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Behind Bars #3
The Rat
Rory’s not like the other inmates.
In fact, he’s not an inmate at all.
He’s undercover, tasked with gathering information on Sebastian Claw.
Sebastian is planning something for his upcoming release, and Rory needs to find out what.
Rory doesn’t like the Sebastian of the past—the murderer, or the Sebastian of the future—the plotter.
He does like the Sebastian of the present.
The one he shares his cell, his body, and possibly his heart with.
The line between what’s right and wrong, what’s good and bad, start to blur.
But if Sebastian finds out who Rory is, he’s a dead man …
In fact, he’s not an inmate at all.
He’s undercover, tasked with gathering information on Sebastian Claw.
Sebastian is planning something for his upcoming release, and Rory needs to find out what.
Rory doesn’t like the Sebastian of the past—the murderer, or the Sebastian of the future—the plotter.
He does like the Sebastian of the present.
The one he shares his cell, his body, and possibly his heart with.
The line between what’s right and wrong, what’s good and bad, start to blur.
But if Sebastian finds out who Rory is, he’s a dead man …
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2019
65 people are currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
Louise Collins
45 books630 followersWriter of mm romance and erotica.
I write the stories I'd love to read, I hope you enjoy them too.
Lover of Romance but not without angst along the way.
Seduced by the dancing of a neanderthal and now a mother of two monsters.
Drinks tea with a passion, adores dogs, and their sea dwelling cousins.
Failed two chocolate eating challenges but will return for round three.
https://mailchi.mp/ad6955eed18f/louis...
♥
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I write the stories I'd love to read, I hope you enjoy them too.
Lover of Romance but not without angst along the way.
Seduced by the dancing of a neanderthal and now a mother of two monsters.
Drinks tea with a passion, adores dogs, and their sea dwelling cousins.
Failed two chocolate eating challenges but will return for round three.
https://mailchi.mp/ad6955eed18f/louis...
♥
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March 22, 2022
4.5 stars ☆
i'm tempted to give this five stars for the characters bc they were so entertaining and hilarious but, while i did (eventually) like the romance between the mcs, i preferred the romance in The Freshman more (the sexual tension/slow burn in that was unmatched 😭). although both books aren't related, they're from the same author and both are prison romances but i just love how the romance was handled in the other one while i loved most of the characters in this. also, i admit, i was more interested in the dynamic between teddy/ollie. 👀 some scenes were so ridiculous (in a good way) that i found myself laughing hard and the plot twists had me wtf. overall, this was such an entertaining read. 🥰
i'm tempted to give this five stars for the characters bc they were so entertaining and hilarious but, while i did (eventually) like the romance between the mcs, i preferred the romance in The Freshman more (the sexual tension/slow burn in that was unmatched 😭). although both books aren't related, they're from the same author and both are prison romances but i just love how the romance was handled in the other one while i loved most of the characters in this. also, i admit, i was more interested in the dynamic between teddy/ollie. 👀 some scenes were so ridiculous (in a good way) that i found myself laughing hard and the plot twists had me wtf. overall, this was such an entertaining read. 🥰
June 29, 2019
4 Silver Fox Stars
Sebastian was in prison for 16 years and he was coming to the end of his sentence, just 9 more months till his freedom. But his life is going to change when he meets with his new cellmate, Rory, who is gonna be there for 8 years and find it hard to look Sebastian in the eye…
Well, I find this one more enjoyable than the other two previous books I’d read by the author. The ending was much better, not rushed or something that I wouldn’t like. Told in single POV, 3rd person, it can be read as a standalone. It’s a slow burn with likable characters, low on angst and with a huge age gap (24 years) but it wasn’t really palpable to me. Besides the main characters, I also enjoyed the secondary ones and would like to read their stories one day! Overall, I had a good time reading this and hope you enjoy it as well!
Sebastian was in prison for 16 years and he was coming to the end of his sentence, just 9 more months till his freedom. But his life is going to change when he meets with his new cellmate, Rory, who is gonna be there for 8 years and find it hard to look Sebastian in the eye…
Well, I find this one more enjoyable than the other two previous books I’d read by the author. The ending was much better, not rushed or something that I wouldn’t like. Told in single POV, 3rd person, it can be read as a standalone. It’s a slow burn with likable characters, low on angst and with a huge age gap (24 years) but it wasn’t really palpable to me. Besides the main characters, I also enjoyed the secondary ones and would like to read their stories one day! Overall, I had a good time reading this and hope you enjoy it as well!
April 2, 2022
I loved this book.
All the time wondering if Sebastian knew all along that Rory is a cop working undercover in the prison.
And if he finds out, what he's going to do with Rory.
Prison lovers are always so 🔥 🔥 🔥
And, as the time goes by, we'll see that's more to the undercover work that meets the eye.
Who can Rory trust?!?
The lines start to being crossed and confused...
July 8, 2019
I both agree and disagree with my fellow readers about this book. 🙂 I love Louise Collins and her writings of anti-heroes, villain men falling in love with sweet, innocent, young men. And I still think her first book in this line “The Freshman” is the best in the bunch. ❤️ While I agree with my fellow readers that this book isn’t as good as the first two books, “The Freshman” and “The Psychopath”, I didn’t dislike this book like my friends did. I enjoyed this book. ☺️ Although this book isn’t par with the earlier two, on its own, this is perfectly enjoyable and engaging book. I read it in one go like I did with the previous two and I stayed up until 3 am to finish it. So there’s no denying that I enjoyed this book. 😁
Rory went undercover as an inmate to the prison where Sebastian Claw resides. Sebastian Claw who ruthlessly, cruelly and sadistically murdered his former business partner by strangling with a single hand. Rory’s mission? To get close to Sebastian and to find out what he’s going to do when he gets out of the prison since he’s due to release in less than a year. The only problem with this mission you ask? Rory feels more and more like an inmate and less and less like an undercover police officer. He knows Sebastian is a bad man, he knows he is evil, but then why does he feel like home and his heart warms when he’s with Sebastian?
I think the problem most people had with this book is that Sebastian isn’t that of an evil man like the other MCs in the previous books. And it definitely has less mind games and tensions between Rory and Sebastian. And the relationship progresses much easier they are cellmates. 😉 Regardless, I enjoyed this book and I loved the relationship dynamics between the two MCs. The sex was smoking hot and erotic too. 🔥 And the storyline is enjoyable with interesting supporting characters. I’m excited to find out what idea Louise Collins will come up with next. 😌 Can’t already wait for her next book! 😉
4 You filled the hole in my heart and make me whole again stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rory went undercover as an inmate to the prison where Sebastian Claw resides. Sebastian Claw who ruthlessly, cruelly and sadistically murdered his former business partner by strangling with a single hand. Rory’s mission? To get close to Sebastian and to find out what he’s going to do when he gets out of the prison since he’s due to release in less than a year. The only problem with this mission you ask? Rory feels more and more like an inmate and less and less like an undercover police officer. He knows Sebastian is a bad man, he knows he is evil, but then why does he feel like home and his heart warms when he’s with Sebastian?
I think the problem most people had with this book is that Sebastian isn’t that of an evil man like the other MCs in the previous books. And it definitely has less mind games and tensions between Rory and Sebastian. And the relationship progresses much easier they are cellmates. 😉 Regardless, I enjoyed this book and I loved the relationship dynamics between the two MCs. The sex was smoking hot and erotic too. 🔥 And the storyline is enjoyable with interesting supporting characters. I’m excited to find out what idea Louise Collins will come up with next. 😌 Can’t already wait for her next book! 😉
4 You filled the hole in my heart and make me whole again stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 10, 2019
*3.75 stars*
This is my second book by Louise Collins and this author is definitely on my radar now. I read the Freshman last month, and, although I loved the intensity of the story, the ending was so rushed and unexplored, it left me hanging. Here it was almost the opposite. Almost.
There is a lot of tension throughout the story, don't get me wrong. The "rat" falls in love with the man he's there to investigate. There is steam and suspense and angst. There were moments I thought there was no way in hell this could ever work out. I'm just not sure I fall for how quickly or rather abruptly the guys developed feelings for each other. To be fair, we only get the cop's POV. The other MC had supposedly developed feelings earlier but it ws not on page, and his earlier hostile behavior made it seem like insta-love.
I find the prison setting extremely interesting and kind of tricky for an author, to be honest, because it means that the MCs are probably antiheroes. And Collins's protagonists are most definitely antiheroes. Not innocent, not wrongly convicted or framed for something they didn't do. Are there redeeming facts about their crimes? Sure there are. Still, they 're guilty AF.
I can tell that this is also a very well thought story, It had so many opportunities to become a mess, filled with plot-holes. But nope. In the end everything fall into place, in a way that made me turn back to certain scenes to read them from a new viewpoint.
The ending was lovely this time, a solid HEA. It was the kind of ending that would have made me 5 star The Freshman.
I hope the secondary characters will get a story. I mean they were so well sketched, they definitely deserve a voice.
Recommended.
This is my second book by Louise Collins and this author is definitely on my radar now. I read the Freshman last month, and, although I loved the intensity of the story, the ending was so rushed and unexplored, it left me hanging. Here it was almost the opposite. Almost.
There is a lot of tension throughout the story, don't get me wrong. The "rat" falls in love with the man he's there to investigate. There is steam and suspense and angst. There were moments I thought there was no way in hell this could ever work out. I'm just not sure I fall for how quickly or rather abruptly the guys developed feelings for each other. To be fair, we only get the cop's POV. The other MC had supposedly developed feelings earlier but it ws not on page, and his earlier hostile behavior made it seem like insta-love.
I find the prison setting extremely interesting and kind of tricky for an author, to be honest, because it means that the MCs are probably antiheroes. And Collins's protagonists are most definitely antiheroes. Not innocent, not wrongly convicted or framed for something they didn't do. Are there redeeming facts about their crimes? Sure there are. Still, they 're guilty AF.
I can tell that this is also a very well thought story, It had so many opportunities to become a mess, filled with plot-holes. But nope. In the end everything fall into place, in a way that made me turn back to certain scenes to read them from a new viewpoint.
The ending was lovely this time, a solid HEA. It was the kind of ending that would have made me 5 star The Freshman.
I hope the secondary characters will get a story. I mean they were so well sketched, they definitely deserve a voice.
Recommended.
May 1, 2025
4.25**** stars
This series is fantastic!!
Here we had an inmate, Sebastian, about to be released and an undercover police officer, Rory, who was tasked to find out what wicked things he planned when he got out.
The first three books (the ones we got so far) aren’t at all connected so I’m surprised that the author decided to go for connected now because this book not only screams for Ollie’s and Teddy’s story that we’re about to get but also for Captain’s which hopefully will be written as well. I can see a certain therapist in his future.
***********
Behind Bars Series
Book 1 - Freshman - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Psychopath - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Rat - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Butterfly - 4.5 stars
This series is fantastic!!
Here we had an inmate, Sebastian, about to be released and an undercover police officer, Rory, who was tasked to find out what wicked things he planned when he got out.
“You know what I hate…”
“What?” Rory asked.
“I hate that I like the sound of your laugh.”
The first three books (the ones we got so far) aren’t at all connected so I’m surprised that the author decided to go for connected now because this book not only screams for Ollie’s and Teddy’s story that we’re about to get but also for Captain’s which hopefully will be written as well. I can see a certain therapist in his future.
***********
Behind Bars Series
Book 1 - Freshman - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Psychopath - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Rat - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Butterfly - 4.5 stars
March 30, 2021
”I’m gonna ask for your cock.”
“And what if I say no?”
Rory whined. “I’ll probably cry.”
After reading The Freshman earlier this month, I just had to read this. But I didn’t. I feel so stupid for that. New interesting releases keep popping up and chose them over this. In short, I should have pick this sooner. This book blew me away. After reading the first chapter, I knew already this is going to be a favourite. It involves age gap between the characters, a slow burn romance, and hot prison sex! This story is fantasy in book form. Collins writes these characters who are cocky and arrogant but you will still root and love them in the end. And the plot twists in the end? I gasped loudly. I can’t believe I read this whole book in one sitting too.
June 29, 2019
Rory and Sebastian
I read this story three times in a row and every time it got better and better.
What an inventive story. I love the behind bars stories!
Rory is behind bars to get information about Sebastian’s plans, what he’ll do when he gets out in about nine months after being in prison for sixteen years for murder.
Sebastian is the big man and owns the wing their in. They all listen to him. He doesn’t like Rory at all, and still they have to share the same cell.
Rory has to get closer to Sebastian and that isn’t easy.
The story is widely written, it could go either way, I really wonder where this would all head to. First I had some trouble to respect Rory. He was a bit lame. Later I felt completely the opposite. There are a lot of things happening and they are all enormously entertaining. It’s complicated and you could feel the buildup, I didn’t know how but I did expect something big. And I was not disappointed!!
Sometimes is was just torture, pure torture... for me as reader. The slooooww burn and the sexual tension was palpable. Back and forth they go.
Lines of many things got blurred, the lies were devastating. The wrong seems right and the right seems wrong. I was totally surprised by it all.
The other inmates had all their own intriguing stories. My heart hurt for them.
The building up was overwhelming and when it all exploded, my eyes and heart cried. All the wonderful elaborated characters, you only could love them.
This was an amazingly captivating story. A great plot. Written in a way you can’t stop reading before it’s finished and when I finished it I started all over again, and then again.
I read this story three times in a row and every time it got better and better.
What an inventive story. I love the behind bars stories!
Rory is behind bars to get information about Sebastian’s plans, what he’ll do when he gets out in about nine months after being in prison for sixteen years for murder.
Sebastian is the big man and owns the wing their in. They all listen to him. He doesn’t like Rory at all, and still they have to share the same cell.
Rory has to get closer to Sebastian and that isn’t easy.
The story is widely written, it could go either way, I really wonder where this would all head to. First I had some trouble to respect Rory. He was a bit lame. Later I felt completely the opposite. There are a lot of things happening and they are all enormously entertaining. It’s complicated and you could feel the buildup, I didn’t know how but I did expect something big. And I was not disappointed!!
Sometimes is was just torture, pure torture... for me as reader. The slooooww burn and the sexual tension was palpable. Back and forth they go.
Lines of many things got blurred, the lies were devastating. The wrong seems right and the right seems wrong. I was totally surprised by it all.
The other inmates had all their own intriguing stories. My heart hurt for them.
The building up was overwhelming and when it all exploded, my eyes and heart cried. All the wonderful elaborated characters, you only could love them.
This was an amazingly captivating story. A great plot. Written in a way you can’t stop reading before it’s finished and when I finished it I started all over again, and then again.
December 28, 2020
What happens when an undercover police officer falls for the inmate he is spying on? Some hot sex, some sweet romance, and a book you can’t put down.
It’s a pretty dark romance, but the story is so fast paced and the inmates are so real, human and likeable, that you just keep reading and rooting for a HEA.
The ending was wrapped up too neatly to be believable, but I was too busy squealing with delight to care.
It’s a pretty dark romance, but the story is so fast paced and the inmates are so real, human and likeable, that you just keep reading and rooting for a HEA.
The ending was wrapped up too neatly to be believable, but I was too busy squealing with delight to care.
March 19, 2025
edit 3/18/25: girl idk what i was yapping about the first time, this was kinda mid ugh :/ i had to reread bc whoops i completely forgot who teddy and ollie were and needed to refresh with their book coming out next month….all their interactions in this book were so wholesome and sweet, so their book better hit🤨 i don’t even wanna talk about sebastian and rory tbh…2023 me was easy af to please ig🤣🤣 lowering my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars.
original 9/19/23: wow this was surprisingly sweet omg!!!!!!🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 i was not expecting this to be so cute but i’m very happy about it!! sebastian was so good to rory and i’m just bursting with emotion for them🥰 and i loved the twist and turns in the story, it was done very well like now i wanna read another book by this author
original 9/19/23: wow this was surprisingly sweet omg!!!!!!🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 i was not expecting this to be so cute but i’m very happy about it!! sebastian was so good to rory and i’m just bursting with emotion for them🥰 and i loved the twist and turns in the story, it was done very well like now i wanna read another book by this author
August 1, 2021
Louise Collin has unlashed my thirst for prison romance. Damn, this gurl can write ust like nobody's effing business and I'm all here for it. As usual the soul burning, head fucking chemistry is there but this time with a properly tucked story. Last time I took a venture into dark twisted scorching hawt world of Collin I was slightly salty about the story not being fully convincing but here though, It's just perfect. .
The amount of bantering and caring, ah i want it in my life. And the end twist though i could see it coming, I like the whole setting, Captain & Ollie, i love them both. How they protected our beloved Rory. what a immense mental pressure Rory had to go through. Luckily our handsome bastard Sebastian was there for him. It's quite a scene to behold.
The amount of bantering and caring, ah i want it in my life. And the end twist though i could see it coming, I like the whole setting, Captain & Ollie, i love them both. How they protected our beloved Rory. what a immense mental pressure Rory had to go through. Luckily our handsome bastard Sebastian was there for him. It's quite a scene to behold.
June 2, 2021
I really enjoyed these books but why do they all finish so abruptly?!🤨
September 17, 2024
It took me a while to get into this one, but by 60% I was crying for Rory! He was really going through it and the guilt was eating at him so badly.
Again, it was a totally different vibe than either of the previous two books, but I ended up wanting to know more about all of the characters again.
I think Rory and Sebastian actually work well, and once their relationship started it did feel natural.
There's a lot of lying and double crossing which I didn't figure out for so long, but when everything was revealed it made so much sense.
I do wish we'd seen more of a resolution with the other inmates though, it's been the same in each book where I get invested in the side characters but then we don't see any more of them!
Again, it was a totally different vibe than either of the previous two books, but I ended up wanting to know more about all of the characters again.
I think Rory and Sebastian actually work well, and once their relationship started it did feel natural.
There's a lot of lying and double crossing which I didn't figure out for so long, but when everything was revealed it made so much sense.
I do wish we'd seen more of a resolution with the other inmates though, it's been the same in each book where I get invested in the side characters but then we don't see any more of them!
September 25, 2021
Not sure why everyone seems to think this is not as good as the Freshman. I thought it was pretty good. I guess the tension in the Freshman is higher. But this has some good twists and turns. (And FYI, I was right, in the status update below. But not for the reasons I thought).
On to book 2, the Psycho! Yeah, I like skipping around... they're not in a series anyway.
On to book 2, the Psycho! Yeah, I like skipping around... they're not in a series anyway.
May 24, 2022
Omg this author has the brilliant ability to make me like criminals and in the end even police officers undercover feel themselves bad as liars and cheaters. Their story was so good I felt really emotional.
The judgements are blurred in this vision, I feel a lot of empathy even for Ollie and Cap, too.
The judgements are blurred in this vision, I feel a lot of empathy even for Ollie and Cap, too.
May 7, 2021
3.5 stars
I had to have a greater suspension of disbelief while reading this book but then again, I didn't mind it that much. I liked this more than I did The Psychopath but less than The Freshman.
The cellmates thing was done well and I liked that we were introduced to different types of people in prison. I disliked some of the characters way too much tho 🙄 But both Sebastian and Rory totally grew on me.
Then again, the ending was a bit too neat just like the two other books but who cares 😂
I need more from this series. Any more prison recs, friends? :D
I had to have a greater suspension of disbelief while reading this book but then again, I didn't mind it that much. I liked this more than I did The Psychopath but less than The Freshman.
The cellmates thing was done well and I liked that we were introduced to different types of people in prison. I disliked some of the characters way too much tho 🙄 But both Sebastian and Rory totally grew on me.
Then again, the ending was a bit too neat just like the two other books but who cares 😂
I need more from this series. Any more prison recs, friends? :D
June 27, 2019
Dysfunctional Rat
After reading the blurb I was expecting to really like this book. But, alas that didn’t happen.
I felt as if every single character portrayed in this book, were some kind of weird version of b-rated actors in a straight-to-dvd kind of movie. The plot itself could have been a 5-star read for me, but in my honest opinion, this was just poorly executed with unrealistic dialogues and flat characters.
Rory was supposed to be a completely inexperienced undercover police officer, who is put in a prison to spy on a certain inmate, Sebastian. Both MC were very unconvincing in their roles. The two inspectors, Hamish & Morris, who put him there, seemed to be the worst and unprofessional leaders of any undercover operation EVER. And don’t get me started on all the secondary characters, there were just too many things happening in the story that felt so wrong one way or another. Also the whole portrayal of the prison system and its inmates, didn’t even feel a little bit realistic to me.
All in all, it sucks that I didn’t like this book, because I’ve read most of the books by this author that I really liked.
After reading the blurb I was expecting to really like this book. But, alas that didn’t happen.
I felt as if every single character portrayed in this book, were some kind of weird version of b-rated actors in a straight-to-dvd kind of movie. The plot itself could have been a 5-star read for me, but in my honest opinion, this was just poorly executed with unrealistic dialogues and flat characters.
Rory was supposed to be a completely inexperienced undercover police officer, who is put in a prison to spy on a certain inmate, Sebastian. Both MC were very unconvincing in their roles. The two inspectors, Hamish & Morris, who put him there, seemed to be the worst and unprofessional leaders of any undercover operation EVER. And don’t get me started on all the secondary characters, there were just too many things happening in the story that felt so wrong one way or another. Also the whole portrayal of the prison system and its inmates, didn’t even feel a little bit realistic to me.
All in all, it sucks that I didn’t like this book, because I’ve read most of the books by this author that I really liked.
December 27, 2020
I've been craving for prison romance recently, and thank you Louise Collins for feeding me three delicious prison romance books!
What I really like about this book is that the two main characters are cellmate and there's no barrier between them unlike the two previous books. The twist this time was explained throughly, I'm really pleased that the ending in this book was not rushed and it has solid HEA. I was intrigued by Sebastian and I think the side characters are interesting, they are consistent to their characterizations without making it look unnatural. I suppose it would have been better if the "big revelation" was more dramatic but I still enjoyed reading this book nonetheless.
This was my third time reading Louis Collins and definitely not my last. I can't wait to read more of her!
What I really like about this book is that the two main characters are cellmate and there's no barrier between them unlike the two previous books. The twist this time was explained throughly, I'm really pleased that the ending in this book was not rushed and it has solid HEA. I was intrigued by Sebastian and I think the side characters are interesting, they are consistent to their characterizations without making it look unnatural. I suppose it would have been better if the "big revelation" was more dramatic but I still enjoyed reading this book nonetheless.
This was my third time reading Louis Collins and definitely not my last. I can't wait to read more of her!
November 8, 2024
Yeah it was my least favourite of the series. (Maybe later I'll do a better review but I want to go to bed 😪) OKAY, SO! I really loved the characters in their own but as a couple it took me almost to the end of the book to like them as a couple, and that's weird right? But tbh the plot in this one was much better than the other two, the twists and turns had me gasping and surprised and ngl that was giving so much!!! I love Louise's style of writing and I'm going to read more of her books and wished she had more sexy scenes tbh since this is a erotica, but man her writing is immaculate and would read her shopping list for real, for real!! So glad I found her books!
January 20, 2025
This is the third book, and my favorite from this exceptional “Behind Bars” series! I cannot rave enough about this incredible five-star series! 🔥
😍I bet you’ll fall in love with Rory & Sebastian too! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and twists in this story, as well as the budding romance between Rory & Sebastian!🫠
The found family in this story is truly admirable, as each character brings their own uniqueness and depth to the story.
I highly recommend this series! They can be read as stand alone books, however each book is a gem on its own! I recommend reading them in order for the full experience!
Bravo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
😍I bet you’ll fall in love with Rory & Sebastian too! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and twists in this story, as well as the budding romance between Rory & Sebastian!🫠
The found family in this story is truly admirable, as each character brings their own uniqueness and depth to the story.
I highly recommend this series! They can be read as stand alone books, however each book is a gem on its own! I recommend reading them in order for the full experience!
Bravo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
December 11, 2020
3.75 🌟
This is my second book by this author and I am already sensing a theme...in the writing style. The book builds up slowly and with intense chemistry and anticipation but then the ending seems rushed and the book ends up being unsatisfactory. Exactly that happened.
I love the chemistry between Sebastian and Rory and I understood Rory's guilt...but the 'main reveal' could have been made more dramatic and it would then have affected more emotions inside the readers. That's what I felt. A good story nonetheless. xx
This is my second book by this author and I am already sensing a theme...in the writing style. The book builds up slowly and with intense chemistry and anticipation but then the ending seems rushed and the book ends up being unsatisfactory. Exactly that happened.
I love the chemistry between Sebastian and Rory and I understood Rory's guilt...but the 'main reveal' could have been made more dramatic and it would then have affected more emotions inside the readers. That's what I felt. A good story nonetheless. xx
September 15, 2021
teddy was such a bear! i was more interested in him as a H than i am w/ Sebastian & i absolutely need his book
January 2, 2024
Meh. My least favorite of the bunch.
July 19, 2020
3.5 stars
September 17, 2024
Tropes: prisoner/undercover cop, forced proximity, age gap
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: voyeurism, orgasm control
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: murder, death of minor characters, grief, PTSD of a minor character who is a veteran, unsafe sex
3.75 stars
Rory is 25. He is the son of a former police officer, his dad passed away recently. Rory has a bit of a complex about having failed his police officer entrance exams a few times. Rory has finally passed and his first assignment is to go undercover as a prisoner at a prison and get close to Sebastian, a murderer and criminal who will be released in 9 months after serving a 16-year sentence. His Superior Hamish wants to find out what's Sebastian will be up to upon his release, because he's sure it's going to be no good, and he wants to get Sebastian back in jail where he belongs. Rory is gay.
Rory gets close to some of the other prisoners during his time undercover and he is conflicted about his deception. He genuinely cares for his new friends Ollie and Captain. Rory also has a simmering attraction towards Sebastian, who is 49. Rory and Sebastian have a contentious fraught relationship for a while as cellmates, but the games between them turn sexual. Rory needs what Sebastian gives him, especially when Rory's life outside of prison goes to s***. But when Rory's deception comes to light, can Sebastian forgive him or will Sebastian kill Rory?
This was a decent thriller of a story. I liked the buildup of tension and connection between Rory and Sebastian. I liked how they were putty for each other sexually, and how they were both protective of each other. I wish there had been a bit more affection earlier, but what we got was understandable given the plot of the book.
Some notable moments:
""What I want is a bad idea.” Sebastian snorted. “What is it you want, Rory?” “More.” “More?” “I want your hands all over me. I want you to touch me properly, bring me to orgasm with your fist, and I want to be able to touch you back. I want to use my mouth on you and make you come.”"
"The physical feeling was enough, but when Rory linked gazes with Sebastian again, it was as if Sebastian reached into the hole in his chest and wrapped a hand around his heart and forced it to beat again."
"Sebastian got to his feet and placed his hands on Rory’s shoulders. “Just so we’re clear, if someone offers you ‘special favours’ on the job, you say—” “Yes, please?” Sebastian pinched Rory’s nipple, and he yelped. “I say no.” Rory rolled his eyes. “Of course I’d say no.” “Good, because you’re mine.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: voyeurism, orgasm control
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: murder, death of minor characters, grief, PTSD of a minor character who is a veteran, unsafe sex
3.75 stars
Rory is 25. He is the son of a former police officer, his dad passed away recently. Rory has a bit of a complex about having failed his police officer entrance exams a few times. Rory has finally passed and his first assignment is to go undercover as a prisoner at a prison and get close to Sebastian, a murderer and criminal who will be released in 9 months after serving a 16-year sentence. His Superior Hamish wants to find out what's Sebastian will be up to upon his release, because he's sure it's going to be no good, and he wants to get Sebastian back in jail where he belongs. Rory is gay.
Rory gets close to some of the other prisoners during his time undercover and he is conflicted about his deception. He genuinely cares for his new friends Ollie and Captain. Rory also has a simmering attraction towards Sebastian, who is 49. Rory and Sebastian have a contentious fraught relationship for a while as cellmates, but the games between them turn sexual. Rory needs what Sebastian gives him, especially when Rory's life outside of prison goes to s***. But when Rory's deception comes to light, can Sebastian forgive him or will Sebastian kill Rory?
This was a decent thriller of a story. I liked the buildup of tension and connection between Rory and Sebastian. I liked how they were putty for each other sexually, and how they were both protective of each other. I wish there had been a bit more affection earlier, but what we got was understandable given the plot of the book.
Some notable moments:
""What I want is a bad idea.” Sebastian snorted. “What is it you want, Rory?” “More.” “More?” “I want your hands all over me. I want you to touch me properly, bring me to orgasm with your fist, and I want to be able to touch you back. I want to use my mouth on you and make you come.”"
"The physical feeling was enough, but when Rory linked gazes with Sebastian again, it was as if Sebastian reached into the hole in his chest and wrapped a hand around his heart and forced it to beat again."
"Sebastian got to his feet and placed his hands on Rory’s shoulders. “Just so we’re clear, if someone offers you ‘special favours’ on the job, you say—” “Yes, please?” Sebastian pinched Rory’s nipple, and he yelped. “I say no.” Rory rolled his eyes. “Of course I’d say no.” “Good, because you’re mine.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2020
I struck gold twice with this prison series.
So my biggest question with this book was how would this relationship work? How are we going to get a HEA because in the The Freshman Nate’s crime was a crime of passion, so even though Nate was unapologetic, maybe...just maybe it was a singular occurrence. But our inmate in The Rat, Sebastian, is introduced as a 49 year old, intimidating silver fox doing 16 years for a crime that he committed with his bare hands because of a snitch and before THAT we are told he was an actual full time criminal. In prison, Sebastian is the pod boss and the minute 25 year old Rory walked in, you could tell Sebastian instantly clocked him and took an instant disliking to Rory.
So no.
This won’t work.
Louise Collins said, “Yes. There are twists.”
Man those twists in the end... I loved it. Everything was explained thoroughly and wrapped up perfectly and it worked. I also loved a lot of characters in this, particularly Captain and Ollie, two inmates Rory began his time with and bonded so closely too, and Erica, his lovely sister. Ooh and Teddy. Sweet, slightly bizarre Teddy. The prison psychiatrist also delivered a speech that I empathized so strongly with, and I just wanted to revisit all these characters. But sadly this isn’t an actual series set in the same world 😩
I will say I liked Rory a lot. He was a good guy with a big heart and even smarter mouth. But he was just a little too green for me when he entered prison since he is a police officer. Rory didn’t have to be the toughest guy, but in the beginning I just wish he made smarter choices and wasn’t such a damsel in distress. But with time, Rory adapts and he throws a punch or two and outsmarts a couple of people, so that worked itself out.
I also didn’t like that while Rory was undercover, the inspector visited the prison a lot for updates. That’s just too risky—especially since inmates are everywhere and COs can be aligned with inmates. I was surprised what happened around this took a while to happen...but then again, looking back...I guess it wouldn’t have worked that way. 🤔
Then the intimate chess games happened, the shirtless workouts and wrestling matches, the sneaking of glances during the showers, the Pavlovian responses to the Vaseline lid being open 😂 and then I didn’t care too much about my nitpicks.
There were many times I laughed out loud. Even till the very end. So I’m really glad I gave this story a try, despite some of the reviews stating this was the least interesting story in the series.
So my biggest question with this book was how would this relationship work? How are we going to get a HEA because in the The Freshman Nate’s crime was a crime of passion, so even though Nate was unapologetic, maybe...just maybe it was a singular occurrence. But our inmate in The Rat, Sebastian, is introduced as a 49 year old, intimidating silver fox doing 16 years for a crime that he committed with his bare hands because of a snitch and before THAT we are told he was an actual full time criminal. In prison, Sebastian is the pod boss and the minute 25 year old Rory walked in, you could tell Sebastian instantly clocked him and took an instant disliking to Rory.
So no.
This won’t work.
Louise Collins said, “Yes. There are twists.”
Man those twists in the end... I loved it. Everything was explained thoroughly and wrapped up perfectly and it worked. I also loved a lot of characters in this, particularly Captain and Ollie, two inmates Rory began his time with and bonded so closely too, and Erica, his lovely sister. Ooh and Teddy. Sweet, slightly bizarre Teddy. The prison psychiatrist also delivered a speech that I empathized so strongly with, and I just wanted to revisit all these characters. But sadly this isn’t an actual series set in the same world 😩
I will say I liked Rory a lot. He was a good guy with a big heart and even smarter mouth. But he was just a little too green for me when he entered prison since he is a police officer. Rory didn’t have to be the toughest guy, but in the beginning I just wish he made smarter choices and wasn’t such a damsel in distress. But with time, Rory adapts and he throws a punch or two and outsmarts a couple of people, so that worked itself out.
I also didn’t like that while Rory was undercover, the inspector visited the prison a lot for updates. That’s just too risky—especially since inmates are everywhere and COs can be aligned with inmates. I was surprised what happened around this took a while to happen...but then again, looking back...I guess it wouldn’t have worked that way. 🤔
Then the intimate chess games happened, the shirtless workouts and wrestling matches, the sneaking of glances during the showers, the Pavlovian responses to the Vaseline lid being open 😂 and then I didn’t care too much about my nitpicks.
There were many times I laughed out loud. Even till the very end. So I’m really glad I gave this story a try, despite some of the reviews stating this was the least interesting story in the series.
June 29, 2019
After reading The Freshman by this author, I was quite excited for another new prison setting romance. That book was a very interesting and engaging read. However, this one didn't have the same wow quality or the kind of dynamic which would move heads.
It covered a lot of small subplots and connected them seamlessly by the end, also kind of gave justice to the side characters, but I just felt the whole story to be 'too easy' for me. I definitely did not fall for their love for each other. It was too soon according to me given the pace of the story and how the things were unfolding inside the prison. Maybe I was expecting more injustice and immorality on the characters' part and it just tapered to an okay read with an ending that I was like, "meh!".
It covered a lot of small subplots and connected them seamlessly by the end, also kind of gave justice to the side characters, but I just felt the whole story to be 'too easy' for me. I definitely did not fall for their love for each other. It was too soon according to me given the pace of the story and how the things were unfolding inside the prison. Maybe I was expecting more injustice and immorality on the characters' part and it just tapered to an okay read with an ending that I was like, "meh!".
July 14, 2023
DNF @ 41%
This is one of those rare times where I'm much more interested in the side characters than the MCs and that's not what I want when I'm reading a romance. Rory and Sebastian were both unappealing as characters (for different reasons) and I didn't care about their romance. On the flip side, I was very interested in the Ollie/Teddy pairing and also the Captain/Psychiatrist pairing and I would have much rather read about those couples than Rory and Sebastian.
Three minor issues I had were related to SPAG issues, the weird writing style used during the inspector scenes and the depiction of prison life. Collins is unfortunately known for typos and similar issues in her work but this book wasn't nearly as bad as some of her others. I also thought the scenes featuring the two police inspectors (Hamish and Miller) were written badly. The dialog wasn't realistic, the pacing was incredibly rushed and overall, it felt like the author wasn't interested in writing those scenes and rushed through them because they were necessary for the plot. In particular, I felt Miller acted very OTT with cartoon-like facial expressions, overly emotional and unrealistic dialog and manic physical movements. The whole thing was very odd because it doesn't fit with the author's usual style.
What bothered me much more was the author's decision not to portray the prison life realistically at all when that choice wasn't necessary for the overall plot. This author is one of the very few whose rom-com approach I can tolerate because it leans towards the serious side of things. In particular, I like how she usually takes important things seriously and only bends specific things to make the romance better. But in this case, she played so fast and loose with prison realities that it went from being fun to being annoying. For example, . Another example: . I loved another one of Collins' well known prison romances (The Freshman) but in that one, the author did a much better job portraying prison life realistically with only minor deviations. With this story, it felt like she didn't take the prison setting seriously at all.
But the bigger problem is that I don't like either of the MCs. Rory is a young, rookie cop who's very naïve about everything and has no business doing undercover work. He had the personality of a piece of cardboard and he acts much younger than his age, which is a character type I generally don't like. Making things worse was that Sebastian was Rory's superior in every way and I didn't believe for a second that Sebastian would ever be interested in him for anything other than sex. Then there was the weird pacing issue where Sebastian starts out being understandably rude and dismissive towards Rory but then he randomly starts acting nicer towards him. Some reviews indicate that the author did a great job with the plot twists in this one so maybe that abrupt change is related to a cool plotline but it made the romance fall flat. The MCs had zero chemistry and they made no sense as a couple so I never had any interest in them.
Sealing the DNF-Deal was that the side characters were much more interesting. In stark contrast to Rory, Ollie was even younger than him and also had no experience being in prison but Ollie was a much better character IMO. In addition, Ollie's cellmate was Teddy who (like Sebastian) is significantly older and more experienced in all ways but the author added some cool flaws to Teddy's character (making him be a shy introvert who was mute) which made him rely on Ollie for certain things and made their developing relationship really interesting. Another pairing that the author seemed to be setting up was Captain (an older military vet with extreme PTSD) and the prison psychiatrist (a young do-gooder), which was another relationship that I found interesting. Suffice it so say that I'm crushed that the author decided to make the main pairing Rory and Sebastian while she had those other two options available.
Overall, other reviews indicate that the author did a good job with the spying plotline and that the story contains some good twists but I have zero interest in Rory, Sebastian or their romance so I'm not going to continue.
This is one of those rare times where I'm much more interested in the side characters than the MCs and that's not what I want when I'm reading a romance. Rory and Sebastian were both unappealing as characters (for different reasons) and I didn't care about their romance. On the flip side, I was very interested in the Ollie/Teddy pairing and also the Captain/Psychiatrist pairing and I would have much rather read about those couples than Rory and Sebastian.
Three minor issues I had were related to SPAG issues, the weird writing style used during the inspector scenes and the depiction of prison life. Collins is unfortunately known for typos and similar issues in her work but this book wasn't nearly as bad as some of her others. I also thought the scenes featuring the two police inspectors (Hamish and Miller) were written badly. The dialog wasn't realistic, the pacing was incredibly rushed and overall, it felt like the author wasn't interested in writing those scenes and rushed through them because they were necessary for the plot. In particular, I felt Miller acted very OTT with cartoon-like facial expressions, overly emotional and unrealistic dialog and manic physical movements. The whole thing was very odd because it doesn't fit with the author's usual style.
What bothered me much more was the author's decision not to portray the prison life realistically at all when that choice wasn't necessary for the overall plot. This author is one of the very few whose rom-com approach I can tolerate because it leans towards the serious side of things. In particular, I like how she usually takes important things seriously and only bends specific things to make the romance better. But in this case, she played so fast and loose with prison realities that it went from being fun to being annoying. For example, . Another example: . I loved another one of Collins' well known prison romances (The Freshman) but in that one, the author did a much better job portraying prison life realistically with only minor deviations. With this story, it felt like she didn't take the prison setting seriously at all.
But the bigger problem is that I don't like either of the MCs. Rory is a young, rookie cop who's very naïve about everything and has no business doing undercover work. He had the personality of a piece of cardboard and he acts much younger than his age, which is a character type I generally don't like. Making things worse was that Sebastian was Rory's superior in every way and I didn't believe for a second that Sebastian would ever be interested in him for anything other than sex. Then there was the weird pacing issue where Sebastian starts out being understandably rude and dismissive towards Rory but then he randomly starts acting nicer towards him. Some reviews indicate that the author did a great job with the plot twists in this one so maybe that abrupt change is related to a cool plotline but it made the romance fall flat. The MCs had zero chemistry and they made no sense as a couple so I never had any interest in them.
Sealing the DNF-Deal was that the side characters were much more interesting. In stark contrast to Rory, Ollie was even younger than him and also had no experience being in prison but Ollie was a much better character IMO. In addition, Ollie's cellmate was Teddy who (like Sebastian) is significantly older and more experienced in all ways but the author added some cool flaws to Teddy's character (making him be a shy introvert who was mute) which made him rely on Ollie for certain things and made their developing relationship really interesting. Another pairing that the author seemed to be setting up was Captain (an older military vet with extreme PTSD) and the prison psychiatrist (a young do-gooder), which was another relationship that I found interesting. Suffice it so say that I'm crushed that the author decided to make the main pairing Rory and Sebastian while she had those other two options available.
Overall, other reviews indicate that the author did a good job with the spying plotline and that the story contains some good twists but I have zero interest in Rory, Sebastian or their romance so I'm not going to continue.
September 16, 2021
again this had no right to be so good
September 18, 2024
I really enjoyed this series! I love prison books and wish there was more of them. Not enough get written! While I did like this book, my favorite of the series is still Freshman. That’s one I’ll definitely be reading again.
I liked both of these characters though. Sebastian ended up being so damn sweet to Rory.
I have come to the conclusion though, that this authors books have romance in them but I wouldn’t call them romance books. There are always other things going on but honestly I don’t mind it because it’s still so fun to read. I love all of the side stories going on. This one seemed like much more of a HEA than the other two though. It was also a little sad where the other ones weren’t.
The only thing that bugs me about this series is that the author makes us fall in love with side characters but when the books ends we have no idea what happened to them!! I’m over here wanting books for all the side characters. I need more Ollie and Captain and I hate how it’s all just left up in the air. But that doesn’t take away from the book it’s just something I desperately want!
I can’t wait for the other prison series this author is going to write! It can’t come fast enough.
NO CHEATING
NO OM DRAMA (I mean not really, some weirdo in jail liked Rory and hits on him constantly)
THIRD ACT BREAK UP is hard to say because it wasn’t really a break up but they were apart for a few days and Rory thought they were over.
AGE GAP 25/49
DEATH OF LOVED ONE
TALK OF PAST ABUSE AND MURDER
I liked both of these characters though. Sebastian ended up being so damn sweet to Rory.
I have come to the conclusion though, that this authors books have romance in them but I wouldn’t call them romance books. There are always other things going on but honestly I don’t mind it because it’s still so fun to read. I love all of the side stories going on. This one seemed like much more of a HEA than the other two though. It was also a little sad where the other ones weren’t.
The only thing that bugs me about this series is that the author makes us fall in love with side characters but when the books ends we have no idea what happened to them!! I’m over here wanting books for all the side characters. I need more Ollie and Captain and I hate how it’s all just left up in the air. But that doesn’t take away from the book it’s just something I desperately want!
I can’t wait for the other prison series this author is going to write! It can’t come fast enough.
NO CHEATING
NO OM DRAMA (I mean not really, some weirdo in jail liked Rory and hits on him constantly)
THIRD ACT BREAK UP is hard to say because it wasn’t really a break up but they were apart for a few days and Rory thought they were over.
AGE GAP 25/49
DEATH OF LOVED ONE
TALK OF PAST ABUSE AND MURDER
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