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Kairos
A volte, il giorno più bello della tua vita è quello che non avresti mai potuto immaginare.
Joe Cohen ha dedicato gli ultimi due anni a una cosa sola: accudire e nutrire Kade Bosa, suo socio nella loro agenzia investigativa, coinquilino e migliore amico. Per lui Kade rappresenta il mondo, anche se alla loro relazione manca ciò che Joe desidera di più. Ma non vuole fare pressioni: Kade ha un passato travagliato, e Joe è abbastanza certo di essere l’unica cosa che gli impedisce di crollare.
Allontanato dalla sua stessa famiglia, Joe sa bene quanto sia importante tenere strette le persone a cui si vuole bene, ma non si sarebbe mai aspettato che il suo passato e il suo presente si scontrassero, e che la stessa cosa succedesse a Kade. La prova in cui si sono imbattuti potrebbe cambiare le loro vite, dal tragico passato di Kade al loro lavoro. E potrebbe persino regalare loro il futuro che Joe non avrebbe mai osato desiderare…
Joe Cohen ha dedicato gli ultimi due anni a una cosa sola: accudire e nutrire Kade Bosa, suo socio nella loro agenzia investigativa, coinquilino e migliore amico. Per lui Kade rappresenta il mondo, anche se alla loro relazione manca ciò che Joe desidera di più. Ma non vuole fare pressioni: Kade ha un passato travagliato, e Joe è abbastanza certo di essere l’unica cosa che gli impedisce di crollare.
Allontanato dalla sua stessa famiglia, Joe sa bene quanto sia importante tenere strette le persone a cui si vuole bene, ma non si sarebbe mai aspettato che il suo passato e il suo presente si scontrassero, e che la stessa cosa succedesse a Kade. La prova in cui si sono imbattuti potrebbe cambiare le loro vite, dal tragico passato di Kade al loro lavoro. E potrebbe persino regalare loro il futuro che Joe non avrebbe mai osato desiderare…
151 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2017
145 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,018 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 187 reviews
December 13, 2017
I am not a big fan of short stories to be honest, but if there is one author, I would gladly make an exception for, it's Mary !! I don't care how long it is, I will read whatever she writes down ;)
This short story, kind of reminded me of a mix, between the "Marshals" and the "A Matter of Time" series. There was no "Jory" type in this one, but Joe did give off that "everyone likes me" and "I will fix your life" vibe ;)
It's also a "partners/ friends to lovers" story, which is why it reminded me the "Marshalls" series.
Joe and Kade are best friends, roommates and partners as private investigators. They have been close for years now, and all this time Joe has been crushing on Kade... big time.
What was different about this story, is that neither of them was straight. Joe is gay and Kade is bi, so there was no straight guy crushing :P
Joe is convinced though, that Kade is not attracted to him. So he has resigned himself to just love Kade secretly. Being close and being his best friend is gonna have to be enough.....until maybe one day, Kade will look at him the same way
I really enjoyed this one. I was pulled into it ,from the very first page. It was OTT and unbelievable at times, which is what made it a "Mary Calmes" story, and also why I loved it so much. For some reason her "writing formula", just works for me. It never fails to make me happy !!
I always recommend Mary !! ;)
My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession
March 5, 2018
3.75 Stars!
I am not a fan of short stories and the only time I am willing to pick one up and read it is when it's done by an author I read a lot of. Which was obviously the case for this book. I love me some MC. She has been a favorite of mine for a long time so I knew I had to read it. Boy for this to be a shorty she sure did pack in a lot of story. The trope of partners to lovers is a trope I love. This one reminded me of Miro and Ian. It had a similar vibe but totally different stories with completely different backgrounds so don't get it twisted y'all. LOL
These boys are best friends, roommates, and partners in their PI business. They are close, but not close enough if Joe has anything to say about it. For him he wishes he Kade could be a lot closer in the biblical sense. Joe has been harboring feelings for Kade for so long that it's become hard to be alone with the man without wanting to climb him like a monkey. Joe's words not mine. LOL
Kade has some serious possessive tendencies when it comes to Joe though. Especially when his ex Evan is mentioned. Boy goes a bit nutty and gets all growly. It was hot. LOL
Both men are obviously wanting the other and are completely oblivious to it as well. It was a bit of a downer that both men didn't get their aha moment until the near end of the book. I wanted to see more of them together since they finally got there. But nope. We get it and soon it's over. Is this a standalone? Or is there a possibility of getting more of these two in future books? Yes, plural. LOL
Things were pretty much wrapped up too perfectly for my liking. Things were also a bit OTT, but if your a fan of MC you know this is how she roles. Your love it or don't. I happen to love it even if I sometimes roll my eyes at it. LOL
Happy reading dolls! xx
I am not a fan of short stories and the only time I am willing to pick one up and read it is when it's done by an author I read a lot of. Which was obviously the case for this book. I love me some MC. She has been a favorite of mine for a long time so I knew I had to read it. Boy for this to be a shorty she sure did pack in a lot of story. The trope of partners to lovers is a trope I love. This one reminded me of Miro and Ian. It had a similar vibe but totally different stories with completely different backgrounds so don't get it twisted y'all. LOL
These boys are best friends, roommates, and partners in their PI business. They are close, but not close enough if Joe has anything to say about it. For him he wishes he Kade could be a lot closer in the biblical sense. Joe has been harboring feelings for Kade for so long that it's become hard to be alone with the man without wanting to climb him like a monkey. Joe's words not mine. LOL
Kade has some serious possessive tendencies when it comes to Joe though. Especially when his ex Evan is mentioned. Boy goes a bit nutty and gets all growly. It was hot. LOL
Both men are obviously wanting the other and are completely oblivious to it as well. It was a bit of a downer that both men didn't get their aha moment until the near end of the book. I wanted to see more of them together since they finally got there. But nope. We get it and soon it's over. Is this a standalone? Or is there a possibility of getting more of these two in future books? Yes, plural. LOL
Things were pretty much wrapped up too perfectly for my liking. Things were also a bit OTT, but if your a fan of MC you know this is how she roles. Your love it or don't. I happen to love it even if I sometimes roll my eyes at it. LOL
Happy reading dolls! xx
February 11, 2018
3 stars!
I had mix feelings about this one somethings I liked and some I didn’t. The MC were great I enjoyed their banter but it was frustrating to see how clueless they were of their feelings. Also with everything going on I felt a bit overwhelming I wished if focused more on the relationship. There were cute and sweet moments add to that some suspense. Overall an enjoyable read just left me wanting more.
I had mix feelings about this one somethings I liked and some I didn’t. The MC were great I enjoyed their banter but it was frustrating to see how clueless they were of their feelings. Also with everything going on I felt a bit overwhelming I wished if focused more on the relationship. There were cute and sweet moments add to that some suspense. Overall an enjoyable read just left me wanting more.
March 29, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Wanted more depth*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
If you know me, you then know I have a hate-like relationship with Mary Calmes , so it's not a surprised that I struggled a little bit with this one. I do however, love possessive men. But I also love them to be alpha male with the capital A. And dominant. The guys here was just possessive over each other. So the book wasn't bad per se, but it not something to write home about.
The stupidity and futility of my situation never ceased to make me groan inside. If my life was a television show, I would have left the room, it was so painfully awkward.
There's so little depth that it's just something you read to pass the time. But that's not to say it's not a cute, fast forward story. Because it is. I smiled quite a bit throughout the book. It just wasn't enough for me. Though I did want more about the future of the main characters Joseph ‘Joe’ ‘Joey’ Cohen (30? 32?) and his partner in their PI (private investigators) business, roommate, and best friend Kade ‘K’ Zachariah Bosa (28? 30?). Who of course reminded me of Ian and Miro from Marshals series.
I had tumbled into the trap of friendship that longed to be more, and he had moved forward to best friend, to work partner, to roommate, then taken not one more step. I was at the finish line, ready to gift him with my heart, and he went on a detour to get laid.
Other characters:
↦ Evan Blake Pope, son of Desmond Blake Pope, Joe's ex. Stupid rich.
↦ Declan Kemp (20), a witness of a murder related to Kade. A cute young boy who has been through hell.
↦ Leland Vaughn, 4th District Commander who used Kade. A fucker.
↦ Debra Loring, works at WMMB in Chicago, the journalist who brakes Kade, Vaughn and Delcan's story. Seems cool and interested in getting the truth out.
↦ Eleanor ‘Nora’ Cohen, Joe's mom and Saul Cohen, Joe’s father. Turned out to be awesome parents.
↦ Brennan ‘Bren’ Cohen (35? 36?) and Sayre Cohen, Joe's brothers.
He was a knight in shining armor; it was just a bit dented and tarnished in spots.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Standalone.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Kade ‘K’ Zachariah Bosa.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Sure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 2.5 stars.
January 21, 2018
Calmes is fond of her angsty leading men. They may be mired in a ridiculous lack of self-awareness like my least favourite of her couples, Ian and Miro, from the Knots series. Or they could be apart due to a heaping hunk of misunderstanding. Remember Stefan and Rand? Somehow though, through the human relatability of her outrageous characters, we can’t help but love them. They may not be as unique as Jackson and Raphael but we still root for them with all of our hearts. (I’m still holding out for something full length about Luc and Mace, don’t judge me.) But while our protagonists here Joe and Kade are just as lovable as a Calmes shaped teddy bear full of gooey goodness- the plot that holds their story together is a whole lot comparably flimsier.
Joe is madly in love with Kade. Kade is his light, his love, his insides. But Kade is also his roommate, his best friend and his private investigator partner. I think this is where my expectations were waylaid. I saw P.I and immediately thought I would be getting some kind of mysterious sinister plot where a dramatic near-fatal misadventure would bring our main characters together.
It started out that way anyway. Joe and Kade were on a stakeout with a car Kade had stolen from Joe’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend, Evan. But perhaps that’s a misjudgement as Evan reminded me of the misunderstood billionaire trope our queen Calmes is very fond of. Remember Aaron Sutter?
Kade and Joe are staking out a person named Declan. They had been sent on an errand by Kade’s former police mentor, Vaughn, who wanted the boy. In the midst of all this, we’re hurriedly thrown into the backstory of Joe and Evan’s relationship, why Kade used to be a cop and how he became Joe’s partner and the reason why Joe is relegated to unrequited love victim in their love story.
The action then explodes in the fireball fury of a matchstick caught in a storm. Burns brightly then fizzles out in an instant. The guns were only mentioned twice.
This is in no way to mean that the book is bad. But that Kairos feels a bit off kilter. To me. When the premise laid out was that the ghosts of demons past would be forcing Joe to confront his feelings and maybe make Kade realise he was loved all along, the story wasn’t so.
It was a feel good story about love, loss, family and reconciliation.
It was about forgiving yourself.
It was about doing whatever you can to help the people you love.
This book isn’t the Sam and Jory type blockbuster or the Ian and Miro type ball buster. It is the aforementioned feel good gooeyness of Mary Calmes. I was only sad it ended so abru
Joe is madly in love with Kade. Kade is his light, his love, his insides. But Kade is also his roommate, his best friend and his private investigator partner. I think this is where my expectations were waylaid. I saw P.I and immediately thought I would be getting some kind of mysterious sinister plot where a dramatic near-fatal misadventure would bring our main characters together.
It started out that way anyway. Joe and Kade were on a stakeout with a car Kade had stolen from Joe’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend, Evan. But perhaps that’s a misjudgement as Evan reminded me of the misunderstood billionaire trope our queen Calmes is very fond of. Remember Aaron Sutter?
Kade and Joe are staking out a person named Declan. They had been sent on an errand by Kade’s former police mentor, Vaughn, who wanted the boy. In the midst of all this, we’re hurriedly thrown into the backstory of Joe and Evan’s relationship, why Kade used to be a cop and how he became Joe’s partner and the reason why Joe is relegated to unrequited love victim in their love story.
The action then explodes in the fireball fury of a matchstick caught in a storm. Burns brightly then fizzles out in an instant. The guns were only mentioned twice.
This is in no way to mean that the book is bad. But that Kairos feels a bit off kilter. To me. When the premise laid out was that the ghosts of demons past would be forcing Joe to confront his feelings and maybe make Kade realise he was loved all along, the story wasn’t so.
It was a feel good story about love, loss, family and reconciliation.
It was about forgiving yourself.
It was about doing whatever you can to help the people you love.
This book isn’t the Sam and Jory type blockbuster or the Ian and Miro type ball buster. It is the aforementioned feel good gooeyness of Mary Calmes. I was only sad it ended so abru
omg-cant-wait-to-read
November 10, 2017No need for a blurb. I'll be reading this one regardless.
October 3, 2021
I read this quickly but I can't say that I actually enjoyed it all that much unfortunately. 😕
If only this was a series and we got to see Declan's story!!!
If only this was a series and we got to see Declan's story!!!
April 3, 2018
This was my first audiobook by narrator Michael Fell. And while I liked his regular voice, he sometimes made Kade sound like he had to go to the bathroom real quick.
I liked Michael Fell's 'telling voice' more. He had a nice cadence and I quickly got used to him. I also liked the voice he did for Joe and for several other people. But Kade.... he made him sound so constipated... It was a shame because the voices he did for other people were nice and enjoyable.
I'm definitely going to check out more of Michael Fell's audiobooks, because I really liked his narration overall.
-------------------
Original review:
When I started this book I immediately noticed that these guys were so like Ian and Miro. And that’s not a complaint at all. I love the whole partners-falling-in-love setup, so I will read anything Mary decides to write about it. But I do have to say while I really loved this, there was too much story for this novella. It all felt rushed and I just wanted more.
Joe and Kade are partners in the PI business. At the start of this story we immediately learn that Joe has been head over heels for Kade for quite some time. Kade is bi, but takes everyone to bed except Joe. Kade is different around Joe and trusts him implicitly (sound familiar?).
There are some things in Kade’s past which are now coming back to haunt him. So that’s why Kade decides they go hide at Joe’s parents' winery, after picking up a witness and bringing him along. But Joe hasn’t talked to his parents in 2 years when the news about him being gay wasn't received with hugs and kisses...
The romance was not front center in this one, but since both MCs were present for the entire story, that never bothered me. I actually liked this entire story. Joe, Kade, the romance, the family times, Declan, who they took with them, all of it. But….. it was just so rushed! There were so many things going on but not enough time to finish up with everything properly. I was quite disappointed in the way Kade’s past was resolved.
But this was still a pure Mary and I do love (almost) anything Mary writes. I just wish she’d have made this a bigger book. These guys needed it.
But hey, PI partners falling in love Mary style.
------------------------------
An ARC of Kairos was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
I liked Michael Fell's 'telling voice' more. He had a nice cadence and I quickly got used to him. I also liked the voice he did for Joe and for several other people. But Kade.... he made him sound so constipated... It was a shame because the voices he did for other people were nice and enjoyable.
I'm definitely going to check out more of Michael Fell's audiobooks, because I really liked his narration overall.
-------------------
Original review:
When I started this book I immediately noticed that these guys were so like Ian and Miro. And that’s not a complaint at all. I love the whole partners-falling-in-love setup, so I will read anything Mary decides to write about it. But I do have to say while I really loved this, there was too much story for this novella. It all felt rushed and I just wanted more.
Joe and Kade are partners in the PI business. At the start of this story we immediately learn that Joe has been head over heels for Kade for quite some time. Kade is bi, but takes everyone to bed except Joe. Kade is different around Joe and trusts him implicitly (sound familiar?).
There are some things in Kade’s past which are now coming back to haunt him. So that’s why Kade decides they go hide at Joe’s parents' winery, after picking up a witness and bringing him along. But Joe hasn’t talked to his parents in 2 years when the news about him being gay wasn't received with hugs and kisses...
The romance was not front center in this one, but since both MCs were present for the entire story, that never bothered me. I actually liked this entire story. Joe, Kade, the romance, the family times, Declan, who they took with them, all of it. But….. it was just so rushed! There were so many things going on but not enough time to finish up with everything properly. I was quite disappointed in the way Kade’s past was resolved.
But this was still a pure Mary and I do love (almost) anything Mary writes. I just wish she’d have made this a bigger book. These guys needed it.
But hey, PI partners falling in love Mary style.
------------------------------
An ARC of Kairos was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
December 19, 2019
~3.5 stars~
The Marshals series is one of my favorites by Calmes, and this book is a bit reminiscent of Book 1.
Joe and Kade are Private Investigator partners. They work together and are roommates as well. Joe has been harboring a big ol' crush on his bisexual partner since he laid eyes on him, but Kade goes through sexual partners more frequently than underwear and doesn't seem the "commitment" type. And Joe definitely doesn't want to ruin his friendship with the man.
Mary packed a lot into this one. Joe and Kade's respective histories played an integral role to the unfolding of the story. And both needed some closure in some key areas.
Thankfully, both men get their personal resolution in an overlapping way with each other, making it ideal that they're each there to support the other as the events take place.
Calmes uses the "kairos" theme in multiple ways. She starts the book with the definition - "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment". This theme is demonstrated in the way their historical paths converge. It's also the name of Joe's family's business. (My friend, Ele, said it's a Greek word having to do with the weather, but shrugs.)
The insta-love that Calmes is famous for made more sense in this story, since our MCs knew each other for years, and Joe clearly had feelings for a while. I won't spoil Kade's take on that - you'll have to read it for yourself.
A dose of eyebrow waggles by 3% made me fall right into the Calmes comfort. There are peacoats and guns, but not quite as much *We're gonna die now* that is ever-present in so many other stories.
My biggest niggle was the way in which Joe severed ties with his family years ago. It was pretty shaky and didn't make a lot of logical sense, nor was the reason his family stayed out of contact for these years. Not very believable.
Calmes lovers will like this a lot! And can we take a moment to admire that cover again? Gorgeous!
The Marshals series is one of my favorites by Calmes, and this book is a bit reminiscent of Book 1.
Joe and Kade are Private Investigator partners. They work together and are roommates as well. Joe has been harboring a big ol' crush on his bisexual partner since he laid eyes on him, but Kade goes through sexual partners more frequently than underwear and doesn't seem the "commitment" type. And Joe definitely doesn't want to ruin his friendship with the man.
Mary packed a lot into this one. Joe and Kade's respective histories played an integral role to the unfolding of the story. And both needed some closure in some key areas.
Thankfully, both men get their personal resolution in an overlapping way with each other, making it ideal that they're each there to support the other as the events take place.
Calmes uses the "kairos" theme in multiple ways. She starts the book with the definition - "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment". This theme is demonstrated in the way their historical paths converge. It's also the name of Joe's family's business. (My friend, Ele, said it's a Greek word having to do with the weather, but shrugs.)
The insta-love that Calmes is famous for made more sense in this story, since our MCs knew each other for years, and Joe clearly had feelings for a while. I won't spoil Kade's take on that - you'll have to read it for yourself.
A dose of eyebrow waggles by 3% made me fall right into the Calmes comfort. There are peacoats and guns, but not quite as much *We're gonna die now* that is ever-present in so many other stories.
My biggest niggle was the way in which Joe severed ties with his family years ago. It was pretty shaky and didn't make a lot of logical sense, nor was the reason his family stayed out of contact for these years. Not very believable.
Calmes lovers will like this a lot! And can we take a moment to admire that cover again? Gorgeous!
January 3, 2018
Hmmm...that was, well, it was Mary and it had all the ingredients but something was missing. Maybe it had too many ingredients?
I think it was just too much for such a small book. It felt like all the wonderful ideas for a book but not enough time fleshing any of them out. Does that make sense? It at times read a little like an outline. Know this, see this, go here, feel this.
I totally did not get Joe. I just feel like I missed a whole lot in regards to how he ended up in Chicago. His "estrangement" was also, well, I didn't like it. I was not pleased by this part of the story. So much wasted time in my opinion.
I dunno, I liked it. I think I expected the bad guy to come back or something exciting to happen with that part of the story. I had to keep reminding myself these guys weren't law enforcement so they wouldn't care about the crime part like some of our other guys, it was not easy. Also, what happened with the ex?
It's almost like there were two separate books happening here and it kind of read that way.
Maybe I should read it again. I feel a little lost.
-------
Give this to me now!!!
Kairos (καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.
I think it was just too much for such a small book. It felt like all the wonderful ideas for a book but not enough time fleshing any of them out. Does that make sense? It at times read a little like an outline. Know this, see this, go here, feel this.
I totally did not get Joe. I just feel like I missed a whole lot in regards to how he ended up in Chicago. His "estrangement" was also, well, I didn't like it. I was not pleased by this part of the story. So much wasted time in my opinion.
I dunno, I liked it. I think I expected the bad guy to come back or something exciting to happen with that part of the story. I had to keep reminding myself these guys weren't law enforcement so they wouldn't care about the crime part like some of our other guys, it was not easy. Also, what happened with the ex?
It's almost like there were two separate books happening here and it kind of read that way.
Maybe I should read it again. I feel a little lost.
-------
Give this to me now!!!
Kairos (καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.
April 5, 2018
3.5 stars rounded down because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.
Holy Hell! What is it about me and this book...
In the world of Mary Calmes stories I sadly have to admit this one is not at the top of my list but in a effort to be fair when I saw that it was out in audio book format I was helpless to resist and needed to give it another try...now, on the down side the narrator was not one of the usual suspects...I've gotten use to my Mary Calmes books being narrated by Greg Tremblay, Tristan James or Sean Crisden...not that there haven't been other narrators...there have, it's just been a while. So I freely admit I did take a moment to pause when I saw that Michael Fell was the narrator, but I decided that since I've listened to other audio books narrated by him and had no complaints I needed to not be snobbish about this and give the man a chance so I did and given that my rating for this went from 3 stars to 3.5 stars, I'd say that Mr. Fell held his own on this one.
However, overall my feelings about the story haven't changed so again I'm not into re-inventing the wheel so I'm going to steal from my original review as to what wasn't working for me...
*************************
An audio book of 'Kairos' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Holy Hell! What is it about me and this book...
In the world of Mary Calmes stories I sadly have to admit this one is not at the top of my list but in a effort to be fair when I saw that it was out in audio book format I was helpless to resist and needed to give it another try...now, on the down side the narrator was not one of the usual suspects...I've gotten use to my Mary Calmes books being narrated by Greg Tremblay, Tristan James or Sean Crisden...not that there haven't been other narrators...there have, it's just been a while. So I freely admit I did take a moment to pause when I saw that Michael Fell was the narrator, but I decided that since I've listened to other audio books narrated by him and had no complaints I needed to not be snobbish about this and give the man a chance so I did and given that my rating for this went from 3 stars to 3.5 stars, I'd say that Mr. Fell held his own on this one.
However, overall my feelings about the story haven't changed so again I'm not into re-inventing the wheel so I'm going to steal from my original review as to what wasn't working for me...
it was ok but that connection that I usually feel and just the overall fun of reading a new Mary Calmes book wasn't there. Try as I might I never quite felt the connection between Kade and Joe and honestly neither of these men struck me as being overly dynamic or alpha...for me there just wasn't a Sam Kage or an Ian Doyle, no Trevan Bean, Ceaton Mercer or Darius Hawhtorne...dammit!!!! Where was my ober alpha male!!! Because I'm telling you neither Kade or Joe filled that role for meAnd while the things that didn't work for me the first time still weren't working now...the things that worked the first time, well they're working every bit as good now as they did then...things like...the fact that...
...and...
Along with the lack of connection between the MCs that happened for me there were parts of the storyline that just weren't working for me. The biggest thing being Joe's reasons for leaving his family...it just wasn't convincing for me which created a bit of a domino effect in regard to why Joe and Kade were such good friends. Along with this was the fact that Kade knew that his so called friend and mentor Vaughn who was also a precinct captain did shady things and yet he idolized him anyway? Sorry, I don't get that much less that fact that he basically made a conscious decision to ignore this. Somehow no matter how hard I tried 2 + 2 was just not adding up to 4...maybe more like 3.5.
in true Mary Calmes fashion I could not totally resist her writing prowess because irregardless of how I felt about the overall story, she drew me in with her mom's...there was Joe's mom...I adored her...ok, I can totally relate to her. She had a very dry sense of humor and used it frequently to deal with situations...So maybe not my favorite Mary Calmes story but still a pleasant enough read that I'm sure I'll be revisiting it at some point in the future and I'm also pretty sure that at some point I'll be reading a book and going...'Oh, I remember that. That happened or that person was from the book 'Kairos' because when it comes to Mary Calmes that seems to be just the way the world rolls.
"You could maybe tell other people what is going on in your head now and then."
"But I'm telling you now."
"But did you tell him?"
"Shouldn't he know after this many years?"
"Mom--"
"I can't be married to a stupid man, dear. What would people say?"
"You don't give a good god--"
"That was sarcasm, sweetheart. Do they not have that in Chicago?"
It's that mom instinct...you see someone who needs to be loved and sheltered from the world and it's just instinct to want to do what the world has failed to do for that person so far. This is one of my favorite things about Mary Calmes books not only are the characters bigger than life but there's often at least one or more character who brings things like 'mom love' to the story in such an overwhelmingly big way. Nothing gives me a warm fuzzy like that moment in a Mary Calmes book when a character...in this case Joe's mom sweeps in takes one look at another character...and in this case it was Kade and Declan and just instinctively knows that they need 'mom love' and in this book there was two of them there was Joe's mom and Donatella Gallo who was his family's housekeeper and cook.
*************************
An audio book of 'Kairos' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2018
I'm sure many, as I did, will draw parallels between Joe and Kade and how reminiscent they are of the partnership and UST between Miro and Ian from Calmes' Marshals series.
Kairos is about Joe and Kade - two Private Investigators in Chicago. Joe spends most of his energy on taking care of his partner Kade, an ex-police officer, who's had a pretty hard road to travel.
The two live together, work together, but aren't together romantically (even though Joe carries a big, flaming torch for Kade).
When circumstances surrounding a favor go sideways, Joe and Kade find themselves protecting a witness and very much needing to get out of town. The shake up is enough to jump start confession time and get all the cards on the table between the two men, their families, and the world.
Told again in Mary Calmes signature style with a single, first person, POV - our narrator is Joe, with his abundant feelings for Kade fairly dripping off the page, but on the whole the message of the story it seemed to me was more about coming to terms with your past and working through to get to your happy on the other side.
There is some closure of everyone's pasts - but I was a bit disappointed that right when that closure is happening the story ends. I wanted more. In this case, an epilogue, or some set up to let me know this might become a series would have worked really well.
All in all, there was a lot I enjoyed about the story, but nothing as much as I loved Declan, a secondary character. I loved him so much and I want to know what happens to him, I want his happy ending...I just want his story PRONTO please!
I would like to note for some that the romance between Joe and Kade is only a part of the larger plot, and passion doesn't really ignite until quite a ways through, but for those who love Mary Calmes' writing, and her formula for suspense and romance, this definitely hits a sweet spot.
3.5 stars rounded up for Declan.
For my audio review click here.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Kairos provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Kairos is about Joe and Kade - two Private Investigators in Chicago. Joe spends most of his energy on taking care of his partner Kade, an ex-police officer, who's had a pretty hard road to travel.
He was a knight in shining armor; it was just a bit dented and tarnished in spots.
The two live together, work together, but aren't together romantically (even though Joe carries a big, flaming torch for Kade).
The stupidity and futility of my situation never ceased to make me groan inside. If my life was a television show, I would have left the room, it was so painfully awkward.
When circumstances surrounding a favor go sideways, Joe and Kade find themselves protecting a witness and very much needing to get out of town. The shake up is enough to jump start confession time and get all the cards on the table between the two men, their families, and the world.
I wasn’t some great paragon of virtue by any stretch of the imagination, I was a rock in this instance, and I would never, ever turn on my friend. I couldn’t. It wasn’t in me. I would, in fact, be more, be everything; I was ready, willing, and able to be whatever he needed or wanted. For however long it took him to heal from this, I’d be the one he could safely put his faith in.
Told again in Mary Calmes signature style with a single, first person, POV - our narrator is Joe, with his abundant feelings for Kade fairly dripping off the page, but on the whole the message of the story it seemed to me was more about coming to terms with your past and working through to get to your happy on the other side.
There is some closure of everyone's pasts - but I was a bit disappointed that right when that closure is happening the story ends. I wanted more. In this case, an epilogue, or some set up to let me know this might become a series would have worked really well.
“I’m about to get big-time closure on my life, no reason you can’t too.”
All in all, there was a lot I enjoyed about the story, but nothing as much as I loved Declan, a secondary character. I loved him so much and I want to know what happens to him, I want his happy ending...I just want his story PRONTO please!
I would like to note for some that the romance between Joe and Kade is only a part of the larger plot, and passion doesn't really ignite until quite a ways through, but for those who love Mary Calmes' writing, and her formula for suspense and romance, this definitely hits a sweet spot.
“I just feel like I won the lottery with you, ya know? I got a best friend and now a lover. The hell did I do to deserve that?”
Reaching out, I put a hand on his cheek. “You’re a good man, Kade.”
“Yeah, well, only you think so.”
I sighed deeply.
“But you’re the one who matters.”
I could have died happy right there.
3.5 stars rounded up for Declan.
For my audio review click here.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Kairos provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
July 23, 2021
Joe and Kade are Private Investigator partners and roommates in Chicago, and Joe is bigly in love/lust with Kade.
In a detail packed first chapter, we learn why Kade is no longer a cop, along with a myriad of details and background. All the flashbacks, asides, memories, and recollections are a bit convoluted, but once the plot gets into gear, it is gripping. We meet Declan, a witness to the crime and conspiracy that can clear Kade's name, and then everyone goes on the run.
On the run to ... California to Joe's Tuscan-like family villa on their hugely successful vineyard. And suddenly, all the drama and suspense in Chicago is over ... nothing to see here folks, move along and the plot moves into Joe's family dynamics. This sudden juxtaposition did not work for me personally, but I liked how Joe and Kade finally figure out their relationship and OMG the sex is seriously hawt. Declan is an interesting character and Joe's mother Nora is a wonderfully nurturing "Jory-eseque" character whom everyone adores and reveres.
The first part of Kairos is in the 4.5 star range for me, while the second half is around 3 stars, so my rating is 3.5 stars. I realize that other readers may not feel the abrupt change-of-focus is a deal breaker (as I did) and rate Kairos quite differently.
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
I had tumbled into the trap of friendship that longed to be more, and he had moved forward to best friend, to work partner, to roommate, then taken not one more step. I was at the finish line, ready to gift him with my heart, and he went on a detour to get laid.Calmes does a beautiful job of portraying Joe's anguish at wanting Kade so much, but knowing he can't act upon it for fear of losing his friendship with him. And Joe realizes he is the cornerstone of Kade's reconstructed life without his family and his career and fears what will happen if they aren't together, even just as friends.
In a detail packed first chapter, we learn why Kade is no longer a cop, along with a myriad of details and background. All the flashbacks, asides, memories, and recollections are a bit convoluted, but once the plot gets into gear, it is gripping. We meet Declan, a witness to the crime and conspiracy that can clear Kade's name, and then everyone goes on the run.
On the run to ... California to Joe's Tuscan-like family villa on their hugely successful vineyard. And suddenly, all the drama and suspense in Chicago is over ... nothing to see here folks, move along and the plot moves into Joe's family dynamics. This sudden juxtaposition did not work for me personally, but I liked how Joe and Kade finally figure out their relationship and OMG the sex is seriously hawt. Declan is an interesting character and Joe's mother Nora is a wonderfully nurturing "Jory-eseque" character whom everyone adores and reveres.
The first part of Kairos is in the 4.5 star range for me, while the second half is around 3 stars, so my rating is 3.5 stars. I realize that other readers may not feel the abrupt change-of-focus is a deal breaker (as I did) and rate Kairos quite differently.
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
April 18, 2018
**Audio**
I'm adding a star. I still pretty much feel the same way as I did when I originally read this but I don't like my rating so I am bumping it up.
The "estrangement" still feels off. I didn't understand what the last phone call with the ex was about and I am normally not one of the people who need all the supporting characters to have their own story but I do want Declan to have his.
I still feel like there is more story to be told and I'd love to read it.
I'm adding a star. I still pretty much feel the same way as I did when I originally read this but I don't like my rating so I am bumping it up.
The "estrangement" still feels off. I didn't understand what the last phone call with the ex was about and I am normally not one of the people who need all the supporting characters to have their own story but I do want Declan to have his.
I still feel like there is more story to be told and I'd love to read it.
March 25, 2018
This was a pleasure to listen to. I really enjoy Michael Fell's narration. Good character voices (and kudos on the female character voices - really well done!), his pacing was terrific, and he brought the characters and the book to life.
Kairos centers around Private Investigator partners Joe and Kade who are semi-struggling to make their business solvent in Chicago. When circumstances surrounding a favor go sideways, Joe and Kade find themselves protecting a witness and very much needing to get out of town. The tone of the story changes midway and becomes a homecoming for Joe, who left California two (almost three) years ago and hasn't contacted his family since.
Told in Mary Calmes signature style with Joe's single, first person POV I loved what Michael Fell did to showcase Joe's feelings and Kade's growly jealousy. The romance between Joe and Kade is part of the larger plot, and while their passion doesn't really ignite until quite a ways through, for those who love Mary Calmes' writing and her formula for suspense and romance this definitely hits a sweet spot.
For my full book review click here.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
December 15, 2017
I have no idea how to rate this. I liked the gorgeous cover, I liked the idea of the story, but I'm kinda pissed at Joe's obvious and Kade's oblivious. I even liked Evan and Declan!
But I didn't really care about Kade. I think Evan would be a better one for Joe.
But love is blind, right? Even though Joe saw 'everything' about Kade's sex life (it irked me a whole lot bunch of it).
I'm a patient one, but I lost my patience reading how clueless Kade was. And how devoted Joe to him.
And near the end, I need them to be patient for the new feeling development. LOL.
I loved Mary Calmes, but this is one of her book that I'd be glad if I pass it.
Sorry.
January 29, 2019
Uuuuhhhh...I'm not sure but I think the world is ending or...
at the very least it's tilted on it's axis by a few degrees...
I'd been happily waiting for this one...I mean seriously new Mary Calmes men to love...what's not to be happy about, right?
Interestingly enough overall this one was standard Calmes fare and I should have loved it but truly I didn't...it was ok but that connection that I usually feel and just the overall fun of reading a new Mary Calmes book wasn't there. Try as I might I never quite felt the connection between Kade and Joe and honestly neither of these men struck me as being overly dynamic or alpha...for me there just wasn't a Sam Kage or an Ian Doyle, no Trevan Bean, Ceaton Mercer or Darius Hawhtorne...dammit!!!! Where was my ober alpha male!!! Because I'm telling you neither Kade or Joe filled that role for me.
Along with the lack of connection between the MCs that happened for me there were parts of the storyline that just weren't working for me. The biggest thing being Joe's reasons for leaving his family...it just wasn't convincing for me which created a bit of a domino effect in regard to why Joe and Kade were such good friends. Along with this was the fact that Kade knew that his so called friend and mentor Vaughn who was also a precinct captain did shady things and yet he idolized him anyway? Sorry, I don't get that much less that fact that he basically made a conscious decision to ignore this. Somehow no matter how hard I tried 2 + 2 was just not adding up to 4...maybe more like 3.5.
While Kade and Joe weren't a strong connection for me there were some characters that really appealed to me and quite frankly had me wanting more. First off there was Joe's younger brother Sayre and Declan, the young man that Kade and Joe rescue back at the beginning of the book I was really intrigued by both of these men and if anyone could give them each or maybe both? a story worth reading it's Ms Calmes.
And in true Mary Calmes fashion I could not totally resist her writing prowess because irregardless of how I felt about the overall story, she drew me in with her mom's...there was Joe's mom...I adored her...ok, I can totally relate to her. She had a very dry sense of humor and used it frequently to deal with situations...
'Kairos' wasn't as much of a connect for me as some of Ms Calmes other standalone stories like 'Acrobat', 'Any Closer', 'What Can Be' or 'Where You Lead' but as a confirmed Mary Calmes addict I wouldn't have missed this one if for no other reason than 'awesome moms'.
*************************
A copy of 'Kairos' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
at the very least it's tilted on it's axis by a few degrees...
I'd been happily waiting for this one...I mean seriously new Mary Calmes men to love...what's not to be happy about, right?
Interestingly enough overall this one was standard Calmes fare and I should have loved it but truly I didn't...it was ok but that connection that I usually feel and just the overall fun of reading a new Mary Calmes book wasn't there. Try as I might I never quite felt the connection between Kade and Joe and honestly neither of these men struck me as being overly dynamic or alpha...for me there just wasn't a Sam Kage or an Ian Doyle, no Trevan Bean, Ceaton Mercer or Darius Hawhtorne...dammit!!!! Where was my ober alpha male!!! Because I'm telling you neither Kade or Joe filled that role for me.
Along with the lack of connection between the MCs that happened for me there were parts of the storyline that just weren't working for me. The biggest thing being Joe's reasons for leaving his family...it just wasn't convincing for me which created a bit of a domino effect in regard to why Joe and Kade were such good friends. Along with this was the fact that Kade knew that his so called friend and mentor Vaughn who was also a precinct captain did shady things and yet he idolized him anyway? Sorry, I don't get that much less that fact that he basically made a conscious decision to ignore this. Somehow no matter how hard I tried 2 + 2 was just not adding up to 4...maybe more like 3.5.
While Kade and Joe weren't a strong connection for me there were some characters that really appealed to me and quite frankly had me wanting more. First off there was Joe's younger brother Sayre and Declan, the young man that Kade and Joe rescue back at the beginning of the book I was really intrigued by both of these men and if anyone could give them each or maybe both? a story worth reading it's Ms Calmes.
And in true Mary Calmes fashion I could not totally resist her writing prowess because irregardless of how I felt about the overall story, she drew me in with her mom's...there was Joe's mom...I adored her...ok, I can totally relate to her. She had a very dry sense of humor and used it frequently to deal with situations...
"You could maybe tell other people what is going on in your head now and then."and then there was just the fact that Joe and his mom have had some conversations that were reminiscent of ones that my own son has had with me...
"But I'm telling you now."
"But did you tell him?"
"Shouldn't he know after this many years?"
"Mom--"
"I can't be married to a stupid man, dear. What would people say?"
"You don't give a good god--"
"That was sarcasm, sweetheart. Do they not have that in Chicago?"
"Mom, you can't collect people. I've told you that."It's that mom instinct...you see someone who needs to be loved and sheltered from the world and it's just instinct to want to do what the world has failed to do for that person so far. This is one of my favorite things about Mary Calmes books not only are the characters bigger than life but there's often at least one or more character who brings things like 'mom love' to the story in such an overwhelmingly big way. Nothing gives me a warm fuzzy like that moment in a Mary Calmes book when a character...in this case Joe's mom sweeps in takes one look at another character...and in this case it was Kade and Declan and just instinctively knows that they need 'mom love' and in this book there was two of them there was Joe's mom and Donatella Gallo who was his family's housekeeper and cook.
"And why not? You obviously do."
'Kairos' wasn't as much of a connect for me as some of Ms Calmes other standalone stories like 'Acrobat', 'Any Closer', 'What Can Be' or 'Where You Lead' but as a confirmed Mary Calmes addict I wouldn't have missed this one if for no other reason than 'awesome moms'.
*************************
A copy of 'Kairos' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2018
A sweet read ... enjoyed this but really would have loved a little more depth added. It felt a bit “surface” and needed a bit more to layer the characters and their situations. I really wanted to see what time on the winery would be like and the chemistry between the family. The storyline was great .. I’m just a bit greedy !
December 10, 2017
No, just no. If you're going to write a story that isn't based on fantasy, sci-fi, the easter bunny or whatever trope that just isn't real (no folks, the easter bunny does not exist), you have to make the storyline and the characters kinda realistic. I had so many eye rolls I was getting dizzy.
Joe and Kade are inseparable. They're best friends, roommates and work together as private investigators. Although they are both gay and Joe has been in love with Kade forever, he has just sat back and watched the copious amounts of men and women passing through the revolving door of Kade's bedroom. Kade is a disgraced policeman who went undercover to infiltrate a dodgy group of people and let's just say, he took his method acting too far and this resulted in him losing not only his job but his family.
Joe is also estranged from his family. After coming out to them and not getting the reaction he desired, he left town, set up a new life for himself and never once looked back in the last three years.
When our two PI's are hired to do the simple task of extracting young Declan from an apartment and out of danger, a shed load of revelations and their situation getting real messy, the three men decide the best plan of action is to get on a plane (despite being watched) and go somewhere 'safe' to lay low. So, where in the world would you go if you were running away? Apparently your best friend would decide that you go back to your roots and the very place you ran away from in the first place. Kade makes this decision against Joe's wishes and as soon as they are in town, they go and see Joe's family - insert eye roll here. As the story unravels, I found myself thinking that Joe couldn't have expected any other reaction from his family and that he is also an idiot. Five minutes later, Kade and Joe's relationship goes from zero to marriage talk - come on! Really?!
This could have been good if the story happened over a reasonable period of time but not for everything to change so much in the space of 24 hours. I didn't dislike the two main characters but boy are they stupid.
No, just no. If you're going to write a story that isn't based on fantasy, sci-fi, the easter bunny or whatever trope that just isn't real (no folks, the easter bunny does not exist), you have to make the storyline and the characters kinda realistic. I had so many eye rolls I was getting dizzy.
Joe and Kade are inseparable. They're best friends, roommates and work together as private investigators. Although they are both gay and Joe has been in love with Kade forever, he has just sat back and watched the copious amounts of men and women passing through the revolving door of Kade's bedroom. Kade is a disgraced policeman who went undercover to infiltrate a dodgy group of people and let's just say, he took his method acting too far and this resulted in him losing not only his job but his family.
Joe is also estranged from his family. After coming out to them and not getting the reaction he desired, he left town, set up a new life for himself and never once looked back in the last three years.
When our two PI's are hired to do the simple task of extracting young Declan from an apartment and out of danger, a shed load of revelations and their situation getting real messy, the three men decide the best plan of action is to get on a plane (despite being watched) and go somewhere 'safe' to lay low. So, where in the world would you go if you were running away? Apparently your best friend would decide that you go back to your roots and the very place you ran away from in the first place. Kade makes this decision against Joe's wishes and as soon as they are in town, they go and see Joe's family - insert eye roll here. As the story unravels, I found myself thinking that Joe couldn't have expected any other reaction from his family and that he is also an idiot. Five minutes later, Kade and Joe's relationship goes from zero to marriage talk - come on! Really?!
This could have been good if the story happened over a reasonable period of time but not for everything to change so much in the space of 24 hours. I didn't dislike the two main characters but boy are they stupid.
Joe and Kade are inseparable. They're best friends, roommates and work together as private investigators. Although they are both gay and Joe has been in love with Kade forever, he has just sat back and watched the copious amounts of men and women passing through the revolving door of Kade's bedroom. Kade is a disgraced policeman who went undercover to infiltrate a dodgy group of people and let's just say, he took his method acting too far and this resulted in him losing not only his job but his family.
Joe is also estranged from his family. After coming out to them and not getting the reaction he desired, he left town, set up a new life for himself and never once looked back in the last three years.
When our two PI's are hired to do the simple task of extracting young Declan from an apartment and out of danger, a shed load of revelations and their situation getting real messy, the three men decide the best plan of action is to get on a plane (despite being watched) and go somewhere 'safe' to lay low. So, where in the world would you go if you were running away? Apparently your best friend would decide that you go back to your roots and the very place you ran away from in the first place. Kade makes this decision against Joe's wishes and as soon as they are in town, they go and see Joe's family - insert eye roll here. As the story unravels, I found myself thinking that Joe couldn't have expected any other reaction from his family and that he is also an idiot. Five minutes later, Kade and Joe's relationship goes from zero to marriage talk - come on! Really?!
This could have been good if the story happened over a reasonable period of time but not for everything to change so much in the space of 24 hours. I didn't dislike the two main characters but boy are they stupid.
No, just no. If you're going to write a story that isn't based on fantasy, sci-fi, the easter bunny or whatever trope that just isn't real (no folks, the easter bunny does not exist), you have to make the storyline and the characters kinda realistic. I had so many eye rolls I was getting dizzy.
Joe and Kade are inseparable. They're best friends, roommates and work together as private investigators. Although they are both gay and Joe has been in love with Kade forever, he has just sat back and watched the copious amounts of men and women passing through the revolving door of Kade's bedroom. Kade is a disgraced policeman who went undercover to infiltrate a dodgy group of people and let's just say, he took his method acting too far and this resulted in him losing not only his job but his family.
Joe is also estranged from his family. After coming out to them and not getting the reaction he desired, he left town, set up a new life for himself and never once looked back in the last three years.
When our two PI's are hired to do the simple task of extracting young Declan from an apartment and out of danger, a shed load of revelations and their situation getting real messy, the three men decide the best plan of action is to get on a plane (despite being watched) and go somewhere 'safe' to lay low. So, where in the world would you go if you were running away? Apparently your best friend would decide that you go back to your roots and the very place you ran away from in the first place. Kade makes this decision against Joe's wishes and as soon as they are in town, they go and see Joe's family - insert eye roll here. As the story unravels, I found myself thinking that Joe couldn't have expected any other reaction from his family and that he is also an idiot. Five minutes later, Kade and Joe's relationship goes from zero to marriage talk - come on! Really?!
This could have been good if the story happened over a reasonable period of time but not for everything to change so much in the space of 24 hours. I didn't dislike the two main characters but boy are they stupid.
December 17, 2017
I want more... I loved this! I just love Mary's books. I love how she writes her guys, their families, and friends.
December 26, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This book is classic Mary Calmes. Engaging characters, a plot that is slightly over the top at times, and two men who love each other fiercely. There’s a reason I’ve been a long time reader of this author, and this book showcases why. However, this book felt a little too familiar, and that gave me pause.
I’m going to unpack that last thing first and get it out of the way. So the friends to lovers storyline here, and the characters themselves, felt very much like some of Calmes previous books. There were very familiar elements to both aspects that essentially pulled me out of the story as I remembered other characters and other stories. That worked against the book a bit, because I had to remind myself at first to engage with Joe, Kade, and their story, and get my mind off others.
That being said, there was a lot I enjoyed about this book. There’s the sort of ridiculous plot that can only happen in a Calmes book. There’s something in the way she writes, for me, that just makes me jump in and go with it. Joe and Kade walk into a somewhat horrifying situation and it’s the man they rescue that of course has all the answers to Kade’s biggest shame. And that, in and of itself, is righted easily with a well placed call. It’s unbelievable, sure, in the frame of reality. But the author makes it work, and I was rooting for things to be resolved easily.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This book is classic Mary Calmes. Engaging characters, a plot that is slightly over the top at times, and two men who love each other fiercely. There’s a reason I’ve been a long time reader of this author, and this book showcases why. However, this book felt a little too familiar, and that gave me pause.
I’m going to unpack that last thing first and get it out of the way. So the friends to lovers storyline here, and the characters themselves, felt very much like some of Calmes previous books. There were very familiar elements to both aspects that essentially pulled me out of the story as I remembered other characters and other stories. That worked against the book a bit, because I had to remind myself at first to engage with Joe, Kade, and their story, and get my mind off others.
That being said, there was a lot I enjoyed about this book. There’s the sort of ridiculous plot that can only happen in a Calmes book. There’s something in the way she writes, for me, that just makes me jump in and go with it. Joe and Kade walk into a somewhat horrifying situation and it’s the man they rescue that of course has all the answers to Kade’s biggest shame. And that, in and of itself, is righted easily with a well placed call. It’s unbelievable, sure, in the frame of reality. But the author makes it work, and I was rooting for things to be resolved easily.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
January 11, 2019
This book read a little too close to book 1 of the Marshal series for me. We get a cross of Sam Kage and Ian, and the other character is Miro. Joe's mom is a Regina Kage knock off. You know, the mother who is vulnerable with a backbone made of steel. The witness for all the crimes is like Drake from the Marshal series. I could go on and on. I could've enjoyed this more if I had never read that series. That being said, there was still a lot missing from this story. The backstory of the characters was sorely lacking. We get told things, and it has almost no emotional value. I need to see and feel the characters, and I don't feel that here. I love Mary Calmes, but this was definitely a regurgitation of characters from her other series.
Read
February 20, 2018Slightly less Maryesque than others, but still great escapism and littered with Maryisms.
July 10, 2018
RECENSIONE COMPLETA QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
KAYROS: parola che nell'antica Grecia significava "momento giusto o opportuno" o "momento supremo".
Voglio iniziare questa recensione da qui, dal significato della parola KAYROS perché quando mi ci sono imbattuta, ho avuto l'illuminazione: "Questa è la chiave di lettura di questa storia bellissima". La Calmes nel suo modo fluido ed accattivante ci trascina nelle peripezie di due colleghi, migliori amici che si sono incontrati due anni prima "nel momento giusto" quando entrambi, per ragioni diverse, si sentivano soli e persi. Joe e Kade sono due investigatori privati un po' improbabili. L'uno, perché si avverte subito che non è cosa per lui, l'altro perché è stato e sempre sarà un poliziotto. Il rapporto tra i due, raccontato dal punto di vista di Joe, è qualcosa di divertentissimo e tenerissimo, nonostante Joe si strugga d'amore per il suo amico e di preoccupazione per il suo benessere, non farebbe mai nulla per perdere la loro amicizia. L'affinità tra i due è tangibile in tutta la storia. Kade ha un passato doloroso: anni sotto copertura, dipendenza da sostanze stupefacenti ed una macchia sul distintivo, viene abbandonato dai familiari e dai colleghi e cade letteralmente a pezzi. Joe è stato la sua salvezza, il suo posto sicuro, la sua stabilità. Joe vede oltre e si prende cura del suo amico leale e dal cuore d'oro. Joe mette Kade sempre al primo posto. E Kade si lascia avvolgere dalla protezione di Joe.
Sono amici, si supportano e l'affetto che li lega è profondo e viscerale. "Al momento giusto" i nostri eroi si troveranno ad affrontare una situazione che rimetterà la vita di Kade in discussione e devo dire che questa parte molto dinamica e poliziesca mi è piaciuta molto, anche perché incontreremo un personaggio che è il mio preferito tra tutti: Declan, il ragazzo dolcissimo che avrei voluto portare a casa e coccolare, restituendogli tutto ciò che la vita gli ha portato via. "Al momento giusto" Declan incontra i suoi salvatori e da lì inizia un viaggio. E che viaggio! Mai avrei pensato di trovarmi in una situazione totalmente opposta alla precedente ma, mi spiace, non posso dire altro perché è tutto da scoprire. Sappiate solo che sarete stupite dagli avvenimenti e dalle persone che incontrerete. Perché Kairos è un concentrato di buoni sentimenti, ogni frase è detta con amore. Ogni gesto è atto a sostenere e consolare. Kairos è "Il momento supremo" che porterà i nostri personaggi a trovare ciò che la vita ha di bello da offrire…
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
KAYROS: parola che nell'antica Grecia significava "momento giusto o opportuno" o "momento supremo".
Voglio iniziare questa recensione da qui, dal significato della parola KAYROS perché quando mi ci sono imbattuta, ho avuto l'illuminazione: "Questa è la chiave di lettura di questa storia bellissima". La Calmes nel suo modo fluido ed accattivante ci trascina nelle peripezie di due colleghi, migliori amici che si sono incontrati due anni prima "nel momento giusto" quando entrambi, per ragioni diverse, si sentivano soli e persi. Joe e Kade sono due investigatori privati un po' improbabili. L'uno, perché si avverte subito che non è cosa per lui, l'altro perché è stato e sempre sarà un poliziotto. Il rapporto tra i due, raccontato dal punto di vista di Joe, è qualcosa di divertentissimo e tenerissimo, nonostante Joe si strugga d'amore per il suo amico e di preoccupazione per il suo benessere, non farebbe mai nulla per perdere la loro amicizia. L'affinità tra i due è tangibile in tutta la storia. Kade ha un passato doloroso: anni sotto copertura, dipendenza da sostanze stupefacenti ed una macchia sul distintivo, viene abbandonato dai familiari e dai colleghi e cade letteralmente a pezzi. Joe è stato la sua salvezza, il suo posto sicuro, la sua stabilità. Joe vede oltre e si prende cura del suo amico leale e dal cuore d'oro. Joe mette Kade sempre al primo posto. E Kade si lascia avvolgere dalla protezione di Joe.
Sono amici, si supportano e l'affetto che li lega è profondo e viscerale. "Al momento giusto" i nostri eroi si troveranno ad affrontare una situazione che rimetterà la vita di Kade in discussione e devo dire che questa parte molto dinamica e poliziesca mi è piaciuta molto, anche perché incontreremo un personaggio che è il mio preferito tra tutti: Declan, il ragazzo dolcissimo che avrei voluto portare a casa e coccolare, restituendogli tutto ciò che la vita gli ha portato via. "Al momento giusto" Declan incontra i suoi salvatori e da lì inizia un viaggio. E che viaggio! Mai avrei pensato di trovarmi in una situazione totalmente opposta alla precedente ma, mi spiace, non posso dire altro perché è tutto da scoprire. Sappiate solo che sarete stupite dagli avvenimenti e dalle persone che incontrerete. Perché Kairos è un concentrato di buoni sentimenti, ogni frase è detta con amore. Ogni gesto è atto a sostenere e consolare. Kairos è "Il momento supremo" che porterà i nostri personaggi a trovare ciò che la vita ha di bello da offrire…
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
January 3, 2018
This was kind of all over the place. It started out as this PI story, with some mystery around the former cop, Kade, and how he lost his job. Then that plot petered out and it became a story of Joe reconciling with his family, over what seemed to be a stupid misunderstanding. Just, not great. Half the plot felt recycled from her Marshalls series.
March 24, 2025
Adorable
September 29, 2021
3 star
Audio review
I thought this one was alright, but it, did struggle to hold my interest, I think that’s because both Kade and Joe are very similar characters and they just blended together.
I’d still like to see more from this world, maybe see where they progress from here.
Audio review
I thought this one was alright, but it, did struggle to hold my interest, I think that’s because both Kade and Joe are very similar characters and they just blended together.
I’d still like to see more from this world, maybe see where they progress from here.
December 14, 2017
3.5 rounded up ‘cuz Amazon. As a Mary Calmes fan, I grab almost any new title from her right away. Her stories are reliably entertaining and humorous, with a familiar style and feel. Joe and Kade are quintessential Calmes characters, as are secondary figures, with a few trademark references tucked in (yes, a peacoat!), and a smattering of Easter eggs from previous stories. But if Joe and Kade were mentioned anywhere in previous stories, I simply can’t remember them. And if I had to compare, they’re just a bit similar to Ian and Miro, but without their tough guy edginess.
Joe is the first person narrator, and the opening gives a fast-paced history of Kade, their intense friendship and the PI partnership. Doing a favor for Kade’s former police captain, they’re supposed to pick up an informant, only to arrive just in time to rescue the young man from gunfire. Finding out the guy has evidence that could get them all killed, they head to California to hide out. Once in California, the story unexpectedly transforms into a family reunion for Joe. It all occurs within a single day, with the criminal case wrapping up neatly off page. I think I got a little whiplash.
It read much like a mashup of two separate stories, a crime drama somehow morphing into a prodigal son celebration. I was left wishing for more page time and dialogue in-between the changing circumstances and character introductions, especially when the unrequited love between Joe and Kade resolved so fast. There wasn’t enough time to enjoy them being together. There are many amusing interludes, with funny, snarky dialogue and interplay between characters. I’m still quite happy I chose to read this one. You never know if one story might become relevant to another in Mary Calmes often interconnected book worlds.
*An ARC was provided by the author or publisher and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews blog*
Joe is the first person narrator, and the opening gives a fast-paced history of Kade, their intense friendship and the PI partnership. Doing a favor for Kade’s former police captain, they’re supposed to pick up an informant, only to arrive just in time to rescue the young man from gunfire. Finding out the guy has evidence that could get them all killed, they head to California to hide out. Once in California, the story unexpectedly transforms into a family reunion for Joe. It all occurs within a single day, with the criminal case wrapping up neatly off page. I think I got a little whiplash.
It read much like a mashup of two separate stories, a crime drama somehow morphing into a prodigal son celebration. I was left wishing for more page time and dialogue in-between the changing circumstances and character introductions, especially when the unrequited love between Joe and Kade resolved so fast. There wasn’t enough time to enjoy them being together. There are many amusing interludes, with funny, snarky dialogue and interplay between characters. I’m still quite happy I chose to read this one. You never know if one story might become relevant to another in Mary Calmes often interconnected book worlds.
*An ARC was provided by the author or publisher and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews blog*
January 5, 2018
It’s been a hot minute since I read a Mary Calmes book, so picking up this one felt like coming back home. I am just in love with her voice. It truly shines with every book she writes. Witty and charming, it’s impossible not to fall in love with her characters.
Once again, I found myself enjoying Joe and Kade’s story. Calmes gives them a healthy shot of personality so you really feel like you can get to know them well. In the very beginning, Calmes does a good job of establishing their relationship as friends. We get the backstory, but it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s being shoved down your throat. She keeps everything fun and engaging, sliding in some jokes here and there as well.
By the time we get into the heat of the story, readers are right there with her, feeling desperation rise as Kade and Joe decide if they want to be together. There’s a great tension between them and I especially loved the sparks of jealousy that each emits with when the other with someone else. It’s very cute.
Since this is a novella, things move at a very fast-paced. I would’ve liked it more if things slowed down more, but that’s probably because I enjoyed this book a lot.
December 22, 2017
Maybe I've grown out of Mary Calmes' stories, or maybe it's her stories that have grown out of me, but her recent books have all failed me. The MC became that doormat/pushover guy in love with controlling, shallow jerk. The conversations became long and repetitive, and happened as if time stopped for them while they're having those inane conversations. The romance was unbelievable, and the non-romance plot was ludicrous.
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