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The Vault #2
Late in the Day
Second from The Vault
Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.
The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day.
Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.
The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2017
141 people are currently reading
394 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,015 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
October 29, 2017
It's no secret, that I am a huge fan of all things "Mary". Her books are like comfort food to me...I re-read them all the time.
I fell in love with Conrad when I read "Mine" He was actually my favorite part of the book, and he was just a side-character. So imagine how happy I was when I found out he was getting his own story.
Now before I say anything more...I would advice everyone to read book 1, "A Day Makes" first, and also to read "Mine". A lot of characters from this book, make an appearance and I think you might get a bit lost of you don't.
Mary has requested spoiler free reviews, so this review will be mostly about how the book made me feel....which is easy, because all her books make me feel "giddy".
What I loved most about this book, was finally getting to know the "real" Darius "Conrad" Hawthorne. We get a lot of information about his past, and how he came to be the man he is today. There is so much more to him, than I initially thought.
It also explains what "The Vault" actually is, which I really appreciated, since I was a bit confused about that one, in book 1.
You want to know what also made me extremely happy ?? The cameos !! So many great characters from all the other books made an appearance...I loved that !! It made me want to re-read all those books again !! Which I will ;)
I really enjoyed this one, but.....there is always a but.
I just wish, there would have been a bit more romance in this one. I loved Darius and Efram together, and they sure were HOT, but I could have done with a bit more "couple" time. It took a very long time for these two to come together, and even though I wasn't bored for a second, I would have loved about a 100 pages more, of just Darius and Efram being in their new relationship.
That said....I can't wait for the next book !! In the meantime, I will just have to re-read all the other awesome "Mary" books again ;)
My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession
November 5, 2017
YASSSS! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!
Tag Team Review and Chatty Chat with Red!
Guys. Guys. I have been waiting for this book for so long. So. Long. You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted to read Conrad’s story. You. Just. Don’t. Know. Did it live up to my expectations?
You bet your ass it did!
Whatever you know him as, be it Conrad, Terrence or Gold Team Leader; Darius Hawthorne has been sneaking in and out of Mary’s books for years. He’s like a ninja, swooping in, showing just enough of himself to pique our interest and then swooping out again. He’s been an enigma and to finally get his story? Why, it’s EVERYTHING!
If you’ve read A Day Makes, the first book in this series, then you know that Darius has recently become the Vault. (What’s the Vault, you say? Well, I’m not gonna tell you. You’ll have to read the first book to find out.) With the new job comes a LOT of new responsibilities, but it also comes with a sense of freedom Darius hasn’t experienced in decades. He’s finally able to slow down a bit and just breathe.
He’s hand-picked his team and boy, there are some interesting characters among them! Some you will recognize from other books but there are a couple that are new. One in particular that I’m sure everyone will love as much as I do.
This was like the culmination of all of the books Mary has written in this world. There were so many cameos and references to other stories that my head was spinning and I was constantly squealing in delight.
And the banter in this book! OMG! I think this is the snarkiest book Mary has written to date. I was seriously LOLing throughout a majority of the story. It showed to me how much Mary has grown in her writing over the years.
But it’s not all fun and games in this book, no sir. There were parts that were so heartfelt, so emotional that I couldn’t help but sob into my pillow. Being alone for most of his life, Darius hasn’t been able to make the connections that are needed to keep one healthy and sane. He’s lonely but doesn’t really know how to go about fixing his problem. What makes it even harder to bear is that there was a time in his life that he wasn’t lonely. He knows what love is, he’s experienced it before, but it was ripped away from him in an instant that, while he doesn’t regret doing what he had to do to protect his love, he wishes would have happened differently.
Throughout his life, there has only been one person that made Darius feel alive. One person that made him think that being a human being on this planet was worth it. Efrem. They had five glorious years together before they were ripped from each other’s arms. Darius never got over Efrem. Sixteen years later and a chance encounter leaves Darius with a hope that he’s scared to feel. Will Efrem feel the same as he did all those long years ago? Is the love still there?
Thank you, Mary. Thank you for writing this book. It was everything I ever wished it could be. And the story’s not done! There is still a thread that hasn’t been resolved. I for one cannot wait to read the final book in this trilogy. It’s going to be EPIC, I just know it.
See Red's review and the rest of our Chatty Chat on the blog!
**************************************
CONRAD! I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN WAITING MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS BOOK!
Nobody better get in my way when I get this in my greedy little hands.
Tag Team Review and Chatty Chat with Red!
Guys. Guys. I have been waiting for this book for so long. So. Long. You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted to read Conrad’s story. You. Just. Don’t. Know. Did it live up to my expectations?
You bet your ass it did!
Whatever you know him as, be it Conrad, Terrence or Gold Team Leader; Darius Hawthorne has been sneaking in and out of Mary’s books for years. He’s like a ninja, swooping in, showing just enough of himself to pique our interest and then swooping out again. He’s been an enigma and to finally get his story? Why, it’s EVERYTHING!
Red: This makes me wanna go back and read all the books with him in it to look at them in a new way. You know? If only I had unlimited time to read.
JL: I know exactly how you feel. I also want to go back and read every book that the cameos are in.
If you’ve read A Day Makes, the first book in this series, then you know that Darius has recently become the Vault. (What’s the Vault, you say? Well, I’m not gonna tell you. You’ll have to read the first book to find out.) With the new job comes a LOT of new responsibilities, but it also comes with a sense of freedom Darius hasn’t experienced in decades. He’s finally able to slow down a bit and just breathe.
JL: [SPOILERY SPOILER QUOTE THAT I’M NOT GONNA SPOIL.]
Exactly how I would live my life if I could.
Red: Darius just handed [SPOIL NAME] the job of a lifetime and himself the golden ticket! He just needs the love of his life by his side. Ugh. I hope [EPIC ROMANTIC SPOILER OF SPOILS THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE SPOILED!]
JL: I'm sure he will. Mary won't let us down. [QUOTES THAT ARE SPOILERS BUT QUOTES THAT WE THINK YOU WILL HIGHLIGHT TOO!]
He’s hand-picked his team and boy, there are some interesting characters among them! Some you will recognize from other books but there are a couple that are new. One in particular that I’m sure everyone will love as much as I do.
JL: I'm liking this [SHHH SPOILS IN A POT NEVER SPOIL]. He's very sassy.
Red: I haven't got to [SPOILSPORT SPOILER] yet. Just got to [A POSSIBLE SPOILER I WON’T SPOIL.]
JL: Ha! I highlighted that [SNARKY SPOILER] too!
This was like the culmination of all of the books Mary has written in this world. There were so many cameos and references to other stories that my head was spinning and I was constantly squealing in delight.
Red: Okay. I am stopping at [SPOILERING] Chapter [SPOILER]! LOL I can't stop reading. This is so good. But of course it is, right? But IT IS SO GOOD!
JL: SO GOOD!
I love playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon with Mary.
Red: I know! I honestly thought when [DOUBLE, DOUBLE, SPOIL AND TROUBLE] instead. I am still waiting to see if they show up.
And the banter in this book! OMG! I think this is the snarkiest book Mary has written to date. I was seriously LOLing throughout a majority of the story. It showed to me how much Mary has grown in her writing over the years.
JL: :“Just because you’re the vault doesn’t make you good or any more likely not to go to hell.”
“We’re carpooling, I’m aware.”
So snarky! I'm loving all the banter in this one.
But it’s not all fun and games in this book, no sir. There were parts that were so heartfelt, so emotional that I couldn’t help but sob into my pillow. Being alone for most of his life, Darius hasn’t been able to make the connections that are needed to keep one healthy and sane. He’s lonely but doesn’t really know how to go about fixing his problem. What makes it even harder to bear is that there was a time in his life that he wasn’t lonely. He knows what love is, he’s experienced it before, but it was ripped away from him in an instant that, while he doesn’t regret doing what he had to do to protect his love, he wishes would have happened differently.
JL: It had gone nothing like I’d thought it would. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that Efrem would [YOU DIDN’T SERIOUSLY THINK I WAS GONNA SPOIL THIS PART, DID YOU?]
Aaaaaand now I'm sad.
Red: I've highlighted those same parts! Listen to him. Ugh. I just realized while I was in corpse pose, Conrad is possibly the saddest MC MC (Mary Calmes Main Character) ever. He's so lonely giving up or lost everyone he's ever loved.
JL: I know. He's so lonely. I want to give him a hug.
Throughout his life, there has only been one person that made Darius feel alive. One person that made him think that being a human being on this planet was worth it. Efrem. They had five glorious years together before they were ripped from each other’s arms. Darius never got over Efrem. Sixteen years later and a chance encounter leaves Darius with a hope that he’s scared to feel. Will Efrem feel the same as he did all those long years ago? Is the love still there?
When you were moving at the speed of sound, being alone made sense, but as soon as the scenery outside the window became recognizable shapes instead of a steady blur, you longed for home. Efrem was the only home I had, and the constant ache in my chest was the yearning for him.
JL: Stupid book with stupid Efrem making me cry.
Red: I know! Where are you? I just started chapter [SPOILERING SPOILY STUFF.]
[...]
I'm done. That. Was. Good. And. Romantic AF!
Thank you, Mary. Thank you for writing this book. It was everything I ever wished it could be. And the story’s not done! There is still a thread that hasn’t been resolved. I for one cannot wait to read the final book in this trilogy. It’s going to be EPIC, I just know it.
See Red's review and the rest of our Chatty Chat on the blog!
**************************************
CONRAD! I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN WAITING MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS BOOK!
Nobody better get in my way when I get this in my greedy little hands.
September 8, 2018
I am the first to grab at any new Mary Calmes release. I am a quite adoring fan. And I was looking forward to Conrad's book (or Terrence, or Daruis) for a long time.
And while I was thoroughly entertained and engulfed in the Calmes-ness of his story, I found the romance to be pretty lackluster.
I imagine that there needed to be a LOT of background told about Darius Hawthorne. Why was he Conrad Harris? Why was he Terrence Moss? Why did he become The Vault? I knew it would take up some page time.
And I got swept away. No doubt about it. I still don't completely understand the role of The Vault, but I couldn't care less. It was still a wild ride.
Kudos to Mary for her cameos and others mentioned. Darius has been in many previous books. So, of course, those characters made an appearance or had a mention in HIS book. It was awesome! There may even have been a drop in that I wasn't expecting ;)
But still, the romance didn't kick off until about 75%. Blinks. Blinks again. Yep - that's right folks. We didn't get to start looking at a relationship between the MCs until that mark. Mama not happy.
Overall, Calmes lovers will enjoy the hell out of this. It had all the trademarks of a yummy, gooey, wild Calmes ride.
But if you've never dipped your finger in the Calmes crack before, this is not your book. Recommended to read, at minimum, Book 1 in the series.
And while I was thoroughly entertained and engulfed in the Calmes-ness of his story, I found the romance to be pretty lackluster.
I imagine that there needed to be a LOT of background told about Darius Hawthorne. Why was he Conrad Harris? Why was he Terrence Moss? Why did he become The Vault? I knew it would take up some page time.
And I got swept away. No doubt about it. I still don't completely understand the role of The Vault, but I couldn't care less. It was still a wild ride.
Kudos to Mary for her cameos and others mentioned. Darius has been in many previous books. So, of course, those characters made an appearance or had a mention in HIS book. It was awesome! There may even have been a drop in that I wasn't expecting ;)
But still, the romance didn't kick off until about 75%. Blinks. Blinks again. Yep - that's right folks. We didn't get to start looking at a relationship between the MCs until that mark. Mama not happy.
Overall, Calmes lovers will enjoy the hell out of this. It had all the trademarks of a yummy, gooey, wild Calmes ride.
But if you've never dipped your finger in the Calmes crack before, this is not your book. Recommended to read, at minimum, Book 1 in the series.
June 20, 2018
**2.5 stars rounded up**
Wow...this book was a mixed bag for me. I loved Darius. He seemed to be a good person regardless of his profession past and current. I loved Darius and Efrem together...what there was of it. So maybe this book wasn't meant to be a romance? IDK...it was your typical Mary Calmes with OTT characters and happenings. But I missed the romance. The last few pages are really all we get of them in the present. I wanted more because they seemed to have an epic love. I mean who is celibate for 16 years because no one else will ever do?
But good God almighty! The flashbacks drove me nuts! I mean at one point you have a flashback WITHIN a flashback. At times I wasn't sure what was the present or a flashback. It was annoying as fuck!
And of course, we have intermingling characters from other books which lead me to do some investigation because I'm really interested in their stories. So, while this wasn't exactly what I wanted, I'm glad I read it and I still love me some Mary Calmes.
Wow...this book was a mixed bag for me. I loved Darius. He seemed to be a good person regardless of his profession past and current. I loved Darius and Efrem together...what there was of it. So maybe this book wasn't meant to be a romance? IDK...it was your typical Mary Calmes with OTT characters and happenings. But I missed the romance. The last few pages are really all we get of them in the present. I wanted more because they seemed to have an epic love. I mean who is celibate for 16 years because no one else will ever do?
I smiled just a little because no, I wasn’t ever scared, it was that there was only one Efrem, and he was it for me. It was him or nothing, and so I’d gone without.
But good God almighty! The flashbacks drove me nuts! I mean at one point you have a flashback WITHIN a flashback. At times I wasn't sure what was the present or a flashback. It was annoying as fuck!
And of course, we have intermingling characters from other books which lead me to do some investigation because I'm really interested in their stories. So, while this wasn't exactly what I wanted, I'm glad I read it and I still love me some Mary Calmes.
September 21, 2024
Loved it even more this time.
November 21, 2022
My original review stands. Although, the more I re-read this one, the more I need more.
I'd really like to see some of Darius and Efrem together living their life.
But that's just because the more I read it the more I love it.
Re-Read 2022
-------
Mary! You forgot to mention Again!
Anyway, here we go.
I feel like I waited a long time for this book. I wasn't even sure there would be a book but I waited and I wanted.
This surpassed my expectations.
I love, love, love how Mary can present a character to us and we get a pretty good feel/idea of who they are but then totally flip the script once we are in their head and get their POV. It's magic.
I mean, who is with me? The whole I sometimes watch you when you are sleeping thing from Mine was alittle a lot fucking creepy, crazy, insane, yeah? Totally fitting in that book but man, who knew what we were going to get.
What I got is to fall head over heels in love. I am totally 100% head over heels in love with this man, whatever his name is. To me, this is the romance of the book that some felt was missing. Not Darius falling in love, us, the readers, falling in love with him.
This was just SO MUCH MORE than I could have ever anticipated. Of course though right? I mean, he couldn't be The Vault if he wasn't a complex man.
So yeah, crazy in Mine, a friend and protector in Parting Shot and a long lost hero in A Day Makes. But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Darius Hawthorne.
I think this book was for the die hard fans. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon has nothing on the connections Mary weaves into her books and the revelations she gave us in this one. I consider myself one of those die hard fans and I was still shocked by some but also completely overjoyed with others. And hey! I am a re-reading freak when it comes to these books! So many characters and so many connections. So yeah, this was totally a book for the fans.
Newbies, this is not where you want to start. Consider sorting by publication date and start at the beginning. Seriously.
I'm giving this book 5★'s without hesitation. This book totally did it for me even if it wasn't perfect. Well, it was kind of perfect to me but there were some things that weren't but whatever, I can deal.
The biggest of these imperfections was the separation. Sixteen years is a long fucking time people. And what they did, or in their case did not do, during that separation was a little far fetched. Good for my heart and soul but mostly unbelievable. Oh fucking well.
Darius and Efrem's time together, in the present, was short on page time but again, I found fitting around the rest of the story. This is a series, we'll get more.
And lastly, the slipping into the past in the middle of a present conversation tripped me up a few times in this one, it just made me read it again and pay more attention. Not a hardship.
So yeah, 5★'s - NO DOUBT.
I have to go back to the connections. Gah! The guest appearances were just perfection. I loved seeing old friends! I am totally MORE frightened of Landry now than I already was but yeah! Landry! It was just so cool to revisit the old and see what was up with them now.
One more word: Marko...LOVE!!!!
How about the new friends, yes??? How fun is this going to be? Lee anyone??
So yeah, I loved it. The book is a gift. A gift that just kept on giving. I can not even wait for the audio!
I'd really like to see some of Darius and Efrem together living their life.
But that's just because the more I read it the more I love it.
Re-Read 2022
-------
Mary! You forgot to mention Again!
Anyway, here we go.
I feel like I waited a long time for this book. I wasn't even sure there would be a book but I waited and I wanted.
This surpassed my expectations.
I love, love, love how Mary can present a character to us and we get a pretty good feel/idea of who they are but then totally flip the script once we are in their head and get their POV. It's magic.
I mean, who is with me? The whole I sometimes watch you when you are sleeping thing from Mine was a
What I got is to fall head over heels in love. I am totally 100% head over heels in love with this man, whatever his name is. To me, this is the romance of the book that some felt was missing. Not Darius falling in love, us, the readers, falling in love with him.
This was just SO MUCH MORE than I could have ever anticipated. Of course though right? I mean, he couldn't be The Vault if he wasn't a complex man.
So yeah, crazy in Mine, a friend and protector in Parting Shot and a long lost hero in A Day Makes. But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Darius Hawthorne.
I think this book was for the die hard fans. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon has nothing on the connections Mary weaves into her books and the revelations she gave us in this one. I consider myself one of those die hard fans and I was still shocked by some but also completely overjoyed with others. And hey! I am a re-reading freak when it comes to these books! So many characters and so many connections. So yeah, this was totally a book for the fans.
Newbies, this is not where you want to start. Consider sorting by publication date and start at the beginning. Seriously.
I'm giving this book 5★'s without hesitation. This book totally did it for me even if it wasn't perfect. Well, it was kind of perfect to me but there were some things that weren't but whatever, I can deal.
The biggest of these imperfections was the separation. Sixteen years is a long fucking time people. And what they did, or in their case did not do, during that separation was a little far fetched. Good for my heart and soul but mostly unbelievable. Oh fucking well.
Darius and Efrem's time together, in the present, was short on page time but again, I found fitting around the rest of the story. This is a series, we'll get more.
And lastly, the slipping into the past in the middle of a present conversation tripped me up a few times in this one, it just made me read it again and pay more attention. Not a hardship.
So yeah, 5★'s - NO DOUBT.
I have to go back to the connections. Gah! The guest appearances were just perfection. I loved seeing old friends! I am totally MORE frightened of Landry now than I already was but yeah! Landry! It was just so cool to revisit the old and see what was up with them now.
One more word: Marko...LOVE!!!!
How about the new friends, yes??? How fun is this going to be? Lee anyone??
So yeah, I loved it. The book is a gift. A gift that just kept on giving. I can not even wait for the audio!
March 14, 2018
4.5 Stars
Note: I would not consider Late in the Day a standalone. It is the second installment in The Vault series, and the first book, A Day Makes, should definitely be read first.
A Day Makes had a formula that continues here where the story focuses much more around the team and background of the main character rather than focusing mainly on any romance.
Like in A Day Makes, there is some romance, but it is mostly late in the story and somewhat secondary to the rest of the plot.
Remember folks: this is shelved as a Contemporary novel, not a Contemporary Romance, which is not to say there aren't sexy times and romance...there are definitely sexy times and romance, but they are not the main focus.
I personally think it works brilliantly.
Late in the Day focuses on the single, first person, POV of Darius Hawthorne, also known as Terrence Moss (Parting Shot), Conrad Harris (Mine), and Gold Team Leader (A Day Makes), and follows the events leading up to how he's been chosen, who and how he's set up as his team, and the life he's putting together now.
Of course, he doesn't factor in or anticipate the lost love of his life showing up in front of him.
Told in Calmes' signature flashback/memory style, where a character introduces past events while spacing out of an ongoing conversation, we do get some background on Darius, and his ex-lover, Efrem and their relationship before circumstances tore them apart.
I was over the moon with the way Mary Calmes tied off so many loose ends from her other novels and series here.
I was thrilled with the few characters from other stories who show up, especially one of my favorite Calmes characters, Trevan Bean, so hopefully other fans of Calmes work will get pleasure from those that show on page and in mention as well.
I thought the story was well conceived, fast paced, low angst, with great characters, some nice heat, and a great HFN.
This series is shaping up really well, and I can't wait for more!
If you haven't read Mary Calmes' work before, then I would recommend reading Mine, Acrobat, Parting Shot, All Kinds of Tied Down, Fit to be Tied, and (or at the very least) A Day Makes before this one.
For my audiobook review click here.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Late In The Day (The Vault #2) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Note: I would not consider Late in the Day a standalone. It is the second installment in The Vault series, and the first book, A Day Makes, should definitely be read first.
A Day Makes had a formula that continues here where the story focuses much more around the team and background of the main character rather than focusing mainly on any romance.
Like in A Day Makes, there is some romance, but it is mostly late in the story and somewhat secondary to the rest of the plot.
And it was then, right then, that I knew there could never be anyone else, not ever. My heart would stop with him.
Remember folks: this is shelved as a Contemporary novel, not a Contemporary Romance, which is not to say there aren't sexy times and romance...there are definitely sexy times and romance, but they are not the main focus.
And in that moment, I understood that whatever equal footing I thought I had with him was a delusion. Because when you wanted to be with someone, when another person had all your attention, that took you out at the knees and left you floundering.
I personally think it works brilliantly.
Late in the Day focuses on the single, first person, POV of Darius Hawthorne, also known as Terrence Moss (Parting Shot), Conrad Harris (Mine), and Gold Team Leader (A Day Makes), and follows the events leading up to how he's been chosen, who and how he's set up as his team, and the life he's putting together now.
Of course, he doesn't factor in or anticipate the lost love of his life showing up in front of him.
He was the only one I couldn’t see objectively, I never could. My feelings for him did more than cloud my judgment; they completely obscured everything else around me and particularly, my logic.
Told in Calmes' signature flashback/memory style, where a character introduces past events while spacing out of an ongoing conversation, we do get some background on Darius, and his ex-lover, Efrem and their relationship before circumstances tore them apart.
I was over the moon with the way Mary Calmes tied off so many loose ends from her other novels and series here.
I was thrilled with the few characters from other stories who show up, especially one of my favorite Calmes characters, Trevan Bean, so hopefully other fans of Calmes work will get pleasure from those that show on page and in mention as well.
I thought the story was well conceived, fast paced, low angst, with great characters, some nice heat, and a great HFN.
This series is shaping up really well, and I can't wait for more!
If you haven't read Mary Calmes' work before, then I would recommend reading Mine, Acrobat, Parting Shot, All Kinds of Tied Down, Fit to be Tied, and (or at the very least) A Day Makes before this one.
For my audiobook review click here.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Late In The Day (The Vault #2) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
April 16, 2018
The big bad wolf finally meets his match. Or, in this case, is reunited with his match.
I’ve been waiting to read Conrad’s (who’s really Darius) story for a while. Ever since he handled Trevon and Landry’s cray-cray like a champ in ‘Mine’, I’ve been just a bit smitten with the mysterious hitman.
I listened to this book in audiobook format, and Greg Boudreaux did an excellent job. Absolutely no complaints from me on that end!
Being the Vault has changed Darius. He’s no longer the isolated one-man fortress he used to be. He’s got friends now, which might make him vulnerable, but he’s also a lot more human.
Like book 1 in this series, ‘Late in the Day’ is more about the main character’s journey than it is about the romance. I wasn’t entirely sure if that would work when I picked up book 1, but I really like this different approach by Mary Calmes.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Darius’ past and how he ended up as the Vault. Plus, it was great to finally find out who the man was underneath the rock-hard exterior.
That being said, the romance is no way lacking. Readers learn through flashbacks how Efrem and Darius fell in love, and what events transpired to drive them apart for so long.
The two are so obviously meant for each other. Both in the flashbacks and in the present, there’s a thread binding them together that can’t be denied.
For Darius, who’s spent so many years watching his back, Efrem is the only man he can let his guard down around. And Efrem never stopped looking for the man who owned his heart.
Plus, the two bring some serious heat. This isn’t a particularly steamy read, but the sexytimes that are there definitely don’t leave anything to the imagination!
My only complaint: I would have liked some more drama/action. Considering who Darius is, I was waiting for something to happen. It would have made an already very entertaining read even more so.
Regardless, this was a great read/listen! If you enjoyed book 1 in this series, I highly recommend ‘Late in the Day’!
I’ve been waiting to read Conrad’s (who’s really Darius) story for a while. Ever since he handled Trevon and Landry’s cray-cray like a champ in ‘Mine’, I’ve been just a bit smitten with the mysterious hitman.
I listened to this book in audiobook format, and Greg Boudreaux did an excellent job. Absolutely no complaints from me on that end!
Being the Vault has changed Darius. He’s no longer the isolated one-man fortress he used to be. He’s got friends now, which might make him vulnerable, but he’s also a lot more human.
Like book 1 in this series, ‘Late in the Day’ is more about the main character’s journey than it is about the romance. I wasn’t entirely sure if that would work when I picked up book 1, but I really like this different approach by Mary Calmes.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Darius’ past and how he ended up as the Vault. Plus, it was great to finally find out who the man was underneath the rock-hard exterior.
That being said, the romance is no way lacking. Readers learn through flashbacks how Efrem and Darius fell in love, and what events transpired to drive them apart for so long.
The two are so obviously meant for each other. Both in the flashbacks and in the present, there’s a thread binding them together that can’t be denied.
For Darius, who’s spent so many years watching his back, Efrem is the only man he can let his guard down around. And Efrem never stopped looking for the man who owned his heart.
Plus, the two bring some serious heat. This isn’t a particularly steamy read, but the sexytimes that are there definitely don’t leave anything to the imagination!
My only complaint: I would have liked some more drama/action. Considering who Darius is, I was waiting for something to happen. It would have made an already very entertaining read even more so.
Regardless, this was a great read/listen! If you enjoyed book 1 in this series, I highly recommend ‘Late in the Day’!
October 13, 2017
3.25 stars
I’m a huge Mary fan, but I wasn’t too happy with this book. Yes, it was engaging, yes, I was curious to see what would happen to Darius/Conrad/Terence. But I was mostly disappointed in the romance, because there was so little of it.
I wasn’t too fond of the info dump in the first 30%, and all the details about Darius becoming the vault and what that entailed. It was way too detailed and I was going, yes yes yes blahblahblah, just get on with the rest of the story.
I did like Darius’ bond with Trevan and how much Trevan was present in the story. If you haven’t read Mine or A Day Makes, don’t read this book. I think it’s very important to read those first before starting this or you miss out on a good deal of the background story.
I also loved how everything came together. I just reread Acrobat and Tied Up in Knots and was thrilled to read more about ‘the missing gun’ here.
But the romance, guys….. It just wasn’t there! I really loved Efram and the way Darius and Efrem were together is exactly what Mary writes best. But unfortunately the romance starts at 75% and was mostly based on the past instead of the present. And I just wanted more.
I hope Mary will write more romance in the next book, because I crave it. Nothing can beat a good Mary romance.
------------------------------
An ARC of Late in the Day was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
I’m a huge Mary fan, but I wasn’t too happy with this book. Yes, it was engaging, yes, I was curious to see what would happen to Darius/Conrad/Terence. But I was mostly disappointed in the romance, because there was so little of it.
I wasn’t too fond of the info dump in the first 30%, and all the details about Darius becoming the vault and what that entailed. It was way too detailed and I was going, yes yes yes blahblahblah, just get on with the rest of the story.
I did like Darius’ bond with Trevan and how much Trevan was present in the story. If you haven’t read Mine or A Day Makes, don’t read this book. I think it’s very important to read those first before starting this or you miss out on a good deal of the background story.
I also loved how everything came together. I just reread Acrobat and Tied Up in Knots and was thrilled to read more about ‘the missing gun’ here.
But the romance, guys….. It just wasn’t there! I really loved Efram and the way Darius and Efrem were together is exactly what Mary writes best. But unfortunately the romance starts at 75% and was mostly based on the past instead of the present. And I just wanted more.
I hope Mary will write more romance in the next book, because I crave it. Nothing can beat a good Mary romance.
------------------------------
An ARC of Late in the Day was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
October 31, 2017
This gets ALL OF THE STARS. Seriously. I cannot wait for what Mary does next.
October 26, 2017
4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.
It's time to take a peek at 'The Vault'...
'Late in the Day' is the second book in the Mary Calmes series 'The Vault' and this story belongs to one man, known as...Conrad Harris...Darius Hawthorne...Terrence Moss...Gold Team Leader and more recently as 'The Vault'. He's answered to all of these names at one time or another in his life.
While this character isn't new to anyone who's a fan of this author this is the first time that we are given his story. Conrad's floated around the periphery of several books but for me...'Mine' is the story that really brought him to my attention and got me wondering 'who is this man? and please can we have more of him?' Ironically it's probably the oldest of the books that he's appeared in...so, Conrad's been around teasing us for a long time and now at last we are given his story.
I loved this character in 'Mine'. The interaction between Conrad and Trevan Bean as they went from colleagues to friends was intriguing and oft times tinged with sardonic humor. While I've enjoyed his random appearances in stories over the years...I was more than a little excited to find out that Ms Calmes was finally going to give us the story behind the enigma that was Conrad...Darius...Terrence...you get my drift...whatever identity he was using I wanted to know and now I do.
This story worked for me from start to finish. Ms Calmes has given us the answers to so many questions and I loved having those blanks filled in and more. Although a lot of this story focused on Conrad's past with Efrem not all of it did and all those little gaps that are filled in were just a whole lot of happy moments for me and while I loved all the glimpses of Conrad's connections to characters we've met in previous stories it was equally as enjoyable getting to see some new characters and potential new stories.
'Late in the Day' is a bit unique in that it's a story that is essentially set in the past, with the changes that have happened recently in Conrad's life it's become time for him to reclaim his past to create a life for himself that's real and permanent but in order to have the future that Conrad truly wants it's time for him to deal with his past...a past that he believed lost to him forever. A past that involved the one man that Conrad loved with all his heart...Efrem Lahm.
The focus in this book was more about filling in Conrad's background and giving us a more complete person to go forward with and while the romance took a bit of a back burner to this, I definitely wasn't disappointed with the glimpse we were given of Conrad and Efrem both in the past and the present and I absolutely loved the fact that these are two mature men...over 40 folks...45!!! Yeah, for life after 25!!!
I have no problem with MC's under 25 or age gaps or both MCs being younger but sometimes it's just really nice to read a story were the MCs are mature. It's a really nice change of pace and I'm looking forward to more with these two. More of their life together, more smexy times and just more of whatever comes their way.
If you're new to this author than, at the bare minimum, I strongly suggest reading 'A Day Makes' the first book in this series and possibly 'Mine' but that's probably due in part to my personal bias of how much I love that book than anything else.
Once again Ms Calmes has created a series that's filled with interesting characters, unusual stories and a potential place for intriguing times and love and best of all another new happy place for readers to explore.
*************************
An ARC of 'Late In the Day' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It's time to take a peek at 'The Vault'...
'Late in the Day' is the second book in the Mary Calmes series 'The Vault' and this story belongs to one man, known as...Conrad Harris...Darius Hawthorne...Terrence Moss...Gold Team Leader and more recently as 'The Vault'. He's answered to all of these names at one time or another in his life.
While this character isn't new to anyone who's a fan of this author this is the first time that we are given his story. Conrad's floated around the periphery of several books but for me...'Mine' is the story that really brought him to my attention and got me wondering 'who is this man? and please can we have more of him?' Ironically it's probably the oldest of the books that he's appeared in...so, Conrad's been around teasing us for a long time and now at last we are given his story.
I loved this character in 'Mine'. The interaction between Conrad and Trevan Bean as they went from colleagues to friends was intriguing and oft times tinged with sardonic humor. While I've enjoyed his random appearances in stories over the years...I was more than a little excited to find out that Ms Calmes was finally going to give us the story behind the enigma that was Conrad...Darius...Terrence...you get my drift...whatever identity he was using I wanted to know and now I do.
This story worked for me from start to finish. Ms Calmes has given us the answers to so many questions and I loved having those blanks filled in and more. Although a lot of this story focused on Conrad's past with Efrem not all of it did and all those little gaps that are filled in were just a whole lot of happy moments for me and while I loved all the glimpses of Conrad's connections to characters we've met in previous stories it was equally as enjoyable getting to see some new characters and potential new stories.
'Late in the Day' is a bit unique in that it's a story that is essentially set in the past, with the changes that have happened recently in Conrad's life it's become time for him to reclaim his past to create a life for himself that's real and permanent but in order to have the future that Conrad truly wants it's time for him to deal with his past...a past that he believed lost to him forever. A past that involved the one man that Conrad loved with all his heart...Efrem Lahm.
The focus in this book was more about filling in Conrad's background and giving us a more complete person to go forward with and while the romance took a bit of a back burner to this, I definitely wasn't disappointed with the glimpse we were given of Conrad and Efrem both in the past and the present and I absolutely loved the fact that these are two mature men...over 40 folks...45!!! Yeah, for life after 25!!!
I have no problem with MC's under 25 or age gaps or both MCs being younger but sometimes it's just really nice to read a story were the MCs are mature. It's a really nice change of pace and I'm looking forward to more with these two. More of their life together, more smexy times and just more of whatever comes their way.
If you're new to this author than, at the bare minimum, I strongly suggest reading 'A Day Makes' the first book in this series and possibly 'Mine' but that's probably due in part to my personal bias of how much I love that book than anything else.
Once again Ms Calmes has created a series that's filled with interesting characters, unusual stories and a potential place for intriguing times and love and best of all another new happy place for readers to explore.
*************************
An ARC of 'Late In the Day' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Read
November 2, 2017 5 Hearts
Buddy read and review with my girl Jenni Lea
*****************************************
It’s gonna be hard to review this for a number of reasons.
Hard because I can’t get my fangirl words to flow from my fingers.
Hard because there is so much that needs to be read first hand.
Hard because there is not a damn thing you could offer me to spoil this.
Hard because what I want to say isn’t so hard.
I. Loved. This. Book.
For some reason after I finished reading this, I started to think back on all that makes Darius Hawthorne; who he is, his relationship with people he cares about and the man he simply cannot live without and every thought led me to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Don’t ask, it’s just the way my 6 degrees of randomness works but when I started to recall my favorite moments from the movie, certain moments, certain lines just fit.
So, every quote in this review isn’t from the book, they are from the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Knowing we were getting a story of Conrad Harris was exciting. After reading A Day Makes and learning Conrad had numerous aliases all that the Calmes fan had bet before was mind blowing but reading how they all came to be was epic. Epic and really quite sad. I am of the persuasion that Darius Hawthorne may be the saddest hero of Mary’s I have yet to read. Sure, Darius is one badass motherfucker but Darius is lonely. He has not only cut ties with the names he used to hold but the life he led as that name and the people all became collateral damage.
Now just because he’s left so many behind it doesn’t mean they don’t play a significant role in Darius’ life because they do. Every choice he’s made entwines with the man’s DNA and allows Conrad Harris to have the reputation as a man you don’t want to cross. The outright level of confidence that bleeds off Conrad is palatable but it’s never on the side of arrogance. The man has done the job that he’s been assigned and paid to do but the return was less than retail could offer.
Learning how Darius becomes The Vault was so entertaining. After a few cameos from the author’s other books, we learn exactly how Darius gets the new job. It was funny, it was snarky, and it had some serious emotions as we take a trip down memory lane with Darius and his internal struggles. The whole scenario OF The Vault is so layered and detailed that I am once again amazed by how strong and creative a storyteller Mary Calmes truly is. She is so damn clever with all of this that I am truly in awe.
I think Darius does get a case of the mean reds throughout parts of this book. He has known the way of life that is a contact killer for so long, transitioning to the vault is a lesson he never thought he’d have to learn. It was actually adorable watching the man thaw and his life become complicated. But nothing can complicate your life like love.
Efrem Lahm is nothing short of stellar and stops at nothing to shred my heart into pieces. I think this is one hell of a romantic short of the forever love telling and Efrem and Darius have it all. From their first meeting, to the first kiss, to the first everything and then some. I fell hard for Efrem, I fell hard for the couple he and Darius made and I feel hard for the man Efrem has become in the years he’s been apart from the love of his life.
You might be confused by the last quote but trust me, it fits and nothing fits better than that last line. When the reunion happens between Efrem and Darius there is so much emotion and things left unsaid that it gets heated fast. I honestly think we, or um… the author has maxed out TMCSS (The Mary Calmes Separation Stipulation) at 16 years! It was so damn painful knowing what both Darius and Efrem went through over those extremely long years they were apart but it also gave me a ridiculous amount of hope.
Late in the Day is such an amazing and romantic story full of cameos of beloved characters and the final telling of one man’s stellar story. All the elements a Calmes fan could want are in this but there is just so much emotion tacked on that it weighed on my poor hopeless romantic heart. I love where they author took everyone, how she gave them humor, wit, love and family all while still letting each of them be who they are even if that means scary contract killers have tea with… *sigh. I can’t say who, but it’s one of those things that will make you laugh because it’s such a Calmes thing to have her characters do.
See our chat and JL's review on the blog!
Buddy read and review with my girl Jenni Lea
*****************************************
It’s gonna be hard to review this for a number of reasons.
Hard because I can’t get my fangirl words to flow from my fingers.
Hard because there is so much that needs to be read first hand.
Hard because there is not a damn thing you could offer me to spoil this.
Hard because what I want to say isn’t so hard.
I. Loved. This. Book.
For some reason after I finished reading this, I started to think back on all that makes Darius Hawthorne; who he is, his relationship with people he cares about and the man he simply cannot live without and every thought led me to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Don’t ask, it’s just the way my 6 degrees of randomness works but when I started to recall my favorite moments from the movie, certain moments, certain lines just fit.
So, every quote in this review isn’t from the book, they are from the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
“They're not the kind of stories you can really tell.”
“Too dirty?”
“Yeah, I suppose they're dirty, too, but only incidentally. Mainly they're angry, sensitive, intensely felt, and that dirtiest of all dirty words – promising.”
Knowing we were getting a story of Conrad Harris was exciting. After reading A Day Makes and learning Conrad had numerous aliases all that the Calmes fan had bet before was mind blowing but reading how they all came to be was epic. Epic and really quite sad. I am of the persuasion that Darius Hawthorne may be the saddest hero of Mary’s I have yet to read. Sure, Darius is one badass motherfucker but Darius is lonely. He has not only cut ties with the names he used to hold but the life he led as that name and the people all became collateral damage.
“Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot."
Now just because he’s left so many behind it doesn’t mean they don’t play a significant role in Darius’ life because they do. Every choice he’s made entwines with the man’s DNA and allows Conrad Harris to have the reputation as a man you don’t want to cross. The outright level of confidence that bleeds off Conrad is palatable but it’s never on the side of arrogance. The man has done the job that he’s been assigned and paid to do but the return was less than retail could offer.
“Ahh... Do I detect a look of disapproval in your eye? Tough beans buddy, 'cause that's the way it's gonna be."
Learning how Darius becomes The Vault was so entertaining. After a few cameos from the author’s other books, we learn exactly how Darius gets the new job. It was funny, it was snarky, and it had some serious emotions as we take a trip down memory lane with Darius and his internal struggles. The whole scenario OF The Vault is so layered and detailed that I am once again amazed by how strong and creative a storyteller Mary Calmes truly is. She is so damn clever with all of this that I am truly in awe.
“The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?"
I think Darius does get a case of the mean reds throughout parts of this book. He has known the way of life that is a contact killer for so long, transitioning to the vault is a lesson he never thought he’d have to learn. It was actually adorable watching the man thaw and his life become complicated. But nothing can complicate your life like love.
“How do I look?
"Very good. I must say, I'm amazed."
Efrem Lahm is nothing short of stellar and stops at nothing to shred my heart into pieces. I think this is one hell of a romantic short of the forever love telling and Efrem and Darius have it all. From their first meeting, to the first kiss, to the first everything and then some. I fell hard for Efrem, I fell hard for the couple he and Darius made and I feel hard for the man Efrem has become in the years he’s been apart from the love of his life.
“You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."
You might be confused by the last quote but trust me, it fits and nothing fits better than that last line. When the reunion happens between Efrem and Darius there is so much emotion and things left unsaid that it gets heated fast. I honestly think we, or um… the author has maxed out TMCSS (The Mary Calmes Separation Stipulation) at 16 years! It was so damn painful knowing what both Darius and Efrem went through over those extremely long years they were apart but it also gave me a ridiculous amount of hope.
“I love you.”
“So what.”
“So what? So plenty! I love you, you belong to me!”
Late in the Day is such an amazing and romantic story full of cameos of beloved characters and the final telling of one man’s stellar story. All the elements a Calmes fan could want are in this but there is just so much emotion tacked on that it weighed on my poor hopeless romantic heart. I love where they author took everyone, how she gave them humor, wit, love and family all while still letting each of them be who they are even if that means scary contract killers have tea with… *sigh. I can’t say who, but it’s one of those things that will make you laugh because it’s such a Calmes thing to have her characters do.
See our chat and JL's review on the blog!
March 14, 2018
With his wonderful character voices, timing, and pacing Greg Boudreaux's (aka Tremblay's) performance seems almost effortless leaving you hanging on every word.
Late in the Day focuses on the single, first person, POV of Darius Hawthorne [AKA Terrence Moss (Parting Shot), Conrad Harris (Mine), and Gold Team Leader (A Day Makes)], and follows the events leading up to how he's been chosen as "The Vault", his team, and the life he's putting together now.
Like in A Day Makes (The Vault #1), the story focuses more around the background of the main character rather than on the romance. Though there is some romance, it is mostly late in the story and somewhat secondary to the rest of the plot, so while there are sexy times and romance they are not the main focus.
Well conceived, fast paced, low angst, with great characters, some nice heat, and a great HFN. This series is shaping up really well, and I can't wait for more!
Note: I would not consider Late in the Day a standalone. It is the second installment in The Vault series, and the first book, A Day Makes, should definitely be read first. And though you could read The Vault series alone, I really would recommend you read/listen to Mine, Always, Acrobat, Parting Shot, All Kinds of Tied Down, and Fit to be Tied as well.
4.5 Stars
For my full book review click here.
Audio copy of Late In The Day (The Vault #2) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
December 27, 2024
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
UPDATE #2:
THIS IS MYYY DARIUS ... BUT HELL ... THIS IS THEE DARIUS!!
OKAY, I DID IT, I DID IT ... After some dedicated research, I ACTUALLY FOUND DARIUS [AKA: Gold Team Leader; AKA: A stunning male specimen with ridiculously beautiful eyes!!] :-D in real life!!! I am calling DIBS and I am calling total CREDIT on actually finding Darius Hawthorne in the actual flesh ;-)!! LOOK, Mary, LOOK ;-)!!
I'm keeping his real name a secret for now ;-) because there'll be more pics ...
And THIS, THIS is my Efram <33333!! Because HELLO, Charlie Hunnam can be anybody!! SO friggin' HOT!!
********
Update #1:
Also, I really dislike the look of the guy on the cover who's supposed to be Darius [he creeps me out], so I decided to replace him with imagery of my own ;-) ...this is MY Darius :-)! RAWR - STUNNING!! I'll try to find more pics of this hottie :-)!!
UPDATE #2:
THIS IS MYYY DARIUS ... BUT HELL ... THIS IS THEE DARIUS!!
OKAY, I DID IT, I DID IT ... After some dedicated research, I ACTUALLY FOUND DARIUS [AKA: Gold Team Leader; AKA: A stunning male specimen with ridiculously beautiful eyes!!] :-D in real life!!! I am calling DIBS and I am calling total CREDIT on actually finding Darius Hawthorne in the actual flesh ;-)!! LOOK, Mary, LOOK ;-)!!
I'm keeping his real name a secret for now ;-) because there'll be more pics ...
And THIS, THIS is my Efram <33333!! Because HELLO, Charlie Hunnam can be anybody!! SO friggin' HOT!!
********
Update #1:
Also, I really dislike the look of the guy on the cover who's supposed to be Darius [he creeps me out], so I decided to replace him with imagery of my own ;-) ...
Want to read
October 18, 2017Preordered, baby!
October 4, 2017
I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for this book!!
November 9, 2017
I loved this and I hope this series is not done. Too much happens in this one for me to explain everything. I loved being able to look into "Conrad's" life...
January 26, 2019
Ok, tell me you didn't see this one coming...
I'm betting if you follow my reviews to any degree and saw this audio book your mind said..."yep, Karen's going to review this because it's Mary Calmes and it's narrated by Greg Tremblay which means it's inevitable with her."
So here I am having listened to the audio book and loving this story every bit as much as when I read it back when it was first released as an e-book. The one thing I realized about this story is that possibly more than a lot of other Mary Calmes stories it needs to be read more than once, at least I needed to experience this story more than once. 'The Vault' is so aptly named because it's about the man who is now known as 'The Vault' but also because this story is like a vault in that once you open it and start looking inside you there is a wealth of answers to questions that connect so many things from so many different stories.
My review for the e-book version of this was...maybe...a tad on the longer side so rather than try and reinvent the wheel I'm just going to add what I feel is the most pertinent part of that review here...
So in brief summary...Mary Calmes + Greg Tremblay = one very, very happy place!!! As always 'highly recommended'.
*************************
An audio book of 'Late In The Day' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm betting if you follow my reviews to any degree and saw this audio book your mind said..."yep, Karen's going to review this because it's Mary Calmes and it's narrated by Greg Tremblay which means it's inevitable with her."
So here I am having listened to the audio book and loving this story every bit as much as when I read it back when it was first released as an e-book. The one thing I realized about this story is that possibly more than a lot of other Mary Calmes stories it needs to be read more than once, at least I needed to experience this story more than once. 'The Vault' is so aptly named because it's about the man who is now known as 'The Vault' but also because this story is like a vault in that once you open it and start looking inside you there is a wealth of answers to questions that connect so many things from so many different stories.
My review for the e-book version of this was...maybe...a tad on the longer side so rather than try and reinvent the wheel I'm just going to add what I feel is the most pertinent part of that review here...
This story worked for me from start to finish. Ms Calmes has given us the answers to so many questions and I loved having those blanks filled in and more. Although a lot of this story focused on Conrad's past with Efrem not all of it did and all those little gaps that are filled in were just a whole lot of happy moments for me and while I loved all the glimpses of Conrad's connections to characters we've met in previous stories it was equally as enjoyable getting to see some new characters and potential new stories.Now the only thing that I really need to add here is 'Greg Tremblay' seriously people in the world of audio books this is one narrator that you don't want to miss. This man not only reads the books but he brings them to life. I know I've sung his praises on more than one occasion and I'm sure I'll do so again in the future I'm just not sure how I'll do it without sounding repetitive but I'll definitely give it my best efforts.
'Late in the Day' is a bit unique in that it's a story that is essentially set in the past, with the changes that have happened recently in Conrad's life it's become time for him to reclaim his past to create a life for himself that's real and permanent but in order to have the future that Conrad truly wants it's time for him to deal with his past...a past that he believed lost to him forever. A past that involved the one man that Conrad loved with all his heart...Efrem Lahm.
The focus in this book was more about filling in Conrad's background and giving us a more complete person to go forward with and while the romance took a bit of a back burner to this, I definitely wasn't disappointed with the glimpse we were given of Conrad and Efrem both in the past and the present and I absolutely loved the fact that these are two mature men...over 40 folks...45!!! Yeah, for life after 25!!!
So in brief summary...Mary Calmes + Greg Tremblay = one very, very happy place!!! As always 'highly recommended'.
*************************
An audio book of 'Late In The Day' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
July 28, 2017
August 12, 2021
Have to admit that after such a long time since I read the first installment I don't remember anything. So I assume it was one mainly about that Calmes' whirlwind crazyness and the same can be said about this one i.e. no need to remember Vault #1. It ticks nearly all the boxes you would expect from a Mary Calmes story about a block ops turned contract killer turned something else, gaining friends on that way and suddenly founds himself reconnected with the love of his life after 16 years ... so it's a great read while it lasts.
Read
October 30, 2017Review originally posted at Sinfully.
3.5 stars
Our main protagonist here goes by many names, but he’s finally at a point in his life where he is starting to take back the name he started life with, Darius Hawthorne. Fans of Mary Calmes will recognize a number of the aliases, especially Conrad Harris, who was a mysterious and dangerous presence in Mine. In the previous book, A Day Makes, we were introduced to Darius in his newest role, the Vault, recruiting for his team. Being chosen as the Vault has enabled Darius to make a lot of changes in his life and he finds them both disconcerting and pleasant.
No spoilers, but there are plenty of names here that die-hard Calmes fans will recognize (there’s also a handy note at the back in case you can’t remember just where you heard the name before). Let’s just say that when he accompanies a friend he is protecting to a meeting with a crime family, it results in Darius coming face-to-face with the first man he trusted and the only man he has ever loved, Efrem Lahm, who he hasn’t seen in more than 15 years. Neither has recovered from their sudden parting all those years ago, but picking up the pieces of that relationship may not be so easy, especially when the paranoia that has served Darius so well in the past, leads him to make assumptions and question whether he can trust Efrem’s words and motives. He surmises that so much time has passed, they don’t really know each other anymore.
The story, like the previous one, is told in both present time and flashbacks. This didn’t work as well for me here as I found myself occasionally losing track of the original conversation, since most flashbacks occur in the middle of a present day meeting or conversation. I noticed it most during the conversation about Darius taking on the role of Vault where there is so much information provided on the organization and why Darius was chosen, I admit to not only being a bit jarred out of the narrative once or twice, but to still being a little bit hazy on how the whole vault thing works.
What I did like was seeing Darius find his way into a bit of a life he has long been denied. This includes realizing he has friends and neighbors (I’m positive most readers will love Sousanna) and making peace with colleagues. There still may be some danger, but he now has people he can trust looking out for him. We are also introduced to Darius’ bishop, Lee Tae San (who I hope we will see in a future story), and a few of Darius’s contract killer colleagues. I had to laugh at the “politics” of contract killing – it’s just another day at the office for these guys.
While the story is more a study of Darius, the man, there is romance to be had even if it is not the main focus of the story. I did adore Efrem’s and Darius’ second-chance love story. Their relationship was easy from the start way back when, but the circumstances surrounding it were not. In fact the incident leading up to their long separation was pretty horrifying. This is a romance that was intense from the start and that intensity hasn’t died, but is maybe now being channeled the wrong way. While the present day romance takes a while to get into, we get to see enough of their past to know that they will find a way to get back to each other.
I did miss a bit of the Calmes crazy rollercoaster that the last book was, but enjoyed learning more about the men involved in the vault and especially Darius who has been lurking about the Calmes universe for a while now crying out for his own story. I wouldn’t go into this without having read the first in the series, and I kind of wish I had re-read Mine as well. Even though it was a bit uneven for me, I think most Mary Calmes fans will devour this story.
3.5 stars
Our main protagonist here goes by many names, but he’s finally at a point in his life where he is starting to take back the name he started life with, Darius Hawthorne. Fans of Mary Calmes will recognize a number of the aliases, especially Conrad Harris, who was a mysterious and dangerous presence in Mine. In the previous book, A Day Makes, we were introduced to Darius in his newest role, the Vault, recruiting for his team. Being chosen as the Vault has enabled Darius to make a lot of changes in his life and he finds them both disconcerting and pleasant.
No spoilers, but there are plenty of names here that die-hard Calmes fans will recognize (there’s also a handy note at the back in case you can’t remember just where you heard the name before). Let’s just say that when he accompanies a friend he is protecting to a meeting with a crime family, it results in Darius coming face-to-face with the first man he trusted and the only man he has ever loved, Efrem Lahm, who he hasn’t seen in more than 15 years. Neither has recovered from their sudden parting all those years ago, but picking up the pieces of that relationship may not be so easy, especially when the paranoia that has served Darius so well in the past, leads him to make assumptions and question whether he can trust Efrem’s words and motives. He surmises that so much time has passed, they don’t really know each other anymore.
The story, like the previous one, is told in both present time and flashbacks. This didn’t work as well for me here as I found myself occasionally losing track of the original conversation, since most flashbacks occur in the middle of a present day meeting or conversation. I noticed it most during the conversation about Darius taking on the role of Vault where there is so much information provided on the organization and why Darius was chosen, I admit to not only being a bit jarred out of the narrative once or twice, but to still being a little bit hazy on how the whole vault thing works.
What I did like was seeing Darius find his way into a bit of a life he has long been denied. This includes realizing he has friends and neighbors (I’m positive most readers will love Sousanna) and making peace with colleagues. There still may be some danger, but he now has people he can trust looking out for him. We are also introduced to Darius’ bishop, Lee Tae San (who I hope we will see in a future story), and a few of Darius’s contract killer colleagues. I had to laugh at the “politics” of contract killing – it’s just another day at the office for these guys.
While the story is more a study of Darius, the man, there is romance to be had even if it is not the main focus of the story. I did adore Efrem’s and Darius’ second-chance love story. Their relationship was easy from the start way back when, but the circumstances surrounding it were not. In fact the incident leading up to their long separation was pretty horrifying. This is a romance that was intense from the start and that intensity hasn’t died, but is maybe now being channeled the wrong way. While the present day romance takes a while to get into, we get to see enough of their past to know that they will find a way to get back to each other.
I did miss a bit of the Calmes crazy rollercoaster that the last book was, but enjoyed learning more about the men involved in the vault and especially Darius who has been lurking about the Calmes universe for a while now crying out for his own story. I wouldn’t go into this without having read the first in the series, and I kind of wish I had re-read Mine as well. Even though it was a bit uneven for me, I think most Mary Calmes fans will devour this story.
May 29, 2019
4.5
Questo secondo volume della serie “La Volta” ha un nuovo protagonista, ma i riferimenti al precedente sono numerosi e vi consiglio di recuperare prima quello, se non l’avete ancora letto.
Dal canto mio, posso dire che il primo libro con Ceaton mi era piaciuto, ma questo ancor di più!
Oramai lo sanno tutti che ho un debole per lo stile della Calmes, e per la sua particolare abitudine di delineare i personaggi sempre un po’ sopra le righe, perciò sono andata a nozze con questa storia.
Abbiamo conosciuto Darius alla fine del precedente romanzo, quando ha offerto a Ceaton e alla sua squadra un nuovo incarico e una nuova vita. Egli stesso si sta riorganizzando, perché ha accettato un lavoro a tempo pieno: essere la Volta. Che cosa significhi esattamente e quali siano i suoi compiti, vi lascio il piacere di scoprirlo da soli, perché è ampiamente spiegato nel testo. Ma se credevate che Ceaton e i suoi compari fossero ‘al di fuori delle regole’, qui siamo proprio su un altro livello, ancor più alto, pericoloso, potente.
Darius ha molti nomi e molte vite passate: un’infanzia particolare, un periodo nell’esercito, la CIA e il lavoro da assassino a contratto, per poi fare ora il salto di qualità.
Darius non ha certo il tempo di annoiarsi né di creare legami, che sono sempre stati un impiccio, una distrazione per la sua sicurezza: in un mondo in cui basta un niente fra vivere e morire, l’amore o l’amicizia non è qualcosa di contemplato.
Eppure adesso, da quando è diventato la Volta, Darius sta cambiando, si sta legando a delle persone che ritiene amici. Ancor più, nella sua vita ritorna accidentalmente l’unico uomo che lui abbia mai amato e che, suo malgrado, è stato costretto ad abbandonare per il bene di entrambi.
Efrem fa un lavoro che lo mette in contrasto con ciò che Darius rappresenta, ma quando i due si rivedono, passato e presente vanno seriamente rivisti, assieme a bugie, speranze, intenzioni e interessi.
"Lui era la mia altra metà, creato apposta per me," dice Darius. E con questo si capisce esattamente quanto forte sia il loro legame: un cuore in due corpi, un amore nato istantaneamente e mai sfiorito.
Le scene erotiche presenti sono poche, ma quelle che ci sono risultano davvero belle, coinvolgenti e descrittive.
La storia ha uno stile piacevole, la traduzione italiana è molto curata. Ci si ritrova a vivere i sentimenti dei personaggi e a ridere e piangere con loro, a emozionarsi con loro, a tremare nei momenti giusti. I killer a contratto e le spie di professione incutono paura, ma in fondo sono anche dei pettegoli che amano pavoneggiarsi con le loro stranezze. Mi ha fatto sorridere che l’identità della Volta sia un segreto vitale, ma che poi troppa gente lo sappia. Questo è prima di tutto un romance, non un romanzo giallo o di spionaggio, quindi certe scelte sono comprensibili.
Fra le righe traspare un’adorabile ironia; ci sono dei siparietti quasi tragicomici che stemperano attimi drammatici e tutto è un po’ surreale, ma dannatamente piacevole, per mio gusto personale. È stato bello leggere degli accenni ai personaggi del precedente volume e il piccolo cammeo di Duncan Stiel, che conosciamo bene perché compare in altre serie dalla Calmes già tradotte da noi.
Vi consiglio di intrattenervi con questa bellissima storia, restando in attesa del terzo volume, che l’autrice mi ha confermato ci sarà.
Questo secondo volume della serie “La Volta” ha un nuovo protagonista, ma i riferimenti al precedente sono numerosi e vi consiglio di recuperare prima quello, se non l’avete ancora letto.
Dal canto mio, posso dire che il primo libro con Ceaton mi era piaciuto, ma questo ancor di più!
Oramai lo sanno tutti che ho un debole per lo stile della Calmes, e per la sua particolare abitudine di delineare i personaggi sempre un po’ sopra le righe, perciò sono andata a nozze con questa storia.
Abbiamo conosciuto Darius alla fine del precedente romanzo, quando ha offerto a Ceaton e alla sua squadra un nuovo incarico e una nuova vita. Egli stesso si sta riorganizzando, perché ha accettato un lavoro a tempo pieno: essere la Volta. Che cosa significhi esattamente e quali siano i suoi compiti, vi lascio il piacere di scoprirlo da soli, perché è ampiamente spiegato nel testo. Ma se credevate che Ceaton e i suoi compari fossero ‘al di fuori delle regole’, qui siamo proprio su un altro livello, ancor più alto, pericoloso, potente.
Darius ha molti nomi e molte vite passate: un’infanzia particolare, un periodo nell’esercito, la CIA e il lavoro da assassino a contratto, per poi fare ora il salto di qualità.
Darius non ha certo il tempo di annoiarsi né di creare legami, che sono sempre stati un impiccio, una distrazione per la sua sicurezza: in un mondo in cui basta un niente fra vivere e morire, l’amore o l’amicizia non è qualcosa di contemplato.
Eppure adesso, da quando è diventato la Volta, Darius sta cambiando, si sta legando a delle persone che ritiene amici. Ancor più, nella sua vita ritorna accidentalmente l’unico uomo che lui abbia mai amato e che, suo malgrado, è stato costretto ad abbandonare per il bene di entrambi.
Efrem fa un lavoro che lo mette in contrasto con ciò che Darius rappresenta, ma quando i due si rivedono, passato e presente vanno seriamente rivisti, assieme a bugie, speranze, intenzioni e interessi.
"Lui era la mia altra metà, creato apposta per me," dice Darius. E con questo si capisce esattamente quanto forte sia il loro legame: un cuore in due corpi, un amore nato istantaneamente e mai sfiorito.
Le scene erotiche presenti sono poche, ma quelle che ci sono risultano davvero belle, coinvolgenti e descrittive.
La storia ha uno stile piacevole, la traduzione italiana è molto curata. Ci si ritrova a vivere i sentimenti dei personaggi e a ridere e piangere con loro, a emozionarsi con loro, a tremare nei momenti giusti. I killer a contratto e le spie di professione incutono paura, ma in fondo sono anche dei pettegoli che amano pavoneggiarsi con le loro stranezze. Mi ha fatto sorridere che l’identità della Volta sia un segreto vitale, ma che poi troppa gente lo sappia. Questo è prima di tutto un romance, non un romanzo giallo o di spionaggio, quindi certe scelte sono comprensibili.
Fra le righe traspare un’adorabile ironia; ci sono dei siparietti quasi tragicomici che stemperano attimi drammatici e tutto è un po’ surreale, ma dannatamente piacevole, per mio gusto personale. È stato bello leggere degli accenni ai personaggi del precedente volume e il piccolo cammeo di Duncan Stiel, che conosciamo bene perché compare in altre serie dalla Calmes già tradotte da noi.
Vi consiglio di intrattenervi con questa bellissima storia, restando in attesa del terzo volume, che l’autrice mi ha confermato ci sarà.
July 16, 2018
*** I was surprised here, because it wasn't what I was expecting.
It's a story laden with flashbacks and a tutorial on an assassin's career. 6'5", hunky black man, Darius, 40, assassin,
has been separated from the love of his life, for 16 years,
Efram, now Homeland Security, a handsome blonde,
and nowDarius sees a light at the end of the tunnel. They may get together again.
Each man, Darius and Efram, have never forgotten the other, never replaced them. It's a build up to see them reach the bedroom, and when they do it's a marvelous sexy time. This is part of a group of stories that intertwine. The cast of characters are rough, steely-eyed killers. The story is long on explanations and I learned a lot.
Other books in this batch are, MINE, A DAY MAKES, ALL KINDS OF TIED DOWN, which I had not read, so I was a bit lost, but caught up.
Different than others I've read by Mary Calmes.
See what you think. ENJOY !
======
It's a story laden with flashbacks and a tutorial on an assassin's career. 6'5", hunky black man, Darius, 40, assassin,
has been separated from the love of his life, for 16 years,
Efram, now Homeland Security, a handsome blonde,
and nowDarius sees a light at the end of the tunnel. They may get together again.
Each man, Darius and Efram, have never forgotten the other, never replaced them. It's a build up to see them reach the bedroom, and when they do it's a marvelous sexy time. This is part of a group of stories that intertwine. The cast of characters are rough, steely-eyed killers. The story is long on explanations and I learned a lot.
Other books in this batch are, MINE, A DAY MAKES, ALL KINDS OF TIED DOWN, which I had not read, so I was a bit lost, but caught up.
Different than others I've read by Mary Calmes.
See what you think. ENJOY !
======
November 9, 2017
This book was a discombobulated mess. It was all tell and no show. The romance between Efrem and Conrad/Terrence/Darius was non-existent. Even with the flash-backs Efrem and Conrad didn’t connect in a way where the reader feels compelled to root for the MC’s to find love again. All this book centered around was Darius having various conversations with multiple people that added nothing to the story or the plot. Nothing happens in this book NOTHING.
I’m a huge fan of Mary and I’ve read all if not most of her books but lately I feel such a disconnect with her writing. I keep reading her books hoping it’ll be different this time but it’s not. Her writing has become very formulaic and it’s with a heavy heart that I’ve come to the decision to let go.
I’m a huge fan of Mary and I’ve read all if not most of her books but lately I feel such a disconnect with her writing. I keep reading her books hoping it’ll be different this time but it’s not. Her writing has become very formulaic and it’s with a heavy heart that I’ve come to the decision to let go.
October 14, 2017
Reviewed for Will Reads: http://willreads.com/wordpress/mary-c...
Tapestry: Something resembling tapestry (as in complexity or richness of design)
Oh my god... I'm not even sure how I can begin this review other than by using the definition above. See, Mary Calmes has a rich history in her books. Characters we meet and instantly fall in love with. What may surprise you is how these characters are connected. You may not even realize it until you read this book, but so many of her stories have threads that she weaves together in complex, intricate ways. This book is an example of her gathering these threads together, pulling them taut, and with that, delivering a punch you didn't expect to see coming.
Before I delve into this book, I need to let you know one thing. If you're looking for a sweet, schmoopy romance, this book won't be for you. Yes, there are romantic elements, and there is a love story here, but it's secondary to the characters, who they were, who they are, and who they are becoming. Mary uses humor like a scalpel, slicing into the tension and making you laugh, even when you didn't want to. For example:
"Just think, you go everywhere on me, you get to network, you get to kill people on occasion, and you know secrets that no one else will."
He took a sip of whatever white wine he was drinking with his shrimp. It smelled good, fruity.
"And best of all, I could die, and you'd get to tell everyone. Doesn't that sound great?"
"You dying sounds marvelous, but why in the world would you pick me?"
And now, for the characters...
Call him whatever you want, Terrence Moss, Conrad Harris, Gold Team Leader, or Darius Hawthorne. No matter which name you use, he's still going to be a solid, dependable man who has had his whole world torn away from him. The scene that starts it is violent, dark, and necessary to set him on his path. However, the cost may be too high, even for him. But then again, can you put a price on a heart?
Efrem Lahm. Oh, Ef. What you do to me. You love with your whole heart, and that's obvious. What happened to you wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but it had to happen. And now, you've got the chance to find out why. I hope you're going to be able to handle the truth when it comes out.
And then we have the secondary characters, one of which is my favorite in all of Mary's books. I had NO idea that all these amazing characters were part of...well, the tapestry that she's weaving.
I encourage you to grab this book (and series). It's quite a bit darker than most of her stuff, so you need to be prepared for that. But don't let it stop you from checking it out, because when you read this one, you'll be amazed to find out that there aren't many degrees of separation in their lives.
Tapestry: Something resembling tapestry (as in complexity or richness of design)
Oh my god... I'm not even sure how I can begin this review other than by using the definition above. See, Mary Calmes has a rich history in her books. Characters we meet and instantly fall in love with. What may surprise you is how these characters are connected. You may not even realize it until you read this book, but so many of her stories have threads that she weaves together in complex, intricate ways. This book is an example of her gathering these threads together, pulling them taut, and with that, delivering a punch you didn't expect to see coming.
Before I delve into this book, I need to let you know one thing. If you're looking for a sweet, schmoopy romance, this book won't be for you. Yes, there are romantic elements, and there is a love story here, but it's secondary to the characters, who they were, who they are, and who they are becoming. Mary uses humor like a scalpel, slicing into the tension and making you laugh, even when you didn't want to. For example:
"Just think, you go everywhere on me, you get to network, you get to kill people on occasion, and you know secrets that no one else will."
He took a sip of whatever white wine he was drinking with his shrimp. It smelled good, fruity.
"And best of all, I could die, and you'd get to tell everyone. Doesn't that sound great?"
"You dying sounds marvelous, but why in the world would you pick me?"
And now, for the characters...
Call him whatever you want, Terrence Moss, Conrad Harris, Gold Team Leader, or Darius Hawthorne. No matter which name you use, he's still going to be a solid, dependable man who has had his whole world torn away from him. The scene that starts it is violent, dark, and necessary to set him on his path. However, the cost may be too high, even for him. But then again, can you put a price on a heart?
Efrem Lahm. Oh, Ef. What you do to me. You love with your whole heart, and that's obvious. What happened to you wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but it had to happen. And now, you've got the chance to find out why. I hope you're going to be able to handle the truth when it comes out.
And then we have the secondary characters, one of which is my favorite in all of Mary's books. I had NO idea that all these amazing characters were part of...well, the tapestry that she's weaving.
I encourage you to grab this book (and series). It's quite a bit darker than most of her stuff, so you need to be prepared for that. But don't let it stop you from checking it out, because when you read this one, you'll be amazed to find out that there aren't many degrees of separation in their lives.
April 3, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
Updated for audiobook review.
Read Kris' review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Late in the Day is the second story in Mary Calmes’ Vault series following the excellent A Day Makes. In that story we are introduced to Darius, as well as the concept of the Vault, but this book really moves much deeper into this aspect of the story and we learn all about Darius’ role, how he got the job, and his background. Some of the side characters we meet here come from that first book, so it helps to have read it, but I think enough is explained here that you could probably pick up this one without having read the first.
I say this with many of Mary Calmes’ books, but what really works for me here is the epic, sweeping sense of romance between the characters. These guys have been separated for 16 years, it was almost love at first sight when they met, and they have pretty much been pining for each other ever since. Things move fast between them, but Calmes does such a great job really making you understand the depth of their feelings and the intensity between them that it never feels unbelievable. Darius and Efrem are actually together for very little of the book. Most of the relationship is references to the past between them, much more than actually being together in the present. Yet it is to Calmes’ credit that I still felt the romance between them so intensely. The connection between the men felt so palpable, that I could completely believe their feelings for one another had remained constant for so long and I could tell how much they cared for each other. The story is sweeping and romantic and mushy and I just loved this hard and rough killer who is brought to his knees by his lover.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
Updated for audiobook review.
Read Kris' review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Late in the Day is the second story in Mary Calmes’ Vault series following the excellent A Day Makes. In that story we are introduced to Darius, as well as the concept of the Vault, but this book really moves much deeper into this aspect of the story and we learn all about Darius’ role, how he got the job, and his background. Some of the side characters we meet here come from that first book, so it helps to have read it, but I think enough is explained here that you could probably pick up this one without having read the first.
I say this with many of Mary Calmes’ books, but what really works for me here is the epic, sweeping sense of romance between the characters. These guys have been separated for 16 years, it was almost love at first sight when they met, and they have pretty much been pining for each other ever since. Things move fast between them, but Calmes does such a great job really making you understand the depth of their feelings and the intensity between them that it never feels unbelievable. Darius and Efrem are actually together for very little of the book. Most of the relationship is references to the past between them, much more than actually being together in the present. Yet it is to Calmes’ credit that I still felt the romance between them so intensely. The connection between the men felt so palpable, that I could completely believe their feelings for one another had remained constant for so long and I could tell how much they cared for each other. The story is sweeping and romantic and mushy and I just loved this hard and rough killer who is brought to his knees by his lover.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
October 13, 2017
So spoiler free... spoiler free... spoiler free.... this is gonna be hard!
I will say this, for those of you awaiting Conrad's book you will be so so pleased! I first adored him in Trevan and Landry's Mine book. We have this idea of who Conrad should or would be because we see him through Trevan's eyes. Trevan though is an unreliable narrator when it comes to Conrad because he just 'sees' and 'hears' what Conrad needs him to. There's a lovely scene in Late in the Day that has the three of them in a memory and it's from Conrad's point of view (a treat! as I adored Mine, that possessive love man that possessive love).
Conrad is... well Conrad. He is hard but evolving. He is self-reliant but growing. He is a contract killer... but learning.
The romance in the present doesn't start until about 70-77% of the way through (on my kindle) but there are flashbacks and memories of Conrad and Efrem, throughout the entire story that build the romance through the story. And Efrem.. come on! He's from Fit to be Tied!!! I mean we get to relive their first meeting, the first time they actually took the time to speak to one another (well for Conrad to not walk away) and their entire love story. It was powerful and it was beautiful. By the time the two were ready to be together in the present, all three of us were about to explode with chemistry and heat! (hah I'm a part of this deliciousness as the reader!)
Side note, I really really really really really really really really really like two of the secondary characters; Marko and Lee. I mean man. Seriously I NEED them to have stories! I know that authors hate when readers beg for secondary character books but.... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?????
To the audio narrator of the series Greg Trembley 'I can't wait to hear Conrad from you! Big shoes Greg big shoes! ;)'
I will say this, for those of you awaiting Conrad's book you will be so so pleased! I first adored him in Trevan and Landry's Mine book. We have this idea of who Conrad should or would be because we see him through Trevan's eyes. Trevan though is an unreliable narrator when it comes to Conrad because he just 'sees' and 'hears' what Conrad needs him to. There's a lovely scene in Late in the Day that has the three of them in a memory and it's from Conrad's point of view (a treat! as I adored Mine, that possessive love man that possessive love).
Conrad is... well Conrad. He is hard but evolving. He is self-reliant but growing. He is a contract killer... but learning.
The romance in the present doesn't start until about 70-77% of the way through (on my kindle) but there are flashbacks and memories of Conrad and Efrem, throughout the entire story that build the romance through the story. And Efrem.. come on! He's from Fit to be Tied!!! I mean we get to relive their first meeting, the first time they actually took the time to speak to one another (well for Conrad to not walk away) and their entire love story. It was powerful and it was beautiful. By the time the two were ready to be together in the present, all three of us were about to explode with chemistry and heat! (hah I'm a part of this deliciousness as the reader!)
Side note, I really really really really really really really really really like two of the secondary characters; Marko and Lee. I mean man. Seriously I NEED them to have stories! I know that authors hate when readers beg for secondary character books but.... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?????
To the audio narrator of the series Greg Trembley 'I can't wait to hear Conrad from you! Big shoes Greg big shoes! ;)'
October 29, 2017
One of the most delightful things when picking up a Mary Calmes book, is finding a familiar character turning up in a story of their own. In “Mine”, Conrad Harris was Trevan’s friend, and we find out that was only one of his identities, as he now uses his real name of Darius. I need to go reread several of Mary’s books, to remind myself of some of the details and characters mentioned in this one. However, that didn’t hold me back from easily following this narrative, and appreciating the eventful actions around Darius becoming “The Vault”.
That particular explanation is related in a flashback and the details of his selection and duties became a little confusing for me. There’s other echelons around his position, one of which is Ceaton and his team from book one, but I got rather lost about the rest. It seemed complicated but once again, it didn’t make too much difference to the storyline, then later events cleared some of it up. The crux of the story is the appearance of Efram Lahm, Darius’s lost love. Another flashback shows us their history and the reasons they ended up apart so long. Of course there are obstacles to their reunion, in trusting each other again, much less becoming lovers once more. And don’t you just love all the names Mary uses?!
I’m not going to go into the quality of characterization, the humorous dialogue and skillful writing because c’mon, it’s Mary Calmes people! The premise in this particular story, and even in book one, is more fanciful than the Matter of Time or Marshals series, with characters who are mostly criminals with hearts of gold, at least for each other. It’s fun and intriguing and provides a lot of scope for future adventures, as I’m hoping for more from Darius’s crew. I really need Marko to be Bi though, just sayin’. Highly recommended, although I wouldn’t consider it a stand alone. At the very least, read book one and I’d also recommend reading “Mine”. Enjoy!
*An ARC was provided by the author or publisher in return for a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews*
That particular explanation is related in a flashback and the details of his selection and duties became a little confusing for me. There’s other echelons around his position, one of which is Ceaton and his team from book one, but I got rather lost about the rest. It seemed complicated but once again, it didn’t make too much difference to the storyline, then later events cleared some of it up. The crux of the story is the appearance of Efram Lahm, Darius’s lost love. Another flashback shows us their history and the reasons they ended up apart so long. Of course there are obstacles to their reunion, in trusting each other again, much less becoming lovers once more. And don’t you just love all the names Mary uses?!
I’m not going to go into the quality of characterization, the humorous dialogue and skillful writing because c’mon, it’s Mary Calmes people! The premise in this particular story, and even in book one, is more fanciful than the Matter of Time or Marshals series, with characters who are mostly criminals with hearts of gold, at least for each other. It’s fun and intriguing and provides a lot of scope for future adventures, as I’m hoping for more from Darius’s crew. I really need Marko to be Bi though, just sayin’. Highly recommended, although I wouldn’t consider it a stand alone. At the very least, read book one and I’d also recommend reading “Mine”. Enjoy!
*An ARC was provided by the author or publisher in return for a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews*
March 20, 2019
4.5 - Voto
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“Alzandosi dal tavolo, Trevan attraversò il terrazzo fino alla porta, il passo disinvolto e fluido. Era davvero uno splendido ragazzo, un miscuglio del padre afroamericano e della madre cubana, con lineamenti cesellati e caldi occhi castani. Lo avevo sempre trovato attraente, anche se in un modo per così dire distratto. Lo avevo visto come qualcuno da sorvegliare, da proteggere, fin dall’inizio, e dopo che nel nostro rapporto di lavoro eravamo passati da conoscenti ad amici lo avevo visto come un fratello minore, e niente di più. La gente lo giudicava male in continuazione, pensava che avesse l’aria di un duro, un delinquente di strada, invece dell’intraprendente uomo d’affari che era in realtà. Io non l’avevo mai fatto, perché fin dalla prima volta che ci eravamo incontrati l’avevo visto usare il cervello, e non i muscoli. Lui, d’altra parte, mi aveva considerato prima spaventoso, poi bellissimo – parole sue, non mie – e alla fine, adesso, una specie di miscuglio delle due cose. “Sono i tuoi occhi,” mi aveva detto una volta, seduto accanto a me nella mia auto. “È l’oro assieme al verde, in contrasto con la tua pelle scura. Seriamente, da dove diavolo sono saltati fuori?”
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Il libro di cui vi voglio parlare oggi è il secondo capitolo della serie La Volta, di Mary Calmes, dal titolo Prima che cali il giorno; edito da Dreamspinner, si tratta di un romanzo molto particolare per il fatto che suoi protagonisti sono quasi tutti Killer.
Dopo averlo incontrato non solo nel primo libro della serie Basta un giorno, ma anche in Mio, altro libro dell’autrice, finalmente ci vengono svelati i segreti di Terrence Moss, alias Conrad Harris, alias Gold Team Leader, ma soprattutto Darius Hawthorne, il nome datogli dalla madre. Un personaggio che aveva colpito più volte la mia fantasia, ma che dopo essere apparso spariva senza rivelare nulla di sé. Ora la sua vita ha preso una svolta ancora più strana delle precedenti: da qualche tempo, infatti, ha assunto il ruolo di “La Volta”, capo di una strana organizzazione potente e segretissima di cui non vi svelerò niente. Il suo nuovo incarico lo porta a cambiare città e, per questo motivo, sta sistemando le ultime cose, aiutando un amico a uscire da una situazione incresciosa, quando, inaspettatamente, si trova di fronte l’unico uomo che abbia mai amato… che lo arresta. Per lui, anni prima, Darius ha preso una decisione che ha cambiato la sua vita; si è allontanato e, pur sapendo sempre dove si trovasse, da allora non lo ha mai contattato. Stare vicino a Darius, infatti, vuol dire trovarsi in pericolo e lui desiderava che Efrem Lahm fosse al sicuro. Persino ora ritiene che riprendere i rapporti con lui sia impossibile, ma questa volta Efrem non è disposto a essere lasciato indietro.
Quella che leggiamo in questo libro è una Mary Calmes diversa dal solito, meno zuccherosa e con dei protagonisti intriganti e pericolosi. Terrence, o Conrad, o Darius, infatti, ha un passato tutt’altro che tranquillo. Nella sua carriera, militare e non, ha ucciso molte persone, eppure ha sempre avuto un suo codice morale a cui si è attenuto tutta la vita. Attorno a sé ha radunato personaggi altrettanto forti e risoluti, come Ceaton Mercer, che abbiamo conosciuto nel primo capitolo e che ora è diventato la sua guardia del corpo, o Cavaliere, oppure il giovane Lee Tae San, il suo braccio destro, o Alfiere, l’uomo che risolve i problemi sia in modo legale, che in modi meno ortodossi. Nonostante il fatto che siano uomini abituati ad agire al di fuori da regole e leggi, questo NON è un romanzo in cui vi sia della violenza, anzi vi troverete anche di fronte situazioni divertenti e scoprirete che alcuni di questi uomini sono dolci e protettivi con coloro che amano. Darius stesso è diventato un Killer per proteggere l’uomo che amava e, nonostante i tanti anni in cui sono stati separati, non lo ha mai dimenticato e non ha mai avuto un’altra relazione.
È una narrazione interessante in cui finalmente veniamo a scoprire molto di più su cosa significa essere “La Volta”, mentre la parte romantica è molto meno centrale rispetto agli altri libri dell’autrice. Infatti, a parte che nei ricordi di Darius, la loro storia vera e propria occupa la parte finale del libro e le scene di sesso sono davvero poche, anche se non se ne sente la mancanza. Inoltre, se avete amato Mio, altro libro dell’autrice, sarete felici di rivedere in queste pagine Trevan, scoprire come prosegue la sua relazione con Landry e come stia riuscendo ad allontanarsi dal pericolo che sovrastava la sua vita.
È un libro che si legge con piacere, pieno di personaggi interessanti e particolari, imperfetti e con un lavoro decisamente insolito, eppure l’autrice è riuscita a renderli umani e ben poco spaventosi. La sua scrittura è come sempre e fluida e piacevole e, per una volta, la trama non ci descrive un mondo in cui tutto è dolce come zucchero filato; questo, se possibile, mi è piaciuto ancora di più. Particolare e sicuramente originale, spero ci sia un seguito in cui vedere in azione anche altri dei tanti personaggi che ci sono stati presentati.
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Lucia63 - per RFS
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“Alzandosi dal tavolo, Trevan attraversò il terrazzo fino alla porta, il passo disinvolto e fluido. Era davvero uno splendido ragazzo, un miscuglio del padre afroamericano e della madre cubana, con lineamenti cesellati e caldi occhi castani. Lo avevo sempre trovato attraente, anche se in un modo per così dire distratto. Lo avevo visto come qualcuno da sorvegliare, da proteggere, fin dall’inizio, e dopo che nel nostro rapporto di lavoro eravamo passati da conoscenti ad amici lo avevo visto come un fratello minore, e niente di più. La gente lo giudicava male in continuazione, pensava che avesse l’aria di un duro, un delinquente di strada, invece dell’intraprendente uomo d’affari che era in realtà. Io non l’avevo mai fatto, perché fin dalla prima volta che ci eravamo incontrati l’avevo visto usare il cervello, e non i muscoli. Lui, d’altra parte, mi aveva considerato prima spaventoso, poi bellissimo – parole sue, non mie – e alla fine, adesso, una specie di miscuglio delle due cose. “Sono i tuoi occhi,” mi aveva detto una volta, seduto accanto a me nella mia auto. “È l’oro assieme al verde, in contrasto con la tua pelle scura. Seriamente, da dove diavolo sono saltati fuori?”
.
Il libro di cui vi voglio parlare oggi è il secondo capitolo della serie La Volta, di Mary Calmes, dal titolo Prima che cali il giorno; edito da Dreamspinner, si tratta di un romanzo molto particolare per il fatto che suoi protagonisti sono quasi tutti Killer.
Dopo averlo incontrato non solo nel primo libro della serie Basta un giorno, ma anche in Mio, altro libro dell’autrice, finalmente ci vengono svelati i segreti di Terrence Moss, alias Conrad Harris, alias Gold Team Leader, ma soprattutto Darius Hawthorne, il nome datogli dalla madre. Un personaggio che aveva colpito più volte la mia fantasia, ma che dopo essere apparso spariva senza rivelare nulla di sé. Ora la sua vita ha preso una svolta ancora più strana delle precedenti: da qualche tempo, infatti, ha assunto il ruolo di “La Volta”, capo di una strana organizzazione potente e segretissima di cui non vi svelerò niente. Il suo nuovo incarico lo porta a cambiare città e, per questo motivo, sta sistemando le ultime cose, aiutando un amico a uscire da una situazione incresciosa, quando, inaspettatamente, si trova di fronte l’unico uomo che abbia mai amato… che lo arresta. Per lui, anni prima, Darius ha preso una decisione che ha cambiato la sua vita; si è allontanato e, pur sapendo sempre dove si trovasse, da allora non lo ha mai contattato. Stare vicino a Darius, infatti, vuol dire trovarsi in pericolo e lui desiderava che Efrem Lahm fosse al sicuro. Persino ora ritiene che riprendere i rapporti con lui sia impossibile, ma questa volta Efrem non è disposto a essere lasciato indietro.
Quella che leggiamo in questo libro è una Mary Calmes diversa dal solito, meno zuccherosa e con dei protagonisti intriganti e pericolosi. Terrence, o Conrad, o Darius, infatti, ha un passato tutt’altro che tranquillo. Nella sua carriera, militare e non, ha ucciso molte persone, eppure ha sempre avuto un suo codice morale a cui si è attenuto tutta la vita. Attorno a sé ha radunato personaggi altrettanto forti e risoluti, come Ceaton Mercer, che abbiamo conosciuto nel primo capitolo e che ora è diventato la sua guardia del corpo, o Cavaliere, oppure il giovane Lee Tae San, il suo braccio destro, o Alfiere, l’uomo che risolve i problemi sia in modo legale, che in modi meno ortodossi. Nonostante il fatto che siano uomini abituati ad agire al di fuori da regole e leggi, questo NON è un romanzo in cui vi sia della violenza, anzi vi troverete anche di fronte situazioni divertenti e scoprirete che alcuni di questi uomini sono dolci e protettivi con coloro che amano. Darius stesso è diventato un Killer per proteggere l’uomo che amava e, nonostante i tanti anni in cui sono stati separati, non lo ha mai dimenticato e non ha mai avuto un’altra relazione.
È una narrazione interessante in cui finalmente veniamo a scoprire molto di più su cosa significa essere “La Volta”, mentre la parte romantica è molto meno centrale rispetto agli altri libri dell’autrice. Infatti, a parte che nei ricordi di Darius, la loro storia vera e propria occupa la parte finale del libro e le scene di sesso sono davvero poche, anche se non se ne sente la mancanza. Inoltre, se avete amato Mio, altro libro dell’autrice, sarete felici di rivedere in queste pagine Trevan, scoprire come prosegue la sua relazione con Landry e come stia riuscendo ad allontanarsi dal pericolo che sovrastava la sua vita.
È un libro che si legge con piacere, pieno di personaggi interessanti e particolari, imperfetti e con un lavoro decisamente insolito, eppure l’autrice è riuscita a renderli umani e ben poco spaventosi. La sua scrittura è come sempre e fluida e piacevole e, per una volta, la trama non ci descrive un mondo in cui tutto è dolce come zucchero filato; questo, se possibile, mi è piaciuto ancora di più. Particolare e sicuramente originale, spero ci sia un seguito in cui vedere in azione anche altri dei tanti personaggi che ci sono stati presentati.
.
Lucia63 - per RFS
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