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Deadly Lover
Justin Mallory has years of bad decisions to make up for, starting with agreeing to join the CIA after being recruited out of the Marines. Now he chooses the jobs and he works alone. It’s safer that way, and he can make sure the good guy always wins.
But this job…he can’t do alone. Two pharmaceutical researchers are dead and a dangerous drug is on the cusp of winning FDA approval if he doesn’t track down the culprit behind the lies and murders.
Gabriel Prescott is a well-trained, efficient, and cold-blooded killer. After a brutal betrayal left his lover dead, Gabriel is out only for himself. But when this lucrative contract lands in his lap, he can’t pass it up. Even if it means working with the unpredictable and insane Justin Mallory.
Dodging bullets and secret meetings find them depending on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness…and questions of whether they could possibly have something more.
But this job…he can’t do alone. Two pharmaceutical researchers are dead and a dangerous drug is on the cusp of winning FDA approval if he doesn’t track down the culprit behind the lies and murders.
Gabriel Prescott is a well-trained, efficient, and cold-blooded killer. After a brutal betrayal left his lover dead, Gabriel is out only for himself. But when this lucrative contract lands in his lap, he can’t pass it up. Even if it means working with the unpredictable and insane Justin Mallory.
Dodging bullets and secret meetings find them depending on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness…and questions of whether they could possibly have something more.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2018
295 people are currently reading
1140 people want to read
About the author
Jocelynn Drake
141 books2,889 followersNew York Times Bestselling author Jocelynn Drake loves a good story, whether she is reading it or writing one of her own. Over the years, her stories have allowed her to explore space, talk to dragons, dodge bullets with assassins, hang with vampires, and fall in love again and again.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can be
walking her dog Ace, or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy books: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. For gay romance, she has completed The Exit Strategy and Shadow Elite series, and is now working on a spin-off of her MM paranormal series, Lords of Discord. She has also co-authored with Rinda Elliot the following series: Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, Pineapple Grove, the Weavers Circle. In addition, she has co-authored with AJ Sherwood the following series: Scales 'N' Spell and Wings 'N' Wands. She can be found at JocelynnDrake.com.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can be
walking her dog Ace, or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy books: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. For gay romance, she has completed The Exit Strategy and Shadow Elite series, and is now working on a spin-off of her MM paranormal series, Lords of Discord. She has also co-authored with Rinda Elliot the following series: Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, Pineapple Grove, the Weavers Circle. In addition, she has co-authored with AJ Sherwood the following series: Scales 'N' Spell and Wings 'N' Wands. She can be found at JocelynnDrake.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
October 21, 2025
***3.5 Stars***
Okay, I'm going to generously overlook a few things here...
No, not that! How could I? ;-)
But how these supposedly hotshot and top of their league ex-military/former-government/avenging-angels turned freelance-assassins survived this long is beyond me (bloody amateurs, if you ask me). I'm glad they did, though, because Justin and Gabriel are still two endearing characters, although Justin overacted sometimes a bit on his goofiness in my opinion. But Gabriel gave off this tortured-hero-vibe (or in this case rather tortured-anti-hero-vibe) that draws me in every time. Yeah, I'm easy like that and I can't wait for book #2, Vengeful Lover, which I assume will deal with his past.
This was my first audiobook by Kenneth Obi and I haven't completely made up my mind about him yet. ;-) He did a okay-job with Gabriel's accent and the rest, but thescreech high cadence in Justin's voice and his fast babbling was a bit too Beverly-Hills-Cop-y - umm, it reminded me of the German voice for Eddie Murphy in the 80's, fingernails on chalkboard material, so to speak - and made me wince quite often.
If you don't mind a few eye-rolling moments and not getting as much suspense as the blurb might suggest, go for it, it's still an enjoyable story. :)
Okay, I'm going to generously overlook a few things here...
No, not that! How could I? ;-)
But how these supposedly hotshot and top of their league ex-military/former-government/avenging-angels turned freelance-assassins survived this long is beyond me (bloody amateurs, if you ask me). I'm glad they did, though, because Justin and Gabriel are still two endearing characters, although Justin overacted sometimes a bit on his goofiness in my opinion. But Gabriel gave off this tortured-hero-vibe (or in this case rather tortured-anti-hero-vibe) that draws me in every time. Yeah, I'm easy like that and I can't wait for book #2, Vengeful Lover, which I assume will deal with his past.
This was my first audiobook by Kenneth Obi and I haven't completely made up my mind about him yet. ;-) He did a okay-job with Gabriel's accent and the rest, but the
If you don't mind a few eye-rolling moments and not getting as much suspense as the blurb might suggest, go for it, it's still an enjoyable story. :)
August 29, 2019
This would have been a 5 star read but unfortunately it needs a bit of a clean-up with the editing. Still, I look forward to reading the next one.
October 28, 2018
**** 3.75 Stars ****
Dammit! That sneak peek just did it!!
Everything happened so fast, with the story spanning around 3 weeks or so. That got me worried, as the counting for the end was fast approaching and I didn't want to be disappointed by an insta-love story with the "L" word being carelessly used.
Therefore, I absolutely loved the way the author ended it. And the sneak peek was cleverly done, at least it was crucial to me to make the story deserve a rounding up 4 stars.
The story-line was engaging and believable, tackling a subject that is known to all of us.
Great chemistry between the MC's.
I loved how Justin's sassiness and cheekiness meshed so well with Gabriel grumpiness. So, kudos for the banter!
Can't wait to read book #2.
** I've found a couple of typos which is something I hardly notice since English is not my first language. They don't bother me at all. I just think I should mention this because I know it's a great issue for some readers. If I noticed a couple, I'm afraid there would be many more.
Kindle Unlimited
Dammit! That sneak peek just did it!!
Everything happened so fast, with the story spanning around 3 weeks or so. That got me worried, as the counting for the end was fast approaching and I didn't want to be disappointed by an insta-love story with the "L" word being carelessly used.
Therefore, I absolutely loved the way the author ended it. And the sneak peek was cleverly done, at least it was crucial to me to make the story deserve a rounding up 4 stars.
The story-line was engaging and believable, tackling a subject that is known to all of us.
Great chemistry between the MC's.
I loved how Justin's sassiness and cheekiness meshed so well with Gabriel grumpiness. So, kudos for the banter!
Can't wait to read book #2.
** I've found a couple of typos which is something I hardly notice since English is not my first language. They don't bother me at all. I just think I should mention this because I know it's a great issue for some readers. If I noticed a couple, I'm afraid there would be many more.
Kindle Unlimited
November 29, 2018
Deadly Lover was an entertaining read, falling into "good but not great" territory.
Let’s get what made it "not great" (for me) out of the way:
*The poor editing. Since multiple other reviewers already addressed it, I won’t belabor the point. I rarely comment on editing errors because mistakes are inevitable. But this went beyond a typo here and there. It was legitimately distracting.
*The relationship trajectory. I liked the premise of Justin and Gabriel’s burgeoning relationship, but it sometimes seemed lacking. The forced enmity and the “let's have a serious and angry encounter then laugh hysterically five minutes later” were awkward, and I didn't believe in the supposedly strong feelings at the end. But at least Drake didn't force an "ILY"!
*The villains' grand master plan wasn't exactly grand or masterful.
Here's the "good":
*Justin and Gabriel. Like their relationship, the heroes could have been better developed - I understood withholding things from each other, but not the reader. That said, I dug the assertive alpha vibes. They were more reminiscent of the heroes in the Unbreakable Bonds series. No oversexed or obnoxious twinks in sight (to each their own, but that has been a problem for me in the Ward Security series).
*Assassin stories generally don’t work for me, but having Justin and Gabriel retain codes of honor made it more palatable.
*Smoking hot sex 🔥
*Some exciting and action-packed moments
I'm intrigued enough to continue.
Let’s get what made it "not great" (for me) out of the way:
*The poor editing. Since multiple other reviewers already addressed it, I won’t belabor the point. I rarely comment on editing errors because mistakes are inevitable. But this went beyond a typo here and there. It was legitimately distracting.
*The relationship trajectory. I liked the premise of Justin and Gabriel’s burgeoning relationship, but it sometimes seemed lacking. The forced enmity and the “let's have a serious and angry encounter then laugh hysterically five minutes later” were awkward, and I didn't believe in the supposedly strong feelings at the end. But at least Drake didn't force an "ILY"!
*The villains' grand master plan wasn't exactly grand or masterful.
Here's the "good":
*Justin and Gabriel. Like their relationship, the heroes could have been better developed - I understood withholding things from each other, but not the reader. That said, I dug the assertive alpha vibes. They were more reminiscent of the heroes in the Unbreakable Bonds series. No oversexed or obnoxious twinks in sight (to each their own, but that has been a problem for me in the Ward Security series).
*Assassin stories generally don’t work for me, but having Justin and Gabriel retain codes of honor made it more palatable.
*Smoking hot sex 🔥
*Some exciting and action-packed moments
I'm intrigued enough to continue.
October 30, 2018
4.25 stars!
Man, I would have given this one 5 stars, I really would have, if it hadn't been for the typos. It was bad in this, and I have no idea why. This author with Rinda Elliot doesn't really have these typos or these many typos, but in this they were everywhere, so much so that it got really annoying and distracting. It was a lot. Maybe every couple of pages or so, on average - sometimes even less- there was a typo, and more often then not there were several typos on a page. When there is so many that it gets distracting, I have to take a star off. Didn't seem like anyone bothered to do a final edit or several final edits.
But! Aside from those typos, I adored this. Justin and Gabriel had scorching chemistry, the story was interesting and fun, and it left me wanting more.
And yes, I tagged this as a cliffhanger and HFN because it felt like both. Because they get to a good place, but and it feels like things are left so unfinished that it felt like a cliffhanger to me. Especially with the preview for the next book that made it all the more like "OMG what is going on, what's happening, what's going to happen?!"
I just want more with Justin and Gabriel. I want to know their real names, I want to know about their pasts and I want them to tell each other those things, I want to learn through them talking to each other. I want them to get to the "I love you" stage as well. We don't get to that in this. But I sooo want it.
Definite thumbs up for the story, which shows just how evil humans can be, and the relationship between Justin and Gabriel and their chemistry. Thumbs down for the constant typos, which proved so annoying and frequent that I got distracted and taken out of the story several times.
Worth a read, for sure, because it's a fun and exciting story, but expect a lot of typos.
Man, I would have given this one 5 stars, I really would have, if it hadn't been for the typos. It was bad in this, and I have no idea why. This author with Rinda Elliot doesn't really have these typos or these many typos, but in this they were everywhere, so much so that it got really annoying and distracting. It was a lot. Maybe every couple of pages or so, on average - sometimes even less- there was a typo, and more often then not there were several typos on a page. When there is so many that it gets distracting, I have to take a star off. Didn't seem like anyone bothered to do a final edit or several final edits.
But! Aside from those typos, I adored this. Justin and Gabriel had scorching chemistry, the story was interesting and fun, and it left me wanting more.
And yes, I tagged this as a cliffhanger and HFN because it felt like both. Because they get to a good place, but and it feels like things are left so unfinished that it felt like a cliffhanger to me. Especially with the preview for the next book that made it all the more like "OMG what is going on, what's happening, what's going to happen?!"
I just want more with Justin and Gabriel. I want to know their real names, I want to know about their pasts and I want them to tell each other those things, I want to learn through them talking to each other. I want them to get to the "I love you" stage as well. We don't get to that in this. But I sooo want it.
Definite thumbs up for the story, which shows just how evil humans can be, and the relationship between Justin and Gabriel and their chemistry. Thumbs down for the constant typos, which proved so annoying and frequent that I got distracted and taken out of the story several times.
Worth a read, for sure, because it's a fun and exciting story, but expect a lot of typos.
November 22, 2018
Is it just me or does nothing really happen in this book?! 🤔
February 9, 2019
When is the audio of the second book coming out because Mama needs it like now! 😁 What a gloriously thrilling and exciting audio it is! ❤️ I loved this fast-paced, action-packed, antiheroes romance. It was refreshing, exciting and simply enthralling! 😍
Justin Mallory is really good at what he does, otherwise he wouldn’t survive more than a decade in this espionage world. But now he has a new job, a job with the pay that could possibly lead to his retirement but comes with equally greater risks. And most importantly, this is not a one man job. Justin needs a partner if he is to pull off this job and he doesn’t to partners. Period! 😁 So when he met Gabriel Prescott, the man who’s supposed to be his partner, the man who irritates the hell out of him and entranced him greatly at the same time, sparks literally flew! Gabriel was supposed to come only when the job is coming to an end and he is now insisting an equal partnership. And Justin soon realized losing his heart to Gabriel is even more dangerous than unraveling this treachery which could possibly kill both of them. 😉
I find some reviews complaining about how insta fast between these two MCs. Let me tell you one thing, these guys are living like there’s no tomorrow. Both are antiheroes whose job is very morally questionable and they could die anytime. So no, I don’t think the attraction and relationship between them is too insta. It was realistic, scorching hot and on-so-exciting for me. ❤️ Again, Kenneth Obi did an excellent job narrating the hell out of these two men. The UST was sickening! And the sex? It was glorious! 🔥🔥🔥 Eargasms! I also loved the action/thriller aspect of this story. It was well-written and kept me on edge most of the time. The ending is somewhat HFN so I’m hoping to get the second audio ASAP. 😌 Recommended to anyone who likes their romances exciting and thrilling! 😉
4.75 partners in bed and partners at work stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Audio rating
Story - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 4.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Justin Mallory is really good at what he does, otherwise he wouldn’t survive more than a decade in this espionage world. But now he has a new job, a job with the pay that could possibly lead to his retirement but comes with equally greater risks. And most importantly, this is not a one man job. Justin needs a partner if he is to pull off this job and he doesn’t to partners. Period! 😁 So when he met Gabriel Prescott, the man who’s supposed to be his partner, the man who irritates the hell out of him and entranced him greatly at the same time, sparks literally flew! Gabriel was supposed to come only when the job is coming to an end and he is now insisting an equal partnership. And Justin soon realized losing his heart to Gabriel is even more dangerous than unraveling this treachery which could possibly kill both of them. 😉
I find some reviews complaining about how insta fast between these two MCs. Let me tell you one thing, these guys are living like there’s no tomorrow. Both are antiheroes whose job is very morally questionable and they could die anytime. So no, I don’t think the attraction and relationship between them is too insta. It was realistic, scorching hot and on-so-exciting for me. ❤️ Again, Kenneth Obi did an excellent job narrating the hell out of these two men. The UST was sickening! And the sex? It was glorious! 🔥🔥🔥 Eargasms! I also loved the action/thriller aspect of this story. It was well-written and kept me on edge most of the time. The ending is somewhat HFN so I’m hoping to get the second audio ASAP. 😌 Recommended to anyone who likes their romances exciting and thrilling! 😉
4.75 partners in bed and partners at work stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Audio rating
Story - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 4.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
August 10, 2019
The opener in Jocelynn Drake's new romantic suspense is a fast paced romp which introduces the reader to two completely opposite characters.
Justin is American, confident, a little bit brash and goofy. Gabriel is Russian, quiet, deadly, serious, troubled.
Together the mercenaries are tasked with finding out who was responsible for ordering the deaths of two doctors at a big pharmaceutical business working on a cancer drug.
There's no great surprises on the way in this one, but I loved how the two men slowly started to rely and trust the other. It's also lower on the steam side but it works perfectly for the backgrounds of the two men.
I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Justin is American, confident, a little bit brash and goofy. Gabriel is Russian, quiet, deadly, serious, troubled.
Together the mercenaries are tasked with finding out who was responsible for ordering the deaths of two doctors at a big pharmaceutical business working on a cancer drug.
There's no great surprises on the way in this one, but I loved how the two men slowly started to rely and trust the other. It's also lower on the steam side but it works perfectly for the backgrounds of the two men.
I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
December 20, 2019
It pains me to only give this 3.5 stars, but considering how bad the editing was here, I can’t justify giving it a full 4 stars. It seemed like every page or two had something, either missing words, wrong words, character names in places where the character wasn’t. I saw at least two instances of name swappage.
The story, on the other hand, has good. Definite Ty&Zane vibes, for so if you liked them, you’ll enjoy this.
The story, on the other hand, has good. Definite Ty&Zane vibes, for so if you liked them, you’ll enjoy this.
March 4, 2023
Justin Mallory, American mercenary who never targeted children and rarely women is hired to track down the missing proof that something was wrong with the drug as well as uncover who was hiding it. after two doctors researching a cancer treatment drug, were killed. Justin is very interested, especially with the twenty-two million dollars paycheck, but “It’s a two-man job.”
Gabriel Prescott, is the second Russian mercenary brought in to finish the job.
While working the case the two men grow closer, depending on each other and are unable to deny the chemistry between them.
The story is action packed, it is an exciting and thrilling new series, that is a quick read, and ends with a HFN.
This could have been a solid 4* read, but it is in dire need of a thorough grammar check!
Part of the Exit Strategy Series and must be read in order:
May 8, 2019
**** I love these hard core, solid, strong men who work in the corners of the world, taking out the bad guys.
Both men are in their early 30s; * Justin is tough, muscled,
and former Military and CIA.
* Gabriel, a tattooed Russian, former KGB, has been a hired assassin for about 12 years.
* Two dead doctors spark questions about a current drug trial by a "big pharma" company. His handler, Marilyn, offers Justin the contract to investigate, hack, and take out the evil doers. For this huge $$$ paycheck, he accepts, but it's a two-man job and Gabriel is added. They meet, plan, do re-con and it'll be a few months of hard work.
The flirting begins and they test each other. Both are hard crusted killers if needed for this contract workload. Our men begin a sexual relationship, and it's scorching hot and full of excitement. Each man gets satisfaction and their time together builds with emotion coming in to play.
We see action, expertise, violence, injuries, and interactions. As they get closer to the culprits, the men are targeted.
Their deep bonding feelings are primal and it escalates, making Justin and Gabriel want more.
The case moves along and both the romance and contract come to a head.
I loved these intense men; rough, tough, caring and full of heart.
(This is followed up by a short story, LOVER CALLING.) All are on Kindle Unlimited.
Highly recommended for folks who like action packed thrillers and M/M !
ENJOY !
=======
Yes, there are missing words and a few mistakes, but I still loved the book.
=======
Both men are in their early 30s; * Justin is tough, muscled,
and former Military and CIA.
* Gabriel, a tattooed Russian, former KGB, has been a hired assassin for about 12 years.
* Two dead doctors spark questions about a current drug trial by a "big pharma" company. His handler, Marilyn, offers Justin the contract to investigate, hack, and take out the evil doers. For this huge $$$ paycheck, he accepts, but it's a two-man job and Gabriel is added. They meet, plan, do re-con and it'll be a few months of hard work.
The flirting begins and they test each other. Both are hard crusted killers if needed for this contract workload. Our men begin a sexual relationship, and it's scorching hot and full of excitement. Each man gets satisfaction and their time together builds with emotion coming in to play.
We see action, expertise, violence, injuries, and interactions. As they get closer to the culprits, the men are targeted.
Their deep bonding feelings are primal and it escalates, making Justin and Gabriel want more.
The case moves along and both the romance and contract come to a head.
I loved these intense men; rough, tough, caring and full of heart.
(This is followed up by a short story, LOVER CALLING.) All are on Kindle Unlimited.
Highly recommended for folks who like action packed thrillers and M/M !
ENJOY !
=======
Yes, there are missing words and a few mistakes, but I still loved the book.
=======
January 21, 2019
3.4 Stars.....
The fact that Kenneth Obi narrated this meant I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have reading it on its own. Why? It’s a bit thin on the mercenary procedural angle and highish on the OTT scale.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but this could have been much more. Take out some of the sex, some OTT phrases, add in more mystery, more edge, then we would have had a winner. Alas, that was not to be had.
Two mercenaries—assassins for hire, ex-Special forces, CIA, KGB, you get the idea—are forced to work together in a high payout contract. They are drawn together despite being polar opposites both in personality and background.
I’d like to ask Ms. Drake how she came up with the idea of one of her characters having rather physical sex after being shot in the stomach. Or having cracked ribs. Cause these guys can. Hardcore, right? I couldn’t help but wince and that defeated the point of the descriptive sexy times for me.
Anyhow, here is little fleshing out of the characters. I know they are supposed to be mysterious and all, but like the mystery, they were kind of flat. Despite that, I wanted to know a bit more about them...maybe in future books? Cause this one ends in a bit of a cliffy.
So, if you’re looking for a a light assassin-type mystery where opposites attract and nothing stops them from sexing it up, not even bullet holes, this is your book!
The fact that Kenneth Obi narrated this meant I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have reading it on its own. Why? It’s a bit thin on the mercenary procedural angle and highish on the OTT scale.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but this could have been much more. Take out some of the sex, some OTT phrases, add in more mystery, more edge, then we would have had a winner. Alas, that was not to be had.
Two mercenaries—assassins for hire, ex-Special forces, CIA, KGB, you get the idea—are forced to work together in a high payout contract. They are drawn together despite being polar opposites both in personality and background.
I’d like to ask Ms. Drake how she came up with the idea of one of her characters having rather physical sex after being shot in the stomach. Or having cracked ribs. Cause these guys can. Hardcore, right? I couldn’t help but wince and that defeated the point of the descriptive sexy times for me.
Anyhow, here is little fleshing out of the characters. I know they are supposed to be mysterious and all, but like the mystery, they were kind of flat. Despite that, I wanted to know a bit more about them...maybe in future books? Cause this one ends in a bit of a cliffy.
So, if you’re looking for a a light assassin-type mystery where opposites attract and nothing stops them from sexing it up, not even bullet holes, this is your book!
November 6, 2018
***update 6/11/18. A very kind soul has informed me that an edited version of this story has now been released - thank goodness. Thanks Jenni Lea***
Please employ an editor for the sequel. Typos galore and some weird sentence structure errors...which is a real shame cos I liked the two MC's. Methinks it has been rushed out.... 3.5 stars rounded up.
Please employ an editor for the sequel. Typos galore and some weird sentence structure errors...which is a real shame cos I liked the two MC's. Methinks it has been rushed out.... 3.5 stars rounded up.
March 10, 2021
Reread 6/1/19 Too Many Typos!
I loved the romantic suspense series the author co-wrote so I was excited to see her solo style. I enjoyed this quite a lot, anyone that knows me knows assassins are my crack. Justin is more of a hacker but has extra skills to use when he needs to. The job he’s offered requires two people though, so his handler introduces Gabriel and it’s irritation, annoyance and lust at first sight.
There’s plenty of action sequences that kept me in anticipation, although I kind of expected more excitement in the way the case wrapped up. The men are both mostly well characterized although I felt a lot of detail was left out, probably because there’s still a sequel to come. The sex scenes were pretty steamy after a relatively slow burn. I still wanted to feel more sparks from both the romance and the action plot but I can’t specify what, if anything was lacking. Maybe it’s just me. I’ll certainly be watching for the next one.
I loved the romantic suspense series the author co-wrote so I was excited to see her solo style. I enjoyed this quite a lot, anyone that knows me knows assassins are my crack. Justin is more of a hacker but has extra skills to use when he needs to. The job he’s offered requires two people though, so his handler introduces Gabriel and it’s irritation, annoyance and lust at first sight.
There’s plenty of action sequences that kept me in anticipation, although I kind of expected more excitement in the way the case wrapped up. The men are both mostly well characterized although I felt a lot of detail was left out, probably because there’s still a sequel to come. The sex scenes were pretty steamy after a relatively slow burn. I still wanted to feel more sparks from both the romance and the action plot but I can’t specify what, if anything was lacking. Maybe it’s just me. I’ll certainly be watching for the next one.
October 27, 2018
5 stars for the chemistry between the MCS.
3 stars for the story.
I really loved Justin and Gabriel in this story of mercenaries with morals. The chemistry was just scorching! I wanted their backstories to be more flushed out though. Also, this ends in a relationship cliffhanger, so buyer beware. Tbh, there were more editing errors than I would've liked. The wrong name used,words that should've been plural, etc. It surprised me because the co-authored series had no such problems, so I wonder if the editing was rushed. Also, the bad guys are not a surprise at the end, so if you're looking for a mystery, then look elsewhere. However, I'm invested in these guys, and I look forward to the next one.
3 stars for the story.
I really loved Justin and Gabriel in this story of mercenaries with morals. The chemistry was just scorching! I wanted their backstories to be more flushed out though. Also, this ends in a relationship cliffhanger, so buyer beware. Tbh, there were more editing errors than I would've liked. The wrong name used,words that should've been plural, etc. It surprised me because the co-authored series had no such problems, so I wonder if the editing was rushed. Also, the bad guys are not a surprise at the end, so if you're looking for a mystery, then look elsewhere. However, I'm invested in these guys, and I look forward to the next one.
May 7, 2021
It's a very good and interesting story, although I admit that I focused much more on the love thread than on the suspense part.
In my defence, however, I can say that this thread is more developed. Maybe it's a pity, because this suspense thread could be really interesting if it were more developed. Fortunately, Justin and Gabriel are great characters, which makes up for this situation.
I fully admit that I have a big soft spot for any kind of assassins. And here we have two of them. I also like enemies to lovers stories, because usually it means two very different heroes, often strong personalities and excellent dialogues. And that's what we get in this case. Although I have to admit that I was surprised by Justin's cheerful side. But there is no doubt that he is a great counterweight to Gabriel.
As I said, the suspense is not very developed. It could be so much more. But it's alright. We have some action here but without any significant twists.
I really liked these two heroes and the dynamics between them. So much in fact that it is possible that I will read the next book in this series pretty soon. I am also glad that this book does not end with a cliffhanger, as I was afraid at one point.
In my defence, however, I can say that this thread is more developed. Maybe it's a pity, because this suspense thread could be really interesting if it were more developed. Fortunately, Justin and Gabriel are great characters, which makes up for this situation.
I fully admit that I have a big soft spot for any kind of assassins. And here we have two of them. I also like enemies to lovers stories, because usually it means two very different heroes, often strong personalities and excellent dialogues. And that's what we get in this case. Although I have to admit that I was surprised by Justin's cheerful side. But there is no doubt that he is a great counterweight to Gabriel.
As I said, the suspense is not very developed. It could be so much more. But it's alright. We have some action here but without any significant twists.
I really liked these two heroes and the dynamics between them. So much in fact that it is possible that I will read the next book in this series pretty soon. I am also glad that this book does not end with a cliffhanger, as I was afraid at one point.
January 22, 2019
3.5 stars. Thanks again to elf hermazo on spree for the wonderful gift!
*****
Somebody must have told elf hermazo on spree a big ol' lie that I've been awfully good, because they were insanely generous in gifting me this book and others. Thank you so SO much! xxx PS - this may or may not have been another one of those books that made me make that noise again! *squee*
*****
Somebody must have told elf hermazo on spree a big ol' lie that I've been awfully good, because they were insanely generous in gifting me this book and others. Thank you so SO much! xxx PS - this may or may not have been another one of those books that made me make that noise again! *squee*
January 2, 2019
Well that was way better than I expected... this was gritty, clever and humorous with a sarcastic twist. A strong plot and two damaged assassins who find some element of peace with each other. Very much looking forward to book 2
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2019/06/16/...
Rating: 3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Rating: 3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
dnf-or-skipped
June 23, 2023Stuck on the train. It's blazingly sunny. The AC is broken & is pumping out heat. The catering trolley has run out of water, which is possibly just as well since the loos are backing up. We haven't moved for an hour and I'm going to miss the eye-wateringly expensive concert I've had booked for a year.
I need something light to take my mind off things.
And still I can't bring myself to go on with this.
Chapter 4 & MC1 is conducting impromptu surgery in a hotel bedroom on MC2's stomach gunshot wound.
How did it go?
Well, I imagine, since MC2's driving around the next day.
I should have shelved this under Fantasy.
I need something light to take my mind off things.
And still I can't bring myself to go on with this.
Chapter 4 & MC1 is conducting impromptu surgery in a hotel bedroom on MC2's stomach gunshot wound.
How did it go?
Well, I imagine, since MC2's driving around the next day.
I should have shelved this under Fantasy.
November 1, 2018
This barely made it over the line to the two star rating.
The main characters are cardboard cut-outs. One likes to wear jeans and t-shirts and makes stupid jokes all the time! The other is super mysterious, wears suits and has a stick up his butt! Tell me if you haven't read that pairing a bajillion times.
When done right this can be fun. In this case it does not work AT ALL. The funny guy is painfully unfunny. Mysterious suit hottie whines like a 14 year old girl if it was written by a man who absolutely has no idea of the rich inner lives of 14 year old girls.
The writing was serviceable but there were too many errors. And the plot is so boring I want to cry. The summary is the most interesting thing about this book.
The ONLY thing that saved this from a DNF was the hot smut. There was just enough of it to keep me reading but I'm not interested in anything this author writes again.
The main characters are cardboard cut-outs. One likes to wear jeans and t-shirts and makes stupid jokes all the time! The other is super mysterious, wears suits and has a stick up his butt! Tell me if you haven't read that pairing a bajillion times.
When done right this can be fun. In this case it does not work AT ALL. The funny guy is painfully unfunny. Mysterious suit hottie whines like a 14 year old girl if it was written by a man who absolutely has no idea of the rich inner lives of 14 year old girls.
The writing was serviceable but there were too many errors. And the plot is so boring I want to cry. The summary is the most interesting thing about this book.
The ONLY thing that saved this from a DNF was the hot smut. There was just enough of it to keep me reading but I'm not interested in anything this author writes again.
October 27, 2018
Severe grammatical errors and multitude of typos takes away from the fluid reading of the awesome plot in the book.
I'm a huge fan of the Unbreakable Bonds and Ward Security series. Those books were meticulously written, no typos, grammatical errors,or little if I can remember. In this book, you at times wrote Jason instead of Justin and you inaccurately used Justin's name when it should be Gabriel 's name and vice versa. In other words, I was expecting much more and was very disappointed with the editing, which took away from the awesome plot and story telling I know you are notorious for. Nevertheless, I loved Gabriel and Justin, the guns, the action, the sex,..... Can't wait for the next book.
M
I'm a huge fan of the Unbreakable Bonds and Ward Security series. Those books were meticulously written, no typos, grammatical errors,or little if I can remember. In this book, you at times wrote Jason instead of Justin and you inaccurately used Justin's name when it should be Gabriel 's name and vice versa. In other words, I was expecting much more and was very disappointed with the editing, which took away from the awesome plot and story telling I know you are notorious for. Nevertheless, I loved Gabriel and Justin, the guns, the action, the sex,..... Can't wait for the next book.
M
April 13, 2020
Listened to this in audio and loved the new-to-me narrator Kenneth Obi.
The story was a good start to the series and I liked reading about the development of the relationship from unwilling partners to lovers and then boyfriends? It had a good mixture of humour and action and I liked how everything went down.
As you may have guessed, this was HFN because I think there are like 3 more books in the series so there's way more to come for Gabriel and Justin!
The story was a good start to the series and I liked reading about the development of the relationship from unwilling partners to lovers and then boyfriends? It had a good mixture of humour and action and I liked how everything went down.
As you may have guessed, this was HFN because I think there are like 3 more books in the series so there's way more to come for Gabriel and Justin!
December 6, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Overall, this is a quick, fun read. It’s chock full of drama in the form of enemies-to-lovers Gabriel and Justin. On the one hand, there are some strong elements of instalove, but Drake does a respectable job establishing that both characters are physically into one another. There are also plenty of sex scenes between Gabriel and Justin to boot. The actual mystery of who would want a pair of doctors dead—and by extension, Justin and Gabriel themselves—seems nigh unsolvable until Justin’s hacking skills finally help him hit pay dirt on the company producing the drug. The action is broken up and clearly moves from step to step, but the details about who’s trying to kill Justin and Gabriel are pretty mum. Most of the super-spy/assassin action focuses on things like follow up with the family of the deceased doctors, responding to a counter-hit that was taken out against Justin and Gabriel, and waiting for computers to do the hacking.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Overall, this is a quick, fun read. It’s chock full of drama in the form of enemies-to-lovers Gabriel and Justin. On the one hand, there are some strong elements of instalove, but Drake does a respectable job establishing that both characters are physically into one another. There are also plenty of sex scenes between Gabriel and Justin to boot. The actual mystery of who would want a pair of doctors dead—and by extension, Justin and Gabriel themselves—seems nigh unsolvable until Justin’s hacking skills finally help him hit pay dirt on the company producing the drug. The action is broken up and clearly moves from step to step, but the details about who’s trying to kill Justin and Gabriel are pretty mum. Most of the super-spy/assassin action focuses on things like follow up with the family of the deceased doctors, responding to a counter-hit that was taken out against Justin and Gabriel, and waiting for computers to do the hacking.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
May 12, 2023
It’s not really a romantic suspense. Not a whole lot of suspense honestly. Simple plot, simple mystery. More about the development of the lovey dovey relationship between two supposedly hard core assassins. (They don’t talk like that most of the time… 😑)
3.5 rounded down bc there’s just no real edge to this. It’s the perfect premise of intensity, passion, intrigue, psychological games…
But it was rather bland.
3.5 rounded down bc there’s just no real edge to this. It’s the perfect premise of intensity, passion, intrigue, psychological games…
But it was rather bland.
November 5, 2018
I just couldn't get into this one. I started skimming at about the 50% mark. The editing is terrible and the story seems like it should be sophisticated but the plot just isn't. I have so many questions and then we come to the end that isn't an end. Not even a HFN.
Justin and Gabriel could have been so much more than all the cliches they ended up.
ETA: When I went to return the KU book, I noticed an update listed as "newly edited" which I infer to mean it wasn't properly edited to begin with ...kinda think an author this popular would have been much more careful about this BEFORE publishing it. Not impressed. Glad it's fixed but that simply should not have been necessary.
Justin and Gabriel could have been so much more than all the cliches they ended up.
ETA: When I went to return the KU book, I noticed an update listed as "newly edited" which I infer to mean it wasn't properly edited to begin with ...kinda think an author this popular would have been much more careful about this BEFORE publishing it. Not impressed. Glad it's fixed but that simply should not have been necessary.
May 18, 2025
Even Assassins Need Love! Justin Mallory is an assassin. But he’s a good guy. Seriously. After selling his soul to the CIA for a few years, he’s working for himself. Now he’s choosing the jobs. And he always works alone. But he can’t go solo this time. Gabriel Prescott is an efficient, cold-blooded killer. Justin doesn’t want anything to do with him, but his skills are exactly what he needs to complete this contract. Bullets and secret meetings force them to depend on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness.
For an assassin, Justin is certainly a happy guy. He's also an excellent computer hacker. He came across as being rather like Robin Hood who "robbed from the rich to give to the poor" since he only takes jobs that are beneficial to society, and he ALWAYS works alone. However, this job he's taken on own.... is going to requires some assistance....by someone that is exactly like him.
Enter Gabriel. He's best described as a "tortured" hero. He also an assassin and he also only works alone, but he's willing to help out on this job with Justin because it’s a of LOT of good old American DOLLARS...and Justin is pretty easy on the eye....so maybe he can kill two birds with one stone.
There's a lot of push & pull in this story, the romance takes the lead over the actual job they’ve been hired to do. It would have been nice to have had a bit more of the actual job and a little more mystery, but their relationship was so incredibly sweet to watch develop.
These two get into so much trouble! I can’t imagine how they had actually managed to live as long as they had. They really took their own safety for granted and were constantly getting shot at while running into the bad guys.
It was an excellent M/M romance and a really good thriller. As with everything I have read by this author the writing was excellent.
For an assassin, Justin is certainly a happy guy. He's also an excellent computer hacker. He came across as being rather like Robin Hood who "robbed from the rich to give to the poor" since he only takes jobs that are beneficial to society, and he ALWAYS works alone. However, this job he's taken on own.... is going to requires some assistance....by someone that is exactly like him.
Enter Gabriel. He's best described as a "tortured" hero. He also an assassin and he also only works alone, but he's willing to help out on this job with Justin because it’s a of LOT of good old American DOLLARS...and Justin is pretty easy on the eye....so maybe he can kill two birds with one stone.
There's a lot of push & pull in this story, the romance takes the lead over the actual job they’ve been hired to do. It would have been nice to have had a bit more of the actual job and a little more mystery, but their relationship was so incredibly sweet to watch develop.
These two get into so much trouble! I can’t imagine how they had actually managed to live as long as they had. They really took their own safety for granted and were constantly getting shot at while running into the bad guys.
It was an excellent M/M romance and a really good thriller. As with everything I have read by this author the writing was excellent.
February 15, 2020
4,5 stars!
Love those guys. Justin and his G-love. RTC!
January 28, 2019
Audiobook review3,5 stars
Reading the blurb (something that I missed with the previous book I listened to and it caused some confusion on my part), and looking at the cover, I expected something a bit different from this book. I expected murder and mayhem, something on the grittier side, and most definitely more mystery and suspense. I mean look at that cover - doesn't that scream darkness and danger to you? Alas, expectations...
Justin Mallory and Gabriel Prescott, alike yet so different. They run in the same circles, and not. What they are certain about is that they do not do partners - in any meaning of the word. Still, the job they are hired to do is not a one man job, so they are forced to a very reluctant partnership. There's a new cancer drug that's about to hit the market, promising fewer side effects than the current ones. What FDA does not know is that the drug has a dark side, fatal flaws that Big Pharma will, and have gone to great lengths to hide - murdering two of their own. So the reluctant duo is tasked to stop the drug and expose the secrets before it's too late.
So, back to expectations, from this you might expect a lot of action, spying and covert operations. Sure there was that but it was not the main focus of the book rather the romance aspect was. So if you are looking for a steamy read this might be your next read, but if you are looking for action of another kind you might want to reconsider.
Also, considering that this book took place only over a short period of time and the level of trust Justin and Gabe developed didn’t quite fit. I don’t mean instant trust don’t exist, I’m just not believing that people in their professions trust easily –or at all. I did like that they were both scarred and had issues. I like my heroes flawed and troubled. It gives them that edge that I'm so fond of. In the end though, the pieces of this story and the characters didn't quite fit for me.
There's something about Kenneth Obi's narration that don't quite do it for me, and I can't really put my finger on why. I mean, he has what I usually look for in a narrator. The different voices for the different characters and he adds some feeling to the narration as well. And in this book he even does accents. What else can a listener want for? But for some reason I still find myself spacing out more often than not. There's just something that makes it feel uninspiring. I'm never engaged. I'm also fully aware that this is just my subjective feelings and I do recognise that Obi is a good and talented narrator. So in the end I think this will be a case of "it not you, it's me". I also urge you that if you do enjoy Obi's narration I do believe you'll enjoy this book as well, so don't write it off on my account.
The story isn’t over when this book ended. Sure the mystery such as it was is resolved but there are many lose ends to tie up, not the least how Justin and Gabriel intend to move forward – do they get out of the life and start anew together, or do they continue as before with danger lurking around every corner?
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
November 21, 2018
Nice start to a new series by one of my faves. This was exciting and interesting with mystery and suspense, tied together with two sexy mercs. Justin and Gabriel had amazing chemistry as they worked together to solve the mystery and fulfill their respective contracts. This is definitely the beginning of their story together and thank goodness for that, because there is still a lot we need to learn about these two. It was like a mystery within the mystery, and I just wanted to gobble up the details in the little breadcrumb trail we were fed.
Much of this story is focused on the mystery and getting to the bottom of things, which was interesting and horrifying in the same breath. But, it felt like we only got a taste of what these two could have together, and I can’t wait to learn more about both of them as they grow closer and share more of themselves with each other. I did wonder why they had such a difficult time considering giving up their professions, seeing as they had so much money banked already, but regardless, I was definitely left wanting more, which is always a good thing. Thankfully, we get a taste of what’s to come by way of a teaser for the next book.
There have been a lot of comments on this book about the typos, and I generally try to not pay attention to those, as I often have early unfinished copies. There has been an updated version of this story provided, so I’m going under the assumption that most, if not all, of those issues were fixed. This isn’t what I’ve come to expect from this author, so I won’t hesitate to grab the next installment as soon as it’s available.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
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