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Shattered
When there’s nowhere to run, no way to hide…
Hiding. That’s exactly what movie star Hunter Reynolds has been doing his entire life, preferring to wear a mask made because of his perfected image. An action star, he’s Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor and a real ladies’ man, but prefers the company of men. If discovered, the scandal will end his illustrious career. Unfortunately he has enemies who will stop at nothing to expose him for the man he truly is. While he adores Taylor, his live-in lover and best friend, they aren’t in love and Hunter refuses to be seen in public with him. When Hunter is brutally attacked, he’s uncertain he will ever work in Hollywood again. Sadly, his doctors may be unable to repair the damage. Angry and bitter, Hunter pushes everyone out of his life, including Taylor. Hunter is merely the latest victim in a series of horrific crimes targeting gay entertainers.
MacGyver Donovich is a reporter for the LA Herald, who has written stories on each of the victims, and is anxious to talk with Hunter. From the moment he meets the rough-hewn man who exudes sexuality along with a choking self-loathing, MacGyver is fascinated and a strained friendship develops. Determined to get to the bottom of the attacks, Mac pens a series of edgy columns in an attempt to egg on the perpetrator.
Entering into a pact to hunt down the person responsible, both Mac and Hunter realize it’s only a matter of time before the assailant strikes again. As they grow closer given their respective haunted pasts, a series of new threats are issued and both men are forced to confront their demons. As the race to find the perpetrator ensues, Mac and Hunter finally discover what they’d been missing in life—love. But is it simply too late?
Secrets and lies and whispers of the past…
Never forget.
Hiding. That’s exactly what movie star Hunter Reynolds has been doing his entire life, preferring to wear a mask made because of his perfected image. An action star, he’s Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor and a real ladies’ man, but prefers the company of men. If discovered, the scandal will end his illustrious career. Unfortunately he has enemies who will stop at nothing to expose him for the man he truly is. While he adores Taylor, his live-in lover and best friend, they aren’t in love and Hunter refuses to be seen in public with him. When Hunter is brutally attacked, he’s uncertain he will ever work in Hollywood again. Sadly, his doctors may be unable to repair the damage. Angry and bitter, Hunter pushes everyone out of his life, including Taylor. Hunter is merely the latest victim in a series of horrific crimes targeting gay entertainers.
MacGyver Donovich is a reporter for the LA Herald, who has written stories on each of the victims, and is anxious to talk with Hunter. From the moment he meets the rough-hewn man who exudes sexuality along with a choking self-loathing, MacGyver is fascinated and a strained friendship develops. Determined to get to the bottom of the attacks, Mac pens a series of edgy columns in an attempt to egg on the perpetrator.
Entering into a pact to hunt down the person responsible, both Mac and Hunter realize it’s only a matter of time before the assailant strikes again. As they grow closer given their respective haunted pasts, a series of new threats are issued and both men are forced to confront their demons. As the race to find the perpetrator ensues, Mac and Hunter finally discover what they’d been missing in life—love. But is it simply too late?
Secrets and lies and whispers of the past…
Never forget.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2011
About the author
Cassandre Dayne
124 books122 followersCassandre Dayne is the award winning, bestselling author of over 200 novels and stories in several genres including BDSM, spanking stories, LGBT, D/s, dark pararnormal and romance. Her pieces are called edgy and terrifying as well as thought provoking and sensual. She’s also the radio host of The Edge, a blog talk radio show highlighting artists who take their work to the “edge”.
You can find her works on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. Her upcoming series – Texas Oil will be released from Blushing Books later this year. She resides somewhere in Virginia with her husband and two special golden retrievers, MacGyver and Indiana Jones. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying a glass of wine, listening to metal music and enjoying the outdoors.
You can find her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cassandre-Da...
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/cassandredayne
Bookbub: https://bookbub.com/authors/cassandre...
Blog: www.cassandredayne.wordpress.com
twitter: https://twitter.com/cassandredayne
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/cassandredayne
You can find her works on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. Her upcoming series – Texas Oil will be released from Blushing Books later this year. She resides somewhere in Virginia with her husband and two special golden retrievers, MacGyver and Indiana Jones. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying a glass of wine, listening to metal music and enjoying the outdoors.
You can find her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cassandre-Da...
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/cassandredayne
Bookbub: https://bookbub.com/authors/cassandre...
Blog: www.cassandredayne.wordpress.com
twitter: https://twitter.com/cassandredayne
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/cassandredayne
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 15, 2015
When I requested this book for review, I had no idea if this was the first edition or not, and I've never read any title written by this author before. The blurb sounded amazing, it piqued my curiosity, so I decided to go with it. Under Acknowledgments, the author tells us this is the third printing, which made me wonder why a book would need re-released so many times. I found out soon enough.
The book starts with a scene between Hunter and his best friend/lover having a fight then having angry/make-up sex. While I thought the scene wasn't necessary at all because we know Taylor is not Hunter's love interest in this story, it didn't bother me either; until it became confusing. There's talk of Hunter loving rimming Taylor, but nobody was getting rimmed. It came out of nowhere and it made me wonder if the author forgot to write that particular detail in the sex scene. I shrugged it off as a mistake and went on reading.
We know from the blurb that Hunter has a stalker who writes him threatening notes to expose his sexuality to the media, but the way the whole thing was handled was bizarre. Forget about the cops solving the case or anything; the cops weren't even involved until way past the halfway mark, and even then, they didn't do anything.
MacGyver Donovich is the reporter/investigator/detective/smarty-pants mystery solver as well as Hunter's love interest. After he meets Hunter for the first time and they have a brief talk about the incident of Hunter's attack, Mac meets his friends(whom are in a relationship) for a threesome. This sex scene is long, takes out a pretty good chunk of this book, and I wish it wasn't there, because it doesn't contribute anything to this story line. So now we're at the halfway mark, we watched both MCs have sex with different people, but not with each other since they just met; there's only half a book left to establish a relationship, a connection, anything really, between Mac and Hunter, and it's not enough to make it believable. I couldn't feel any chemistry between Mac and Hunter; they meet and a few days (weeks? it's not clear exactly the passage of time) later they're developing feeling for one another. We get a sex scene or two between them, but it's just that: sex. No emotional connection or feelings of any kind that the reader can relate to.
This book needs at least one more round of editing, and considering this is the third printing, it's not acceptable. The author thanked her proof-reader in the Acknowledgements part, but she should be hiring someone different, because this book still has too many typos. "Conscience" instead of "conscious", "juice" instead of "juicy" are just a couple that come to mind, but there were more. There are also awkward phrases, like "He had a bent towards telling the real story"; I know what it's supposed to mean, but I've never seen it expressed that way. I'm not even sure if it's correct or not, but it was weird enough to pull my focus from the story. Some sentences are not finished, for example this "“And now after all the shit I did for this goddamn town and all the fucking sacrifices I made and after all the money the groups of asshole made on me. On me!”...what happened after all that? Is it left open for interpretation, is it not finished for a reason? I'm not sure what to think, other than the author had something on her mind she wanted to express, but got lost somewhere along the way. And last but not least, this book is in desperate need of some commas. As it is, it sounds robotic.
Reading the sex scenes between Hunter and Mac was like watching a porn; there's just about the same amount of connection between the fucker and the fuckee (I'm sure that's probably not a word, but that's what came to mind). That wouldn't have been so bad because this isn't the first book I've read that failed to deliver the chemistry between the characters, but there are some awkward and unrealistic things happening there, as well as an expression that made my nose wrinkle in disgust:
"From somewhere in deep his inner beast roared, wanting nothing more than to drink every drop of the man’s cum until it filled the haunted cavities of his soul." ---Cum filled soul cavities are not appealing.
"as he continued using his strong jaw muscles to clamp around Mac’s shaft.
"When he pulled his fingers from his mouth, a small popping sound occurred." ---> this could've been written more reader-friendly by saying "he pulled his fingers from his mouth with a pop".
As if sensing his lover was about to erupt, Mac squeezed his jaw muscles around Hunter’s cock while he rolled his balls between his fingers. --> how does someone squeeze their jaw muscles around a dick, or anything really? Aren't the jaw muscles on the outside on the maxillary, nearly overlying the third molars, therefore making it impossible to squeeze them around anything? Sure, we can use our throat muscles around a penis for a fantastic blow-job, but certainly not the jaw muscles.
This book was a great idea that was unfortunately poorly executed. Sometimes we just have to accept that it's not meant to be and the 3rd time is not a charm.
The book starts with a scene between Hunter and his best friend/lover having a fight then having angry/make-up sex. While I thought the scene wasn't necessary at all because we know Taylor is not Hunter's love interest in this story, it didn't bother me either; until it became confusing. There's talk of Hunter loving rimming Taylor, but nobody was getting rimmed. It came out of nowhere and it made me wonder if the author forgot to write that particular detail in the sex scene. I shrugged it off as a mistake and went on reading.
We know from the blurb that Hunter has a stalker who writes him threatening notes to expose his sexuality to the media, but the way the whole thing was handled was bizarre. Forget about the cops solving the case or anything; the cops weren't even involved until way past the halfway mark, and even then, they didn't do anything.
MacGyver Donovich is the reporter/investigator/detective/smarty-pants mystery solver as well as Hunter's love interest. After he meets Hunter for the first time and they have a brief talk about the incident of Hunter's attack, Mac meets his friends(whom are in a relationship) for a threesome. This sex scene is long, takes out a pretty good chunk of this book, and I wish it wasn't there, because it doesn't contribute anything to this story line. So now we're at the halfway mark, we watched both MCs have sex with different people, but not with each other since they just met; there's only half a book left to establish a relationship, a connection, anything really, between Mac and Hunter, and it's not enough to make it believable. I couldn't feel any chemistry between Mac and Hunter; they meet and a few days (weeks? it's not clear exactly the passage of time) later they're developing feeling for one another. We get a sex scene or two between them, but it's just that: sex. No emotional connection or feelings of any kind that the reader can relate to.
This book needs at least one more round of editing, and considering this is the third printing, it's not acceptable. The author thanked her proof-reader in the Acknowledgements part, but she should be hiring someone different, because this book still has too many typos. "Conscience" instead of "conscious", "juice" instead of "juicy" are just a couple that come to mind, but there were more. There are also awkward phrases, like "He had a bent towards telling the real story"; I know what it's supposed to mean, but I've never seen it expressed that way. I'm not even sure if it's correct or not, but it was weird enough to pull my focus from the story. Some sentences are not finished, for example this "“And now after all the shit I did for this goddamn town and all the fucking sacrifices I made and after all the money the groups of asshole made on me. On me!”...what happened after all that? Is it left open for interpretation, is it not finished for a reason? I'm not sure what to think, other than the author had something on her mind she wanted to express, but got lost somewhere along the way. And last but not least, this book is in desperate need of some commas. As it is, it sounds robotic.
Reading the sex scenes between Hunter and Mac was like watching a porn; there's just about the same amount of connection between the fucker and the fuckee (I'm sure that's probably not a word, but that's what came to mind). That wouldn't have been so bad because this isn't the first book I've read that failed to deliver the chemistry between the characters, but there are some awkward and unrealistic things happening there, as well as an expression that made my nose wrinkle in disgust:
"From somewhere in deep his inner beast roared, wanting nothing more than to drink every drop of the man’s cum until it filled the haunted cavities of his soul." ---Cum filled soul cavities are not appealing.
"as he continued using his strong jaw muscles to clamp around Mac’s shaft.
"When he pulled his fingers from his mouth, a small popping sound occurred." ---> this could've been written more reader-friendly by saying "he pulled his fingers from his mouth with a pop".
As if sensing his lover was about to erupt, Mac squeezed his jaw muscles around Hunter’s cock while he rolled his balls between his fingers. --> how does someone squeeze their jaw muscles around a dick, or anything really? Aren't the jaw muscles on the outside on the maxillary, nearly overlying the third molars, therefore making it impossible to squeeze them around anything? Sure, we can use our throat muscles around a penis for a fantastic blow-job, but certainly not the jaw muscles.
This book was a great idea that was unfortunately poorly executed. Sometimes we just have to accept that it's not meant to be and the 3rd time is not a charm.
July 23, 2015
Title: Shattered
Author: Cassandre Dayne
Genre: New Adult, Erotic, M/M Romance
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Rating: 3 Stars
Review
** ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I actually came across this story myself on Netgalley, while looking for different things to read. The cover was enticing, the blurb even more so and considering I can handle male on male stories, having written one myself (albeit a YA version), I was ready to jump in.
This book was hard for me to get through and I hate that I have to say that. It had all the makings of pretty spectacular book quite frankly, but there were quite a few inconsistencies that stood out to me that in the end, left me struggling to finish it.
Now, as a reader and reviewer, I don’t actively look at the editing of a book. I really don’t. I suppose if I came across a story that was just fraught with issues, I might have to look at it, but for the most part, I mean, as long as everything flows, I can get behind the characters and there’s a great story being told, I’m golden.
This is the exception. It would jump at times and in such an unclear way that I had trouble keeping up. I would have to go back, read over what I had just read to make sure it wasn’t my brain skipping parts or just not letting words sink in. Having to do that, takes away from the story for me and it did it quite a bit here.
In terms of steam level in regards to the love scenes throughout the book, I have to give the author her due. They were written quite well. And even though I had issues with some of the characters at times, they did come across as real people, and in no way one dimensional, or like cardboard cut outs.
There were redeeming qualities apart from the things I’ve mentioned above, and because reading is subjective (and I happened to be in an editing mode on my book while I read this), you might want to pick it up and give it a shot yourself and see how it works for you. You may find it all worked for you where it didn’t for me, and if that’s the case, that’s great. It just didn’t hit the mark for me personally.
That being said, I did manage to come across a new author in this journey, and that can never be a bad thing. Especially when there’s a library of her other works just waiting around the bend to be read.
January 1, 2016
Outstanding!!! The m/m sex scenes in this book, are some of the best I've read in this genre. The characters are easy to connect with and don't come off as fake. The writing is great, and the story flows without any hiccups. Be warned.....this is a book that will leave you with a craving to spend the rest of the night in bed with your lover...wink wink...while wondering what or should I say who, may be spying on you. If your not into man on man loving, I wouldn't suggest you dive into this one, but for you m/m fans....grab this one up stat for a night of enjoyment.
July 8, 2015
I've not read anything by this author before. I found this to be a very enjoyable m/m read.
Hunters a famous actor who wants to keep his sexuality a secret. There is a mad man going around trying to destroy gays. Macs a reporter sent to interview Hunter. He feels an urge to protect him. Can he?
Really good storyline with hot sexy scenes. Ill definitely be reading more of this authors books. Loved it.
Hunters a famous actor who wants to keep his sexuality a secret. There is a mad man going around trying to destroy gays. Macs a reporter sent to interview Hunter. He feels an urge to protect him. Can he?
Really good storyline with hot sexy scenes. Ill definitely be reading more of this authors books. Loved it.
July 27, 2016
This book would have warranted a 4.5 if not for all the errors throughout the book. One or two is not so bad, but constantly? I couldn't let it pass. I'm just too damn anal about these things. The story, the plot and even the action was sublime, but a great editing of it would have made this story downright mint.
April 29, 2012
I really hate giving this book 2 stars. It had so much potential and I actually liked the story; HOWEVER; and this is a huge sticking point, the editor should be fired for doing such a horrible job cleaning up after the author.
July 10, 2015
"I can't tell if it's killing me or it's making me stronger."
movie star Hunter Reynolds is viciously attacked in an alley. his perfect face is ruined and his preference for men is exposed to the public. embittered by the events, he pushes everyone away including his live-in partner Taylor. while recuperating at the hospital, Hunter speaks with LA Herald reporter MacGyver Donovich who has been writing a series of articles on recent attacks on gay artists/entertainers. both men have demons to face, an attacker to bring to justice and a love to deal with.
for starters, this was a short read. the pacing was fast and the sex scenes were quite intense. with just over a hundred pages, there seemed to be a lot going on but i commend author Cassandra Dayne for managing to squeeze everything in and for not leaving the reader shortchanged at the end.
i did not have problems with the storyline, the characters and the writing. i do have a problem, though, with a) the timeline, b) how this played out with regard to the testosterone-charged atmosphere that perpetually hovered between Hunter and Taylor or Hunter and Mac and c) some annoying onomatopoeaic words:
1. five days after the brutal attack and despite the "barrage of tubes and bandages," Hunter is well enough to:
...There was no doubt about what was going on....The instant the door opened....Taylor was furious, his face beet-reed...'Goddamn the fu**er knows how to push my buttons!'...brushed his hands through his hair and groaned. 'Damn it. Why do I do this to myself?' (did i read it wrong or did Hunter and Taylor had a quickie inside the former's hospital room?)
2. Hunter is able to open his swollen eye after twenty-four hours which is plausible enough and is scheduled for release the day after. (what happened to the "barrage of tubes and bandages?" Hunter sure heals fast! what does this say about the hospital too? they must have ultra-modern equipment and drugs to fast-track the healing process. unbelievable!)
3. "Tick. Tock" "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!" "Clang" "Screech" "Wham! Whoosh!" "Bam!" "Crack! Slap" "Pop! Crack!" etc. etc. (i do not get it. this was way too distracting and i found too many of them all over the place. they only made me remember watching Batman cartoons when i was a kid)
as i mentioned earlier, i had no problems with the storyline, the flawed characters and the writing in general. the timeline was just not right and realistic enough. this, coupled with the excessive use of onomatopoeia, shattered everything for me.
*received a copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley
movie star Hunter Reynolds is viciously attacked in an alley. his perfect face is ruined and his preference for men is exposed to the public. embittered by the events, he pushes everyone away including his live-in partner Taylor. while recuperating at the hospital, Hunter speaks with LA Herald reporter MacGyver Donovich who has been writing a series of articles on recent attacks on gay artists/entertainers. both men have demons to face, an attacker to bring to justice and a love to deal with.
for starters, this was a short read. the pacing was fast and the sex scenes were quite intense. with just over a hundred pages, there seemed to be a lot going on but i commend author Cassandra Dayne for managing to squeeze everything in and for not leaving the reader shortchanged at the end.
i did not have problems with the storyline, the characters and the writing. i do have a problem, though, with a) the timeline, b) how this played out with regard to the testosterone-charged atmosphere that perpetually hovered between Hunter and Taylor or Hunter and Mac and c) some annoying onomatopoeaic words:
1. five days after the brutal attack and despite the "barrage of tubes and bandages," Hunter is well enough to:
...There was no doubt about what was going on....The instant the door opened....Taylor was furious, his face beet-reed...'Goddamn the fu**er knows how to push my buttons!'...brushed his hands through his hair and groaned. 'Damn it. Why do I do this to myself?' (did i read it wrong or did Hunter and Taylor had a quickie inside the former's hospital room?)
2. Hunter is able to open his swollen eye after twenty-four hours which is plausible enough and is scheduled for release the day after. (what happened to the "barrage of tubes and bandages?" Hunter sure heals fast! what does this say about the hospital too? they must have ultra-modern equipment and drugs to fast-track the healing process. unbelievable!)
3. "Tick. Tock" "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!" "Clang" "Screech" "Wham! Whoosh!" "Bam!" "Crack! Slap" "Pop! Crack!" etc. etc. (i do not get it. this was way too distracting and i found too many of them all over the place. they only made me remember watching Batman cartoons when i was a kid)
as i mentioned earlier, i had no problems with the storyline, the flawed characters and the writing in general. the timeline was just not right and realistic enough. this, coupled with the excessive use of onomatopoeia, shattered everything for me.
*received a copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley
July 20, 2015
"I can't tell if it's killing me or it's making me stronger."
movie star Hunter Reynolds is viciously attacked in an alley. his perfect face is ruined and his preference for men is exposed to the public. embittered by the events, he pushes everyone away including his live-in partner Taylor. while recuperating at the hospital, Hunter speaks with LA Herald reporter MacGyver Donovich who has been writing a series of articles on recent attacks on gay artists/entertainers. both men have demons to face, an attacker to bring to justice and a love to deal with.
for starters, this was a short read. the pacing was fast and the sex scenes were quite intense. with just over a hundred pages, there seemed to be a lot going on but i commend author Cassandra Dayne for managing to squeeze everything in and for not leaving the reader shortchanged at the end.
i did not have problems with the storyline, the characters and the writing. i do have a problem, though, with a) the timeline, b) how this played out with regard to the testosterone-charged atmosphere that perpetually hovered between Hunter and Taylor or Hunter and Mac and c) some annoying onomatopoeaic words:
1. five days after the brutal attack and despite the "barrage of tubes and bandages," Hunter is well enough to:
...There was no doubt about what was going on....The instant the door opened....Taylor was furious, his face beet-reed...'Goddamn the fu**er knows how to push my buttons!'...brushed his hands through his hair and groaned. 'Damn it. Why do I do this to myself?' (did i read it wrong or did Hunter and Taylor had a quickie inside the former's hospital room?)
2. Hunter is able to open his swollen eye after twenty-four hours which is plausible enough and is scheduled for release the day after. (what happened to the "barrage of tubes and bandages?" Hunter sure heals fast! what does this say about the hospital too? they must have ultra-modern equipment and drugs to fast-track the healing process. unbelievable!)
3. "Tick. Tock" "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!" "Clang" "Screech" "Wham! Whoosh!" "Bam!" "Crack! Slap" "Pop! Crack!" etc. etc. (i do not get it. this was way too distracting and i found too many of them all over the place. they only made me remember watching Batman cartoons when i was a kid)
as i mentioned earlier, i had no problems with the storyline, the flawed characters and the writing in general. the timeline was just not right and realistic enough. this, coupled with the excessive use of onomatopoeia, shattered everything for me.
*received a copy for review via NetGalley
movie star Hunter Reynolds is viciously attacked in an alley. his perfect face is ruined and his preference for men is exposed to the public. embittered by the events, he pushes everyone away including his live-in partner Taylor. while recuperating at the hospital, Hunter speaks with LA Herald reporter MacGyver Donovich who has been writing a series of articles on recent attacks on gay artists/entertainers. both men have demons to face, an attacker to bring to justice and a love to deal with.
for starters, this was a short read. the pacing was fast and the sex scenes were quite intense. with just over a hundred pages, there seemed to be a lot going on but i commend author Cassandra Dayne for managing to squeeze everything in and for not leaving the reader shortchanged at the end.
i did not have problems with the storyline, the characters and the writing. i do have a problem, though, with a) the timeline, b) how this played out with regard to the testosterone-charged atmosphere that perpetually hovered between Hunter and Taylor or Hunter and Mac and c) some annoying onomatopoeaic words:
1. five days after the brutal attack and despite the "barrage of tubes and bandages," Hunter is well enough to:
...There was no doubt about what was going on....The instant the door opened....Taylor was furious, his face beet-reed...'Goddamn the fu**er knows how to push my buttons!'...brushed his hands through his hair and groaned. 'Damn it. Why do I do this to myself?' (did i read it wrong or did Hunter and Taylor had a quickie inside the former's hospital room?)
2. Hunter is able to open his swollen eye after twenty-four hours which is plausible enough and is scheduled for release the day after. (what happened to the "barrage of tubes and bandages?" Hunter sure heals fast! what does this say about the hospital too? they must have ultra-modern equipment and drugs to fast-track the healing process. unbelievable!)
3. "Tick. Tock" "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!" "Clang" "Screech" "Wham! Whoosh!" "Bam!" "Crack! Slap" "Pop! Crack!" etc. etc. (i do not get it. this was way too distracting and i found too many of them all over the place. they only made me remember watching Batman cartoons when i was a kid)
as i mentioned earlier, i had no problems with the storyline, the flawed characters and the writing in general. the timeline was just not right and realistic enough. this, coupled with the excessive use of onomatopoeia, shattered everything for me.
*received a copy for review via NetGalley
July 25, 2015
I enjoyed this book mostly because it was a gay romance surrounded by mystery and intrigue. Just as nothing is perfect in real life, neither are the lives of the characters here-- Mac and Hunter both have deep seated anxieties rooted in the past.
This is the third edition of Shattered and I'm not sure if that is due to changes in publishing or if there was editing/more work done with the story. There are a few typos but nothing too major.
As a shorter read, Dayne has packed a lot of punch into these pages. A lot happens in a short amount of time. I felt like there were a number of things that weren't fully resolved for the reader: Mac's past ghosts aren't completely exorcised while more of the focus is on revealing clues from Hunter's past... How and why Christopher was seeking retribution against Hunter wasn't totally explained-- especially since Hunter and his father really have no relationship in the current timeline of the story. The thing that confused/concerned me the most was wanting to know why Hunter's father allowed (encouraged?) his son's attack (rape) so many years in the past.
There were elements that weren't resolved regarding the crimes that are the action and backdrop of this romance. Hunter heals from his disfiguring attack in record time and unlike real life-- his 'beauty' is completely restored by the end of the book. I also just have to note that Mac sure 'hisses' a lot. (Ha ha!)
It's still a good read with an interesting scenario and characters. I received this ARC edition through NetGalley.
This is the third edition of Shattered and I'm not sure if that is due to changes in publishing or if there was editing/more work done with the story. There are a few typos but nothing too major.
As a shorter read, Dayne has packed a lot of punch into these pages. A lot happens in a short amount of time. I felt like there were a number of things that weren't fully resolved for the reader: Mac's past ghosts aren't completely exorcised while more of the focus is on revealing clues from Hunter's past... How and why Christopher was seeking retribution against Hunter wasn't totally explained-- especially since Hunter and his father really have no relationship in the current timeline of the story. The thing that confused/concerned me the most was wanting to know why Hunter's father allowed (encouraged?) his son's attack (rape) so many years in the past.
There were elements that weren't resolved regarding the crimes that are the action and backdrop of this romance. Hunter heals from his disfiguring attack in record time and unlike real life-- his 'beauty' is completely restored by the end of the book. I also just have to note that Mac sure 'hisses' a lot. (Ha ha!)
It's still a good read with an interesting scenario and characters. I received this ARC edition through NetGalley.
July 8, 2015
Hunter is a well-known actor with deep dark secret one that he does not want to come out. He has been hiding his true sexual nature for so long that the thought of I getting out is causing his relationship with Taylor to turn bitter. Not only does he have his career to think about but it seems that Hunter is also the target of a madman bent on making all gay me pay and lose the thing they love the most. Mac a reporter who usually does fluff pieces has been working the serial beatings of these gay men and it is hitting a little close to home for him dredging up things in his past he would rather remain buried as well. When Mac is sent to interview Hunter he is shocked at the savagery as well as inexplicably turned on. Hunter sees the hidden pain in Mac’s eyes and is also drawn to him. With a madman on the lose no one is safe. While Mac ties to drawn the guy out he also wants to keep Hunter safe. Trying to uncover the identity of this person is not easy but it must be done. When secrets come out how will their worlds ever be right again? Will the one who is hunting them get his revenge in the end or will they be able to stop him in time? Can these two men who have hidden behind masks for so long finally come out and be themselves? Not only that but can they truly find happiness once and for all?
June 30, 2015
Sadly I wasn't able to loose myself in the story at all. I didn't get a feel for any of the characters, I know that Hunter was supposed to be a tortured soul and Mac maybe, too? But again I didn't feel it. The relationships didn't do it for me either.
We get to read sex scenes between Hunter and Taylor (friends with benefits I think?), there is a threesome between Mac und his two friends, later on a few scenes between Hunter and Mac. That's most of the book. Now this isn't a bad thing, but I didn't really understand the relationships and the ones Hunter has with Taylor and Mac are nearly the same. At least I wouldn't be able to identify hunter's partner without a name attached.
The writing style was somewhat strange at times, the 'sound effects' for example. Usually you read them in context. Here they are their own sentence. When Hunter's being attacked it goes like this: "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!"
The mystery/thriller part containing the gay bashing crimes fell short. This was the thing I was most interested in in this story so I was disappointed.
I got this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
We get to read sex scenes between Hunter and Taylor (friends with benefits I think?), there is a threesome between Mac und his two friends, later on a few scenes between Hunter and Mac. That's most of the book. Now this isn't a bad thing, but I didn't really understand the relationships and the ones Hunter has with Taylor and Mac are nearly the same. At least I wouldn't be able to identify hunter's partner without a name attached.
The writing style was somewhat strange at times, the 'sound effects' for example. Usually you read them in context. Here they are their own sentence. When Hunter's being attacked it goes like this: "Slam! Whoosh! Pop!"
The mystery/thriller part containing the gay bashing crimes fell short. This was the thing I was most interested in in this story so I was disappointed.
I got this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
November 13, 2015
The attack came fast and brutal. Hunter Reynolds' movie star life was over. Through anger, he drives away his lover and shuts out the rest of the world. Then one handsome reporter, Macgyver Donovich visits Hunter at the hospital. They make an immediate connection. Mac is determined to draw out the perpetrator. Yet in doing so, he could make himself a target. Hunter must face his nightmares to help Mac, but sometimes what was in the past comes back to finish the job.
A dark thriller with highly intense erotic scenes. It was a fascinating idea of a criminal attacking gay men and how it all tied up together. Yet the cleverness of the crimes were shadowed by the characters and sex scenes. I love flawed characters, and this story has a set of powerful ones. Mac was the one that drew me in with his determination and sense of justice, and all the skeletons in his closet.
Hunter's recovery happened way too quickly. No matter his fits, he needed to be in the hospital longer and have more time to heal before the rest of the story could progress as it did.
A dark thriller with highly intense erotic scenes. It was a fascinating idea of a criminal attacking gay men and how it all tied up together. Yet the cleverness of the crimes were shadowed by the characters and sex scenes. I love flawed characters, and this story has a set of powerful ones. Mac was the one that drew me in with his determination and sense of justice, and all the skeletons in his closet.
Hunter's recovery happened way too quickly. No matter his fits, he needed to be in the hospital longer and have more time to heal before the rest of the story could progress as it did.
July 10, 2015
I was really surprised at the ratings of this book, I went in expecting it to be terrible, but damn i liked it. I liked the story line, both the MC's and the mystery that this book involves. Beware it is an insta-love scenrio.
February 19, 2012
Oh. boy. This story had so much potential. The editing or better yet the lack of good editing completely ruined it for me.
Want to Read
March 30, 2015Took a risk on this at $1 in the hope that the editing issues mentioned in the reviews of the previous edition have been corrected.
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