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From Blood to Roses
Rob's latest job is a simple one—kill the target, make sure it doesn't look like murder, break into the safe and take the goods back to his client. A second hitman who gets the drop on him definitely puts a dent in his plans.
When they cross paths again, Rob doesn't know if he wants to kill the man or screw him. Unfortunately, someone else wants both him and Kelan dead, and if they're going to survive two men used to working alone are going to have to learn fast how to work together. Safely ensconced temporarily at a safe house in the middle of nowhere, Rob and Kelan team up to defeat their common enemy... and perhaps win each other's hearts along the way.
When they cross paths again, Rob doesn't know if he wants to kill the man or screw him. Unfortunately, someone else wants both him and Kelan dead, and if they're going to survive two men used to working alone are going to have to learn fast how to work together. Safely ensconced temporarily at a safe house in the middle of nowhere, Rob and Kelan team up to defeat their common enemy... and perhaps win each other's hearts along the way.
- GenresM M RomanceNovella
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2017
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Laurin Kelly
5 books21 followersAuthor Laurin Kelly Laurin Kelly is somewhat of a late bloomer - she began writing fanfiction in her early 40's in 2010 and transitioned over to original fiction in 2013.
Between 2016 and 2019, Laurin published three books and a short story through Less Than Three Press. Her debut novel, Under the Knife, won second place for Best Gay Debut Book, and was a runner up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and Best Gay Book in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. LT3 unfortunately went out of business in 2019, and in 2020 Laurin made the decision to self-publish her backlist and any future works.
In her non-writing life, Laurin has been married for over 20 years and is the mother of a college-aged daughter. Her family is her number one cheering squad and source of unending support and love. Laurin has worked day jobs in advertising, IT, accounting and logistics, as well as having a side career for over 10 years as a professional Belly Dance teacher and instructor.
Between 2016 and 2019, Laurin published three books and a short story through Less Than Three Press. Her debut novel, Under the Knife, won second place for Best Gay Debut Book, and was a runner up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and Best Gay Book in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. LT3 unfortunately went out of business in 2019, and in 2020 Laurin made the decision to self-publish her backlist and any future works.
In her non-writing life, Laurin has been married for over 20 years and is the mother of a college-aged daughter. Her family is her number one cheering squad and source of unending support and love. Laurin has worked day jobs in advertising, IT, accounting and logistics, as well as having a side career for over 10 years as a professional Belly Dance teacher and instructor.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 21, 2017
1 Star! Man it hurts my soul to rate any book 1 star, but I gotta keep it real.
This book really grabbed my attention with the blurb. I love a good hit-man book. But this one fell short and I am fairly sure it had to do with how short the book itself was. There was no real character development. The book was rushed as was the relationship. There wasn't a lot going on. I figured it being a book were these guys are assassin's it would be exciting and chaotic with dangerous situations popping up everywhere. Once again, the book didn't deliver here either. There were parts that didn't make sense and I feel like that had to do with how rushed it all felt.
Disappointing.
Happy reading dolls! xx
**I RECIEVED AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.**
This book really grabbed my attention with the blurb. I love a good hit-man book. But this one fell short and I am fairly sure it had to do with how short the book itself was. There was no real character development. The book was rushed as was the relationship. There wasn't a lot going on. I figured it being a book were these guys are assassin's it would be exciting and chaotic with dangerous situations popping up everywhere. Once again, the book didn't deliver here either. There were parts that didn't make sense and I feel like that had to do with how rushed it all felt.
Disappointing.
Happy reading dolls! xx
**I RECIEVED AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.**
October 27, 2017
I was positive this would be a win because I read and LOVED the author's previous work, Under the Knife, and I love me some assassins. Unfortunately... this was dull. It reads like a novel in parts with an inordinate amount of details that took up valuable page time within the confines of a novella.
Rob tells the story of how he and Kelan, two hitmen, keep getting hired for the same jobs. The rationale behind this still alludes me. Granted, I don't have half a mil in disposable income lying around but why pay that out twice? #dumb The first time Kelan bests Rob which I liked since there is a size difference between them with Kelan being on the twink side of the size scale in his cute teal teeny tiny boy shorts.
The second time they meet is on a different job locating a secret will that lands them both in a strip club and in possession of some potentially damaging pictures of a probable presidential candidate.
Then it turned into a snoozefest.
They decide to join forces after they're both targeted by some other hitmen who think they have the pics (they don't) which leads them straight into domesticity in suburbia, complete with eggs benedict and coq au vin.
The primary reason I chose the book in the first place, the assassining, flew South for the winter. These two living in domestic bliss and lounging around a safehouse dancing the slow burn dance of eternity with very little movement on their "case" bored me and tanked by enthusiasm. Then I was irked by all the dangling threads that never tied up.
I think if I had bought into their coupletry things would've been different, but I didn't. Their relationship felt clunky, forced and awkward. I can buy into the fact that they're attracted to each other and maybe some of that is the danger involved, but there's a vast difference between attraction and love and forever.
It needed either some comedy or an abundance of filthy sex to jazz it up, because what's here simply isn't very entertaining. It feels rushed and some of their actions with regard to the hitmanning were TSTL.
The sex isn't bad but it wasn't enough to pull up my rating. I will try something else by this author, and I would recommend her novel but this kind of felt like an attempt to get outside of a comfort zone and it backfired, IMO.
Boy Meets Boy Reviews
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
Rob tells the story of how he and Kelan, two hitmen, keep getting hired for the same jobs. The rationale behind this still alludes me. Granted, I don't have half a mil in disposable income lying around but why pay that out twice? #dumb The first time Kelan bests Rob which I liked since there is a size difference between them with Kelan being on the twink side of the size scale in his cute teal teeny tiny boy shorts.
The second time they meet is on a different job locating a secret will that lands them both in a strip club and in possession of some potentially damaging pictures of a probable presidential candidate.
Then it turned into a snoozefest.
They decide to join forces after they're both targeted by some other hitmen who think they have the pics (they don't) which leads them straight into domesticity in suburbia, complete with eggs benedict and coq au vin.
The primary reason I chose the book in the first place, the assassining, flew South for the winter. These two living in domestic bliss and lounging around a safehouse dancing the slow burn dance of eternity with very little movement on their "case" bored me and tanked by enthusiasm. Then I was irked by all the dangling threads that never tied up.
I think if I had bought into their coupletry things would've been different, but I didn't. Their relationship felt clunky, forced and awkward. I can buy into the fact that they're attracted to each other and maybe some of that is the danger involved, but there's a vast difference between attraction and love and forever.
It needed either some comedy or an abundance of filthy sex to jazz it up, because what's here simply isn't very entertaining. It feels rushed and some of their actions with regard to the hitmanning were TSTL.
The sex isn't bad but it wasn't enough to pull up my rating. I will try something else by this author, and I would recommend her novel but this kind of felt like an attempt to get outside of a comfort zone and it backfired, IMO.
Boy Meets Boy Reviews
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
October 17, 2017
Meh...that's what I'm feeling after reading this. The summary was promising, this started out promising, but it never really picked up steam.
Not a lot of feelings between Rob and Kelan came off the page. The sex scenes were moderately steamy, as in they were enjoyable to read at times but didn't make me feel the need to fan myself.
This is pretty short, so not a lot of time was spent on much of anything. Even their relationship felt pretty rushed, as it skipped over weeks at a time, without us getting to see these two get to the "in love stage" honestly one minute they were still kinda, maybe enemies who were reluctantly working together, becoming something like...people who like each other and are attracted, and then the story skips ahead a few weeks, they make up, bang it out, and then by the next day or so they're declaring their love, which I never felt.
Rob gets the feeling that Kelen is manipulative when he first tries to sleep with Rob, but what is he trying to manipulate by doing that? What would his motive have been? We got no insight on that.
The big climax is over and done with super quickly, and then we never find out a conclusion to the original hit they were both hired for in the first place. Then it skips forward a few years, we don't get any of the aftermath, and they live happily every after, yipee?
Problem is, none of that felt earned in the slightest. This whole story felt so...lackluster, and I felt pretty much "meh" from beginning to end. I was hoping to feel something while reading this, but the way it was written didn't leave much room to feel something at all.
Sorely disappointed with this when it had some great potential.
***ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
November 20, 2017
4.5 stars
Synopsis: Rob is an assassin who, during the execution of a task is beat out by another assassin. The other guy knocks Rob out, and a few months later, Rob is on another job when he runs in to the guy again, hired for the same job. Neither of them is hurt this time, and they agree to a competition to see who will complete the job first.
Before that can happen, though, both Rob and Kelan are targeted by different hitmen. After Kelan saves Rob when he comes to his place and kills the man holding a gun on Rob, they agree to work together to try and figure out who is after them and how to stop them.
As Rob and Kelan work together, they learn more about each other, and something more than attraction and mutual respect blooms between them.
What I liked: that even though Rob and Kelan were attracted to each other, they didn't let it rule them, or forget what they were doing because of it. They had different stories that brought them to the same place, and they each had their work strengths and weaknesses, which they allowed to compliment each others. I liked that, even though this was a short story, it didn't feel as though anything was missing or lacking because of it, and the epilogue was very sweet. Nothing got swept away in the power of their love, because they still had to face the reality of what they were up against, and what they were.
What I didn't like: That Rob was so casually violent with innocent bystanders and there didn't seem to be repercussions job-wise or law enforcement wise.
The verdict: This was well written, with interesting characters. Third person POV from Rob's view.
*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Synopsis: Rob is an assassin who, during the execution of a task is beat out by another assassin. The other guy knocks Rob out, and a few months later, Rob is on another job when he runs in to the guy again, hired for the same job. Neither of them is hurt this time, and they agree to a competition to see who will complete the job first.
Before that can happen, though, both Rob and Kelan are targeted by different hitmen. After Kelan saves Rob when he comes to his place and kills the man holding a gun on Rob, they agree to work together to try and figure out who is after them and how to stop them.
As Rob and Kelan work together, they learn more about each other, and something more than attraction and mutual respect blooms between them.
What I liked: that even though Rob and Kelan were attracted to each other, they didn't let it rule them, or forget what they were doing because of it. They had different stories that brought them to the same place, and they each had their work strengths and weaknesses, which they allowed to compliment each others. I liked that, even though this was a short story, it didn't feel as though anything was missing or lacking because of it, and the epilogue was very sweet. Nothing got swept away in the power of their love, because they still had to face the reality of what they were up against, and what they were.
What I didn't like: That Rob was so casually violent with innocent bystanders and there didn't seem to be repercussions job-wise or law enforcement wise.
The verdict: This was well written, with interesting characters. Third person POV from Rob's view.
*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
October 25, 2017
I do enjoy a good hitman/assassin story and the blurb looked promising with two hitmen having a romance. Unfortunately, this story did not come up to par. The start seemed promising, as Rob clashes with Kelan, but it soon becomes apparent that Rob is a pretty crappy hitman. Seriously how many times did someone get the drop on him? Then they both became lousy hitmen, sitting in front of a computer for weeks on end. There’s no characterization to speak of, just enough to carry the disorganized plot. I never knew how or why the search for a will became hunting them down for photos. Then the resolution was too easy and lackluster. I gave it 2 stars because it was just interesting enough due to the novella length to keep me reading in hopes the storyline would pick up. Cannot recommend this one.
*An ARC was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
*An ARC was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 25, 2017
Decent assassin romance, but it really depends on what you're looking of.
Plot
Rob and Kelan are hitmen. After running into each other on two separate jobs, they find themselves threatened by a common enemy, a powerful man who wants them dead. They retreat to a safe house to figure out what to do, and the forced proximity begins to work on them. Sexual tension leads to making out, sex and maybe even emotional attachment...but before the relationship goes anywhere they'll have to make sure they're safe from the assassins going after them.
What I Thought
I noticed in the reviews a lot of people are saying they were disappointed in how fast this book goes domestic. Yes, it does become a very domestic book for a story about assassins! While they're holed up in their safe house there's a lot of cooking and watching TV and talking about their tragic backstories. But honestly it's not that much--this is a novella, after all, so even though it was a large portion of the story it wasn't overwhelming. I thought the domesticity really helped Rob and Kelan move from "this dude is competent and hot and I want to fuck him" to actually connecting with each other and caring about each other. Of course, that might not be what you're looking for in a story about assassins, but I thought it worked.
My issues with this book were somewhat different. I was more frustrated by the actual hitman parts, especially the beginning. Rob and Kelan's initial sexual tension fueled by danger feels a bit flat--like, you kind of wonder, if they're so heartless and good at their jobs, why don't they actually try to kill each other?
But more than that I was kind of blindsided by the couple of chapters of this book that take place at a sex club: basically I was turned off by how the sex workers were depicted. Rob threatens one in a typically sexual-but-not-really sort of manner, and it's treated as ok because he gives her money afterwards. Not to mention she's portrayed very flatly: Willing to have sex with Rob for very little money, not really disturbed by the violence once she's gotten her money, in short a typical hooker stereotype. For me, that's a pet peeve. Fortunately this was only an issue for a brief part of the book, but that kind of stuff always kind of gets to me, especially since she was the only woman around for any length of time in this book.
I did like how Rob and Kelan's relationship built in the safe house, though--a lot of sexual tension but also slowly built trust between them, banter giving way to genuine conversation and connection. You can see why they want to be together. It's not just for the sex, it's because they're both lonely people, and now they're experiencing the first intimate relationship (with intimacy both physical and emotional) that they've had in a long time. You really do root for them. And the pacing is also excellent: there's not too much sex or too little, the plot moves quickly but it's not rushed, and by the time they fall in love you believe it. Pacing is hard in a novella, so I was impressed by how smoothly it flowed.
Overall
I recommend this book to people who like their assassins and hitmen but transposed into domestic life rather than starring in an adrenalin-filled thriller. Be aware of what kind of book it is, very focused on romance and not all that long, and definitely not a thriller or a mystery. If that sounds like it appeals to you, as a story of two people connecting, you may very well enjoy this book and I would recommend.
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Plot
Rob and Kelan are hitmen. After running into each other on two separate jobs, they find themselves threatened by a common enemy, a powerful man who wants them dead. They retreat to a safe house to figure out what to do, and the forced proximity begins to work on them. Sexual tension leads to making out, sex and maybe even emotional attachment...but before the relationship goes anywhere they'll have to make sure they're safe from the assassins going after them.
What I Thought
I noticed in the reviews a lot of people are saying they were disappointed in how fast this book goes domestic. Yes, it does become a very domestic book for a story about assassins! While they're holed up in their safe house there's a lot of cooking and watching TV and talking about their tragic backstories. But honestly it's not that much--this is a novella, after all, so even though it was a large portion of the story it wasn't overwhelming. I thought the domesticity really helped Rob and Kelan move from "this dude is competent and hot and I want to fuck him" to actually connecting with each other and caring about each other. Of course, that might not be what you're looking for in a story about assassins, but I thought it worked.
My issues with this book were somewhat different. I was more frustrated by the actual hitman parts, especially the beginning. Rob and Kelan's initial sexual tension fueled by danger feels a bit flat--like, you kind of wonder, if they're so heartless and good at their jobs, why don't they actually try to kill each other?
But more than that I was kind of blindsided by the couple of chapters of this book that take place at a sex club: basically I was turned off by how the sex workers were depicted. Rob threatens one in a typically sexual-but-not-really sort of manner, and it's treated as ok because he gives her money afterwards. Not to mention she's portrayed very flatly: Willing to have sex with Rob for very little money, not really disturbed by the violence once she's gotten her money, in short a typical hooker stereotype. For me, that's a pet peeve. Fortunately this was only an issue for a brief part of the book, but that kind of stuff always kind of gets to me, especially since she was the only woman around for any length of time in this book.
I did like how Rob and Kelan's relationship built in the safe house, though--a lot of sexual tension but also slowly built trust between them, banter giving way to genuine conversation and connection. You can see why they want to be together. It's not just for the sex, it's because they're both lonely people, and now they're experiencing the first intimate relationship (with intimacy both physical and emotional) that they've had in a long time. You really do root for them. And the pacing is also excellent: there's not too much sex or too little, the plot moves quickly but it's not rushed, and by the time they fall in love you believe it. Pacing is hard in a novella, so I was impressed by how smoothly it flowed.
Overall
I recommend this book to people who like their assassins and hitmen but transposed into domestic life rather than starring in an adrenalin-filled thriller. Be aware of what kind of book it is, very focused on romance and not all that long, and definitely not a thriller or a mystery. If that sounds like it appeals to you, as a story of two people connecting, you may very well enjoy this book and I would recommend.
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2017
3,5 stars, rounded up.
From Blood to Roses is a short story about two assasins trying to learn trust and living with each other. I especially liked the begining, seeing the plotting of the main character and how him and the other main character tried to upsmart each other. That was fun.
However, this book suffers from one significant shortcoming, in my opinion - it's too short. It doesn't have enough pages to properly explore the relationship and make an interesting spy-assasins plot. The relationship felt rushed at points and the investigation too simplified.
This book is a fun read for one rainy afternoon, but I do wish the next book from this author will be longer. I utterly adored her Under the Knife, so I think she has the potentional.
From Blood to Roses is a short story about two assasins trying to learn trust and living with each other. I especially liked the begining, seeing the plotting of the main character and how him and the other main character tried to upsmart each other. That was fun.
However, this book suffers from one significant shortcoming, in my opinion - it's too short. It doesn't have enough pages to properly explore the relationship and make an interesting spy-assasins plot. The relationship felt rushed at points and the investigation too simplified.
This book is a fun read for one rainy afternoon, but I do wish the next book from this author will be longer. I utterly adored her Under the Knife, so I think she has the potentional.
October 8, 2017
Copy from netgalley
3.75 stars.
I did enjoy this story...I mean who wouldn't love men with guns. I just felt it started really well, the characters being really growly, but it changed really quickly. As son as the men had to work together it was like their attraction took over and we lost the danger side of it, and thats the side I had enjoyed initially. I had hoped for more danger, some more blood, and a lot more ....grrr! The story had a lot of promise but it moved too quickly to keep up with the tension for me.
3.75 stars.
I did enjoy this story...I mean who wouldn't love men with guns. I just felt it started really well, the characters being really growly, but it changed really quickly. As son as the men had to work together it was like their attraction took over and we lost the danger side of it, and thats the side I had enjoyed initially. I had hoped for more danger, some more blood, and a lot more ....grrr! The story had a lot of promise but it moved too quickly to keep up with the tension for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2017
2.5 stars ~ RTC
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