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He's a cop who looks like a cowboy and I just have to see his gun. I've refused second dates for years because I'm too much of a mess to hope for any relationship to work out. After one wild, impulsive, and let's face it, pleasantly filling night with James, I'm ready to throw all of that out the window. Men are for drinking buddies and dirty jokes… and now, so much more. Evan is the first man I've ever slept with. If I get my way, he'll be the one I'm with forever. I'm not sure how I'll tell the other guys at the police station, but I've got bigger problems to worry about. Someone is attacking people on The Strip in August, GA, and they are working way too close to the club where Evan is a DJ. I've got to catch whoever is responsible so that I can protect Evan, the man who taught me everything about love. Unsettled is a steamy, standalone, first time with a man, romantic thriller novel with no cliffhangers.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 22, 2017

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60 people want to read

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Zach Jenkins

18 books85 followers

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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Jenny Wood.
Author 26 books311 followers
June 5, 2017
Where to start....

Okay, first, the epilogue really confused me... I kinda got it, after a little bit, but I was wondering why and when it would come into relevance. James is a cop, a beat cop, actually... just figuring out that he's not so straight when he goes to a gay club and see's Trey.... you're probably not gonna like him, I didn't from the very beginning, even though Evan seemed to.

Evan is a DJ at the club who has a not so great run-in with James at first, but knows who he is, because he's his neighbor. That opens the door for something to happen between them, which seeed to happen at warp speed. Like, one night together, Evan was set on it being a one nighter and then BAM... relationship without even talking about it.

Now, people are dying left and right, people from around the club, meaning gay people, but some how, even being on the force... James seemed really out of the loop about... Seems like he would've been better informed, especially being that it's somewhere he hung out with his boyfriend and they all knew and then at work, they all knew... especially his best friend O'Brien.. who I was mad that I liked in the beginning because from the first time he "chased two perps down the alley" .... that he wasn't to be trusted either. It all seemed a bit predictable and I hated that it too so long for it to be known... Though I still don't know what the motives were and I'm aggravated that nothing happened to Trey... nobody even busted him in his mouth for being so mouthy.. we couldn't at least get that kind of karmic justice? He just kinda disappeared.... I didn't like that.

Other than that, I really liked Evan and James together. It was cute and corny and I liked the way they were together. I liked the mechanic friends, I wish we would've seen more of them... I liked that James' family was so supportive, though I hated that Evans wasn't. I'm not sure if I'd ready anymore in this series.... I have a thing about bad guys getting away with being terrible and although one gets caught in this one, nothing is explained and I didn't get any closure.... sigh....
I also found myself liking Rick, kind of... which also aggravated me lol I hope, if he's mentioned in other books he gets himself together for his son.
Alls well that ends well for Evan and James though... I was happy about that. Good for them :)

Overall, 3 stars from me!

*I received this story from the publisher in the promise of an honest and unbiased review*
Profile Image for Amber.
1,717 reviews7 followers
May 25, 2017
Rating 3.5*s

I liked Unsettled by Zach Jenkins. It is the first book in a brand new series called On The Stip. I liked the storyline and the plot, but the main characters could have been done a little better. I was initially confused by James. We first meet him at a gay club screwing up his courage to approach a hot guy he had the hots for. He had been stalking him for five straight days and had been going to the club for a month. He ends up hooking up with a different guy and is later caught by his sister the next morning when said hookup walks into the kitchen in his boxers. And here is where I found out that he was straight. Color me surprised. I would never have guessed that he was straight up until then. Another inconsistency that bothered me was when they went to James parents house for dinner, and he came out to his parents and the night went great, but he is later in the book found to say how bad the night had gone... Just little things that were out of character that kept pulling me out of the story. I do have to say that after the prolog I spent most of my time trying to figure out who the bad guy was and got it wrong. So great job there. I did like Evan's character. I thought he was great and I didn't blame him at all for not wanting to be around his family. Overall, not a bad story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for JustJen "Miss Conduct".
2,394 reviews156 followers
June 16, 2017

3.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.

This was a sweet little mystery thriller about a cop and a DJ finding love in the midst of a gay bashing/killing spree. James is the cop who has decided he wants to investigate his feelings about men. While at the only gay club in town, he meets Evan, the DJ, who also happens to be his neighbor. They start off with a hookup that quickly turns into a relationship, though neither have much experience with having one. But, they decide to give it a try.

In the meantime, there are random killings/attacks on young gay men on the Strip where the club that Evan works is located. James is trying to figure out who is behind it all while keeping Evan and his friends safe at the same time. There are quite a few shady characters to keep you guessing as to the mystery part and once that came to a head, things happened pretty quickly. There were also a few others to like as well, such as Evan’s mechanic friends, or James’ family, who were awesome.

I really enjoyed the seeing the guys expand their relationship, from their first kiss, their first actual date, to James coming out to his family. They were sweet together with lots of funny banter and sexiness. They really seemed to be a good match for each other. There were some aspects, however, that I wish were a bit more detailed. For example, what happened in Evan’s past that led him to his no-relationship rule. There were also a few loose ends that sort of just drifted off, such as Trey and his involvement with O’Brien and Rick, etc. Perhaps we will learn more in the next installment. I’m not sure if it will be a continuation of James and Evan’s relationship, or the beginning of a new one. Either way, I enjoyed this and look forward to reading the next one.
Profile Image for Nic.
949 reviews9 followers
June 1, 2017
Very unsettling

This was an okay read. I feel as if I am being a bit judgey but I somewhat expected James a police officer to be a little smarter and more insightful. It truly bothered me that he was not. He missed many clues that could have helped the situation and solved the case. Outside of that it was an okay read.
Profile Image for Mollien Fote Osterman.
722 reviews11 followers
July 20, 2017
Title: Unsettled
Author: Zach Jenkins
Series: On The Strip
Publisher: Zach Jenkins
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: May 22, 2017
Genre(s): Male/Male Police Romance
Page Count: 224 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:


He's a cop who looks like a cowboy and I just have to see his gun.

I've refused second dates for years because I'm too much of a mess to hope for any relationship to work out. After one wild, impulsive, and let's face it, pleasantly filling night with James, I'm ready to throw all of that out the window.

Men are for drinking buddies and dirty jokes… and now, so much more.

Evan is the first man I've ever slept with. If I get my way, he'll be the one I'm with forever. I'm not sure how I'll tell the other guys at the police station, but I've got bigger problems to worry about.

Someone is attacking people on The Strip in August, GA, and they are working way too close to the club where Evan is a DJ. I've got to catch whoever is responsible so that I can protect Evan, the man who taught me everything about love.

Unsettled is a steamy, standalone, first time with a man, romantic thriller novel with no cliffhangers.




Review:
This is the first book in the On the Strip series. It is a standalone story involving a police officer who is questioning his straightness and a DJ who doesn’t want to commit to anyone because of his fear of rejection. The story is not only about these two getting it on but about a series of murders of gay men in the area around the gay club, The Firehouse. The plot of the story has James trying to score some time with Trey, the hot guy that everyone wants. Trey is not interested in James but tries to get him together with the DJ Evan who just happens to be James’s neighbor. James is put off not only with Trey’s rejection but Evan’s as well. Guess he was meant to be straight. When Evan shows up at his back porch later in the early hours of the morning, they start a journey that may end up with both of them dead. Something is up with Trey. Although he seems to be a good friend to Evan, he may not be a person to trust. The chemistry between James and Evan is exciting, loving, playful and pretty hot. This book is a very fast read full of excitement and intrigue. Something is going on in the August GA police department and James is desperate to keep Evan safe. This story does have a great ending. Since this is a series, I am not sure if we will see James and Evan again. The character development is pretty strong. I love the bond that James has with his family.


PLOT: 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 4 Stars
PACING: 4 Stars
ENDING: 4 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4 Stars




Review Copy of Unsettled provided by the Zach Jenkins I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
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Profile Image for The Novel Approach.
3,094 reviews137 followers
July 23, 2017
~ 3.5 Stars ~

In Augusta, Georgia, there’s a place called the Strip, and therein lies the Firehouse, the only gay dance club around. James is a police officer, and he’s been going to the Firehouse pretty frequently. He’s been checking out a guy who frequents the bar, Trey. James is sort of troubled as to whether he wants to hook up with Trey, or any man. He’s trying to figure out if he’s bi, gay or just curious. When James catches Trey and the DJ, Evan, watching him, he finally gets the courage to approach Trey. Trey is nothing but trouble, and shuts James down, but not before suggesting he and Evan hookup.

It turns out that Evan happens to be James’s neighbor. They’ve seen each other in passing, but haven’t said a word or attempted to get acquainted. When Evan arrives home that evening, he challenges James; that way, they can put an end to their obsessions. With their encounter, James accepts his sexuality and has no problem with coming out.

As James and Evan are testing the waters to see where this “thing” between them will lead, they have an abundance of crazy to deal with: a first date, family issues, a brother-in-law who’s trouble, James being suspended, and gay men still being murdered. It all adds up to James and Evan being caught up in danger.

Unsettled turned out to be a pretty fair read from Zach Jenkins. Good cops, bad cops, mystery, suspense, bigotry, drama and humor, it’s fast paced and it wasn’t easy to figure out who the culprit was. I liked Evan, he’s a little more reserved and shy, but he has moments that are surprising. James seemed to be the more outgoing, and once he makes up his mind, he doesn’t hesitate to be himself. I really liked the chemistry that grew between Evan and James.

I also got a chance to read To the Strip a prequel to the On the Strip series. It’s a short story about Joe and Luca, two underground fighters. Joe has been living the high life with his promoter Antonio; at first everything was running smoothly between them, but after six months, not so much. Joe has a bout with Luca, and they meet at a club after the fight. Luca has plans to walk away from the fight game, and tries to make Joe see there’s more to life than throwing fights. Joe accuses Luca of using him, and walks out. The last time they see each other, Luca is leaving for August and the Strip, and begs Joe to go with him. But Joe hasn’t got things straightened out in his head, and let’s Luca go. This was a pretty good short prequel, but it left me wondering if Joe and Luca ever found each other. In reading Unsettled, Joe makes a brief appearance and he’s searching for Luca. Now, I’m really curious what Zach Jenkins will do with Joe and Luca and their situation.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment in the On the Strip series.

Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,141 reviews521 followers
July 20, 2017

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars


I enjoyed this book. James and Evan were great characters and their love story captured my attention and held it. I wasn’t too sure at first. Both men were pretty abrasive, and I didn’t think I was going to like either of them very much. I was proven wrong, and that was a relief.

James had always considered himself straight and had never been with another man. I’ve read this trope over and over (and it’s one of my favorites), but I thought it was interesting how he found himself thinking about Trey nonstop. I did find it a little odd he was willing to hop in bed with Evan so quickly. He went from straight, to curious, to really loving boyfriend in a matter of days. I’m not complaining. I liked that about this story. I might have liked to have had more insight into his thoughts, though. Was he simply curious? Was he experimenting? Eager to lose his gay virginity? Still, he’s a character who wants to do good for the community and for his new man.

I felt for Evan. He was broke and lonely (even though he didn’t want to admit it). After they found out he was gay, his parents sent him to therapy to convert him. Relationships aren’t for him, but even hookups are losing their luster. While I was a little confused by James’ motives, I was more sure of Evan’s. No man is an island, and nobody wants to be so alone. He was one of those characters I wanted to reach through the Kindle and hug. Zach Jenkins’ description of Evan was very detailed, and I could see him in my mind’s eye…sexy, but with a vulnerability in his eyes…a pout that could turn into a beautiful smile by hearing the right words. When he became happy, I became happy.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.


Profile Image for Jenny Harris.
4,405 reviews33 followers
May 25, 2017
I received this book with the understanding that I could leave a voluntary and honest review.

In this book we meet Officer James and Evan. James is taking his first steps to being with a man. The one he went after didn't seem to want him and tried to pass him off to another who in his option rejected him to. Little did he know that he would be seeing that same man just a few hours later and the outcome would be completely different. However James has to decide is he ready to be with a man or will he go with the status quote to be one of the guys at work? Can he get past his himself and find a way to be with the man he seems to want or will he loose everything?

Evan is a one and done kind of guy but when he meets James he considers maybe he could have more. However Evan has never had good luck with anyone he has been with and is always looking for that one that will have him keeping both feet planted inside the relationship not one on the way out. Evan doesn't know what to do with James though he is sure he will want to leave and find another man since he is just starting to discover his sexuality. Evan doesn't want to be just another stopping point for a man he wants to be the one they want. Can he get past his insecurities and give James a real chance or will he destroy his chances before they even begin?

This is an amazing book not just about two men finding who they are but about two people who are trying to navigate dating in this day and age. There are many twists to this book that I want to tell you all about but don't want to ruin it for any other reader. I will say this book will emotionally pull you in and not let go till the very end. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,005 reviews8 followers
June 1, 2017
This was a really good book. Not only full of hot gay sex, but it had an exciting story to tell also that kept me on the edge of my seat. James is a cop who is exploring his sexuality for the first time. He has been going to the Firehouse club along the "Strip" to get is gay on and meets up with Evan, a short tempered DJ at the club. Small in build, he is big in confidence. These men become attracted to each other just as gay men are being killed and beaten. James is trying to find out who is doing it in order to keep Evan safe. Three other men become prominent in the story and soon James and Evan have to face that there is a possibility of a bad cop, but who could it be? In the meantime Trey, Evans friend personality seems to be shifting, Can he be Involved? Follow James as he tries to keep Evan safe and Evan, falls more in love with James. An excellent read no doubt. I know you will enjoy it too.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,295 reviews22 followers
May 28, 2017
Zach Jenkins did some outstanding writing on this one. First, he had me sucked into this book on page one, and I was there all the way to the end. Second, let me say that I really hate dirty cops, and it does not matter what the reason is, but I love sexy cops, that are good cops. James fits the bill on this one. I like that even though this is his first time in a relationship with a male, he feels comfortable enough to come out "loud and proud", even with his family and coworkers. I also really like Evan. He seems to just be the sweetest guy, but then also has some fire in him as well. In this book, we have their developing relationship, and there is also a story of murder, hate, dirty cops, and fear. Including all of this, Zach Jenkins has written a book that you will not want to put down. I voluntarily reviewed this advance copy, and I am now looking forward to Book 2.
Profile Image for Fay MMBookworm.
3,099 reviews66 followers
June 5, 2017
4.5 Stars I loved this as a first time read for this author definitely wont be the last. There was an amazing scene in this that tottally caught me of guard but in a really good way. (I wont tell cause that would be spoiling it) The story was great even though I'd picked the bad guy in it (can you pick who he is ;) . I loved all the characters in this.
James was a cop who was in the closet until a guy who wasn't on his radar approached him at the Firehouse Club. Evan was the DJ of the Club and who was also James's neighbor. After a hot night together either could forget. Thing get crazy with a killer hanging around the club district.. A great book I'd read again.
Profile Image for Samantha Foster.
513 reviews3 followers
May 29, 2017
Good read... but

This was another good read from Zach Jenkins but it felt a little rushed. Not a lot but just a little. I've really liked previous books by this author and I did like this one. The romance felt rushed a little though and I feel like that was because of the mystery. Over all though it was a good. Had plenty on drama and mystery, with romance and heat as well. Had a few good laughs too. Definitely worth a read and Jenkins firefighter series is amazing so if you like this you'll definitely love those.
Profile Image for Denise GremoryKohta.
4,280 reviews7 followers
May 28, 2017
This was a great blend of suspense, drama, romance, and sexiness. I was hooked from the start. I like how the author answered some of the questions but left enough to want more. I was given the privilege and opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Zach Jenkins always does a great read. I like that this series is so different from his other one. I can't wait for the next book and look forward to reading many great ones from him.
Profile Image for Madeleine.
354 reviews4 followers
May 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this story.. The plot and flow to this story is incredible. It captures your attention from the beginning and keeps you highly entertained throughout. James and Evan are so hot together.. it is great to see them develop from a one night stand to a long time love...
I received an arc for my honest review
Profile Image for Simera.
1,804 reviews7 followers
September 5, 2017
James is a cop and Evan is a DJ at the Firehouse. Things aren't what they seem when people start getting killed. James can't believe that any of his fellow cops could be bad. Things between James and Evan heat up and even though neither one claims that they don't want a relationship that is exactly what then need.
Profile Image for OkayKim.
1,295 reviews
January 22, 2018
Started to lose interest with a confusing first chapter.
Profile Image for Elaine.
1,128 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2017
Unsettled by Zach Jenkins is amazing.
James and Evan are neighbors and both not sure of what they want.
Love this story and its twist as well.
Profile Image for April.
453 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2017
Simplely a fantastic and dynamic story!
 
I loved the characters of this story!

Two people who have never been in a relationship find themselves overwelmed. As they struggle with emotions and doubts ot becomes clear they are deep into each other.

A wonderful start to a new series!
Profile Image for Susan.
400 reviews31 followers
January 13, 2018
*sigh* I tried again but... I want to like you because you're Ed's friend but... just... no. I finished it! But wished I hadn't started it... :( it's not horrid, it's just not very good.
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