a perfect blend of humor, suspense and a little drama, I highly recommend this. Note that this series is "romantic suspense" though, which means that the romance between the heroes sometimes is left on the backseat. But rest assured that Lucky of book #2 is much sweeter and more mature than the one in the first book.

“Thanks.”
“For what? I didn’t do anything.”
“Sometimes, being there is enough.”
Amen.



“I’ve got something to say. I don’t want to spend hours discussing it, I don’t want to analyze it, and I’m sure as hell not gonna spray paint it on some damned water tower.”
....
“I love you, you son of a bitch!”

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars audio
4 stars story

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review

4,5 stars

I've read these books before, last year if I remember correctly and I wasn't all that impressed by the first few books. "A work in progress" I think I called them. But I still stuck with the series. It had something that I just couldn't let go of, and I'm so glad I didn't, because it's a great one. And listening to the audio adds another dimension to the book, and not only due to Stark's amusingly smooth voice.

When we left Lucky in the last book, he was kind of....dead. Or well, his old identity is, the person is still very much alive. Just with a new name and a well-earned freedom going with it. He's still (voluntarily this time) working for the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau with Bo as a partner, both on and off the clock.

There is a national shortage of prescription drugs. Everything from morphine to cancer drugs is on the short list. Doctors and hospitals are getting desperate, turning to the grey and black markets to get hold of drugs. Only problem is, there is no guarantee that the drugs they get are safe for use, or even contain what they are supposed to do. Lucky and Bo are sent to a hospital to investigate and shut down illegal activity.

Lucky, Lucky.... oblivious is the name of the day... I have to say it's kind of fun watching him muddle through his relationship with Bo. A relationship he doesn't even realise he's in... to the point where he had to actually contact his sister to ask for "the early signs of a relationship". Hilarious! Though to be fair, I do feel for Bo and all the shit he has to muddle through. I truly admire his patience and perseverance not to have left the man. Or at the very least strangled him. Patience like a saint.

You know what the scary part of this book is? The credibility of it. I mean, imagine that there really was a shortage of drugs. Drugs that are necessary to stay alive, to manage pain, to cure, to treat. Everything can happen and you will quickly have desperate people. People willing yo try and do anything, even getting drugs that might not be safe - in some cases they have nothing to lose. Imagine then unscrupulous people taking advantage and supplying drugs that are harmful. Drugs that haven't been produced properly or mixed with additives that are toxic. This has happened in the past. And to me that makes this story scary. Just think what if.

Darcy Stark was a hit for this book. He truly captured Bo and Lucky. I loved how Lucky's incredulity, frustration, and total obliviousness were so clear. It came through perfectly, as did Bo's personality. Usually the calm and rational one, but also the frayed and stressed Bo. The feelings were all there, they were perfect. I loved to listen to Stark's voice, some voices just speak to you, and his sure speaks to me.

I know that Lucky and Bo will get into more trouble in the books to come and I can't wait to listen to them.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

This was an excellent sequel to the first book in the series which I also adored. This time the author played ragged on my heart strings with a story about a shortage of pharmaceuticals at a children's cancer center. The part that was tough was that the situation was based on true situations. The medication shortages were the worst in 2012-13 and unscrupulous wholesalers took advantage, jacking up prices and gouging hospitals. Many then took to getting drugs from overseas pharmacies with inferior or tainted product.

So that was the subject of the book. Kids died. I cried. The gray area that allowed the above became a gray area. The plot was complex in that regard, although there were a couple of things that didn't work for me, but the story kept me hooked. There was only one extended thriller kind of scene and the mystery didn't last the whole book, but there was danger, peril, action, hijinks, bedside worrying and thus it was all good for me. And I so love that the little guy is the top. So A+ in my book. Except for the crying part.

But I'm still left with the question I started out with: What do they see in one another? Near the end, one of them asks the other what he sees in him. The answer didn't help me any: Bo said, "You've always got my back." That's an answer? My best friend always has my back. So does my sister. A cop's partner, a marine buddy, that's who has your back. But what does he see in him? He's such an ass if you're not in his head.

I have to add that I really, really hate the term wife beater, especially when used in a positive manner, as in this case where it is worn by the MC. (Plus, anyone who goes out in public with a true "wife-beater" is tacky. They're thin undershirts. A ribbed tank top is fine but a thin undershirt is revolting hence the derogatory name associating it with trashy men who beat their wives.)