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D.C. Files #2
Trust & Confidence
It's been ten years, they are supposed to be over this.
Michael Lorne has worked for years to be where he is right now - on a protection detail for the White House Chief of Staff. But then his whole world gets shaken up the moment he meets the one person he thought he would never see again. His childhood best friend, his first love, the one who got away.
After a stint of working on presidential campaign, Adam Davis is back where he belongs - writing for his political commentary blog, DC College. Life is good. He's comfortable. He's doing what he loves. He's... not prepared to see Michael walking back into his life.
Nothing can be the same now that they have met, but what will happen next? Is their past truly behind them or are there some things that were never meant to end?
Michael Lorne has worked for years to be where he is right now - on a protection detail for the White House Chief of Staff. But then his whole world gets shaken up the moment he meets the one person he thought he would never see again. His childhood best friend, his first love, the one who got away.
After a stint of working on presidential campaign, Adam Davis is back where he belongs - writing for his political commentary blog, DC College. Life is good. He's comfortable. He's doing what he loves. He's... not prepared to see Michael walking back into his life.
Nothing can be the same now that they have met, but what will happen next? Is their past truly behind them or are there some things that were never meant to end?
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First published November 13, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 18, 2015
I am such a fan of the first book in this series To Serve and Protect that I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. The second book had a lot of new information about MCs Blake and Sam and daughter Olivia and it was so great to see them again. The big problem with Trust & Confidence? One word: Adam.
Adam is a journalist who owns and operates a very successful D.C. political blog. He grew up with Michael and the two were inseparable from grade school until the end of high school. When they both came out to each other, they fell in love and Michael hoped it would last forever But Adam broke things off when we went off to college and Michael went into the Marines.
Flash forward ten years and Adam runs into Michael again at the White House. Michael is a Secret Service Agent protecting Sam Daniels who has been promoted to White House Chief of Staff. Adam and Michael decide to try dating again and quickly fall into bed together.
Adam turned out to be a pretty big ass hole, stomping all over Michael's feelings not once, but twice. I also didn't feel any love connection between these men. Adam seemed incredibly narcissistic and there just didn't seem to be enough information on Michael to formulate an opinion.
For fans of the first book, I would recommend this one so you can read up on Sam and Blake and Olivia, but for everyone else, this one just doesn't have what it takes to make an enjoyable M/M romance read.
Galley copy of Trust & Confidence provided by MLR Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Adam is a journalist who owns and operates a very successful D.C. political blog. He grew up with Michael and the two were inseparable from grade school until the end of high school. When they both came out to each other, they fell in love and Michael hoped it would last forever But Adam broke things off when we went off to college and Michael went into the Marines.
Flash forward ten years and Adam runs into Michael again at the White House. Michael is a Secret Service Agent protecting Sam Daniels who has been promoted to White House Chief of Staff. Adam and Michael decide to try dating again and quickly fall into bed together.
Adam turned out to be a pretty big ass hole, stomping all over Michael's feelings not once, but twice. I also didn't feel any love connection between these men. Adam seemed incredibly narcissistic and there just didn't seem to be enough information on Michael to formulate an opinion.
For fans of the first book, I would recommend this one so you can read up on Sam and Blake and Olivia, but for everyone else, this one just doesn't have what it takes to make an enjoyable M/M romance read.
Galley copy of Trust & Confidence provided by MLR Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
December 7, 2015
I enjoyed Serve & Protect - the first book in this series - and when I read the summary for this one, I just knew that I had to read it. Second-chance romance is like a catnip for me. Dangle it in front of me and I usually will be very tempted to read it. Plus the cover promises interracial couple, which I always welcome as part of romance-diversity.
Well, I will say that this is my favorite Linden’s book so far. It’s not without flaws though – and for me, thy name is Adam Davis. I am very certain that Adam will not be most reader’s favorite boyfriend of the year. Actually, he’s not mine either. He clearly hurts Michael not once but twice. He sabotages his relationship with Michael over personal fear that sounds both unfounded and weak. He doesn’t do enough groveling and maybe, just maybe, Michael deserves a lot better.
BUT, I cannot deny that I loved this book despite Adam’s misgivings. I thought that Linden has written a quite convincing second-chance story. I believed in the awkwardness and tentativeness of their first meeting after ten years. I believed in the progress of becoming friends again after all these years. I also thought that Linden wrote the past and present time – for us to see how Adam and Michael became best friends during their childhood – quite seamlessly. It didn’t disrupt the story for me, in fact it gave me understanding towards both characters and how they arrived as they were right now.
And I LOVED, LOVED Michael Lorne. I loved him when he was just a ten-year-old boy with broken arm who found a best friend one summer. I loved him when he was teenager coming out as gay to Adam and his parents. I loved him when he fell in love with Adam and navigated that first intimate moments. I loved him when he was heartbroken. I loved him when he was an adult man who was still in love with his best friend. I simply loved his heart and his soul. Somehow, my love for Michael helped me throughout the book when Adam reacting like an ass. I know that it should’ve actually made me hate Adam more – but I couldn’t dislike the book as overall because I loved Michael too much. Does that even make sense?
So I thought this was a good second-chance romance. I liked that the steam level was also moderate – so this was a story driven by the plot and characters rather than the sex. My love towards Michael elevated my reading experience too. I was somehow could be convinced that Adam would treat Michael like his precious from on. Or his grandfather would probably swat his bum *laugh*. Oh, yes, Adam’s grandfather is probably another favorite character of mine here.
In addition to all that, I also need to state my appreciation towards the setting. I usually avoid politic in my romance. Politic is usually messy and manipulative, and for LGBT romance tends to be, well homophobic. But the political situation in this series seem to stay in the positive sight. Nobody raise a ruckus over the fact that both Chief of Staff and his Secret Service agent are gay. The political issue that is front and center in this one is more about budget problem and none about the sexuality of the political players. I really, really, like that.
One more thing, while Megan Linden herself has reassured readers that all these titles are stand-alone, I kindly advise that you try the first book prior reading this one. There are recurring characters making appearance, and I’m sure characters in this book will probably be the main couple in the third book. It is always nice to be with familiar faces when you read series from beginning to end, I think.
Well, I will say that this is my favorite Linden’s book so far. It’s not without flaws though – and for me, thy name is Adam Davis. I am very certain that Adam will not be most reader’s favorite boyfriend of the year. Actually, he’s not mine either. He clearly hurts Michael not once but twice. He sabotages his relationship with Michael over personal fear that sounds both unfounded and weak. He doesn’t do enough groveling and maybe, just maybe, Michael deserves a lot better.
BUT, I cannot deny that I loved this book despite Adam’s misgivings. I thought that Linden has written a quite convincing second-chance story. I believed in the awkwardness and tentativeness of their first meeting after ten years. I believed in the progress of becoming friends again after all these years. I also thought that Linden wrote the past and present time – for us to see how Adam and Michael became best friends during their childhood – quite seamlessly. It didn’t disrupt the story for me, in fact it gave me understanding towards both characters and how they arrived as they were right now.
And I LOVED, LOVED Michael Lorne. I loved him when he was just a ten-year-old boy with broken arm who found a best friend one summer. I loved him when he was teenager coming out as gay to Adam and his parents. I loved him when he fell in love with Adam and navigated that first intimate moments. I loved him when he was heartbroken. I loved him when he was an adult man who was still in love with his best friend. I simply loved his heart and his soul. Somehow, my love for Michael helped me throughout the book when Adam reacting like an ass. I know that it should’ve actually made me hate Adam more – but I couldn’t dislike the book as overall because I loved Michael too much. Does that even make sense?
So I thought this was a good second-chance romance. I liked that the steam level was also moderate – so this was a story driven by the plot and characters rather than the sex. My love towards Michael elevated my reading experience too. I was somehow could be convinced that Adam would treat Michael like his precious from on. Or his grandfather would probably swat his bum *laugh*. Oh, yes, Adam’s grandfather is probably another favorite character of mine here.
In addition to all that, I also need to state my appreciation towards the setting. I usually avoid politic in my romance. Politic is usually messy and manipulative, and for LGBT romance tends to be, well homophobic. But the political situation in this series seem to stay in the positive sight. Nobody raise a ruckus over the fact that both Chief of Staff and his Secret Service agent are gay. The political issue that is front and center in this one is more about budget problem and none about the sexuality of the political players. I really, really, like that.
One more thing, while Megan Linden herself has reassured readers that all these titles are stand-alone, I kindly advise that you try the first book prior reading this one. There are recurring characters making appearance, and I’m sure characters in this book will probably be the main couple in the third book. It is always nice to be with familiar faces when you read series from beginning to end, I think.
February 1, 2016
This series only gets better, apparently. Before I started reading, I'd made the mistake of taking a look at a few reviews and thus I gained an entirely wrong set of expectations. After the supremely fluffy and cute DC #1, the reviews suggested (threatened?) a much angstier tale, with a supposedly jerk-like protagonist. That... was not at all how I read the book.
The story takes "the one who got away" trope that I've seen time and again in f/m romances and applies it to the couple of protagonists: Michael, the kind-hearted former Marine, who fell in love with his best friend while they were still teens, and Adam, the traumatised kid who broke his heart because he was so afraid of getting hurt again. They meet years later and make it work.
Frankly, the contemporary plot was fine, but it was the flashbacks that really drew me in. Reading about the boys falling in love for the first time, and about their friendship turning into something else, and even the coming out to their families - these were the emotional strong points of the novel.
And I really, really liked Adam. The supposed jerk who really kind of isn't.
And the next romance hinted at in the book looks promising. Can't wait for DC Files #3! :D
(Disclaimer: the author is a friend, but all the expressed opinions are my own.)
The story takes "the one who got away" trope that I've seen time and again in f/m romances and applies it to the couple of protagonists: Michael, the kind-hearted former Marine, who fell in love with his best friend while they were still teens, and Adam, the traumatised kid who broke his heart because he was so afraid of getting hurt again. They meet years later and make it work.
Frankly, the contemporary plot was fine, but it was the flashbacks that really drew me in. Reading about the boys falling in love for the first time, and about their friendship turning into something else, and even the coming out to their families - these were the emotional strong points of the novel.
And I really, really liked Adam. The supposed jerk who really kind of isn't.
And the next romance hinted at in the book looks promising. Can't wait for DC Files #3! :D
(Disclaimer: the author is a friend, but all the expressed opinions are my own.)
February 11, 2016
Michael and Adam were friends and first “loves” when they were in high school. They broke up when high school ended and each went in a different direction. Now they’ve met again – 10 years later. Michael works for Sam as security and Adam is a political journalist on a blog.
The two try dating again and the sexual chemistry is hotter than ever. But Adam’s priorities need to be revisited and he ends up hurting Michael again and again.
Adam eventually pulls his head out and figures out what’s really important in life and we get a well-deserved HEA for our boys.
**
I think that this book will appeal to fans of “second chance” romances, politics and to a degree, fans of book one. Megan Linden is a great writer and she does a nice job of show casing the “bad” side of Adam – I’m just not sure she went far enough to redeem him.
I’m not a huge fan of “reunion” love stories and admit I was mostly hoping for more of Blake and Sam and a similar story to theirs – but… while it didn’t appeal to me nearly as much as book one it was well written.
3.5 of 5 stars
The two try dating again and the sexual chemistry is hotter than ever. But Adam’s priorities need to be revisited and he ends up hurting Michael again and again.
Adam eventually pulls his head out and figures out what’s really important in life and we get a well-deserved HEA for our boys.
**
I think that this book will appeal to fans of “second chance” romances, politics and to a degree, fans of book one. Megan Linden is a great writer and she does a nice job of show casing the “bad” side of Adam – I’m just not sure she went far enough to redeem him.
I’m not a huge fan of “reunion” love stories and admit I was mostly hoping for more of Blake and Sam and a similar story to theirs – but… while it didn’t appeal to me nearly as much as book one it was well written.
3.5 of 5 stars
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November 19, 2015Michael deserved better.
July 24, 2022
So let me start by saying that I wanted to jump into my Kindle and slap Adam across the head! OMG what he did just staggered me and left me breathless. And he did not grovel enough! Michael should have made this guy crawl on his knees! Note to self - don't sleep with your ex! Anyway, this sort of hums along at about a 3.5 but then rockets to 5 stars for me. I read book one several years ago and barely remember anything that happened but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this one. Lovely group of people steeped in Washington DC politics. Really like the writing - the author has a very breezy almost conversational style. My only quibble, for me, was the sort of abrupt transition between the flashbacks and present day. Took me a minute to adjust. But all in all, a great book.
April 4, 2023
A sweet second chance romance with compelling characters.
May 13, 2025
I like second chance romance stories and the first in the series proved fairly enjoyable, but I didn't like this one as much. Adam's an oblivious idiot and I didn't have the patience for it.
December 8, 2015
Trust & Confidence (DC Files #2) by Megan Linden
4 stars
M/M second chance romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
I enjoyed the first book of this series and knew that I would want to continue with this series.
Let me start by saying Adam will never win boyfriend of the year awards in this story. He was very hard for me to like. Not only was he cowardly ten years prior in his relationship with Michael, but he was cowardly again in the present relationship. I wanted to shake him and ask what was wrong with him!
Michael, I loved. He was steady, lovable, kind and you knew, deep down how much he cared for Adam. Despite him being content with his life, he was also wondering what could have been. I loved how Linden was able to capture his feelings so wonderfully. It was through Michael's actions and emotions that I was able to get through the story with some sanity.
The secondary characters were from the previous story, so if you have not read it, it might be confusing. However, I don't necessarily think that it's a must to read the previous story. I would recommend it though, since it's awesome.
In the end, despite the missteps and blunders, I did like them as a couple - they had a good chemistry and their history only added to their story.
4 stars
M/M second chance romance
I was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
I enjoyed the first book of this series and knew that I would want to continue with this series.
Let me start by saying Adam will never win boyfriend of the year awards in this story. He was very hard for me to like. Not only was he cowardly ten years prior in his relationship with Michael, but he was cowardly again in the present relationship. I wanted to shake him and ask what was wrong with him!
Michael, I loved. He was steady, lovable, kind and you knew, deep down how much he cared for Adam. Despite him being content with his life, he was also wondering what could have been. I loved how Linden was able to capture his feelings so wonderfully. It was through Michael's actions and emotions that I was able to get through the story with some sanity.
The secondary characters were from the previous story, so if you have not read it, it might be confusing. However, I don't necessarily think that it's a must to read the previous story. I would recommend it though, since it's awesome.
In the end, despite the missteps and blunders, I did like them as a couple - they had a good chemistry and their history only added to their story.
December 13, 2015
I have not read the previous books in this series and I was not lost at all reading this one so it can be read as a stand alone.
Adam is a journalist in Washington, D.C where Michael who he was in a previous relationship with before works on a protection detail.
Now I will say this story really dragged a lot for me and honestly I am not really a huge fan of unneeded drama or what feels like it. Well there were a few parts in this book that really felt like that to me to be honest. The whole I want you but then I don't but then I do... Yes sometimes that can get annoying to me and unfortunately that happened in this book.
So while I did really like the authors pretense of this story, I am just unsure of how I feel about these two characters together and there was just to much of this story that sadly really dragged for me.
So I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
Adam is a journalist in Washington, D.C where Michael who he was in a previous relationship with before works on a protection detail.
Now I will say this story really dragged a lot for me and honestly I am not really a huge fan of unneeded drama or what feels like it. Well there were a few parts in this book that really felt like that to me to be honest. The whole I want you but then I don't but then I do... Yes sometimes that can get annoying to me and unfortunately that happened in this book.
So while I did really like the authors pretense of this story, I am just unsure of how I feel about these two characters together and there was just to much of this story that sadly really dragged for me.
So I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
January 12, 2016
I loved the first book and was glad to see that there was going to be a second book and I couldn’t wait to read it. The got to visit with MC’s of the first book and was glad to see everyone was doing really well. I immediately connected with Michael and was flabbergasted to hear the story behind Michael and Adam. Needless to say, Adam didn’t win any awards from me because of the way he treated Michael. I just didn’t feel any connection with Adam and that was even more so when Adam again left Michael. I was glad they eventually got back together but somehow I don’t expect it to last. The author’s writing style was excellent and the characters amazing.
I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2019
Political blogger and the Secret Service Agent for the chief of staff meet again after falling out right before their high school graduation. The two trying to figure out their relationship while well meaning friends and family stick their noses into the relationship as well. This was an improvement in both character development and story development from the first in this series.
May 10, 2016
2.5 stars
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