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The Walls of Troy
MA1 Iskander Ayhan’s orders are simple: stay with Admiral Dalton’s son as his plainclothes bodyguard while he attends university classes. So typical—a high-ranking officer abusing Navy resources for unnecessary security as a status symbol. But it doesn’t take long before Iskander realizes he’s not really there to protect the kid from benign harassment by homophobic classmates.
Behind the piercings, eyeliner, and bad attitude, Troy Dalton is hiding something. He’s scared, and although he’s not so sure the armed bodyguard by his side is enough to keep him safe, he can’t risk revealing the truth.
Slowly, Iskander gains Troy’s trust, and the walls start coming down, but before they know it, the two men are way too close to each other… and suddenly Iskander is attracting more danger to the man he’s sworn to protect.
Now he doesn’t know how to keep Troy safe from harm—by staying close to him, or getting as far away from him as possible.
This 74,000 word novel was previously published.
Behind the piercings, eyeliner, and bad attitude, Troy Dalton is hiding something. He’s scared, and although he’s not so sure the armed bodyguard by his side is enough to keep him safe, he can’t risk revealing the truth.
Slowly, Iskander gains Troy’s trust, and the walls start coming down, but before they know it, the two men are way too close to each other… and suddenly Iskander is attracting more danger to the man he’s sworn to protect.
Now he doesn’t know how to keep Troy safe from harm—by staying close to him, or getting as far away from him as possible.
This 74,000 word novel was previously published.
ebook
First published October 7, 2014
41 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
217 books2,723 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 9, 2014
Whether or not karma is punishing me for punching Billy in preschool so I got to snatch his trike, this book happened to me.
Having read several of the excellently written Market Garden short stories — an Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt collaboration — I was eager to try out a solo Witt. I realize it’s no secret that Voinov is the one who has the way with words, so it’s really not like I expected Walls of Troy to be up to par with their joint projects. But this far a cry from it? With Witt’s track record and +/- 17 books coming out in 2014 alone (!!!), I’m like *gurgle* where did this amateurish vibe come from? But perhaps this is part of the issue? I’m not going to claim that pushing out so many books in one year will come at the expense of the overall quality of an author’s work as a rule, but oh boy, in this case it definitely does.
[image error]
Meet MC Iskander, as the bodyguard takes you to his new job in a bland first person narrative. There’s no doubt that Iskander should be perceived as a badass dude. The author relies on a stream of "fuck this shit", "this is bullshit" and "I couldn’t be fucking happier" comments, interspersed with some teeth-grinding, to do the trick. However, Iskander may not look forward to protecting a Admiral’s son (the Troy from the title) who is 13 years his junior, but that doesn’t stop him from experiencing cheesy instalust upon their first meeting ("he was lean with beautifully toned arms. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had a set of washboard abs underneath that loose, faded T-shirt").
Despite the blurb summarizing the rest of their ‘if, when and how’ they end up together, the attempts of these 2 guys at getting it on are so spectacularly WONKY, that I can’t resist getting back to that part in a bit..
Let’s start with the plot though. All the MCs’ fright and sense of impending doom in the world cannot disguise the fact that it’s wafer-thin and painfully predictable. Iskander’s new job is to accompany the Admiral’s son, who has received a few nasty notes about his sexuality, to college and sit with him through his classes. Dressing the 13 years older tough-looking fellow in plainclothes apparently works miracles. No one thinks anything’s weird about Troy’s new accessory, there’s no mention of anyone even glancing their way.
In the meantime, Troy’s behavior is analyzed in excruciating detail by Iskander. When someone startles the boy by accidentally dropping his school books, Iskander’s brain explodes in endless, highly-repetitive analysis, eventually pegging the boy as a PTSD victim with dangerous secrets. He’s not above a dash of melodrama either. "What are you so afraid of, Troy?", "What’s happened to you, Troy? And how do I protect you?" With the endless possibilities for retrospection the first person narrative already offers, it boggles the mind that the author still feels the need to introduce an ‘infodump friend’ who offers ‘helpful’ comments like "No shit?", "Oh shit" and "Ah shit" when Iskander, AGAIN, dishes up all his (baseless) fears for a threat that’s lurking in the shadows... ooooh, the suspense thickens..
..in Iskander’s head.
Halfway through the book, the ‘fuck this and fuck that’ bodyguard from the beginning has turned into a guy who stutters his way through his chats with the Admiral’s kid, not finishing sentences ("Because I.." I stopped, and when he faced me, I swallowed). There are multiple references to him chewing on his lip nervously or biting his inner cheek. For me as a reader, the idea of him being a bodyguard is laughably unconvincing. He feels more like an insecure peer with a crush on his friend than a much older man capable of professionally managing his task. Iskander having a chat with his employer is only a small example:
I would have fired that whispering, fretting, insecure idiot that I pay to protect my son on the spot.
I definitely wouldn’t have allowed my unpredictable, PTSD-angsty son to be taken to a shooting range instead! WTF? (though maybe not so WTF when you’re from the US? I dunno.. benefit of the doubt here, I suppose..)
The Admiral likely doesn’t notice Iskander’s questionable mental state because his own son converses in the exact same manner. They’re identical in their expressions and dialogue, these MCs. They both awkwardly ‘uhm’, ‘uh’ and ‘gulp’ and ‘swallow’ their way through their sentences. In general, it’s difficult to overlook the insufficient vocabulary knowledge showcased in this book, glaringly obvious in the ‘I swallowed/he swallowed’ (word count: 52) and ‘I gulped/he gulped’ (word count: 18). The editor also should’ve picked up on this.
Dear me, I need to cut this review short.
*erases stuff*
Can I just say that I’m at a loss for words when it comes to the revelation of the real threat? You’d think that all the hoopla of building and blossoming angst among an entire team of bodyguards must guarantee that Troy has at least angered a branch of the Yakuza, that are now out to chop off his fingers and toes one by one, right? RIGHT?! Well, I’m not going to spoiler this for you, but let’s just say that I pulled an eye-muscle from the rolling that went on upon the Big Reveal..
Running out of review space here, so let’s fast-forward to the sex!
HOW MANY COCKBLOCKS DOES IT TAKE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE SEXINESS?
Many, SO MANY many physical and mental cockblocks. I started counting and writing down at least 14 cockblocking excuses for the MCs to not make out…but decided to hide ‘em all behind a spoiler tag on Goodreads and leave you with a taste of the amount of cock-softening frustration to expect instead: "we shouldn’t, I’m your bodyguard", "We shouldn’t because..your dad", "We should, but here comes the dog", "We shouldn’t, the danger", "we shouldn’t because..exams", "we should, but I’m not ready", "This is dangerous".
Killjoy.
..trying to establish why this book could be a win for you, and looking at it from a cock-eyed angle, I suppose you may enjoy the plain and simple ‘bodyguard needs to protect traumatized pretty boy and falls in love with him’ fairytale that’s spiced up with a bit of suspense. As long as you have low expectations and cram this book in-between a series of great reads, you’ll be fine. I have a feeling that if you didn’t mind the plotting, inconsistencies and writing issues in Cut & Run (to name a popular book with a somewhat similar feel to it), you probably won’t have the issues I have with Walls of Troy either. Besides, I don’t like suffering on my own so, chop chop, please give this a go! Good luck!
Having read several of the excellently written Market Garden short stories — an Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt collaboration — I was eager to try out a solo Witt. I realize it’s no secret that Voinov is the one who has the way with words, so it’s really not like I expected Walls of Troy to be up to par with their joint projects. But this far a cry from it? With Witt’s track record and +/- 17 books coming out in 2014 alone (!!!), I’m like *gurgle* where did this amateurish vibe come from? But perhaps this is part of the issue? I’m not going to claim that pushing out so many books in one year will come at the expense of the overall quality of an author’s work as a rule, but oh boy, in this case it definitely does.
[image error]
Meet MC Iskander, as the bodyguard takes you to his new job in a bland first person narrative. There’s no doubt that Iskander should be perceived as a badass dude. The author relies on a stream of "fuck this shit", "this is bullshit" and "I couldn’t be fucking happier" comments, interspersed with some teeth-grinding, to do the trick. However, Iskander may not look forward to protecting a Admiral’s son (the Troy from the title) who is 13 years his junior, but that doesn’t stop him from experiencing cheesy instalust upon their first meeting ("he was lean with beautifully toned arms. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had a set of washboard abs underneath that loose, faded T-shirt").
Despite the blurb summarizing the rest of their ‘if, when and how’ they end up together, the attempts of these 2 guys at getting it on are so spectacularly WONKY, that I can’t resist getting back to that part in a bit..
Let’s start with the plot though. All the MCs’ fright and sense of impending doom in the world cannot disguise the fact that it’s wafer-thin and painfully predictable. Iskander’s new job is to accompany the Admiral’s son, who has received a few nasty notes about his sexuality, to college and sit with him through his classes. Dressing the 13 years older tough-looking fellow in plainclothes apparently works miracles. No one thinks anything’s weird about Troy’s new accessory, there’s no mention of anyone even glancing their way.
In the meantime, Troy’s behavior is analyzed in excruciating detail by Iskander. When someone startles the boy by accidentally dropping his school books, Iskander’s brain explodes in endless, highly-repetitive analysis, eventually pegging the boy as a PTSD victim with dangerous secrets. He’s not above a dash of melodrama either. "What are you so afraid of, Troy?", "What’s happened to you, Troy? And how do I protect you?" With the endless possibilities for retrospection the first person narrative already offers, it boggles the mind that the author still feels the need to introduce an ‘infodump friend’ who offers ‘helpful’ comments like "No shit?", "Oh shit" and "Ah shit" when Iskander, AGAIN, dishes up all his (baseless) fears for a threat that’s lurking in the shadows... ooooh, the suspense thickens..
..in Iskander’s head.
Halfway through the book, the ‘fuck this and fuck that’ bodyguard from the beginning has turned into a guy who stutters his way through his chats with the Admiral’s kid, not finishing sentences ("Because I.." I stopped, and when he faced me, I swallowed). There are multiple references to him chewing on his lip nervously or biting his inner cheek. For me as a reader, the idea of him being a bodyguard is laughably unconvincing. He feels more like an insecure peer with a crush on his friend than a much older man capable of professionally managing his task. Iskander having a chat with his employer is only a small example:
"He’s my son, Iskander."
"Understood, sir." I whispered. I shifted my weight. "Have you, uh.."
He tilted his head. "Have I what?"
I swallowed. "Have you ever noticed any signs of PTSD in your son?"
I would have fired that whispering, fretting, insecure idiot that I pay to protect my son on the spot.
I definitely wouldn’t have allowed my unpredictable, PTSD-angsty son to be taken to a shooting range instead! WTF? (though maybe not so WTF when you’re from the US? I dunno.. benefit of the doubt here, I suppose..)
The Admiral likely doesn’t notice Iskander’s questionable mental state because his own son converses in the exact same manner. They’re identical in their expressions and dialogue, these MCs. They both awkwardly ‘uhm’, ‘uh’ and ‘gulp’ and ‘swallow’ their way through their sentences. In general, it’s difficult to overlook the insufficient vocabulary knowledge showcased in this book, glaringly obvious in the ‘I swallowed/he swallowed’ (word count: 52) and ‘I gulped/he gulped’ (word count: 18). The editor also should’ve picked up on this.
Dear me, I need to cut this review short.
*erases stuff*
Can I just say that I’m at a loss for words when it comes to the revelation of the real threat? You’d think that all the hoopla of building and blossoming angst among an entire team of bodyguards must guarantee that Troy has at least angered a branch of the Yakuza, that are now out to chop off his fingers and toes one by one, right? RIGHT?! Well, I’m not going to spoiler this for you, but let’s just say that I pulled an eye-muscle from the rolling that went on upon the Big Reveal..
Running out of review space here, so let’s fast-forward to the sex!
HOW MANY COCKBLOCKS DOES IT TAKE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE SEXINESS?
Many, SO MANY many physical and mental cockblocks. I started counting and writing down at least 14 cockblocking excuses for the MCs to not make out…but decided to hide ‘em all behind a spoiler tag on Goodreads and leave you with a taste of the amount of cock-softening frustration to expect instead: "we shouldn’t, I’m your bodyguard", "We shouldn’t because..your dad", "We should, but here comes the dog", "We shouldn’t, the danger", "we shouldn’t because..exams", "we should, but I’m not ready", "This is dangerous".
Killjoy.
..trying to establish why this book could be a win for you, and looking at it from a cock-eyed angle, I suppose you may enjoy the plain and simple ‘bodyguard needs to protect traumatized pretty boy and falls in love with him’ fairytale that’s spiced up with a bit of suspense. As long as you have low expectations and cram this book in-between a series of great reads, you’ll be fine. I have a feeling that if you didn’t mind the plotting, inconsistencies and writing issues in Cut & Run (to name a popular book with a somewhat similar feel to it), you probably won’t have the issues I have with Walls of Troy either. Besides, I don’t like suffering on my own so, chop chop, please give this a go! Good luck!
June 30, 2016
Not a lot of people believe that Troy Dalton is actually being harassed. But his father is worried-–and has the power to do something about that worry-–so he has MA1 Iskander Ayhan assigned as a bodyguard for Troy whenever he has to leave the house. Now, being gay isn’t the only reason that Iskander got the job–-he really is good at what he does-–but it was a major factor in the decision since Troy is gay and is receiving threats from homophobic dickheads.
Just…not one expected that Iskander–who has always had a thing for older men–-would find himself absolutely gone over Troy-–a pierced, emo college kid. Which in the history of bad ideas, ranks right up in the top five. Because Admirals in the Navy don’t react all that calmly when they find out you are boning their collage-age sons. Especially when said sons are under your protection because they are being stalked by a crazy man. But Troy and Iskander click, in a way that is bad for Iskander career and both of their healths. And even if they know this is a no good, horrible idea…they can’t stop themselves from trying to find some calm in the storm. Even if what they are doings is going to cause one mother of a hurricane when it comes to light.
I am, in the end, a very simple guy to please. And this book pleases me greatly.
Not just because Iskander (what an awesome name) is an older, military man sent to protect Troy.
And not just because Troy is assertive as all hell–even though he is dealing with a lot of messed up shit.
And most certainly not just because the sexual tension in this book had me panting.
Nope. This book pleases me because it is all those things, but all wrapped up in an awesomely told story.
I don’t know what to say that won’t spoil the awesomeness that is this story. The plot wasn’t very complicated-–and my god by the end I wanted to shake the truth out of Troy–-but it was so beautifully tense that I was on edge the whole time I was reading this. And I couldn’t stop reading it, was literally walking around the house (constantly two seconds away from tripping over my cats and dying) with my nose buried in my kindle because I didn’t want to stop reading. Even as I got really really anxious near the end.
And, my god, that first kiss…*burst into sympathetic flames*
Now, I always have had a thing for men in uniform, and god only knows how age-gaps with my MCs turns my crank something fierce, but this was just perfect for me. All the ‘this is a horrible idea but please please please I have to fucking kiss you right now or I’ll die’ tension was awesome.
And even if Troy’s instance on not telling the complete truth was annoying…I get why he was reluctant to trust anyone. I mean, the dude was royally fucked over, and I’d have a hard time trusting anyone either if that happened to me. But I did like the slow revealing of the truth as trust was built. And it may have been aggravating sure, but I don’t think it would have had as much impact if Troy had just blithely blurted out the truth ten minutes after meeting Iskander.
And did I say how much I love Iskander’s name? Fucking gorgeous.
I really really really loved this book. I just did. I don’t know what else to say about that other than you really ought to read it. So…there. Do that.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Just…not one expected that Iskander–who has always had a thing for older men–-would find himself absolutely gone over Troy-–a pierced, emo college kid. Which in the history of bad ideas, ranks right up in the top five. Because Admirals in the Navy don’t react all that calmly when they find out you are boning their collage-age sons. Especially when said sons are under your protection because they are being stalked by a crazy man. But Troy and Iskander click, in a way that is bad for Iskander career and both of their healths. And even if they know this is a no good, horrible idea…they can’t stop themselves from trying to find some calm in the storm. Even if what they are doings is going to cause one mother of a hurricane when it comes to light.
I am, in the end, a very simple guy to please. And this book pleases me greatly.
Not just because Iskander (what an awesome name) is an older, military man sent to protect Troy.
And not just because Troy is assertive as all hell–even though he is dealing with a lot of messed up shit.
And most certainly not just because the sexual tension in this book had me panting.
Nope. This book pleases me because it is all those things, but all wrapped up in an awesomely told story.
I don’t know what to say that won’t spoil the awesomeness that is this story. The plot wasn’t very complicated-–and my god by the end I wanted to shake the truth out of Troy–-but it was so beautifully tense that I was on edge the whole time I was reading this. And I couldn’t stop reading it, was literally walking around the house (constantly two seconds away from tripping over my cats and dying) with my nose buried in my kindle because I didn’t want to stop reading. Even as I got really really anxious near the end.
And, my god, that first kiss…*burst into sympathetic flames*
Now, I always have had a thing for men in uniform, and god only knows how age-gaps with my MCs turns my crank something fierce, but this was just perfect for me. All the ‘this is a horrible idea but please please please I have to fucking kiss you right now or I’ll die’ tension was awesome.
And even if Troy’s instance on not telling the complete truth was annoying…I get why he was reluctant to trust anyone. I mean, the dude was royally fucked over, and I’d have a hard time trusting anyone either if that happened to me. But I did like the slow revealing of the truth as trust was built. And it may have been aggravating sure, but I don’t think it would have had as much impact if Troy had just blithely blurted out the truth ten minutes after meeting Iskander.
And did I say how much I love Iskander’s name? Fucking gorgeous.
I really really really loved this book. I just did. I don’t know what else to say about that other than you really ought to read it. So…there. Do that.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
March 12, 2024
The story is built on an older man/younger man dynamic, which I didn't mind even though it's not one of my favorites. Iskander is a Navy cop who wants to get into doing personal security details. His first assignment is to guard the 20-year-old son of an Admiral. He thinks it's a really unnecessary assignment, but Iskander is a professional so he's going to just do his job. Every other member of the security team thinks there is nothing to the threats the son has claimed to be getting, but Iskander quickly figures out that there is indeed more. I love this author and I had high hopes for this story, but about half-way into in it started to go a bit downhill. Of course, getting involved with your commanding officer's son, the man your job is supposed to be to protect...even if he is an adult, isn't necessarily the best way to further your career... but these two just plowed on playing with the fire. I don't understand why the two of them lied to Troy's father about who the stalker was, and I was also surprised that his father hadn't figure it out for himself. I found the first half of the book to be better paced and much more intriguing... and even though it wasn't my favorite book by this author, I did have to appreciate how strong the ending actually was.
October 6, 2021
I wish I enjoyed this more than I did...I tried, really I did.
But I struggled.
I love a man in uniform and the military aspect was flawless but the police aspect was not in my opinion. I've had this forever and despite adoring much of Witt's previous work I think I'm drifting away from her books.
They just don't 'do it' for me anymore. I'm looking for more emotional pull these days and although the plot was fairly entertaining I missed any emotional connection.
I know I have a few more sitting on my 'own but haven't read' shelf and I will get to them. But I'm not in a big rush.
*3 meh stars*
But I struggled.
I love a man in uniform and the military aspect was flawless but the police aspect was not in my opinion. I've had this forever and despite adoring much of Witt's previous work I think I'm drifting away from her books.
They just don't 'do it' for me anymore. I'm looking for more emotional pull these days and although the plot was fairly entertaining I missed any emotional connection.
I know I have a few more sitting on my 'own but haven't read' shelf and I will get to them. But I'm not in a big rush.
*3 meh stars*
October 22, 2014
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This book has some themes which have been done rather often in M/M; The bodyguard falling for his younger charge; the dangerous stalker; The constant "We really shouldn't do this but we can't help ourselves" aspect to the relationship. But I enjoyed the writing style and characters enough to get past most of that.
Iskander has an appealing POV voice, and Troy, for all that he's young and possibly in danger, is assertive and not a total victim. The military aspects felt natural, as if written from experience. The cop part unfortunately felt less expert, particularly at the showdown, given how experienced Iskander is supposed to be. Still, this is a light, fast read that does manage to avoid some overused angsty traps of this category of stories, and kept me entertained during a couple of hours of down time.
This book has some themes which have been done rather often in M/M; The bodyguard falling for his younger charge; the dangerous stalker; The constant "We really shouldn't do this but we can't help ourselves" aspect to the relationship. But I enjoyed the writing style and characters enough to get past most of that.
Iskander has an appealing POV voice, and Troy, for all that he's young and possibly in danger, is assertive and not a total victim. The military aspects felt natural, as if written from experience. The cop part unfortunately felt less expert, particularly at the showdown, given how experienced Iskander is supposed to be. Still, this is a light, fast read that does manage to avoid some overused angsty traps of this category of stories, and kept me entertained during a couple of hours of down time.
October 8, 2014
1.5 stars. Unfortunately, Witt has taken one of my favorite tropes and made it very, very dull. Iskander's internal monologue was so tedious, and I felt very little chemistry between the main characters. There could have been a lot of potential in a story like this, but it was undermined by repetitive writing and lackluster character development.
If bodyguards are your thing, read Close Protection instead.
If bodyguards are your thing, read Close Protection instead.
November 11, 2019
By far one of the best books I’ve read all year! I loved it. It was so sweet with just enough angst. So good. I need to read more from this author.
November 7, 2014
Here we have the older man/younger man dynamic that I've discovered I really like. I was sucked into the story very quickly and really had trouble putting it down to actually go to sleep (after being awake for about 22 hours, no less).
Iskander is a Navy cop who wants to get into doing the personal security details. His first assignment there is to guard the 20 year old son of an Admiral. He thinks it's a bullshit assignment, but Iskander is a professional and he will do his job. And though every other member of the security team thinks there is nothing to the threats the son has claimed to be getting, Iskander quickly figures out that there is more here than meets the eye.
For the first half of the book, we as readers really have no idea what is going on. Since the story is told from Iskander's perspective, we only know what he knows. It's obvious that Troy is terrified of something or someone, but what that something or someone is is not made apparent. Meanwhile, Iskander and Troy get to know each other and their attraction escalates.
Troy is young, sure, but he's not really that inexperienced. He has a thing for men in uniform (can't blame him there). He's lucky, in that his father accepts his sexuality. His father worries about him, especially the last few months. Troy tries to keep everyone at arms length. He has isolated himself and only seems to relax at all when he is at home with his huge dog. And, eventually, Iskander.
Of course getting involved with your commanding officer's son (even if he is an adult) isn't necessarily the best thing you can do, career-wise, but sometimes one really can't help it.
I loved how fast the story sucked me in here. I found myself completely immersed in it. Recommended.
Iskander is a Navy cop who wants to get into doing the personal security details. His first assignment there is to guard the 20 year old son of an Admiral. He thinks it's a bullshit assignment, but Iskander is a professional and he will do his job. And though every other member of the security team thinks there is nothing to the threats the son has claimed to be getting, Iskander quickly figures out that there is more here than meets the eye.
For the first half of the book, we as readers really have no idea what is going on. Since the story is told from Iskander's perspective, we only know what he knows. It's obvious that Troy is terrified of something or someone, but what that something or someone is is not made apparent. Meanwhile, Iskander and Troy get to know each other and their attraction escalates.
Troy is young, sure, but he's not really that inexperienced. He has a thing for men in uniform (can't blame him there). He's lucky, in that his father accepts his sexuality. His father worries about him, especially the last few months. Troy tries to keep everyone at arms length. He has isolated himself and only seems to relax at all when he is at home with his huge dog. And, eventually, Iskander.
Of course getting involved with your commanding officer's son (even if he is an adult) isn't necessarily the best thing you can do, career-wise, but sometimes one really can't help it.
I loved how fast the story sucked me in here. I found myself completely immersed in it. Recommended.
November 16, 2014
If this book was seriously edited and a lot of the useless inner monologues and dialogues were cut out, it'd be half the size. There was a good 15 - 20% where all they did was have useless conversations, Iskander would just go over things in his mind for the billionth time, and there'd be too much staring. A lot of the conversations were pointless: going over things we already knew, talking about stuff completely irrelevant, etc. The dialogue could have been tightened up so much to actually make an impact, as towards the end I was just skipping it all.
Some things also just didn't make sense - how could they go into the Admirals rooms without a reason why the car had been at Iskander's apartment? Did they really think it wouldn't be brought up? It was the first thing I thought of when his car had been vandalised, but someone trained as a cop for years didn't realise it? Really?!
In saying all this, I did read it to the end. I did wish Ben played a larger role - he was a bit of a let down. This could have been packed full of a lot more action and suspense if something had actually happened. So Witt's writing is good, and while she didn't really develop Iskander past what Troy needed him to be, I found Troy to be quite an interesting character.
Some things also just didn't make sense - how could they go into the Admirals rooms without a reason why the car had been at Iskander's apartment? Did they really think it wouldn't be brought up? It was the first thing I thought of when his car had been vandalised, but someone trained as a cop for years didn't realise it? Really?!
In saying all this, I did read it to the end. I did wish Ben played a larger role - he was a bit of a let down. This could have been packed full of a lot more action and suspense if something had actually happened. So Witt's writing is good, and while she didn't really develop Iskander past what Troy needed him to be, I found Troy to be quite an interesting character.
February 26, 2018
This was a FANTASTIC listen with Nick J Russo narrating. Some of the critical reviews mentioned too much repetitious internal dialogue, which I was definitely starting to notice towards the end (yes, yes, I get it, you shouldn't be doing this but you're going to anyway) - but it wasn't enough to take away a star for me, because I enjoyed the hell out of this.
There was a bit of a slow burn between defensive, pierced, eyeliner-wearing Troy and rule-following, can't-lie-to-save-his-life, protective Iskander, but once those sparks ignited it was HOT HOT HOT! The narration added a lot to the story for me, and I highly recommend it on audio.
There was a bit of a slow burn between defensive, pierced, eyeliner-wearing Troy and rule-following, can't-lie-to-save-his-life, protective Iskander, but once those sparks ignited it was HOT HOT HOT! The narration added a lot to the story for me, and I highly recommend it on audio.
October 28, 2017
Long and drawn out! What really annoyed me about this book was the lies Troy and Iskander told the admiral about who the stalker truly was, seriously didn’t this put Troy in more danger?!?! Also the internal dialogue Iskander had on every other page how he thought getting involved with Troy was a bad idea. Enough was enough, the last couple of chapters I had to jump forward (listened to on audible) because I could take anymore of the games and deceit between these two. 😖.
November 22, 2017
Buddy read with Funny.
No secret that I loved men in uniform.
When Funny asked me to buddy read this one, I was exited.
And I liked it.
I love the *cough* 'lust at first sight' between Troy and Iskander, but no sex after 62%. That's good in my opinion, that Iskander really trying hard not to cross the boundaries as a bodyguard for an Admiral's son.
But Troy is some kind of persistent kid, and he knew what he want, and he wants Iskander.
Iskander's inner monologue is a little bit too much, too much denials, but it wasn't bothering me much.
I enjoyed his book, and looking forward to read much more Wwitt's books.
Recommended.
July 15, 2020
LA Witt is always a great bet when it comes to military romance and this was no exception. Add in an age-gap, some danger from a stalker, and some seriously hot sex and this was a great read made even better by Nick J Russo's always excellent narration.
February 15, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
4.5 stars
Iskander Ayhan is assigned to protect Troy Dalton. It rapidly becomes apparent that not only is the office gossip accurate and Troy is misrepresenting the threat to himself to his father and his guard detail, but Troy is completely terrified of something and is suffering from PTSD. Troy only relaxes when at home and in the presence of his huge Rottweiler. Either way, Iskander will protect the kid as the kid firmly believes there is a credible threat. And he’s a little hot. A lot hot. So anyway, Iskander is getting college credits to go to class with Troy and protect him at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. As he’s around Troy more and more Iskander begins to realize he’s got a lot in common with Troy. Iskander also realizes he’s beginning to think a lot of thoughts that are very inappropriate to be thinking about the person he’s assigned to protect. Iskander does the responsible thing and goes to Admiral Dalton to speak about his son. No, he doesn’t admit to having really inappropriate thoughts about his superior officer’s son, but he does tell the Admiral about the panic attacks and PTSD. Troy enters therapy and takes proactive steps to learn to protect himself after his therapist approves them. As Troy and Iskander “study” for an exam in Troy’s room, the huge Rottweiler goes nuts. Thankfully, it breaks Troy and Iskander apart before they “study” too much and actually have sex. After the guards all go outside to investigate what has caused all the dogs to go crazy, Iskander is tased and attacked. His car was also vandalized. Troy finally realizes he has to tell Iskander the whole truth.
Troy has been blackmailed by his psycho ex-boyfriend, Ben. Ben has details of an affair Admiral Dalton was engaged in with a senator’s wife that could destroy his career. Troy absolutely needs protection and still doesn’t want to admit the truth to his father. Iskander advises some changes to Troy’s protection detail be made in order to keep him safer given the new information he’s gotten. Of course they can’t manage to stay away from each other for long. After they have a tryst at Iskander’s apartment they go out to find his car vandalized. After they report it to the police they decide to tell Admiral Dalton everything about the nature of their relationship. It could have gone worse. Obviously, Iskander will no longer be working with Troy. Troy and Iskander have already proven they’re unable to stay apart. This angers Ben. Ben takes action.
This is a book I know I’ll reread. It’s a comfort read of delicious trope-y goodness. I also really like the fact Iskander and Troy took the time to get to know each other before they had sex. The animal attraction was there, but the guys actually cared what happened to each other once they made it into bed. I liked that there was no big reveal about kinks, as though they were some shameful secret. Troy liked older guys, especially if they were in uniform. Iskander was Troy bait. However, even that was handled in such a way as to make Iskander more than one of Troy’s typical flings. Troy started falling for Iskander the man before he ever saw Iskander the sailor.
So, we all read military fiction and know that the reality is being gay in the military is bad. DADT may be dead, but the military is full of troglodytes and crazies. Except it isn’t, really. The military is full of people doing their job and some of those people are homophobes. Many of them are not. The plot of this story was about the bad choices of the main characters not the accident of their birth. Troy chose to sleep with men under his father’s command. Troy and Iskander both chose to stay quiet about blackmail. Iskander chose to sleep not only with the person he was supposed to protect but his boss’s son. It’s possible this is me being thankful for a changing society. I do know for sure this book was a huge breath of fresh air in terms of gay romance with military characters. Characters who were finally allowed to simply be people making potentially deadly mistakes and falling in love along the way.
I have to give a shout out for the correct usage of Sisyphean. A few people know how important that is to me. They’re very thankful, too. And am I the only one who had a little giggle that the walls of Troy were breached by a Turkish man? Okay, I admit I’m secretly 12 and that one is probably just me.
4.5 stars
Iskander Ayhan is assigned to protect Troy Dalton. It rapidly becomes apparent that not only is the office gossip accurate and Troy is misrepresenting the threat to himself to his father and his guard detail, but Troy is completely terrified of something and is suffering from PTSD. Troy only relaxes when at home and in the presence of his huge Rottweiler. Either way, Iskander will protect the kid as the kid firmly believes there is a credible threat. And he’s a little hot. A lot hot. So anyway, Iskander is getting college credits to go to class with Troy and protect him at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. As he’s around Troy more and more Iskander begins to realize he’s got a lot in common with Troy. Iskander also realizes he’s beginning to think a lot of thoughts that are very inappropriate to be thinking about the person he’s assigned to protect. Iskander does the responsible thing and goes to Admiral Dalton to speak about his son. No, he doesn’t admit to having really inappropriate thoughts about his superior officer’s son, but he does tell the Admiral about the panic attacks and PTSD. Troy enters therapy and takes proactive steps to learn to protect himself after his therapist approves them. As Troy and Iskander “study” for an exam in Troy’s room, the huge Rottweiler goes nuts. Thankfully, it breaks Troy and Iskander apart before they “study” too much and actually have sex. After the guards all go outside to investigate what has caused all the dogs to go crazy, Iskander is tased and attacked. His car was also vandalized. Troy finally realizes he has to tell Iskander the whole truth.
Troy has been blackmailed by his psycho ex-boyfriend, Ben. Ben has details of an affair Admiral Dalton was engaged in with a senator’s wife that could destroy his career. Troy absolutely needs protection and still doesn’t want to admit the truth to his father. Iskander advises some changes to Troy’s protection detail be made in order to keep him safer given the new information he’s gotten. Of course they can’t manage to stay away from each other for long. After they have a tryst at Iskander’s apartment they go out to find his car vandalized. After they report it to the police they decide to tell Admiral Dalton everything about the nature of their relationship. It could have gone worse. Obviously, Iskander will no longer be working with Troy. Troy and Iskander have already proven they’re unable to stay apart. This angers Ben. Ben takes action.
This is a book I know I’ll reread. It’s a comfort read of delicious trope-y goodness. I also really like the fact Iskander and Troy took the time to get to know each other before they had sex. The animal attraction was there, but the guys actually cared what happened to each other once they made it into bed. I liked that there was no big reveal about kinks, as though they were some shameful secret. Troy liked older guys, especially if they were in uniform. Iskander was Troy bait. However, even that was handled in such a way as to make Iskander more than one of Troy’s typical flings. Troy started falling for Iskander the man before he ever saw Iskander the sailor.
So, we all read military fiction and know that the reality is being gay in the military is bad. DADT may be dead, but the military is full of troglodytes and crazies. Except it isn’t, really. The military is full of people doing their job and some of those people are homophobes. Many of them are not. The plot of this story was about the bad choices of the main characters not the accident of their birth. Troy chose to sleep with men under his father’s command. Troy and Iskander both chose to stay quiet about blackmail. Iskander chose to sleep not only with the person he was supposed to protect but his boss’s son. It’s possible this is me being thankful for a changing society. I do know for sure this book was a huge breath of fresh air in terms of gay romance with military characters. Characters who were finally allowed to simply be people making potentially deadly mistakes and falling in love along the way.
I have to give a shout out for the correct usage of Sisyphean. A few people know how important that is to me. They’re very thankful, too. And am I the only one who had a little giggle that the walls of Troy were breached by a Turkish man? Okay, I admit I’m secretly 12 and that one is probably just me.
October 7, 2014
A review by The Blogger Girls.
I won’t go into the premise here, because the blurb pretty much says it all. I was a little bit on the fence throughout this story, as there were a lot of things I liked, and then a few I didn’t.
What I liked:
Iskander – hot military dude sent on an assignment he wasn’t too happy about but which he decided to make the best of, pretty much for the sake of his career. He was one of the first people to see through Troy’s walls, i.e. the goth makeup, stand offishness, etc. and believed in him that the threat was real, even though it took forever to find out what that threat actually was. He is also the one who notices and brings attention to the signs of PTSD in Troy. These are the things that initially cause this to be more than just a job for Iskander.
Troy – I absolutely loved him. He was a total sweetheart who had basically closed himself off to keep himself safe and to protect his father. He hid behind the makeup and used that personna to keep people away. He found protectors in his dogs, one in particular, all big rottweilers. He suffers from PTSD brought on by his past relationship. He knows he made some bad decisions in the past and has been suffering for them for quite some time and coping the best way he knows how.
The scenes with these two when they finally cross the line are actually very sweet and quite hot. I loved watching Iskander slowly gain Troy’s trust as he uncovered and broke through Troy’s many layers.
What I had trouble with:
Iskander is constantly questioning what’s going on with Troy, both to Troy and to himself. He also continually talks about their age difference, the fact that allowing anything to happen between them would be beyond professional and could potentially ruin his career, etc. This repetitiveness ended up wearing on me and taking just a little bit away from the character and story.
There were a few things that seemed a bit unbelievable, such as Iskander blending into college life and the Admiral being so copasetic about everything, to name a few.
Setting those things aside, I found I really enjoyed this story as a whole. I was quickly turning pages to get to the juicy details. I loved watching these two make things work and how everything wrapped up nicely in the end.
January 10, 2015
*** 4 Solid Stars ***
Buddy read with mba Lelyana.
This was utterly insane. And dangerous. And just…just insane. He was everything that shouldn’t have caught my attention. A superior’s kid. Over a decade younger than me. Makeup, dye, and piercings. He was timid and edgy where I liked my men experienced and bold. A calculated risk where I liked to play it safe.
But here he was. Here we were...
This book had captured my full attention since the first time it pop up on my suggestion part on Goodreads.
But I keep pending it cuz its L.A. Witt's book, and I never want to read books from my fave author when I'm in a bad mood. NEVER !!! ~ even if it make me curious as hell !! :P
So, one day I told mba Lelyana about this book and asked her to buddy read with me, cuz the rates given by readers are quite "interesting"... ;)
And... ??
Well... ??
My opinion after I read it ?
The hell with what others said, cuz I REALLY REALLY LIKE IT !!
The suspense, the tensions, crazy stalker, psycho ex, military guy, age different issue MC's, interesting plot, the dilemma between duty and love ~ this book has everything I NEED !!
So ?
What da ya waiting for ??
Go grab the copy and read it !!
You must meet Iskander and Troy !!!
RECOMMENDED !!!
October 10, 2014
Paige‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
I stumbled upon the Walls of Troy while trolling for something read. This was a very pleasant surprise.
I thought the author did a good job drawing the reader into the book. The plot was so well written and believable. You could see story happening in life.
Iskander is our hero in the book. He’s older and supposed to be wiser but when it comes to Troy, all sensibility gets tossed out the window. I love the dynamic between the two. The relationship that they forged as friends, helped transition themselves into lovers.
I also thought it held the perfect amount of drama and suspense without getting cliche. Both Iskander and Troy were willing to talk to each other about the situation happening around them. They didn’t have to make up drama to create the situation. They also weren’t afraid to ask for help from the people around them. I loved that they sought out others to help them. They worked as a team and it showed in their relationship.
5 STARS
Review copy provided for an honest review
I stumbled upon the Walls of Troy while trolling for something read. This was a very pleasant surprise.
I thought the author did a good job drawing the reader into the book. The plot was so well written and believable. You could see story happening in life.
Iskander is our hero in the book. He’s older and supposed to be wiser but when it comes to Troy, all sensibility gets tossed out the window. I love the dynamic between the two. The relationship that they forged as friends, helped transition themselves into lovers.
I also thought it held the perfect amount of drama and suspense without getting cliche. Both Iskander and Troy were willing to talk to each other about the situation happening around them. They didn’t have to make up drama to create the situation. They also weren’t afraid to ask for help from the people around them. I loved that they sought out others to help them. They worked as a team and it showed in their relationship.
August 2, 2015
This was an ok read. But when my favorite character is the dog Talos there is something wrong with the story over all. Iskander should have been an more interesting character but, other than his name that he continually bitches that nobody get right, there isn't much to him. He waffles back and forth about getting involved with Troy a little to much for my liking especially since he knows that it is only going to bring problems. Troy is a major idiot who can't seem to fess up about his ex. Him keeping his secrets makes very little sense to me considering he is putting everyone in a dangerous position. I also didn't like how Iskander was able to just sweep in and find out everything that is wrong when everybody else is clueless.
November 28, 2019
Solid read
This was another solid read from Ms. Witt. Dynamic characters, each unique. Some minor editing errors that didn't detract too much. Maybe the story was a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it, and the intimate scenes were down right smoking!
This was another solid read from Ms. Witt. Dynamic characters, each unique. Some minor editing errors that didn't detract too much. Maybe the story was a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it, and the intimate scenes were down right smoking!
March 8, 2017
** 3.5 of 5 stars **
Liked it, but I thought it could have been better.
Liked it, but I thought it could have been better.
January 4, 2023
L.A. Witt is, very much, a favored author of mine, as she consistently delivers strong stories with good characters, and a wide variety of plot lines. With that said, I am usually driven to military stories, so when I read the description for 'The Walls of Troy', I knew I wanted to read it. Iskander sounded like a strong, tough man, and Troy definitely seemed to need a protector on his side.
Iskander has spent fifteen years in the Navy, as a cop, and now has the training for protective detail as a master-at-arms. His goal is simple. Do a good job for someone with a much higher pay grade who will recommend him to Officer Candidate School. So when he gets his orders and discovers his assignment is as personal bodyguard to Admiral Dalton's twenty-year-old son, Troy, Iskander isn't very happy with the BS assignment. Troy has gotten some harassing notes left on his car, seemingly from someone who has issue with him being gay. However, the chief in charge of the protective detail of the admiral and Troy thinks it's all in Troy's head, and the admiral is wasting valuable military resources. Iskander isn't so sure, though. One day spent with Troy, and Iskander can see there's more here than meets the eye.
"He couldn’t hide the PTSD. Not from someone like me who’d seen it in too many people and knew the signs this well. But he also hated when the PTSD surfaced, forcing him to tip his hand and reveal that he wasn’t as invincible as he wanted the world to believe. Troy was scared and vulnerable, and he wasn’t someone who dealt well with being scared and vulnerable. He didn’t want to be protected. He wanted to be safe."
It was very, very easy to care about Iskander. He took the time to look beyond everyone else's notions that Troy was just doing this for attention, that he faked it all, that the admiral was wasting resources on something ridiculous. Iskander had the balls to actually speak to the admiral, at the risk of his own job, about his concerns. Luckily, for him, the admiral truly loves his son, and he's very worried about him. And once the admiral has Troy seeing a therapist, she confirms his behavior is caused by PTSD, although Troy still isn’t opening up about anything that happened.
I really enjoyed this book. When the truth was finally revealed, I was a little disappointed at the predictability of it, however, the way the author handled it was really good. Troy is an easy young man to like, and he definitely had my sympathy for his struggles. Watching him and Iskander fall in love was equally sweet and oh-my-god hot. But don't think this relationship was easy, because it definitely wasn't. They had to fight, each other, their desires, the Navy, and the crazy stalker, just to be together. It was a good fight.
If you like military based romance novels, with hot, authoritative, men, and younger guys who know what they want, and a little drama and action thrown in? Then this is the book for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Iskander has spent fifteen years in the Navy, as a cop, and now has the training for protective detail as a master-at-arms. His goal is simple. Do a good job for someone with a much higher pay grade who will recommend him to Officer Candidate School. So when he gets his orders and discovers his assignment is as personal bodyguard to Admiral Dalton's twenty-year-old son, Troy, Iskander isn't very happy with the BS assignment. Troy has gotten some harassing notes left on his car, seemingly from someone who has issue with him being gay. However, the chief in charge of the protective detail of the admiral and Troy thinks it's all in Troy's head, and the admiral is wasting valuable military resources. Iskander isn't so sure, though. One day spent with Troy, and Iskander can see there's more here than meets the eye.
"He couldn’t hide the PTSD. Not from someone like me who’d seen it in too many people and knew the signs this well. But he also hated when the PTSD surfaced, forcing him to tip his hand and reveal that he wasn’t as invincible as he wanted the world to believe. Troy was scared and vulnerable, and he wasn’t someone who dealt well with being scared and vulnerable. He didn’t want to be protected. He wanted to be safe."
It was very, very easy to care about Iskander. He took the time to look beyond everyone else's notions that Troy was just doing this for attention, that he faked it all, that the admiral was wasting resources on something ridiculous. Iskander had the balls to actually speak to the admiral, at the risk of his own job, about his concerns. Luckily, for him, the admiral truly loves his son, and he's very worried about him. And once the admiral has Troy seeing a therapist, she confirms his behavior is caused by PTSD, although Troy still isn’t opening up about anything that happened.
I really enjoyed this book. When the truth was finally revealed, I was a little disappointed at the predictability of it, however, the way the author handled it was really good. Troy is an easy young man to like, and he definitely had my sympathy for his struggles. Watching him and Iskander fall in love was equally sweet and oh-my-god hot. But don't think this relationship was easy, because it definitely wasn't. They had to fight, each other, their desires, the Navy, and the crazy stalker, just to be together. It was a good fight.
If you like military based romance novels, with hot, authoritative, men, and younger guys who know what they want, and a little drama and action thrown in? Then this is the book for you.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 23, 2014
4 No More Walls Stars!!!
Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Samhain Publishing via NetGalley
Let's start with I am such a huge fan of L.A. Witt and her MM world. In the Walls of Troy, Iskander Ayhan has a job to be protection from one of the Admiral's kid named Troy Dalton. At first he thinks this is a BS assignment with a spoiled kid but once he finds out that it could be due to his sexuality then he changes his tune. The more he gets to know Troy, Iskander realizes that there is so much more going on but Troy has build up big walls that Iskander can't seem to get past and find out what is going on.
Spending everyday with Troy is messing with Iskander's mind in more ways then one. First he can't figure out what Troy isn't saying and two he's finding himself attracted to him and that shouldn't be happening as it's his commanding officer's son which will just open up a world of wrong for him and his career.
Iskander is not the only one being effected by them spending so much time together. The closer they get the more Troy's secrets come to the surface. As the new threats become real they take their relationship to the next level causing more trouble emotionally and logically.
As Troy and Iskander give in to each other the threat comes too close to home and threatens to destroy everything that they have forged together. I liked Iskander and Troy and all their trials and tribulations. It was a quick growing relationship but the depth between the two felt appropriate and right. There was a great mix of angst, suspense, drama and emotions. As usual another great MM book by the wonderful L.A. Witt.
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December 27, 2018
Not bad...
I know this was written years ago; however, this writer has always had a knack for storytelling, and I think that's one of the most important aspects of what makes a good writer. Troy and Iskander had a pretty immediate chemistry that flustered the seasoned Iskander to the point he talked himself out of even having any type of relationship with Troy from the start. I enjoyed this, as well as the mystique of having a known stalker out there, even though Iskander was a good enough cop to have the instincts to know there was more to Troy's initial story. Good thing for Troy. I really loved how it all worked out, though it got dark for a while.
I know this was written years ago; however, this writer has always had a knack for storytelling, and I think that's one of the most important aspects of what makes a good writer. Troy and Iskander had a pretty immediate chemistry that flustered the seasoned Iskander to the point he talked himself out of even having any type of relationship with Troy from the start. I enjoyed this, as well as the mystique of having a known stalker out there, even though Iskander was a good enough cop to have the instincts to know there was more to Troy's initial story. Good thing for Troy. I really loved how it all worked out, though it got dark for a while.
October 7, 2014
My Review:
The first half of this book really captured my attention simply because for the longest time the reader or any of the other characters in the book really know what's going on with Troy. It's obvious that something has him terrified and he definitely has signs of PTSD. But there are also signs that not all is as he says it is. The other bodyguards thinks he's just trying to get attention, but Iskander feels that there's much more going on. He doesn't think that Troy has been completely honest, but he's pretty positive that Troy thinks he's in danger.
And that whole build-up was done incredibly well. I was dying to know what the true story was. But I'll admit that when it did come out, I was slightly disappointed. For some reason, I just expected his danger to be "more"...
The other little niggle that I had with this book was the age difference. While in general life, 13 years isn't that much of a thing. It's huge when comparing life experiences and interests between age 20 and 33. Maybe it's because my son is 19, but 20 seems so young for someone when he's paired with someone who's almost middle-aged. And I could come closer to buying that if Troy didn't still live at home with his dad. He may be 20, but as far as life experiences go, he's still very much a kid...with no responsibilities or true adult experience (and I'm not talking about sex here). He can't even drink legally.
But despite those two things, I did enjoy this book. The forbidden relationship (since Iskander is supposed to be guarding Troy, not having sex with him) added an extra little spice to the story line and I've already said, I think the build-up was done extraordinarily well. The situation with the Navy providing bodyguard and family security for the family was interesting. Once it all comes out about what Troy is afraid of, the danger ratchets up significantly so that really worked for me. I definitely didn't want to put the book down.
Overall, it was an interesting read and I enjoyed it. I had my small problems with the story, but in no way did they affect how much I liked reading the book while in the moment and it was incredibly well-written, fast-paced, and interesting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The first half of this book really captured my attention simply because for the longest time the reader or any of the other characters in the book really know what's going on with Troy. It's obvious that something has him terrified and he definitely has signs of PTSD. But there are also signs that not all is as he says it is. The other bodyguards thinks he's just trying to get attention, but Iskander feels that there's much more going on. He doesn't think that Troy has been completely honest, but he's pretty positive that Troy thinks he's in danger.
And that whole build-up was done incredibly well. I was dying to know what the true story was. But I'll admit that when it did come out, I was slightly disappointed. For some reason, I just expected his danger to be "more"...
The other little niggle that I had with this book was the age difference. While in general life, 13 years isn't that much of a thing. It's huge when comparing life experiences and interests between age 20 and 33. Maybe it's because my son is 19, but 20 seems so young for someone when he's paired with someone who's almost middle-aged. And I could come closer to buying that if Troy didn't still live at home with his dad. He may be 20, but as far as life experiences go, he's still very much a kid...with no responsibilities or true adult experience (and I'm not talking about sex here). He can't even drink legally.
But despite those two things, I did enjoy this book. The forbidden relationship (since Iskander is supposed to be guarding Troy, not having sex with him) added an extra little spice to the story line and I've already said, I think the build-up was done extraordinarily well. The situation with the Navy providing bodyguard and family security for the family was interesting. Once it all comes out about what Troy is afraid of, the danger ratchets up significantly so that really worked for me. I definitely didn't want to put the book down.
Overall, it was an interesting read and I enjoyed it. I had my small problems with the story, but in no way did they affect how much I liked reading the book while in the moment and it was incredibly well-written, fast-paced, and interesting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
September 16, 2014
The orders that Iskander receives to protect an admiral's son seems more like a possible punishment that a protective detail that he should be happy about. MA1 playing bodyguard is a simple enough assignment though. Sadly it doesn’t take Iskander that long on the job to discover that there is much more going on with Troy than anyone realizes. What many see as a troubled kid, Iskander sees a traumatized young man.
Iskander goes into this job with everything. He knows there is something going on and the cop in him won’t just accept the answers he’s given. It’s those moments with Troy where he is trying to find out what is really going on, why he is really needed that he starts getting to know the man behind the attitude and walls. Troy has done all he knows to protect himself from the danger that he knows is out there. Iskander taking him seriously is a fresh outlook on what he hopes to get past.
The Walls of Troy is one of the few first person point of views books that I’ve read that just really worked for me. While I wanted to know what was going on with Troy, I liked that I was kept guessing just like Iskander. I also enjoyed Iskander’s reactions to Troy. Seeing and knowing Troy through Iskander eyes just made this book. Their reactions to each other and what they discover between themselves made this a great read.
Favorite Quotes
Iskander to Troy: “I know all the reasons we shouldn’t do this, but I’m finding it really, really hard to give a fuck.”
Troy to Iskander: “Maybe it’s fucked up and crazy, but I’d rather be in danger with you that be safe alone.”
Iskander goes into this job with everything. He knows there is something going on and the cop in him won’t just accept the answers he’s given. It’s those moments with Troy where he is trying to find out what is really going on, why he is really needed that he starts getting to know the man behind the attitude and walls. Troy has done all he knows to protect himself from the danger that he knows is out there. Iskander taking him seriously is a fresh outlook on what he hopes to get past.
The Walls of Troy is one of the few first person point of views books that I’ve read that just really worked for me. While I wanted to know what was going on with Troy, I liked that I was kept guessing just like Iskander. I also enjoyed Iskander’s reactions to Troy. Seeing and knowing Troy through Iskander eyes just made this book. Their reactions to each other and what they discover between themselves made this a great read.
Favorite Quotes
Iskander to Troy: “I know all the reasons we shouldn’t do this, but I’m finding it really, really hard to give a fuck.”
Troy to Iskander: “Maybe it’s fucked up and crazy, but I’d rather be in danger with you that be safe alone.”
April 30, 2024
DNF about 50%
Wish I'd perused my book collection a little more closely. I'd DNFd the ebook way back in 2014. And I'm DNFing the audiobook for the same reasons:
1) 30-something bodyguard acting like a hormonal teenager, not a professional. How is the idiot bodyguard going to actually identify a threat if all he can think about is getting into the kid's pants?
2) Main character suggests to his charge's father that said charge should learn to defend himself. Does he suggest martial-arts-based self defense? No, we go straight to firearms even though the charge isn't old enough to carry concealed. What's the point?
3) During their first firearms meet, it was painfully obvious that the author was clueless about the actual AIMING of a handgun. Sights, ever hear of them?
4) Might as well have picked up a Harlequin romance. Ugh.
I finally remembered why LA Witt and I do not get along on the literary field. Done.
Wish I'd perused my book collection a little more closely. I'd DNFd the ebook way back in 2014. And I'm DNFing the audiobook for the same reasons:
1) 30-something bodyguard acting like a hormonal teenager, not a professional. How is the idiot bodyguard going to actually identify a threat if all he can think about is getting into the kid's pants?
2) Main character suggests to his charge's father that said charge should learn to defend himself. Does he suggest martial-arts-based self defense? No, we go straight to firearms even though the charge isn't old enough to carry concealed. What's the point?
3) During their first firearms meet, it was painfully obvious that the author was clueless about the actual AIMING of a handgun. Sights, ever hear of them?
4) Might as well have picked up a Harlequin romance. Ugh.
I finally remembered why LA Witt and I do not get along on the literary field. Done.
October 28, 2017
Re-read (audio book) 10/27/17 - Well, Nick J. Russo's narration was great, but he couldn't do anything about Iskander's constant thoughts about how wrong it was for him to be with Troy, which was just annoying to listen to as it was to read. Note to self: re-read reviews before buying audio versions of books I've already read. :-P
Well this wasn't as good as I had hoped. I liked the MCs but Iskander, the bodyguard who is attracted to his charge, spends so much time in his head thinking about how wrong it is to have feelings for Troy, the guy he's supposed to be guarding, and then once they actually act on their attraction then he's actually saying it to Troy. I got so tired of hearing it and then I actually started agreeing with him. :-D
Well this wasn't as good as I had hoped. I liked the MCs but Iskander, the bodyguard who is attracted to his charge, spends so much time in his head thinking about how wrong it is to have feelings for Troy, the guy he's supposed to be guarding, and then once they actually act on their attraction then he's actually saying it to Troy. I got so tired of hearing it and then I actually started agreeing with him. :-D
November 7, 2014
Not many authors could use so many different ideas about their couple in the one book and still end up with a story that I enjoyed. There was the older/younger man coupling, the bodyguard and his charge, plus the military was thrown in as well. With all that, this book could of been a jumbled up mess.
Thankfully Walls of Troy turned out to be a story that caught my attention early on, and never stopped. I enjoyed Iksander and Troy. I looked forward to finding out just what the danger was to Troy. The most important part, for the romantic in me was how things were going to work out for these men, and I was pleased with every outcome. I especially enjoyed the epilogue. It left me with a huge smile, and that is what I want from a book.
Thankfully Walls of Troy turned out to be a story that caught my attention early on, and never stopped. I enjoyed Iksander and Troy. I looked forward to finding out just what the danger was to Troy. The most important part, for the romantic in me was how things were going to work out for these men, and I was pleased with every outcome. I especially enjoyed the epilogue. It left me with a huge smile, and that is what I want from a book.
October 14, 2014
Evelise’s Review:
Assigned to protection detail for an Admiral’s son was not on Iskander’s top ten list. But from the moment he met the timidly frightened young man, he knew fate had intervened. Read More...
Assigned to protection detail for an Admiral’s son was not on Iskander’s top ten list. But from the moment he met the timidly frightened young man, he knew fate had intervened. Read More...
March 3, 2018
It is almost as though this story was written for me or with me in mind. Not just an age-gap story but these two men, the 20-year-old college student Troy, with his eye makeup and multiple piercings and the 13-year-older career Navy M.P. had absolutely nothing in common. Well, maybe nothing in common but, as we come to learn, Troy does have a thing for a strong, older man in uniform. As for Iskander, Troy was absolutely not his type at all; Troy wasn't an older silver fox, but there was something, just something about the young man. Iskander could see something in Troy; something that he couldn't figure out.
This is a story of suspense, and a military romance as well and this author does both very well. She creates characters that we love to love and want to know. We are rooting for them throughout their journey.
Iskander was not at all impressed with his assignment to protect the admiral's son but there were worse assignments and he is going to do his best to protect the young man even if no one else thinks Troy is at risk. Iskander is a listener. He watches and listens to both the verbal and the nonverbal messages and he becomes certain the young Troy is in danger and has been hurt to such a degree that he appears to be suffering from PTSD.
There is no rush to sex even though this story is plenty steamy. Troy and Iskander have plenty to deal with and soon come to realize that the risk is real, they are both in danger and committed to protecting each other. Iskander is afraid of dogs and Troy has a big Rottweiler, Talos. There are several Talos has a significant role in Troy's life, in Iskander's and in this story.
I truly enjoyed watching Troy change both in attitude and visually as he felt safe and no longer needed to hide behind the eyeliner, piercings and dyed hair.
Then to make it all even better; to hear, see and smell the details, the narration of Nick J. Russo is spot on. He was Iskander and he was Troy, and the Admiral. At no point was I distracted by his storytelling, in fact, I was captured, stuck, and caught up in the emotion, passion (yes there was passion) and suspense. I was frightened, happy, concerned and satisfied. I will certainly come back to this performance, this story, these men.
This is a story of suspense, and a military romance as well and this author does both very well. She creates characters that we love to love and want to know. We are rooting for them throughout their journey.
Iskander was not at all impressed with his assignment to protect the admiral's son but there were worse assignments and he is going to do his best to protect the young man even if no one else thinks Troy is at risk. Iskander is a listener. He watches and listens to both the verbal and the nonverbal messages and he becomes certain the young Troy is in danger and has been hurt to such a degree that he appears to be suffering from PTSD.
There is no rush to sex even though this story is plenty steamy. Troy and Iskander have plenty to deal with and soon come to realize that the risk is real, they are both in danger and committed to protecting each other. Iskander is afraid of dogs and Troy has a big Rottweiler, Talos. There are several Talos has a significant role in Troy's life, in Iskander's and in this story.
I truly enjoyed watching Troy change both in attitude and visually as he felt safe and no longer needed to hide behind the eyeliner, piercings and dyed hair.
Then to make it all even better; to hear, see and smell the details, the narration of Nick J. Russo is spot on. He was Iskander and he was Troy, and the Admiral. At no point was I distracted by his storytelling, in fact, I was captured, stuck, and caught up in the emotion, passion (yes there was passion) and suspense. I was frightened, happy, concerned and satisfied. I will certainly come back to this performance, this story, these men.
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