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Thicker Than Blood #1
Thicker Than Blood
Giving in to the chemistry between them is the easy part. Surviving the conflicts in their lives? That’s a little harder.
As an Australian Commando Daniel knows that there are no guarantees in life, but he still thought he had it all figured out; dream career (check), loving partner (check), child on the way (check). When he returns from a long deployment to find his partner has left him he struggles to find his feet in his new reality. The last thing Daniel needs on his rapidly sinking ship is to get caught up with someone else. But there’s something about Eli that turns his head and he just can’t resist the temptation.
Eli’s whole world revolves around his family. Between his ever-growing commitments he barely has time for himself, let alone time to find a man to share his life with. He has no idea what to do with a hunky solder that pushes all his buttons and demands parts of Eli’s life he just can’t give.
As Daniel begins to realise that losing Eli will hurt more than anything he’s ever felt before, the rest of the world seems determined to tear them apart. Can he convince Eli that they fit perfectly before he walks out of his life forever?
This book contains mature themes and is a HEA filled with hot snarky sweaty men who can’t resist falling in love!
As an Australian Commando Daniel knows that there are no guarantees in life, but he still thought he had it all figured out; dream career (check), loving partner (check), child on the way (check). When he returns from a long deployment to find his partner has left him he struggles to find his feet in his new reality. The last thing Daniel needs on his rapidly sinking ship is to get caught up with someone else. But there’s something about Eli that turns his head and he just can’t resist the temptation.
Eli’s whole world revolves around his family. Between his ever-growing commitments he barely has time for himself, let alone time to find a man to share his life with. He has no idea what to do with a hunky solder that pushes all his buttons and demands parts of Eli’s life he just can’t give.
As Daniel begins to realise that losing Eli will hurt more than anything he’s ever felt before, the rest of the world seems determined to tear them apart. Can he convince Eli that they fit perfectly before he walks out of his life forever?
This book contains mature themes and is a HEA filled with hot snarky sweaty men who can’t resist falling in love!
402 pages, ebook
First published March 30, 2021
15 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Alice C. Crane
1 book13 followersAlice C. Crane (also published as Alice Crane) is an Australian author who has dreamed of becoming a published author for most of her life. She discovered early on her love for romantic stories, and happy endings and hasn't looked back.
She lives in rural Australia with her partner and a menagerie of animals, including a cat, dog, snake and a turtle. When she's not busy rearranging the alphabet to pour out the stories in her head she can be found reading, cross-stitching or playing Video Games.
She is so excited to be able to share the stories floating in her crazy brain and is working hard on her next book.
She lives in rural Australia with her partner and a menagerie of animals, including a cat, dog, snake and a turtle. When she's not busy rearranging the alphabet to pour out the stories in her head she can be found reading, cross-stitching or playing Video Games.
She is so excited to be able to share the stories floating in her crazy brain and is working hard on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 3, 2021
Mmmm, military guys...
While I don't exactly support military warfare, I must admit there is just something alluring about the military guys, so I keep reading books about them. Hypocrite? Probably. Yet how can one resist the allure of a protective, loyal male lead?
This story started out strong and then kind of puttered out by the end of it. Like a marathon runner really - starts out strong, then arrives at the finish line half dead.
We have two main leads - Eli and Daniel.
Daniel is in the Australian military. After arriving home from a 6-month deployment, he finds out his boyfriend has moved out and disappeared without notice. He is crushed that Peter would just do that after a 4-year relationship, especially considering they have a baby on the way, but he is not too broken up about it, more angry and resentful about the way it happened.
Eli is a pretty stand-up guy with a complicated family. His sister is a druggie and has 3 children that he is helping her take care of. He works in a tech firm owed by his friend and adopted brother, which is where he meets Daniel when he comes in to consult on one of the possible projects. They are instantly taken with each other and the love is in the air.
I liked them both for the most part. I liked how loyal, protective and friendly Daniel was. His family and brothers in arms were a hoot. I liked Eli and his unwavering support of his friends and family, as well as his dedication to do the right thing. However, I felt like the baby coming angle was neglected. As much as it was an issue at the beginning, it almost completely disappeared around the middle of the book. There were no scenes of Daniel helping out his sister or even visiting her or doing something for her, she was just.. there, somewhere in the background as a plot device, but not really. It was like for most of the time he completely forgot about her and the coming baby which was neglectful and just weird. I also didn't like how Eli resolved his sister issue. I mean really? I get that he loves his sister, but you can't trust a drug addict. And after seeing all that, after hearing all that, how could he still be reluctant to involve police, child services or even just taking the kids away? Aren't kids your first priority not your grown up high out of her mind sister? Take the kids to a safe place, then come back for the grown ups. You can't trust an addict. And as much as he loves his sister, the kids should have been a priority, not his sister. He should have just taken them from her right away when he found out she is using again. His actions made me doubt his commitment to the kids, it made it look like he only took them for a while, then gave them back when he got tired of them and without a care if their mother is high or if her house is full of all kinds of drug addicts. It was like "oh whatever, my shift is over, take them and try to keep the druggies away from them will ya? I am going for a nap". I liked him at the beginning when it was still unclear just how bad it was with his sister, but then those other scenes happened and it just got.. bleh.
I would have liked it more if through that drama Eli's and Daniel's relationship had solidified and helped them through their trauma, but Eli turned into a drama queen and sabotaged it. Daniel had given him no reason to doubt him or his sincerity, even though he was awfully pushy about sex which I did not appreciate in the least, but Eli spiraled right into miscommunication and over-the-top drama queen which was the final straw really. By the end of the story, it was all barely holding on together and I was rather impatient for it all to be over.
While at the beginning I liked them both, by the end I barely tolerated them. It wasn't a bad book per se, I just didn't enjoy the second part that went downhill so fast. While the first part was cute and endearing, the second part turned into over-the-top drama, bad decisions and action-thriller worthy plot. It just didn't go the way I expected and it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if it didn't feel so barely stitched together and random. The last 10%- 15% were just..
I don't know. Maybe it just wasn't the right day for such a read. I liked the first part, but really disliked the second part. It just felt..wrong.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the author for an honest review**
While I don't exactly support military warfare, I must admit there is just something alluring about the military guys, so I keep reading books about them. Hypocrite? Probably. Yet how can one resist the allure of a protective, loyal male lead?
This story started out strong and then kind of puttered out by the end of it. Like a marathon runner really - starts out strong, then arrives at the finish line half dead.
We have two main leads - Eli and Daniel.
Daniel is in the Australian military. After arriving home from a 6-month deployment, he finds out his boyfriend has moved out and disappeared without notice. He is crushed that Peter would just do that after a 4-year relationship, especially considering they have a baby on the way, but he is not too broken up about it, more angry and resentful about the way it happened.
Eli is a pretty stand-up guy with a complicated family. His sister is a druggie and has 3 children that he is helping her take care of. He works in a tech firm owed by his friend and adopted brother, which is where he meets Daniel when he comes in to consult on one of the possible projects. They are instantly taken with each other and the love is in the air.
I liked them both for the most part. I liked how loyal, protective and friendly Daniel was. His family and brothers in arms were a hoot. I liked Eli and his unwavering support of his friends and family, as well as his dedication to do the right thing. However, I felt like the baby coming angle was neglected. As much as it was an issue at the beginning, it almost completely disappeared around the middle of the book. There were no scenes of Daniel helping out his sister or even visiting her or doing something for her, she was just.. there, somewhere in the background as a plot device, but not really. It was like for most of the time he completely forgot about her and the coming baby which was neglectful and just weird. I also didn't like how Eli resolved his sister issue. I mean really? I get that he loves his sister, but you can't trust a drug addict. And after seeing all that, after hearing all that, how could he still be reluctant to involve police, child services or even just taking the kids away? Aren't kids your first priority not your grown up high out of her mind sister? Take the kids to a safe place, then come back for the grown ups. You can't trust an addict. And as much as he loves his sister, the kids should have been a priority, not his sister. He should have just taken them from her right away when he found out she is using again. His actions made me doubt his commitment to the kids, it made it look like he only took them for a while, then gave them back when he got tired of them and without a care if their mother is high or if her house is full of all kinds of drug addicts. It was like "oh whatever, my shift is over, take them and try to keep the druggies away from them will ya? I am going for a nap". I liked him at the beginning when it was still unclear just how bad it was with his sister, but then those other scenes happened and it just got.. bleh.
I would have liked it more if through that drama Eli's and Daniel's relationship had solidified and helped them through their trauma, but Eli turned into a drama queen and sabotaged it. Daniel had given him no reason to doubt him or his sincerity, even though he was awfully pushy about sex which I did not appreciate in the least, but Eli spiraled right into miscommunication and over-the-top drama queen which was the final straw really. By the end of the story, it was all barely holding on together and I was rather impatient for it all to be over.
While at the beginning I liked them both, by the end I barely tolerated them. It wasn't a bad book per se, I just didn't enjoy the second part that went downhill so fast. While the first part was cute and endearing, the second part turned into over-the-top drama, bad decisions and action-thriller worthy plot. It just didn't go the way I expected and it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if it didn't feel so barely stitched together and random. The last 10%- 15% were just..
I don't know. Maybe it just wasn't the right day for such a read. I liked the first part, but really disliked the second part. It just felt..wrong.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the author for an honest review**
October 16, 2020
There is a lot going on in this book.
People are angry.
Fists fly.
Family meddles, interferes and takes advantage.
But there is a lot of love too...
Daniels team are great, Eli’s chosen family, also great. Where I think this book suffers is that the author tries to pack it all in at once and the plot suffers. The issues with Daniels ex are not satisfyingly dealt with. Eli’s family ‘situation’ with his sister is likewise not fully resolved. The baby doesn’t come. All that aside the author did a decent job in her first(?) book and the issues above, plus a few with grammar and sentence structure didn’t make my eyes bleed and let’s face it most authors improve with practice.
Now there is the long wait to next year for Gabe’s book, which I suspect will also give us the continuation of Danny and Eli’s journey. Now I just have to hope that Riley Sykes features somewhere. Soon. He had little page time but boy did he push my buttons and possibly someone else’s. 😉
Decent start.
*3.75 Stars* rounded up
People are angry.
Fists fly.
Family meddles, interferes and takes advantage.
But there is a lot of love too...
Daniels team are great, Eli’s chosen family, also great. Where I think this book suffers is that the author tries to pack it all in at once and the plot suffers. The issues with Daniels ex are not satisfyingly dealt with. Eli’s family ‘situation’ with his sister is likewise not fully resolved. The baby doesn’t come. All that aside the author did a decent job in her first(?) book and the issues above, plus a few with grammar and sentence structure didn’t make my eyes bleed and let’s face it most authors improve with practice.
Now there is the long wait to next year for Gabe’s book, which I suspect will also give us the continuation of Danny and Eli’s journey. Now I just have to hope that Riley Sykes features somewhere. Soon. He had little page time but boy did he push my buttons and possibly someone else’s. 😉
Decent start.
*3.75 Stars* rounded up
September 10, 2022
DNF @ 24%.
Between co-workers, family and friends, the amount of characters that have popped up is unreal. The amount of focus on them, even more so. Obviously some of it is setup for the next books, but the plot has hardly gone anywhere and the focus is being pulled in 50 directions.
And there is so much time wasted describing outfits and appearances. Honestly, I just needed this book to get on with it, and it wasn’t.
Between co-workers, family and friends, the amount of characters that have popped up is unreal. The amount of focus on them, even more so. Obviously some of it is setup for the next books, but the plot has hardly gone anywhere and the focus is being pulled in 50 directions.
And there is so much time wasted describing outfits and appearances. Honestly, I just needed this book to get on with it, and it wasn’t.
April 21, 2021
4 Stars
Great first effort from this author
I really liked Daniel. He was so calm and I enjoyed his attempts at flirting with Eli. I felt for him when Eli walked away as that was the second time it had happened to him in the space of a couple of months. His family was a hoot and in their shenanigans I could see a lot of my family unit, although we are a lot smaller unit than they were.
I liked Eli too, but found him a prickly pear at times. He had such responsibility with his niece and nephews and he took it without complaints. While I understood and could sympathize to an extent why he was upset and walked away, I also didn't quite understand why he didn't fight for Daniel. It also took him a long time to make up his mind, he was lucky Daniel was prepared to wait.
I also didn't get Gabe and his attitude towards Daniel. He had no reason to act that way.
I loved Daniel's team and feel their connection and loyalty to each other. I hope we get to see more of them in future.
There were a few storyline threads that were left hanging and I hope some of them will be dealt with in the next book.
Can't wait to continue on with this series
***ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews. This is my honest and voluntary review ***
Great first effort from this author
I really liked Daniel. He was so calm and I enjoyed his attempts at flirting with Eli. I felt for him when Eli walked away as that was the second time it had happened to him in the space of a couple of months. His family was a hoot and in their shenanigans I could see a lot of my family unit, although we are a lot smaller unit than they were.
I liked Eli too, but found him a prickly pear at times. He had such responsibility with his niece and nephews and he took it without complaints. While I understood and could sympathize to an extent why he was upset and walked away, I also didn't quite understand why he didn't fight for Daniel. It also took him a long time to make up his mind, he was lucky Daniel was prepared to wait.
I also didn't get Gabe and his attitude towards Daniel. He had no reason to act that way.
I loved Daniel's team and feel their connection and loyalty to each other. I hope we get to see more of them in future.
There were a few storyline threads that were left hanging and I hope some of them will be dealt with in the next book.
Can't wait to continue on with this series
***ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews. This is my honest and voluntary review ***
April 23, 2021
Thicker than Blood has a lot going on. Eli and Daniel both come with a complete set of baggage from what life has dealt them.
There was enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.
Lots of angst, snark and heat.
I'm looking forward to what comes next.
There was enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.
Lots of angst, snark and heat.
I'm looking forward to what comes next.
Read
December 26, 2021Редкий случай, когда герои вызывают отвращение под конец книги, хотя начиналось с эмпатии.
August 4, 2022
3.5 rounded up
April 7, 2021
ARC received for an honest review.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Elliot "Eli" Devlin works for his best friends brother/sorta adopted brother Jay. He's been taking care of his niece and nephews since they were born. He halfway takes care of his sister and halfway enables her. For one of his work jobs he needs a security specialist, Daniel is recommended.
Daniel Sinclair is a Special Forces Commando. He's returning from a six month tour to find his boyfriend of four years has moved out without any explanation. When he tries to reach him, he gets no response. Now he's facing fatherhood as a single parent. When he meets Eli as a security specialist he's immediately charmed by him.
Eli is shy around Daniel. Their working together is slow and stilted in the beginning and slowly comes around to them dating. Eli has a sad background and Daniel has a big, happy family. Eli thinks they are too different to make things work but Daniel doesn't see it that way. When Daniel's ex comes sniffing around it causes tension and trouble between Daniel and Eli. Eli drops the kids off with his sister and immediately realizes he's made a mistake. Can these two work out their troubles and live HEA?
This was a well written book with no notable errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. In the beginning when Eli and Daniel are working together the dialogue is boring and hard to follow along but it doesn't take long for them to get past the work relationship and onto dating. Then the book flows better and the chemistry starts to show. The supporting characters are pretty well flushed out. There's a lot of anger from Eli's best friend Gabe that was uncomfortable to read at times. The part where Eli leaves the kids with his sister was unrealistic IMO. What sane adult leaves three kids under ten with a drugged out sister and multiple unknown and violent men? What sane adult get beat up, thrown out of his sister's house and then hears her being abused and just goes home and has sex but doesn't call the police? I think there could have been a more believable way to write in the conflict needed to further the book. The book's blurb made this book seem like it was about Daniel coming home to an empty house and a baby on the way and meeting Eli and starting a relationship. What we got was too much of Charlie's problems and not enough of Naomi and the pregnancy. Daniel was worried about suddenly being a single father but it wasn't flushed out well enough. I really liked the time spent on Eli and Daniel and them with the kids. The book needed more of that. I liked the book but I didn't love it.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Elliot "Eli" Devlin works for his best friends brother/sorta adopted brother Jay. He's been taking care of his niece and nephews since they were born. He halfway takes care of his sister and halfway enables her. For one of his work jobs he needs a security specialist, Daniel is recommended.
Daniel Sinclair is a Special Forces Commando. He's returning from a six month tour to find his boyfriend of four years has moved out without any explanation. When he tries to reach him, he gets no response. Now he's facing fatherhood as a single parent. When he meets Eli as a security specialist he's immediately charmed by him.
Eli is shy around Daniel. Their working together is slow and stilted in the beginning and slowly comes around to them dating. Eli has a sad background and Daniel has a big, happy family. Eli thinks they are too different to make things work but Daniel doesn't see it that way. When Daniel's ex comes sniffing around it causes tension and trouble between Daniel and Eli. Eli drops the kids off with his sister and immediately realizes he's made a mistake. Can these two work out their troubles and live HEA?
This was a well written book with no notable errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. In the beginning when Eli and Daniel are working together the dialogue is boring and hard to follow along but it doesn't take long for them to get past the work relationship and onto dating. Then the book flows better and the chemistry starts to show. The supporting characters are pretty well flushed out. There's a lot of anger from Eli's best friend Gabe that was uncomfortable to read at times. The part where Eli leaves the kids with his sister was unrealistic IMO. What sane adult leaves three kids under ten with a drugged out sister and multiple unknown and violent men? What sane adult get beat up, thrown out of his sister's house and then hears her being abused and just goes home and has sex but doesn't call the police? I think there could have been a more believable way to write in the conflict needed to further the book. The book's blurb made this book seem like it was about Daniel coming home to an empty house and a baby on the way and meeting Eli and starting a relationship. What we got was too much of Charlie's problems and not enough of Naomi and the pregnancy. Daniel was worried about suddenly being a single father but it wasn't flushed out well enough. I really liked the time spent on Eli and Daniel and them with the kids. The book needed more of that. I liked the book but I didn't love it.
April 23, 2021
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
You know what I love about being a reviewer for book blogs? Finding new to me authors. But you know what I love *the most* about being a book reviewer?? Finding brand spanking new authors who really knock it out the park!
I can't see anything else by this author before this book, and I looked hard. And I have to say, I really kinda thoroughly got lost in this book and was nearly late for work, I was so engaged!
Daniel returns home after deployment to find himself becoming a single dad. His partner up and left while he was away. Eli meets Danny when Danny's sister recruits him for a security job. But Eli has his own baggage, and has no time for any sort of romance. Danny gets under his skin like no other, and they have to navigate a minefield to be together.
Both Danny and Eli have a say, and I loved that they do. Both voices are distinctive, showing their upbringing and current life setting. I loved the marked differences between them.
Eli's sister is the main source of his baggage. She is in a bad way, there is drug use here. Eli looks after her kids, til something really bad happens and Daniel comes to the rescue.
The chemistry they share is hawt, and burns bright right through the book. It burns fairly slow to start though, and once Daniel finds out something, something deep within him is let loose and he works hard to make Eli his.
I loved daniel's group of friends/family/fellow soldiers. They are a rowdy bunch, and I'd love to read more about them. They have stories to tell, I think!
I loved Gabe, Eli's best friend. There is a powerful reaction from him to a police officer dealing with Eli's sister's case, and I know that the next book is their story. I can't wait to read that. Gabe is a force to be reckoned with, he really is!
All in all, a very VERY enjoyable read. Not quite enough for a 5 star, but sooooooooooooooooo very nearly!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
You know what I love about being a reviewer for book blogs? Finding new to me authors. But you know what I love *the most* about being a book reviewer?? Finding brand spanking new authors who really knock it out the park!
I can't see anything else by this author before this book, and I looked hard. And I have to say, I really kinda thoroughly got lost in this book and was nearly late for work, I was so engaged!
Daniel returns home after deployment to find himself becoming a single dad. His partner up and left while he was away. Eli meets Danny when Danny's sister recruits him for a security job. But Eli has his own baggage, and has no time for any sort of romance. Danny gets under his skin like no other, and they have to navigate a minefield to be together.
Both Danny and Eli have a say, and I loved that they do. Both voices are distinctive, showing their upbringing and current life setting. I loved the marked differences between them.
Eli's sister is the main source of his baggage. She is in a bad way, there is drug use here. Eli looks after her kids, til something really bad happens and Daniel comes to the rescue.
The chemistry they share is hawt, and burns bright right through the book. It burns fairly slow to start though, and once Daniel finds out something, something deep within him is let loose and he works hard to make Eli his.
I loved daniel's group of friends/family/fellow soldiers. They are a rowdy bunch, and I'd love to read more about them. They have stories to tell, I think!
I loved Gabe, Eli's best friend. There is a powerful reaction from him to a police officer dealing with Eli's sister's case, and I know that the next book is their story. I can't wait to read that. Gabe is a force to be reckoned with, he really is!
All in all, a very VERY enjoyable read. Not quite enough for a 5 star, but sooooooooooooooooo very nearly!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
April 18, 2021
I like this book! This is a new author to me and I enjoy Daniel and Elliot story. Daniel is a Special Forces soldier, he returns from a tour to find out that his boyfriend of four years moved out without giving him any explanation. He can’t understand why he left him because they agree to have a baby together know he is going to be a single parent. His sister asked him to help her boss becoming a security specialist for them and here he meets Eli.
Eli works with his sort of adopted brother Jay, he and Gabe are best friends and Gabe in Jay’s older brother too. Jay to care of Gabe, Eli and Eli’s sister Charlotte since they were young. Eli is twenty five years old and he is taking care of his niece and nephews since they were born and also takes care of his sister, she is a mess. He becomes a little clumsy every time he is near Daniel, so funny watching him get a little flustered every time Daniel tried to flirt with him, adorable! They work together planing how to work with a security firm following Daniel recommendations.
Eli so adorably shy around Daniel. They are attracted to each other and later Daniel asked him on a date. These two are great together and I love their chemistry, I love that Daniel is taking care of Eli and his family, he has a great family and his team are also great friends.
We have a little angst when Eli’s sister and her kids are in troubled in this cause a lot of tension and also Daniel's ex comes back to try to get back with Daniel causing a few problems between Daniel and Eli, at the end every is resolved and they work out and Eli’s sister and kids get together safe. This is a great book and I highly recommended it!
I received an ARC is this book and this is my honest review.
Eli works with his sort of adopted brother Jay, he and Gabe are best friends and Gabe in Jay’s older brother too. Jay to care of Gabe, Eli and Eli’s sister Charlotte since they were young. Eli is twenty five years old and he is taking care of his niece and nephews since they were born and also takes care of his sister, she is a mess. He becomes a little clumsy every time he is near Daniel, so funny watching him get a little flustered every time Daniel tried to flirt with him, adorable! They work together planing how to work with a security firm following Daniel recommendations.
Eli so adorably shy around Daniel. They are attracted to each other and later Daniel asked him on a date. These two are great together and I love their chemistry, I love that Daniel is taking care of Eli and his family, he has a great family and his team are also great friends.
We have a little angst when Eli’s sister and her kids are in troubled in this cause a lot of tension and also Daniel's ex comes back to try to get back with Daniel causing a few problems between Daniel and Eli, at the end every is resolved and they work out and Eli’s sister and kids get together safe. This is a great book and I highly recommended it!
I received an ARC is this book and this is my honest review.
April 23, 2021
I was really looking forward to reading this one. The premise sounds interesting. Special Forces Soldier meets and falls for Super Uncle.
I don’t know what it is about the writing style, but sometimes it appears to be a bit inconsistent with the pace. The ending felt rushed. There’s some things in the plot that I couldn’t connect. There seems to be an imbalance in the story. There’s not a whole lot more of Daniel’s issue and his process of accepting and dealing with and becoming a single father. That’s a whole lot of unpack and it felt like there wasn’t a lot focused on that. On the other hand, Charlie’s drama and poor choices have been more focused in the book.
I struggled with Eli’s character. I didn’t like that while Eli appears to be fierce in his own way, with his tongue described as cutting, he was a big doormat of his sister’s. A pushover and unknowingly enabling her. It’s like his propensity for sticking his head down the sand didn’t just stop with Charlie, he did it a heck of a lot with Daniel. It was so unnecessary. And for somebody who allegedly has sharp tongue, he sure as heck froze with insecurities when Peter was lashing out.
Daniel is adorable. His family is awesome. Lucas’ antics had me laughing. His team is a trip too! I liked reading those scenes. Same goes with the kids.
There’s a big moment here in the book, and I could not believe Eli’s reaction. I almost stopped reading after that part because it was ridiculous. A loving uncle and protective brother wouldn’t just do that. Ugh.
Overall, it’s an okay read. It wouldn’t be something I’ll be re-reading though. I just expected more out of it and maybe it’s on me, but something was just missing.
I don’t know what it is about the writing style, but sometimes it appears to be a bit inconsistent with the pace. The ending felt rushed. There’s some things in the plot that I couldn’t connect. There seems to be an imbalance in the story. There’s not a whole lot more of Daniel’s issue and his process of accepting and dealing with and becoming a single father. That’s a whole lot of unpack and it felt like there wasn’t a lot focused on that. On the other hand, Charlie’s drama and poor choices have been more focused in the book.
I struggled with Eli’s character. I didn’t like that while Eli appears to be fierce in his own way, with his tongue described as cutting, he was a big doormat of his sister’s. A pushover and unknowingly enabling her. It’s like his propensity for sticking his head down the sand didn’t just stop with Charlie, he did it a heck of a lot with Daniel. It was so unnecessary. And for somebody who allegedly has sharp tongue, he sure as heck froze with insecurities when Peter was lashing out.
Daniel is adorable. His family is awesome. Lucas’ antics had me laughing. His team is a trip too! I liked reading those scenes. Same goes with the kids.
There’s a big moment here in the book, and I could not believe Eli’s reaction. I almost stopped reading after that part because it was ridiculous. A loving uncle and protective brother wouldn’t just do that. Ugh.
Overall, it’s an okay read. It wouldn’t be something I’ll be re-reading though. I just expected more out of it and maybe it’s on me, but something was just missing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2021
Thicker Than Blood is an excellent start to this series and has everything you love about a good book: sweet romance, hilarious friends and siblings, strong emotions, and a twisty suspenseful plot. Eli and Daniel are wonderful characters who are each struggling with personal issues; Daniel's partner has left him and their unborn child without a word and Eli is helping raise his sister's three children while she struggles with a drug problem. I like that you learn about each character and what is going on in their lives before they meet each other, instead of just jumping into their relationship. It was sweet to see the care Daniel gave to Eli as he navigates his first relationship while also taking care of his niece and nephews. Daniel's Special Forces team and his siblings were hilarious and I loved seeing their interactions at family dinners. I laughed out loud several times at the antics among Daniel and his five siblings; this author clearly has siblings and knows how no matter your age, you revert to being children when you are all together. Though the storyline centering on Eli's sister and the bad people she has fallen in with is mostly resolved, there are aspects of it that carryover to the next book and it sounds like it will be another excellent book. I love books by non-US authors; the different vocabulary as well as cultural differences always create such interesting characters and stories and Thicker Than Blood is no different. With lots of side characters, I hope there are several other books in this series yet to come. Wonderful book. Highly recommend! I received an ARC for an honest and fair review.
April 20, 2021
**Potential spoiler warning**
I really like the premise of Thicker Than Blood. I mean, what's not to like... special forces guy meets a cutie full of snark and freckles? I don't think we quite get what we're told in the blurb, though…
I like Daniel as a character but I'm not entirely convinced by the amount of time he's given to resolve ex-boyfriend issues or with the little page time he has dealing with impending single parenthood. Insta is fine when there's a decent follow up with bonding and developing a deeper relationship. I didn't feel I got enough of that here. That may be because I felt Eli's character fell off a bit of a metaphorical cliff about three quarters of the way in. It was shaping out to be a good read and I was finally feeling those relationship vibes when Eli did complete 180 for absolutely no good reason and I lost empathy. Honestly, I wasn't convinced he deserved Daniel after that (I don't even remember a real apology?) and that section of the plot felt contrived - unnecessary angst when there's already the situation with Eli's sister and her children to provide that kind of thing. My last issue is that the ending feels too rushed. I get that there might be an overarching plot moving into book two, but Daniel and Eli's story just feels a bit unfinished to me.
All in all, this is a good plot (if a little unrealistic at times) in a nice writing style and I love the family aspects - Daniel's very entertaining family is great especially - but I think overall execution could have been better for me. 3*
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
I really like the premise of Thicker Than Blood. I mean, what's not to like... special forces guy meets a cutie full of snark and freckles? I don't think we quite get what we're told in the blurb, though…
I like Daniel as a character but I'm not entirely convinced by the amount of time he's given to resolve ex-boyfriend issues or with the little page time he has dealing with impending single parenthood. Insta is fine when there's a decent follow up with bonding and developing a deeper relationship. I didn't feel I got enough of that here. That may be because I felt Eli's character fell off a bit of a metaphorical cliff about three quarters of the way in. It was shaping out to be a good read and I was finally feeling those relationship vibes when Eli did complete 180 for absolutely no good reason and I lost empathy. Honestly, I wasn't convinced he deserved Daniel after that (I don't even remember a real apology?) and that section of the plot felt contrived - unnecessary angst when there's already the situation with Eli's sister and her children to provide that kind of thing. My last issue is that the ending feels too rushed. I get that there might be an overarching plot moving into book two, but Daniel and Eli's story just feels a bit unfinished to me.
All in all, this is a good plot (if a little unrealistic at times) in a nice writing style and I love the family aspects - Daniel's very entertaining family is great especially - but I think overall execution could have been better for me. 3*
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
April 25, 2021
3.5 stars. An opposites attract, first time love, romance. I loved Daniel, he’s a good, kind guy that comes in a big, hulking package. And how Eli stepped up and took care of his sister’s kids, giving them stability, is what I liked about him. The beginning of their relationship was the best part of the book. They had good chemistry. I enjoyed many of the background characters and could see where a few were kind of set up so they could be the mains in books to come. However, there came a part in the book that totally derailed it for me: when Eli brought the kids home to his sister. Even though he could tell she was high and not capable of watching them, he sent them into their rooms instead of back out to his car. Even after hearing men in house, he worried more about his sister than the kids! Then he just left?!?! Instead of swallowing his pride, calling Daniel for help and getting the kids the hell out of there! But he waits until he gets home to call Daniel and doesn’t even tell him what happened! And has sex with him instead of doing something useful! Fucking ridiculous. That part was hard to read, I had to skim over it. Also, Gabe was such an unlikable character. I know he’s supposed to be an ass hole but I disliked reading any part with him in it. When it came to him ass-holing around, Eli never called him out or tried to get him to stop, but he would call out random strangers or people he had just met? I didn’t like that at all. I’m just glad there was a happy ending, I was ready to start knocking heads together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2021
I..I just...no...just no. It's not like I hated the book, but there was so much I didn't like that I was seriously disappointed and incredulous in nearly equal turns all throughout the story. My hopes were high because I was interested in the synopsis and by the end all those hopes were dashed.
The book lacked balance. Once an issue is brought up you'd expect a resolution by the end, but many are either missing or unsatisfactory and therefore disappointing. Behaviors complained about should get mentioned, fixed, or acknowledged and then dropped, not enabled, whined about, and then permitted. Recognizing danger and then literally pushing kids into it while bitching about it and turning around to have sex to distract from that whole scenario is ridiculous and unacceptable. Preparing for single parenthood should include some kind of preparation. Over and over there were issues introduced that were poorly handled because of obliviousness, diva shit fits, irresponsibility, or just lack of follow through.
I wish I had something convincingly good to say about the book to show I didn't hate it, but I find myself so upset by so much of what happened and was allowed to happen that I can't remember what to extoll rather than criticize at the moment. And it's been nearly two weeks since I struggled to finish the book.
The book lacked balance. Once an issue is brought up you'd expect a resolution by the end, but many are either missing or unsatisfactory and therefore disappointing. Behaviors complained about should get mentioned, fixed, or acknowledged and then dropped, not enabled, whined about, and then permitted. Recognizing danger and then literally pushing kids into it while bitching about it and turning around to have sex to distract from that whole scenario is ridiculous and unacceptable. Preparing for single parenthood should include some kind of preparation. Over and over there were issues introduced that were poorly handled because of obliviousness, diva shit fits, irresponsibility, or just lack of follow through.
I wish I had something convincingly good to say about the book to show I didn't hate it, but I find myself so upset by so much of what happened and was allowed to happen that I can't remember what to extoll rather than criticize at the moment. And it's been nearly two weeks since I struggled to finish the book.
April 23, 2021
As the story opens Daniel, a special forces officer in Australia, is on his way home from a mission that sent them packing at the last minute and he and members of his team are joking around and trying to settle. There is mention that he is the only one of them that has a significant other waiting for him. When they land Daniel's family is there to greet him, including his sister who is serving as a surrogate for him and his partner. He finds out after being gone for six months that his partner has moved out of their house, will not engage with Daniel's family and left no note. Eli is dealing with his own crazy drama taking care of his sister's children and trying to provide stability for them since she is unreliable and unstable. This is where they are when they meet and start building their connection to one another. As crazy as life is for each of them Daniel has a supportive family and team and Eli has supportive brothers and friends. Daniel and Eli are good together, even in the midst of all the challenges they face and I am looking forward to reading more about them in the next book as this one ends with somethings unresolved. A good start to this duo of reads.
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review
April 24, 2021
Sometimes you kiss a few frogs, before your prince shows up. Daniel, returnd from a 6 month deployment to find his sister, Naomi, his surrogate pregnant, and his partner of 4 years, Peter, gone. Moved out, with no word, no notice, no forwarding information, just gone! He was devestated, because of the abrupt no notice abandonment. Eli, works for Jay, who is his best friend, Gabe's older brother. Eli's sister, Charlotte has 3 children, whom Eli helps raise. Gabe is contracted on a project working with Eli. Gabe is enchanted and cautiously pursues Eli. Both Eli and Daniel face challenges with their family lives that while willing, they are not emotionally prepared for. They are also starting a new relationship. Eli is absolutely new to romantic relationships and Daniel, was just drop kicked from one. Will they trust and relax enough to start dating each other? Does Daniel ever get closure with Peter? Does Charlotte ever get her act together and raise her own family? Will Eli find what he didn't know he was looking for? Delightful cast of secondary characters. Both Eli and Daniel are absolutely likeable. Their journey is a fun read and Daniel's family is fantastic. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2021
What a whirlwind of amazing characters this book introduces us to! I think I'm a bit spoilt because I already know there are two more books to come and who we see after this, but I think even if I didn't know I'd have been so intrigued as to what came after this.
Eli tugged on all of my heart strings for various reasons - his sense of responsibility for his sister and her kids, his love for the found family of Gabe and Jay Petriov, and then how uncertain he was about widening that circle when Daniel Sinclair came barrelling into his life, all camo and quiet confidence.
Daniel was such a fascinating mix of strength and gentleness, and I loved how unwavering he was in what he wanted. It didn't change from the moment he decided that Eli belonged in his life, not even through everything that could have kept them apart. External forces (assholes, mostly) and Eli's doubts didn't stand a chance against his conviction.
The supporting cast, mostly Danny's team and his family but special mention to Gabe and Jay, were really what made this book for me. No man is an island, and real life is usually as messy as this book. A stellar start to what I know is going to be a favourite series of mine, and a fantastic debut M/M.
Bring on book 2!
Eli tugged on all of my heart strings for various reasons - his sense of responsibility for his sister and her kids, his love for the found family of Gabe and Jay Petriov, and then how uncertain he was about widening that circle when Daniel Sinclair came barrelling into his life, all camo and quiet confidence.
Daniel was such a fascinating mix of strength and gentleness, and I loved how unwavering he was in what he wanted. It didn't change from the moment he decided that Eli belonged in his life, not even through everything that could have kept them apart. External forces (assholes, mostly) and Eli's doubts didn't stand a chance against his conviction.
The supporting cast, mostly Danny's team and his family but special mention to Gabe and Jay, were really what made this book for me. No man is an island, and real life is usually as messy as this book. A stellar start to what I know is going to be a favourite series of mine, and a fantastic debut M/M.
Bring on book 2!
April 14, 2021
I received an ARC through Gay Romance Reviews. Alice C Crane is a new-to-me author and I grabbed this book because the blurb said snarky men will be falling in love! Maybe it's because this is the first in the series so the author is trying to establish the plot for the next book featuring another brother and the ongoing investigation, but this book didn't have a clear courtship between Eli and Daniel. What I mean is I didn't see how they fell for each other other than Eli's instalust with Daniel's body and Daniel's instalust with Eli's blushes and freckles.
Eli was supposed to be the snarky bottom but the first impression that stuck with me is how overwhelmed he is in his personal life... taking care of his niece and nephews. Daniel is supposed to be the dominant alpha since he's from the Army but he's freaking out about impending fatherhood. They didn't have time to make each other stronger despite those fears before they were intimate and dating. And then we are plunged into the investigation that will be the overarching plot in the series.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series though because I have a feeling Eli's brother Gabe will give me all the snark I need!
Eli was supposed to be the snarky bottom but the first impression that stuck with me is how overwhelmed he is in his personal life... taking care of his niece and nephews. Daniel is supposed to be the dominant alpha since he's from the Army but he's freaking out about impending fatherhood. They didn't have time to make each other stronger despite those fears before they were intimate and dating. And then we are plunged into the investigation that will be the overarching plot in the series.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series though because I have a feeling Eli's brother Gabe will give me all the snark I need!
April 24, 2021
This is intense, interesting, suspenseful and romantic. Soon after coming home from a six months long deployment to find his boyfriend gone with no explanation, Daniel is asked to work on a project with someone from the company his sister worked at. And he was instantly captivated by the man he was to work with, Eli. Eli was already frazzled from having to get his niece and nephews ready for school, something that frequently, and sometimes suddenly, happened. And then Daniel walked in, and Eli was speechless. And totally mesmerized. After working closely together for weeks, Daniel asked Eli out. Eli wasn't sure, he'd never had a boyfriend, and didn't think that they had anything in common. But they do go out, and get close quickly. Then Eli finds out that Daniel is about to become a single father because he had just been dumped, and that his sister was doing drugs. There is so much complexity in the story, but it doesn't take away from the story, it adds to it. There are twists that intensify the story and make it very hard to put down. This is such an all around good story and I enjoyed reading it very much.
April 21, 2021
This was a new to me author, and I got to say I enjoyed their writing style and the story we were given. I really like these family dynamic orientated books, there's plenty of angst and emotional turmoil so if your not a fan of angry outbursts, squabbling maybe this won't be the book for you but for the most part I think it brought all the raw emotions to the front of being in these sort of situations. I loved Eli shyness and flustered interactions with Daniel it was adorable and sweet. Daniel brought his own charm to the story, I liked how he interacted with Eli, the kids and his siblings which gave me laugh out moments. The only little thing that I thought maybe was unrealistic was a scenario where Eli left his nephews and niece with his sister after a violent incident and went home and was intimate. It just smacked me as wrong but apart from that I think the story was engaging, emotional and high with tension that any busybody would be agog with intrigue. A good read and entertaining.
I received this book by the author and this is my honest opinion.
I received this book by the author and this is my honest opinion.
April 10, 2021
This is the first story I’ve ready by this author. I enjoyed it but there are a few things I felt could have been done better. I think there is a lot in this story and the author tried to put it all in so some of the issues don’t fit quite right. I don’t think Daniel had enough time to resolve Peter and instantly fell for Eli. I don’t see in reality that ever happening this way. I don’t think the issue of anyone dealing with a baby is really addressed but maybe in the next story. I think there are a few more things left unresolved but that could make this more of a hfn story. I did enjoy the Daniel’s family dynamic. I loved the self made families, Daniels military brothers, Eli’s family and Jay’s family relationships. I’m hoping the author defines if this is going to be an ongoing story and cliffhangers or are the stories in this series going to be actual standalones.
April 24, 2021
Imagine returning home, only to find everything you remember, completely changed.
Daniel returned home from a six month deployment. His partner (well, former partner) moved out. No forwarding information and no explanation. Four years invested... down the drain.
Between dealing with his pain and life in general, he is asked to work on a project.
Eli works at Daniels' sister company. When the two men meet, they are both captivated by the other. After some time passes, Daniel invites Eli out on a date. Slightly hesitant, Eli never had a boyfriend. They go out anyway, things progress rather quickly. But there are a few twists.
Learning that Daniel was dumped, he's about to become a single dad, and his sister is in trouble.
Fantastic, engaging, and relatable.
**I received this ARC from Gay Romance Reviews for my honest feedback.**
Daniel returned home from a six month deployment. His partner (well, former partner) moved out. No forwarding information and no explanation. Four years invested... down the drain.
Between dealing with his pain and life in general, he is asked to work on a project.
Eli works at Daniels' sister company. When the two men meet, they are both captivated by the other. After some time passes, Daniel invites Eli out on a date. Slightly hesitant, Eli never had a boyfriend. They go out anyway, things progress rather quickly. But there are a few twists.
Learning that Daniel was dumped, he's about to become a single dad, and his sister is in trouble.
Fantastic, engaging, and relatable.
**I received this ARC from Gay Romance Reviews for my honest feedback.**
April 18, 2021
I am a new fan. I thought from the blurb the story would be meh. I WAS WRONG.
I adored Eli and Daniel. Despite the idea that Dannys last relationship was literally just finished, one look at Eli was enough to have him hooked. Though I generally dont believe the insta love stories, this one came across well.
Eli practically raises his neice and nephews and a puts them first, over his own life like a good father would. Even though Danny knows they arent Eli's he never makes an issue of this.
You get pulled into the story, and feel invested to know why Gabe is so closed off, what happens to Charlotte. Does Bastian come home. As well as reading about Dannys team, the relationship between that group is amazing, literally another family
I adored Eli and Daniel. Despite the idea that Dannys last relationship was literally just finished, one look at Eli was enough to have him hooked. Though I generally dont believe the insta love stories, this one came across well.
Eli practically raises his neice and nephews and a puts them first, over his own life like a good father would. Even though Danny knows they arent Eli's he never makes an issue of this.
You get pulled into the story, and feel invested to know why Gabe is so closed off, what happens to Charlotte. Does Bastian come home. As well as reading about Dannys team, the relationship between that group is amazing, literally another family
April 22, 2021
This book has a lot going on!! It is definitely world and character building for more! We have Daniel and Eli who both have quite a bit of baggage, Eli especially. Daniel is a soldier and his Ex left him before he got home and they had a surrogate baby on the way!! Poor Eli is helping his sister Charlotte out with her kids.. I am not a Charlotte fan.. sorry, but maybe my mind will be changed down the road!! The beginning takes a bit to get into.... but Eli and Daniel make a sweet and Steamy pair when the finally get together though! I definitely plan to keep going with the series. I do not want to give too much away.. but there are some unresolved plots! Hoping for a story with Gabe.. I think he needs some romance!!
April 20, 2021
I thought this was an interesting book with a lot packed inside. Unfortunately, I don't think it was executed in the best way possible. I feel as though Daniel and Eli's story is lost within the melee of everything else going on between family, and past relationship problems. Some of those things I feel were not really dealt with or handled in a blase manner. I would have liked to see more dating and romance between Daniel and Eli rather than the instant sort of relationship it seemed. There is an overarching mystery that has me intrigued as well as a few characters I am hoping to learn more about. For a first book, I think this is fairly well done. I'm curious to see what happens next.
April 21, 2021
I really enjoyed the overall story with Daniel and Eli, however I feel like Daniel got over his 4yr relationship WAY too fast considering he was completely blindsided by Peter's abandonment. There was a LOT going on in here and Eli seemed like a bit of a pushover, didn't know how to say no, and I feel like that was used against way too many times. I can agree with Daniel moving on but it was less than 3 months after finding out your partner & potential baby daddy leaves & he was already saying I love you to another man. The overall story was sweet and I'm looking forward to reading the other characters' stories.
April 23, 2021
Complicated is a good word for the world that is Daniel and Eli’s. Coming back from a deployment to an empty house and a baby on the way. Daniel is a bit lost, until he sees Eli foe the first time then his world get a whole lot brighter. Eli struggles day to day with trying to help his absent sister with his nephews and niece. But they find happiness in their own little world. But when the past comes back Eli runs scared. Good thing their lives are pretty entwined already so they can build back their happiness and get their happy ending. I truly fell in love with this oil right from the start. And I’m so excited to read Gabe’s book next!
April 23, 2021
What a fantastic story which I could not put down and had me flipping until the last page. Emotion driven and incredibly engaging with so much going on but it was Eli that stole my heart as he was funny, self deprecating, so giving and a bit of a hot mess. Daniel I felt such pain for him after what he went through and could of injured Peter for being an utter waffle. Such a heartwarming family and friends but trouble lurks in the background and causes a fallout I did not see coming. Enjoyed the character of Gabe and Aidan alot and can't wait for more of them. Angst is heavy here but tempered with such strong emotions you can't help but get invested with their plight.
April 13, 2021
A new author, blurb says it all just know that the families are great, friends are fantastic, so much love from both and of course interferences. Lots of angst, snark, complex loveable characters, adorable children, laugh out loud moments and the chemistry between Danny and Eli was explosive. I was captivated from the beginning to the end, in fact didn’t want it to end. Heartwarming. Can’t wait to read the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I absolutely recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I absolutely recommend this book.
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