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Borealis: Without a Compass #2
Misdirection
Finding a missing boy will be hard. Dinner with Shaw’s parents might be murder.
When a rising star in the state senate asks Shaw Aldrich and North McKinney to transport her son, Flip, to and from his drug testing appointments, they’re not happy—they don’t do babysitting jobs. Arriving at the boy’s dorm room, though, they discover that the door has been forced and that Flip has disappeared, and rumors of strange men on campus suggest that something seriously bad has happened. The students and staff at the ritzy private school have plenty to tell about Flip, but the deeper North and Shaw dig, the less they understand what might have happened to the boy.
Then one of Flip’s friends is found dead, and it’s clear that she was killed for coming too close to the truth. As North and Shaw search for answers, they meet resistance from every angle: from the school’s staff, from Flip’s friends, from the police, even from Flip’s family. Someone wants the boy to disappear—and is willing to kill to make sure it happens.
The home front has its share of trouble too. North’s ‘uncle’ Ronnie is back at his old games, drawing North and Shaw into a job that seems simple on the surface—find a missing man who might be in trouble—but they suspect that the request hides something sinister. Ronnie’s involvement, and the job itself, puts the detectives on a collision course with Shaw’s parents and a strain on their fledgling relationship.
As the days pass, North and Shaw realize time is running out for Flip and, maybe, for them as well. They have been misled from the very beginning—and they might be too late.
When a rising star in the state senate asks Shaw Aldrich and North McKinney to transport her son, Flip, to and from his drug testing appointments, they’re not happy—they don’t do babysitting jobs. Arriving at the boy’s dorm room, though, they discover that the door has been forced and that Flip has disappeared, and rumors of strange men on campus suggest that something seriously bad has happened. The students and staff at the ritzy private school have plenty to tell about Flip, but the deeper North and Shaw dig, the less they understand what might have happened to the boy.
Then one of Flip’s friends is found dead, and it’s clear that she was killed for coming too close to the truth. As North and Shaw search for answers, they meet resistance from every angle: from the school’s staff, from Flip’s friends, from the police, even from Flip’s family. Someone wants the boy to disappear—and is willing to kill to make sure it happens.
The home front has its share of trouble too. North’s ‘uncle’ Ronnie is back at his old games, drawing North and Shaw into a job that seems simple on the surface—find a missing man who might be in trouble—but they suspect that the request hides something sinister. Ronnie’s involvement, and the job itself, puts the detectives on a collision course with Shaw’s parents and a strain on their fledgling relationship.
As the days pass, North and Shaw realize time is running out for Flip and, maybe, for them as well. They have been misled from the very beginning—and they might be too late.
285 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2021
51 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Ashe
135 books1,801 followersI'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 3, 2021
Sooooo, here I am 5 days later and I still can't wrap my head around the things that happened in this book.
GAAAAHH!! Damn you Greg!
Welp!
Audiobook – 4 stars
Story – 4.5 my tiny peanut heart survived this stars.
GAAAAHH! What an awful way to rip my heart out Greg!
This was brutal..
Book 2 in the Borealis: Without a Compass series, technically book 5 in the North and Shaw saga and damn what an emotional journey.
This book is emotionally charged, it punches all the punches and broke my tiny peanut heart.
The writing is on another level, I am so happy that Greg is a character driven writer, I always come back to his books because of the characters. They are unforgettable and it is so easy to form a long lasting emotional connection with them. I have discovered that I love character driven stories more. Huh!
Shaw and North feel so real to me. I can clearly picture them in my head, and when Shaw goes on and on about his unhealthy obsession with his best friend Hazard, I smile because I can feel all that. The pictures are so vivid in my head it is hard not to feel the feels win.
Shaw – My bohemian health obsessed, Coca-Cola junkie. GAAAAAHHH!!! SHAW! I wanted to shake saw bad in this book. Pari, I can’t believe I am saying this, but you are my angel. Atleast I can count on someone to put Shaw in his place. Shaw is selfish, I know he loves North but he is so blinded by his selfishness that it is so hard to watch him not even realize it. I love him and his sense of humor, even that couldn’t get him off the hook. GAAHH! Shaw is frustrating.
North – My buff guy, sweet, considerate North. GAAHHH!! North you need therapy and lots of therapy. I love North and North loves Shaw, but these two need to work on themselves. North can be so mean sometimes and that stems from keeping things inside until it all comes out bursting, it ain’t pretty at all. North needs lots of hugs. He deserves better than what he is getting now.
North and Shaw as bestfriends is the best thing ever. Their banter is so easy going and hilarious. Their BFFS adventures throughout the years! GAAAHHH!! I was laughing out loud.
The mystery is the most interesting so far. It brought out the best and the worst in Shaw and North and I love to see that. What a bunch of douches though. The other guys, not North and Shaw. They are darlings. I loved the twists, though at some point my theory was conformed and I screamed. I still got it.!!
Shaw’s parents??? Hmmmm!!!
Tucker??? What the fuck is he still doing here? No- no- He is not even allowed to breathe.
That ending! GAAAHH!!! I trust Greg will not make me riot.
Overall, this was soooo good and entertaining. , I laughed, I loved hard and got my tiny peanut heart broken. What more could I ask for?
Maybe some happiness?
Disclaimer! A copy of the audiobook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
GAAAAHH!! Damn you Greg!
Welp!
Audiobook – 4 stars
Story – 4.5 my tiny peanut heart survived this stars.
GAAAAHH! What an awful way to rip my heart out Greg!
This was brutal..
Book 2 in the Borealis: Without a Compass series, technically book 5 in the North and Shaw saga and damn what an emotional journey.
This book is emotionally charged, it punches all the punches and broke my tiny peanut heart.
The writing is on another level, I am so happy that Greg is a character driven writer, I always come back to his books because of the characters. They are unforgettable and it is so easy to form a long lasting emotional connection with them. I have discovered that I love character driven stories more. Huh!
Shaw and North feel so real to me. I can clearly picture them in my head, and when Shaw goes on and on about his unhealthy obsession with his best friend Hazard, I smile because I can feel all that. The pictures are so vivid in my head it is hard not to feel the feels win.
Shaw – My bohemian health obsessed, Coca-Cola junkie. GAAAAAHHH!!! SHAW! I wanted to shake saw bad in this book. Pari, I can’t believe I am saying this, but you are my angel. Atleast I can count on someone to put Shaw in his place. Shaw is selfish, I know he loves North but he is so blinded by his selfishness that it is so hard to watch him not even realize it. I love him and his sense of humor, even that couldn’t get him off the hook. GAAHH! Shaw is frustrating.
North – My buff guy, sweet, considerate North. GAAHHH!! North you need therapy and lots of therapy. I love North and North loves Shaw, but these two need to work on themselves. North can be so mean sometimes and that stems from keeping things inside until it all comes out bursting, it ain’t pretty at all. North needs lots of hugs. He deserves better than what he is getting now.
North and Shaw as bestfriends is the best thing ever. Their banter is so easy going and hilarious. Their BFFS adventures throughout the years! GAAAHHH!! I was laughing out loud.
The mystery is the most interesting so far. It brought out the best and the worst in Shaw and North and I love to see that. What a bunch of douches though. The other guys, not North and Shaw. They are darlings. I loved the twists, though at some point my theory was conformed and I screamed. I still got it.!!
Shaw’s parents??? Hmmmm!!!
Tucker??? What the fuck is he still doing here? No- no- He is not even allowed to breathe.
That ending! GAAAHH!!! I trust Greg will not make me riot.
Overall, this was soooo good and entertaining. , I laughed, I loved hard and got my tiny peanut heart broken. What more could I ask for?
Maybe some happiness?
Disclaimer! A copy of the audiobook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2021
Audio reread June 24, 2021
I've been putting off this review for 2 weeks, and honestly, I've been sitting here with this screen open for the last 2 hours, still not knowing how to say all the twisted up, barbed-wire emotions this made me go through.
Usually in reading any story, I always have a feel for where it's going or who did it or what the characters are going to do. Not this time, and that was also true for most of the book. I was pretty much gobsmacked by the ending though I guess I shouldn't have been *the old 20/20 hindsight*. Maybe more that I didn't want to see the ending.
Through all of North & Shaw's stories, it's always impressed me how patient and understanding North is with Shaw. Yeah, they're always squabbling and Shaw makes North yell at him a lot, but a good deal of that is Shaw yanking his chain on purpose. That's just part of their best friend dynamic, and mostly I love it, it makes me laugh. This time, North's patience gets pushed too far and all the things he's buried down deep so he can function and be who he thinks he's supposed to be finally come out.
For the first time, I was so angry with Shaw that it bordered on the edge of dislike. It's never been a secret that both guys have big issues that neither one of them will deal with. And Shaw has always just kind of done whatever he wants, and North always gives in, to make Shaw happy. However, this time he just kind of rides roughshod all over what North wants, about almost everything. I do love Shaw and he's quirky, funny and soft-hearted but that doesn't excuse the way he disregards North, however unintentionally it may be in doing. Then some of Shaw's issues that he has been hiding come out in the most painful way possible for North McKinney and breaks the dam on his own, all those buried things that he swallows down all the time. And it freaking hurt. 😭😭 It seems that I spent a lot of this book either ragey or crying. *sigh*
As if all that isn't enough, Ronnie is back pulling his benevolent uncle routine, which of course nobody buys. Coincidentally, it appears that someone is trying to infiltrate Aldridge Acqusitions, which North has been sure all along has something to do with Ronnie's end game. Making a bad situation even worse, Tucker is constantly calling North, winding him up over the phone, fighting him over the divorce. Me, right along with North, every single time:
There are truly no words for how badly I hate Tucker and Ronnie.
Then that ending. The first time I read it, I was truly angry *like Ashe should consult me. Well....🤔*. But on the re-listen, it really did have to happen, because something had to shake things up to make the both of them deal with all the trauma they carry. And to make Shaw back up and think about what a relationship actually means. 😒 The question really is, will they? Cross your fingers for Redirection
Charlie David really is at his best with North and Shaw, he voices them so perfectly that I forget it's a performance or that I'm actually listening to a book and not just hearing North and Shaw.
Disclaimer: A copy of the audiobook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
****
First read June 13, 2021
I'm serious, what is the problem with letting me be happy for 5 freakin' minutes, Ashe?? 🤦🏼♀️ I cannot with this right now. I need to think on this some more but back with a review after vacay, during which I am going to read the fluffiest, most sugary books I can find. *stink-eyes GA*
And I might actually, maybe like Pari just a little bit now. That's so messed up.
I've been putting off this review for 2 weeks, and honestly, I've been sitting here with this screen open for the last 2 hours, still not knowing how to say all the twisted up, barbed-wire emotions this made me go through.
Usually in reading any story, I always have a feel for where it's going or who did it or what the characters are going to do. Not this time, and that was also true for most of the book. I was pretty much gobsmacked by the ending though I guess I shouldn't have been *the old 20/20 hindsight*. Maybe more that I didn't want to see the ending.
Through all of North & Shaw's stories, it's always impressed me how patient and understanding North is with Shaw. Yeah, they're always squabbling and Shaw makes North yell at him a lot, but a good deal of that is Shaw yanking his chain on purpose. That's just part of their best friend dynamic, and mostly I love it, it makes me laugh. This time, North's patience gets pushed too far and all the things he's buried down deep so he can function and be who he thinks he's supposed to be finally come out.
For the first time, I was so angry with Shaw that it bordered on the edge of dislike. It's never been a secret that both guys have big issues that neither one of them will deal with. And Shaw has always just kind of done whatever he wants, and North always gives in, to make Shaw happy. However, this time he just kind of rides roughshod all over what North wants, about almost everything. I do love Shaw and he's quirky, funny and soft-hearted but that doesn't excuse the way he disregards North, however unintentionally it may be in doing. Then some of Shaw's issues that he has been hiding come out in the most painful way possible for North McKinney and breaks the dam on his own, all those buried things that he swallows down all the time. And it freaking hurt. 😭😭 It seems that I spent a lot of this book either ragey or crying. *sigh*
As if all that isn't enough, Ronnie is back pulling his benevolent uncle routine, which of course nobody buys. Coincidentally, it appears that someone is trying to infiltrate Aldridge Acqusitions, which North has been sure all along has something to do with Ronnie's end game. Making a bad situation even worse, Tucker is constantly calling North, winding him up over the phone, fighting him over the divorce. Me, right along with North, every single time:
There are truly no words for how badly I hate Tucker and Ronnie.
Then that ending. The first time I read it, I was truly angry *like Ashe should consult me. Well....🤔*. But on the re-listen, it really did have to happen, because something had to shake things up to make the both of them deal with all the trauma they carry. And to make Shaw back up and think about what a relationship actually means. 😒 The question really is, will they? Cross your fingers for Redirection
Charlie David really is at his best with North and Shaw, he voices them so perfectly that I forget it's a performance or that I'm actually listening to a book and not just hearing North and Shaw.
Disclaimer: A copy of the audiobook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
****
First read June 13, 2021
I'm serious, what is the problem with letting me be happy for 5 freakin' minutes, Ashe?? 🤦🏼♀️ I cannot with this right now. I need to think on this some more but back with a review after vacay, during which I am going to read the fluffiest, most sugary books I can find. *stink-eyes GA*
And I might actually, maybe like Pari just a little bit now. That's so messed up.
May 18, 2021
4,5 stars
I was kind of expecting this.
All the happy times of book 1 were simply too good to be true.
The underlying tension between North and Shaw we felt ever so often in ‘Orientation’ hit full force this time.
Something was off right from the beginning. Was the banter too edgy? Were the discrepancies of what they want too big? Probably that, and more.
To put it bluntly, I got very angry and annoyed at Shaw for totally ignoring North’s wishes on so many accounts. I wanted to shake him and tell him, that quirky is cute, that off-beat can be endearing, but that disrespectful and ignorant is not attractive, at all. I wanted to shout at him ‘to grow up’ and ‘support your man’ while shaking every ounce of organically produced vegan thistle tea out of him, together with the blinkers over his eyes.
By 50% I was getting worried at the amount of disconnect between the two men, and my heart sank. But, of course, that’s EXACTLY what Gregory Ashe intended (at least I think he did😅). And then comes THE revelation that is the last straw. I may have been as shocked as North at what transpires. I loved how he makes his point about two thirds into the book and couldn’t have agreed more!
However, I wasn’t shocked at all how the book ended. It seemed inevitable and reminded me that their relationship is still very new, and that many of their past issues have not been resolved. (side-eyeing North in particular). Something I hope the author will address in the next book!
After reading the three-chapter preview of book 3 I felt somewhat gob-smacked. All I can say here is that I think
And bring it on, Mr. Ashe! I can’t wait!
I was kind of expecting this.
All the happy times of book 1 were simply too good to be true.
The underlying tension between North and Shaw we felt ever so often in ‘Orientation’ hit full force this time.
Something was off right from the beginning. Was the banter too edgy? Were the discrepancies of what they want too big? Probably that, and more.
To put it bluntly, I got very angry and annoyed at Shaw for totally ignoring North’s wishes on so many accounts. I wanted to shake him and tell him, that quirky is cute, that off-beat can be endearing, but that disrespectful and ignorant is not attractive, at all. I wanted to shout at him ‘to grow up’ and ‘support your man’ while shaking every ounce of organically produced vegan thistle tea out of him, together with the blinkers over his eyes.
By 50% I was getting worried at the amount of disconnect between the two men, and my heart sank. But, of course, that’s EXACTLY what Gregory Ashe intended (at least I think he did😅). And then comes THE revelation that is the last straw. I may have been as shocked as North at what transpires. I loved how he makes his point about two thirds into the book and couldn’t have agreed more!
However, I wasn’t shocked at all how the book ended. It seemed inevitable and reminded me that their relationship is still very new, and that many of their past issues have not been resolved. (side-eyeing North in particular). Something I hope the author will address in the next book!
After reading the three-chapter preview of book 3 I felt somewhat gob-smacked. All I can say here is that I think
And bring it on, Mr. Ashe! I can’t wait!
June 28, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Heart hurting stars.
Mr. Greg. I just want to know. Who hurt you??? It's ok. I'm fine. Probably. Or I will be. Someday...
Ok. I'm back. Something I tend to forget in both this series and Hazard & Somerset is that, despite the many books we've read about our favorite guys, in "book time" the couples have really not been together that long. It feels like they have because we've read so much about them and gone through so much with them. And have been tortured so much by Greg and yet keep coming back for more and have realized we are masochists and ok, this is a different conversation. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy to forget that North and Shaw are still a new couple. With baggage. So much baggage. The shit was bound to hit the fan eventually and boy did it.
Gone was the lightness we briefly experienced in Indirection. Although I'd argue that the trouble brewing between the guys was there in places, simmering beneath the laughs. Ashe was trying to lull us into a false sense of security but we are onto you sir! TOTALLY UNRELATED but I snapped a picture of Greg recently and he looked...like what you'd expect he would look like.
Things were bleak in this book. It took me weeks to get through which is UNHEARD of for me and an Ashe book. I would read a chapter, then put it aside. I may be an Ashe Masochist (Can we make T-shirts?) but I guess I was feeling fragile. In my heart, I knew there was a reckoning coming and I wasn't ready.
Still with all of this pain, I think it was absolutely what needed to happen. I'm trying to keep this spoiler free so I apologize for the vagueness. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt like an extra pointy splinter. (To my heart.)
But I don't want you to think this was all doom and gloom. There were so many funny parts. Nobody makes me laugh like North and Shaw. Their banter is perfection and I highlighted so many things. One might say too many. And they'd be wrong. Shaw's Hazard obsession went to a new level that had me dead.
Eyebrows drawing together, Mrs. Chittenden bent over the accent table next to her, picking up a figurine of dried pasta to examine it. “That’s elbow-macaroni Emery Hazard,” Shaw said. “He’s my best friend.”
Steam wise, this one was low. But there were little zingers throughout that had my pulse jumping.
“You can think of a prize. Something you want me to do.” Shaw hemmed. “I do find you very sexually attractive.” “Fantastic.” “And I want you to do all sorts of dirty things to me.” “Make a list. Happy to oblige.”
As for the mystery, it kept my interest. Ashe has come a long way from the early Hazard & Somerset books. His plots feel tighter, stronger and more engaging. Uncle Ronnie better get what's coming to him soon though.
I don't know what the next book will bring. But I started it today so I'm ready to find out. No doubt there will be tears and laughter. I'm hoping for a little less tears than this one.
When he came down, North was kissing his neck softly, whispering to him: “I love you, you’re so beautiful, you’re the best thing in my entire life.” A string of sweet things tying them together.
Mr. Greg. I just want to know. Who hurt you??? It's ok. I'm fine. Probably. Or I will be. Someday...
Ok. I'm back. Something I tend to forget in both this series and Hazard & Somerset is that, despite the many books we've read about our favorite guys, in "book time" the couples have really not been together that long. It feels like they have because we've read so much about them and gone through so much with them. And have been tortured so much by Greg and yet keep coming back for more and have realized we are masochists and ok, this is a different conversation. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy to forget that North and Shaw are still a new couple. With baggage. So much baggage. The shit was bound to hit the fan eventually and boy did it.
Gone was the lightness we briefly experienced in Indirection. Although I'd argue that the trouble brewing between the guys was there in places, simmering beneath the laughs. Ashe was trying to lull us into a false sense of security but we are onto you sir! TOTALLY UNRELATED but I snapped a picture of Greg recently and he looked...like what you'd expect he would look like.
Things were bleak in this book. It took me weeks to get through which is UNHEARD of for me and an Ashe book. I would read a chapter, then put it aside. I may be an Ashe Masochist (Can we make T-shirts?) but I guess I was feeling fragile. In my heart, I knew there was a reckoning coming and I wasn't ready.
Still with all of this pain, I think it was absolutely what needed to happen. I'm trying to keep this spoiler free so I apologize for the vagueness. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt like an extra pointy splinter. (To my heart.)
But I don't want you to think this was all doom and gloom. There were so many funny parts. Nobody makes me laugh like North and Shaw. Their banter is perfection and I highlighted so many things. One might say too many. And they'd be wrong. Shaw's Hazard obsession went to a new level that had me dead.
Eyebrows drawing together, Mrs. Chittenden bent over the accent table next to her, picking up a figurine of dried pasta to examine it. “That’s elbow-macaroni Emery Hazard,” Shaw said. “He’s my best friend.”
Steam wise, this one was low. But there were little zingers throughout that had my pulse jumping.
“You can think of a prize. Something you want me to do.” Shaw hemmed. “I do find you very sexually attractive.” “Fantastic.” “And I want you to do all sorts of dirty things to me.” “Make a list. Happy to oblige.”
As for the mystery, it kept my interest. Ashe has come a long way from the early Hazard & Somerset books. His plots feel tighter, stronger and more engaging. Uncle Ronnie better get what's coming to him soon though.
I don't know what the next book will bring. But I started it today so I'm ready to find out. No doubt there will be tears and laughter. I'm hoping for a little less tears than this one.
When he came down, North was kissing his neck softly, whispering to him: “I love you, you’re so beautiful, you’re the best thing in my entire life.” A string of sweet things tying them together.
February 23, 2022
FABULOUS! 👏👏😱😱😍😍
The. Ending.
Wow!
I can’t even.
It goes without saying that this is best enjoyed as part of the series.
I love North.
I love Shaw.
I love how quirky and real the two are.
I love seeing the cracks.
In both of them.
Another case.
A missing boy.
A murder.
A fire.
A fight.
The last one between North and Shaw.
Both their insecurities and jagged edges out for each to see.
After loving Hazard & Somerset for so many years, I fought getting cozy with North & Shaw. Now, I can’t leave them alone.
What are you waiting for? Get to know these two—you’ll love them!
The. Ending.
Wow!
I can’t even.
It goes without saying that this is best enjoyed as part of the series.
I love North.
I love Shaw.
I love how quirky and real the two are.
I love seeing the cracks.
In both of them.
Another case.
A missing boy.
A murder.
A fire.
A fight.
The last one between North and Shaw.
Both their insecurities and jagged edges out for each to see.
After loving Hazard & Somerset for so many years, I fought getting cozy with North & Shaw. Now, I can’t leave them alone.
What are you waiting for? Get to know these two—you’ll love them!
May 12, 2025
The end of this one really made me cry and I was not expecting it 😭
I definitely like North much more than Shaw. North is really struggling and even though he's pretty passive aggressive and immature when they argue for real, he's self aware enough to know that what he's doing is not healthy for him. Making that decision broke my heart, but I was also cheering him on with my imaginary pompoms because North deserves to figure himself out! He also deserves the person he loves to acknowledge his significance to them...
I was pretty pissed off with Shaw. He's incredibly childish, selfish and completely oblivious. The way he can't do his job without being a self absorbed dickhead really started to frustrate me too. He completely belittles and undermines North at every turn and honestly I'm surprised it took North this long to realise things weren't good. Shaw was downright creepy and predatory throughout this book and he just gave me the biggest ick.
I really enjoyed the mystery in this one though. Teenagers and their drama is really entertaining to me for some reason, so my inner chaos gremlin was happy with all the shenanigans.
The mentions of my beloved Emery Hazard were also hilarious - I actually miss Emery and John-Henry so I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to finish this series so I can get back to them!
I definitely like North much more than Shaw. North is really struggling and even though he's pretty passive aggressive and immature when they argue for real, he's self aware enough to know that what he's doing is not healthy for him. Making that decision broke my heart, but I was also cheering him on with my imaginary pompoms because North deserves to figure himself out! He also deserves the person he loves to acknowledge his significance to them...
I was pretty pissed off with Shaw. He's incredibly childish, selfish and completely oblivious. The way he can't do his job without being a self absorbed dickhead really started to frustrate me too. He completely belittles and undermines North at every turn and honestly I'm surprised it took North this long to realise things weren't good. Shaw was downright creepy and predatory throughout this book and he just gave me the biggest ick.
I really enjoyed the mystery in this one though. Teenagers and their drama is really entertaining to me for some reason, so my inner chaos gremlin was happy with all the shenanigans.
The mentions of my beloved Emery Hazard were also hilarious - I actually miss Emery and John-Henry so I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to finish this series so I can get back to them!
June 23, 2021
4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WHEW BABY these books are not for the faint of heart. I'm going to try to say what I want to say about all this, while remaining vague enough to not give spoilers. If you've read book 1 in Borealis: Without a Compass I can tell you the tone of this book is in another universe. In short, sh-t hits the fan in a multitude of ways and if I'm being honest I was kinda...maybe...sorta... glad it did 😬
Things have been simmering under the surface for North and Shaw truly since they got together back in the Borealis Investigations series. You know how in some (i.e. a lot of) romances the MCs have a 12-piece luggage set of baggage that is ✨fixed✨ with true love? And those same issues are conveniently never heard of again or they’re dealt with in a really extraordinary way and everyone is happy and in love without a care in the world? Yeah that is not how this story is at all. To continue with my luggage analogy, Ashe unpacks every single bag and waves each item of ugliness in your face repeatedly. So why was I glad about this? Because good stories give you what you need, not what you want, and the events in this book are what was needed for this story. North and Shaw are two pillars of disfunction, which has in turn bred lots of unhealthiness underneath the very real and deep love they have for each other. Bringing issues to light is the only way to resolve them, so I'm ready to see how this unfolds.
The mystery in this was also all kinds of f-cked up too, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. All I can say is when I got to the end of this book I just kind of sat there like...
WHEW BABY these books are not for the faint of heart. I'm going to try to say what I want to say about all this, while remaining vague enough to not give spoilers. If you've read book 1 in Borealis: Without a Compass I can tell you the tone of this book is in another universe. In short, sh-t hits the fan in a multitude of ways and if I'm being honest I was kinda...maybe...sorta... glad it did 😬
Things have been simmering under the surface for North and Shaw truly since they got together back in the Borealis Investigations series. You know how in some (i.e. a lot of) romances the MCs have a 12-piece luggage set of baggage that is ✨fixed✨ with true love? And those same issues are conveniently never heard of again or they’re dealt with in a really extraordinary way and everyone is happy and in love without a care in the world? Yeah that is not how this story is at all. To continue with my luggage analogy, Ashe unpacks every single bag and waves each item of ugliness in your face repeatedly. So why was I glad about this? Because good stories give you what you need, not what you want, and the events in this book are what was needed for this story. North and Shaw are two pillars of disfunction, which has in turn bred lots of unhealthiness underneath the very real and deep love they have for each other. Bringing issues to light is the only way to resolve them, so I'm ready to see how this unfolds.
The mystery in this was also all kinds of f-cked up too, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. All I can say is when I got to the end of this book I just kind of sat there like...
July 17, 2021
whatever parsing of stars is irrelevant with Charlie David's narration
Hope you had fun with Indirection because the wheels of the North & Shaw are kind of sort coming off. Not surprised. N&S are doing the boyfriends dance but tellingly, even after knowing each other since college, and each been "secretly" love with the other for ages, they're not living, and it's not just because of Shaw's clutter and questionable hygiene.
Like in other books we have two cases going, one having to do with Borealis and the other with the unshakable bane that is Ronnie. Perversely Ronnie's awfulness is one of the things that keeps me reading this series, what's his end game? Also Ronnie is pretty straightforward and the fact that the man-boys play in to his hand, while not oblivious to it, reminds me that they are in fact still quite young, twenty-six (26), and we all know that now apparently the twenties are the teens so ... make of it what you will or short answer North & Shaw aren't emotionally mature or smart and Ronnie plays them like drunk with rolls of quarters and time to spare at jukebox. No news there.
The second case is what really drives this book and not the mystery itself, which is a bit twisty, and zigzags points of view, but ultimately makes sense. What it provides is a way for these two man-boys to confront that thing we don't talk about, at least not in America, class, which like it or not, goes hand in hand with money or lack thereof.
A state senator hires N&S to chaperone her son from his posh school to certain appointments. Things take a turn when said son goes missing and the worst is presumed. It turns out that Shaw is an alumni of said school, something North didn't know and which is more than a bit telling IMO about Shaw. North sees him (and the author portrays him) as a soul almost too frail for this world. His peacock attire, and sincere empathy for others would make one think that a strong wind can blow him away and yet as we saw in the last arc he's anything but weak. He's an open book but only if you have the code to decipher the text. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Protect your heart.
The case has them visiting the senator at her home and being privy to some less than flattering scenes. This set up allows the author to explore a few things:
a) are these people awful because they come from money, which along with the politics translates into power or does the money just serve to gloss it over the awfulness?
b) how do we as a society still view women, particularly those with power? I'm not saying any of it is wrong but it did touch on expectations and I was glad that GA, however obliquely, went there.
c) being among this class of people and, due to work and being Shaw's boyfriend, forced North to confront his own fraught relationship to money & class. Shaw, whatever he said, believed, or dressed it up was a shit to North. (see Ch.30)
Things end up on a sad but hopeful note and I wasn't mad about it. It's best to start to start something new with a clean slate, burn it all down and let oxygen into the room, and that's something these two need to do. A feasible or believable HEA will be out of reach while they're still dragging along all of that heavy baggage. I'm sure the next two books will bring some more necessary heartbreak but also progress and I'm okay with that but I'll have to read with mine own two eyes as Charlie David won't be able to do the audios until next year 😭😭😭 and that is a tragedy as he gets me over the Truck & Pari scenes. I hope there are fewer of them as they are close to the most annoying people on the planet. Pari's redeeming quality is that she's enamored with the still nameless puppy. Truck? None, not for me, not yet.
The teasing with possible cameo by Emery & John-Henry was cute but the big smile for me came when Shaw spotted a character reading Fatal Shadows 🥰
I'll be back to these man-boys after a short break.
Hope you had fun with Indirection because the wheels of the North & Shaw are kind of sort coming off. Not surprised. N&S are doing the boyfriends dance but tellingly, even after knowing each other since college, and each been "secretly" love with the other for ages, they're not living, and it's not just because of Shaw's clutter and questionable hygiene.
Like in other books we have two cases going, one having to do with Borealis and the other with the unshakable bane that is Ronnie. Perversely Ronnie's awfulness is one of the things that keeps me reading this series, what's his end game? Also Ronnie is pretty straightforward and the fact that the man-boys play in to his hand, while not oblivious to it, reminds me that they are in fact still quite young, twenty-six (26), and we all know that now apparently the twenties are the teens so ... make of it what you will or short answer North & Shaw aren't emotionally mature or smart and Ronnie plays them like drunk with rolls of quarters and time to spare at jukebox. No news there.
The second case is what really drives this book and not the mystery itself, which is a bit twisty, and zigzags points of view, but ultimately makes sense. What it provides is a way for these two man-boys to confront that thing we don't talk about, at least not in America, class, which like it or not, goes hand in hand with money or lack thereof.
A state senator hires N&S to chaperone her son from his posh school to certain appointments. Things take a turn when said son goes missing and the worst is presumed. It turns out that Shaw is an alumni of said school, something North didn't know and which is more than a bit telling IMO about Shaw. North sees him (and the author portrays him) as a soul almost too frail for this world. His peacock attire, and sincere empathy for others would make one think that a strong wind can blow him away and yet as we saw in the last arc he's anything but weak. He's an open book but only if you have the code to decipher the text. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Protect your heart.
The case has them visiting the senator at her home and being privy to some less than flattering scenes. This set up allows the author to explore a few things:
a) are these people awful because they come from money, which along with the politics translates into power or does the money just serve to gloss it over the awfulness?
b) how do we as a society still view women, particularly those with power? I'm not saying any of it is wrong but it did touch on expectations and I was glad that GA, however obliquely, went there.
c) being among this class of people and, due to work and being Shaw's boyfriend, forced North to confront his own fraught relationship to money & class. Shaw, whatever he said, believed, or dressed it up was a shit to North. (see Ch.30)
Things end up on a sad but hopeful note and I wasn't mad about it. It's best to start to start something new with a clean slate, burn it all down and let oxygen into the room, and that's something these two need to do. A feasible or believable HEA will be out of reach while they're still dragging along all of that heavy baggage. I'm sure the next two books will bring some more necessary heartbreak but also progress and I'm okay with that but I'll have to read with mine own two eyes as Charlie David won't be able to do the audios until next year 😭😭😭 and that is a tragedy as he gets me over the Truck & Pari scenes. I hope there are fewer of them as they are close to the most annoying people on the planet. Pari's redeeming quality is that she's enamored with the still nameless puppy. Truck? None, not for me, not yet.
The teasing with possible cameo by Emery & John-Henry was cute but the big smile for me came when Shaw spotted a character reading Fatal Shadows 🥰
I'll be back to these man-boys after a short break.
May 13, 2021
[breaths out] I've read Gregory Ashe's entire backlist and he's yet to break me. When it comes to fiction, I'm pretty strong. And perhaps that stems from also being an author and applauding when another storyteller explores complex and sometimes painful plot and character development that always is for the betterment of the book, but that being said... Misdirection, Book 2 in Borealis: Without a Compass almost broke my will. Don't get me wrong—this is a huge compliment! I've been so emotionally invested in these characters, their world, and their mysteries, that when it came time to address some of the more difficult pills to swallow—it hurt like hell.
To set the stage: North and Shaw are back to their usual Borealis business. After the zany happenings of Indirection, the boys are still working for Aldrich Acquisitions and, like the previous four titles, a surprise case lands in their lap that Shaw jumps to take and North fights every step of the way. A state senator is looking to hire Borealis to pick up her son from his prestigious high school and drop him off at his drug testing appointments after a 'boys will be boys' mishap. Of course, a simple babysitting job won't be easy, because this is North and Shaw, after all. But the safety of the senator's son, Flip, is immediately called into question when our investigators arrive at his dorm to see the door's been busted open and the star student is nowhere to be found.
Mix in some happenings with Uncle Ronnie, monumental misunderstandings with Shaw's parents at their anniversary party, and... yeah... we have that ending. (At this point, I'm not going to SPOIL anything, but the words I choose to address how I feel might ruin the end for you, so keep reading at your own risk.) Once I finished reading, the stress and shock had passed, and I sent one or two or twelve texts to Ashe that weren't threats, but more general all-caps chaos, I could appreciate the road he decided to take. That could not have been an easy choice, and I say that as an author—even I'd have been nervous. But hell, this is going to be some wild, painful, great, absolutely necessary growth the boys can finally address. Because everything has not been okay, and Ashe has been peppering that into the books for a while. Subtle yes, but the signs have been on the wall.
I really, really can't wait to see where he continues to take their personal storyline in Book 3! I still, despite the heartache, continue to wholly recommend this series. It's an absolutely unique, fun, gut-wrenching, dangerous, and hilarious PI mystery series, and there are no protagonists quite like North McKinney and Shaw Aldrich.
To set the stage: North and Shaw are back to their usual Borealis business. After the zany happenings of Indirection, the boys are still working for Aldrich Acquisitions and, like the previous four titles, a surprise case lands in their lap that Shaw jumps to take and North fights every step of the way. A state senator is looking to hire Borealis to pick up her son from his prestigious high school and drop him off at his drug testing appointments after a 'boys will be boys' mishap. Of course, a simple babysitting job won't be easy, because this is North and Shaw, after all. But the safety of the senator's son, Flip, is immediately called into question when our investigators arrive at his dorm to see the door's been busted open and the star student is nowhere to be found.
Mix in some happenings with Uncle Ronnie, monumental misunderstandings with Shaw's parents at their anniversary party, and... yeah... we have that ending. (At this point, I'm not going to SPOIL anything, but the words I choose to address how I feel might ruin the end for you, so keep reading at your own risk.) Once I finished reading, the stress and shock had passed, and I sent one or two or twelve texts to Ashe that weren't threats, but more general all-caps chaos, I could appreciate the road he decided to take. That could not have been an easy choice, and I say that as an author—even I'd have been nervous. But hell, this is going to be some wild, painful, great, absolutely necessary growth the boys can finally address. Because everything has not been okay, and Ashe has been peppering that into the books for a while. Subtle yes, but the signs have been on the wall.
I really, really can't wait to see where he continues to take their personal storyline in Book 3! I still, despite the heartache, continue to wholly recommend this series. It's an absolutely unique, fun, gut-wrenching, dangerous, and hilarious PI mystery series, and there are no protagonists quite like North McKinney and Shaw Aldrich.
July 30, 2021
Okay, yes. This was good. And I'm not just saying that because I am a sadist and am happy with what happened between the couple; except I am kind of happy?
This was such an overdue blow-up and breakdown of what is probably the thing I struggle most with this series and why I just can't connect to these two. North said it all. Thank you for that!
Also, I really liked this particular mystery (even though Celia, the mom of the missing boy, was seriously unhinged and every time she did that thing I was incredibly weirded out; well done, Ashe) and the side quest, with Ronnie, well.. I'm still not clear where it's all going to end up but I'm very pleased with how it's been handled.. at least for the moment. I don't think it's anywhere near over, though.
Also also, like.. Pari coming through with the common sense and maturity? What weird alternate universe did this book take place in? Jokes aside, everything was pretty solid in this one, even though it's mostly pain for the main characters and likely most of the readers, haha. Whoops.
This was such an overdue blow-up and breakdown of what is probably the thing I struggle most with this series and why I just can't connect to these two. North said it all. Thank you for that!
Also, I really liked this particular mystery (even though Celia, the mom of the missing boy, was seriously unhinged and every time she did that thing I was incredibly weirded out; well done, Ashe) and the side quest, with Ronnie, well.. I'm still not clear where it's all going to end up but I'm very pleased with how it's been handled.. at least for the moment. I don't think it's anywhere near over, though.
Also also, like.. Pari coming through with the common sense and maturity? What weird alternate universe did this book take place in? Jokes aside, everything was pretty solid in this one, even though it's mostly pain for the main characters and likely most of the readers, haha. Whoops.
July 4, 2021
I've given this an A at AAR
Note: There are spoilers for earlier Borealis Investigations books in this review.
I suppose I should have expected, after the relatively light-hearted comedic zany-ness of Indirection, that Gregory Ashe would immediately turn around and pull the rug out from under my feet… which is exactly what he does in this second book in his Borealis: Without a Compass series. If you’re familiar with his work, you’ll already know that not only is he the master of the slow-burn romance, he’s also without parallel in his ability to write relationships that rip his readers’ hearts into little shreds and stomp on them before slowly putting them back together and rebuilding said relationships so that they’re even stronger than before. This process can be tough to read however, and I confess that even my high tolerance for angst and emotional torment was sorely tested in Misdirection. I mean that in a good way; not many authors can provoke such visceral reactions, and it’s a testament to how much I’ve come to care for these characters that when the home truths that have been hovering just on the edge of our peripheral vision finally hit – it hurt. A lot.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. When we rejoin the Borealis Boys, things are going along pretty much as usual – which right now seems to mean North doing all the work and Shaw doing… well, being his usual quirky self – when an unusual job presents itself to them. A state senator wants them to escort her seventeen-year-old son to and from his mandated drug testing appointments (because he made “a mistake”) – and when the try to explain to her that it’s not really their bag, she yells and then threatens to make sure their PI licences aren’t renewed when the time comes. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they take the job. But their problems really begin when they arrive to collect Flip from his prestigious private school – which is, incidentally, the same one Shaw attended – to find that the door to his room has been kicked in, the room tossed and Flip is nowhere to be found.
While North and Shaw attempt to find out what happened to him and are getting the runaround from the staff and students at the school, they’re also working on one of their open cases from Aldrich Acquisitions – an attempted break-in at the Nonavie lab which seems to have been targeted at certain proprietary technology – and North’s dodgy not-Uncle Ronnie shows up again, this time demanding North and Shaw’s help locating a guy who might be in trouble. They’re immediately suspicious of Ronnie’s motives of course, but given what he’s holding over North’s head, they don’t have much choice but to agree to try to find him, too.
There’s a lot going on in this book in terms of the plot, but the author juggles his various plot-threads incredibly skilfully, and in fact, I felt it all hung together better than the storylines in the previous book. As always, the mysteries are complex and gritty, with lots of clever twists and unexpected turns, and never has a book title been more appropriate, because Misdirection is rife in just about every aspect of this story, from the mystery surrounding Flip’s disappearance, to Ronnie’s machinations, to the relationship between North and Shaw, which has been a little… on edge for a while now. In fact, there’s been a slowly escalating sense of underlying tension – and not the good kind – between them since the last book, and it finally hits with full force in this one.
It’s been obvious since Orientation that while North and Shaw know each other incredibly well – and they’ve practically lived in each other’s pockets for years – they’re very, very different in some really fundamental ways, and this book brings that fact to the fore. Shaw is loaded – the only child of extremely wealthy parents; North comes from a blue-collar family and had to work hard for everything he has. Shaw’s parents have always accepted and loved him (even though they’re clearly disappointed in his choices and are trying to steer him in a direction he doesn’t want to go) where North’s Dad is hardly a loving parent. And for North, dealing with all the young, privileged kids at the school, with their fucked-up, first-world problems brings the difference between his and Shaw’s backgrounds into sharp relief and forces him to face up to them – really face up to them – for probably the first time. And it’s a lot.
Then there’s the fact that both men have been through a lot of emotional trauma. The previous series mostly focused on what Shaw went through when he almost lost his life at the hands of a serial killer (and was then almost killed by a manipulative client), but little has been made – so far – of North’s situation, of the fact that he was (still is – they’re not divorced yet!) married to a man who abused him, physically and emotionally – although that’s mostly because North obviously isn’t ready to admit to how it’s affected him or deal with it. But the cracks have been showing for a while – in the sometimes bitter edge to their banter or North’s not-quite-so-affectionate exasperation – and it’s been painful to watch these two men, who obviously love each other deeply, hurting each other.
And… much as I love Shaw – he’s funny, kind and endearing, and his sartorial choices are a hoot – I have to say that I’ve begun to get impatient with him. I like how, though outwardly something of a snowflake, he’s fiercely intelligent with a mind like a steel trap – but that side of him seems to have been downplayed in favour of the annoyingly quirky hippie-type who’s always complaining about North’s food choices and talking him into things he doesn’t really want to do. In Indirection it struck me that in their working partnership, North was doing all the work while Shaw was treating Borealis like a vanity project; which, as North pointed out even then, he could afford to. I appreciated the look at Shaw’s family situation here, and could even understand, to an extent, why he does what he does – or rather, doesn’t do – but that doesn’t excuse it or make it any less unforgiveable.
While the cases are wrapped up, the relationship between North and Shaw reaches a crossroads – which I think had to happen if they’re going to make it as a couple in the long run. It wouldn’t be a Gregory Ashe book without some sort of relationship angst, but while Misdirection more than delivers on that score, it’s never angst for angst’s sake; the relationship problems these two are now facing have been well-established in previous books, and they arise organically out of who these people are, their life experience and their shared history. So although Misdirection is a tough read at times, I’m really excited to see where Mr. Ashe is going to take us next, and I’m anticipating some serious personal growth for the Borealis Boys in the next couple of books that will make all the heartache worth it. Thankfully, there’s only a few weeks to go until the release of books that will make all the heartache worth it. Thankfully, there’s only a few weeks to go until the release of book three, Redirection, and if the teaser at the back of this book is anything to go by, it’s going to be one helluva bumpy ride.
Note: There are spoilers for earlier Borealis Investigations books in this review.
I suppose I should have expected, after the relatively light-hearted comedic zany-ness of Indirection, that Gregory Ashe would immediately turn around and pull the rug out from under my feet… which is exactly what he does in this second book in his Borealis: Without a Compass series. If you’re familiar with his work, you’ll already know that not only is he the master of the slow-burn romance, he’s also without parallel in his ability to write relationships that rip his readers’ hearts into little shreds and stomp on them before slowly putting them back together and rebuilding said relationships so that they’re even stronger than before. This process can be tough to read however, and I confess that even my high tolerance for angst and emotional torment was sorely tested in Misdirection. I mean that in a good way; not many authors can provoke such visceral reactions, and it’s a testament to how much I’ve come to care for these characters that when the home truths that have been hovering just on the edge of our peripheral vision finally hit – it hurt. A lot.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. When we rejoin the Borealis Boys, things are going along pretty much as usual – which right now seems to mean North doing all the work and Shaw doing… well, being his usual quirky self – when an unusual job presents itself to them. A state senator wants them to escort her seventeen-year-old son to and from his mandated drug testing appointments (because he made “a mistake”) – and when the try to explain to her that it’s not really their bag, she yells and then threatens to make sure their PI licences aren’t renewed when the time comes. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they take the job. But their problems really begin when they arrive to collect Flip from his prestigious private school – which is, incidentally, the same one Shaw attended – to find that the door to his room has been kicked in, the room tossed and Flip is nowhere to be found.
While North and Shaw attempt to find out what happened to him and are getting the runaround from the staff and students at the school, they’re also working on one of their open cases from Aldrich Acquisitions – an attempted break-in at the Nonavie lab which seems to have been targeted at certain proprietary technology – and North’s dodgy not-Uncle Ronnie shows up again, this time demanding North and Shaw’s help locating a guy who might be in trouble. They’re immediately suspicious of Ronnie’s motives of course, but given what he’s holding over North’s head, they don’t have much choice but to agree to try to find him, too.
There’s a lot going on in this book in terms of the plot, but the author juggles his various plot-threads incredibly skilfully, and in fact, I felt it all hung together better than the storylines in the previous book. As always, the mysteries are complex and gritty, with lots of clever twists and unexpected turns, and never has a book title been more appropriate, because Misdirection is rife in just about every aspect of this story, from the mystery surrounding Flip’s disappearance, to Ronnie’s machinations, to the relationship between North and Shaw, which has been a little… on edge for a while now. In fact, there’s been a slowly escalating sense of underlying tension – and not the good kind – between them since the last book, and it finally hits with full force in this one.
It’s been obvious since Orientation that while North and Shaw know each other incredibly well – and they’ve practically lived in each other’s pockets for years – they’re very, very different in some really fundamental ways, and this book brings that fact to the fore. Shaw is loaded – the only child of extremely wealthy parents; North comes from a blue-collar family and had to work hard for everything he has. Shaw’s parents have always accepted and loved him (even though they’re clearly disappointed in his choices and are trying to steer him in a direction he doesn’t want to go) where North’s Dad is hardly a loving parent. And for North, dealing with all the young, privileged kids at the school, with their fucked-up, first-world problems brings the difference between his and Shaw’s backgrounds into sharp relief and forces him to face up to them – really face up to them – for probably the first time. And it’s a lot.
Then there’s the fact that both men have been through a lot of emotional trauma. The previous series mostly focused on what Shaw went through when he almost lost his life at the hands of a serial killer (and was then almost killed by a manipulative client), but little has been made – so far – of North’s situation, of the fact that he was (still is – they’re not divorced yet!) married to a man who abused him, physically and emotionally – although that’s mostly because North obviously isn’t ready to admit to how it’s affected him or deal with it. But the cracks have been showing for a while – in the sometimes bitter edge to their banter or North’s not-quite-so-affectionate exasperation – and it’s been painful to watch these two men, who obviously love each other deeply, hurting each other.
And… much as I love Shaw – he’s funny, kind and endearing, and his sartorial choices are a hoot – I have to say that I’ve begun to get impatient with him. I like how, though outwardly something of a snowflake, he’s fiercely intelligent with a mind like a steel trap – but that side of him seems to have been downplayed in favour of the annoyingly quirky hippie-type who’s always complaining about North’s food choices and talking him into things he doesn’t really want to do. In Indirection it struck me that in their working partnership, North was doing all the work while Shaw was treating Borealis like a vanity project; which, as North pointed out even then, he could afford to. I appreciated the look at Shaw’s family situation here, and could even understand, to an extent, why he does what he does – or rather, doesn’t do – but that doesn’t excuse it or make it any less unforgiveable.
While the cases are wrapped up, the relationship between North and Shaw reaches a crossroads – which I think had to happen if they’re going to make it as a couple in the long run. It wouldn’t be a Gregory Ashe book without some sort of relationship angst, but while Misdirection more than delivers on that score, it’s never angst for angst’s sake; the relationship problems these two are now facing have been well-established in previous books, and they arise organically out of who these people are, their life experience and their shared history. So although Misdirection is a tough read at times, I’m really excited to see where Mr. Ashe is going to take us next, and I’m anticipating some serious personal growth for the Borealis Boys in the next couple of books that will make all the heartache worth it. Thankfully, there’s only a few weeks to go until the release of books that will make all the heartache worth it. Thankfully, there’s only a few weeks to go until the release of book three, Redirection, and if the teaser at the back of this book is anything to go by, it’s going to be one helluva bumpy ride.
June 28, 2022
[4.25] i don't know how GA comes up with the title names, but they are so pleasingly apt for each respective story 😌 likely my favorite up until now, largely in part due to NORTH FINALLY SPITTING FACTS POINT BLANK AT SHAW'S SELFISH FACE. thank you for addressing the elephant in the room, y'all have been getting caught up in sex to avoid talking for way too long 😤
i low-key diss North by calling him "Hazard lite" (i know they're fundamentally different people but the grumpster factor is strong with the both of them so i can't help it lol), but this time around, i was very proud of him for standing up for himself and will admit he had the occasional maybe sorta kinda badass moment 🙄
it's fascinating how Shaw's infinite capacity for empathy and the whole "no scar tissue to desensitize him from the ugly side of humanity" is paired with his need to have it his way or the highway by pushing and pushing or going behind North's back. then the way he lied by omission, targeting North's insecurities like a honing missile and North's "Tucker" name slip..... THE HURT. break my heart, why dontcha? 😭
at least thinking about Shaw's elbow macaroni hazard figurine gave me a few moments of reprieve 🥲
on a final note, curse you, Ronnieeeeee *shakes fist*
i low-key diss North by calling him "Hazard lite" (i know they're fundamentally different people but the grumpster factor is strong with the both of them so i can't help it lol), but this time around, i was very proud of him for standing up for himself and will admit he had the occasional maybe sorta kinda badass moment 🙄
it's fascinating how Shaw's infinite capacity for empathy and the whole "no scar tissue to desensitize him from the ugly side of humanity" is paired with his need to have it his way or the highway by pushing and pushing or going behind North's back. then the way he lied by omission, targeting North's insecurities like a honing missile and North's "Tucker" name slip..... THE HURT. break my heart, why dontcha? 😭
at least thinking about Shaw's elbow macaroni hazard figurine gave me a few moments of reprieve 🥲
on a final note, curse you, Ronnieeeeee *shakes fist*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
Argh!! That ending!! I mean, these two badly need therapy and I get it, but still, I don't see it going well. Not that things are going well for these two at the moment. Shaw is selfish, and when North loses his patience and can't hide his feelings, he can be very mean and reactive.
The mystery worked well with lots of possibilities before the big reveal. As if all of the relationship angst, family drama, and cases aren't enough, they are still dealing with Ronnie and Tucker. Here's hoping they both get theirs in the next book. The ending of this book and the preview of the next leave me with no choice but to jump straight into it.
The mystery worked well with lots of possibilities before the big reveal. As if all of the relationship angst, family drama, and cases aren't enough, they are still dealing with Ronnie and Tucker. Here's hoping they both get theirs in the next book. The ending of this book and the preview of the next leave me with no choice but to jump straight into it.
May 17, 2021
The mystery part was way better than the first one. This one ends on a cliff hanger so I'll probably read the next one to wrap up this section but then it's time to admit defeat on this series. I hate Shaw. Seriously. I. CAN. NOT. STAND. HIM. He's selfish and obnoxious and he treats North like shit. He's like a child with all his "me, me, me" stuff. North is always there for him but he's never there for North when he needs him. He's too self absorbed with his own BS to be a decent friend, let alone boyfriend. I can't see what North sees in him. You know the romance is not working for you when you hope the couple breaks up and one moves on to someone else. After that asshat Tucker, North deserves someone great. Someone who treats him like a king. That is not Shaw.
(just writing this review makes me mad at him all over again. Grrrr......)
(just writing this review makes me mad at him all over again. Grrrr......)
December 31, 2022
I have to start this review by mentioning that I am now seeing Carhartt ads on my Goodreads feed. A few weeks ago it was lube. The robots are getting smarter, ya'll. They not only know what you're reading, but they're reading it too.
Okay, so, now I know that the hopeful relationship progression in book #1 was only there to lure me into a false sense of security. Seriously, Shaw, we were doing so good! In one of my reviews for the first N&S series, I mentioned Shaw being selfish, but thought it had more to do with some sort of traumatic tunnel vision than an actual personality flaw. I wrote a lot of his more controlling behaviors off as quirks because he was the type of person that often failed at reading the room and I honestly didn't believe that he realized when he was overstepping or being inconsiderate of someone else's feelings. For the most part, I still feel that way, but what he did in this book...there was no way he didn't know how much it would hurt North. Thank goodness North didn't just let it go like he did so many other things. After everything he went through with Tucker, he deserved better. Shaw, of all people, should have known that. I loved that Pari, who apparently never learned how to give or share or interact with another person in any kind of rational way, stepped up to drop the hard truths about how relationships work. Shaw needed someone to shake him out of his self involved stupor. What he chooses to do with her words of wisdom has yet to be seen, so, for now, I plan to keep my hopes at a reasonable level (which means low).
Relationship drama aside, I absolutely loved this mystery. Every disturbing piece of the puzzle had me hooked and the resolution was bonkers. I appreciated the way this story highlighted the different ways people struggle. It's not like there's only one path towards unhappiness or discomfort, but it's easy to make that assumption when all you know is your own experience. I loved the way that dilemma penetrated every aspect of this book and showed how much harm is caused when we don't take the time to understand or, at least, empathize with other people's pain.
I'm guessing that this is the Ronnie arc? I'm not sure how I feel about that because he sucks. North's dad sucks, too. Tucker sucks. Shaw's parents suck, but I'm not sure they've given me a safe space to express those feelings to them. You know who doesn't suck? That poor nameless puppy!
From the short story between this book and the next and the quick skim I did of the first few chapters of book #3, I can tell that these sweet, broken boys are using this "break" to find new mistakes to make. I'm going into the next book with my head already shaking and my slapping hand primed and ready to go.
Okay, so, now I know that the hopeful relationship progression in book #1 was only there to lure me into a false sense of security. Seriously, Shaw, we were doing so good! In one of my reviews for the first N&S series, I mentioned Shaw being selfish, but thought it had more to do with some sort of traumatic tunnel vision than an actual personality flaw. I wrote a lot of his more controlling behaviors off as quirks because he was the type of person that often failed at reading the room and I honestly didn't believe that he realized when he was overstepping or being inconsiderate of someone else's feelings. For the most part, I still feel that way, but what he did in this book...there was no way he didn't know how much it would hurt North. Thank goodness North didn't just let it go like he did so many other things. After everything he went through with Tucker, he deserved better. Shaw, of all people, should have known that. I loved that Pari, who apparently never learned how to give or share or interact with another person in any kind of rational way, stepped up to drop the hard truths about how relationships work. Shaw needed someone to shake him out of his self involved stupor. What he chooses to do with her words of wisdom has yet to be seen, so, for now, I plan to keep my hopes at a reasonable level (which means low).
Relationship drama aside, I absolutely loved this mystery. Every disturbing piece of the puzzle had me hooked and the resolution was bonkers. I appreciated the way this story highlighted the different ways people struggle. It's not like there's only one path towards unhappiness or discomfort, but it's easy to make that assumption when all you know is your own experience. I loved the way that dilemma penetrated every aspect of this book and showed how much harm is caused when we don't take the time to understand or, at least, empathize with other people's pain.
I'm guessing that this is the Ronnie arc? I'm not sure how I feel about that because he sucks. North's dad sucks, too. Tucker sucks. Shaw's parents suck, but I'm not sure they've given me a safe space to express those feelings to them. You know who doesn't suck? That poor nameless puppy!
From the short story between this book and the next and the quick skim I did of the first few chapters of book #3, I can tell that these sweet, broken boys are using this "break" to find new mistakes to make. I'm going into the next book with my head already shaking and my slapping hand primed and ready to go.
November 18, 2022
WTF!!!!
Heartbreaking 💔 but amazing …. I cannot believe how much I am now obsessed with North & Shaw. Epic Love for Gregory Ashe
Heartbreaking 💔 but amazing …. I cannot believe how much I am now obsessed with North & Shaw. Epic Love for Gregory Ashe
August 13, 2022
Very difficult to review mid-series and non-spoiler, my hurt it hearts
I really was curious how that stuff underneath the surface of their relationship would come up-cause you know they are like, unfinished, in some way, but anyway...my heart!
Extremely brutal and well done scenes, definitely one of the most painful in a book that I can recall.
I really was curious how that stuff underneath the surface of their relationship would come up-cause you know they are like, unfinished, in some way, but anyway...my heart!
Extremely brutal and well done scenes, definitely one of the most painful in a book that I can recall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2022
welp, alright, i'm fine
March 11, 2022
I was enjoying the case they were working on, even with their lack of professionality , but the way this ended irked me to no end. Are we back in book one?
May 14, 2021
Oh no. I don’t even know what to say aside from that after that ending??? I need book 3! I’m still reeling from the events of this book and how something that finally went so right has gone horribly, horribly wrong. I loved all the twists and turns in this story but my god, North and Shaw are definitely giving Hazard and Somers a run for the money in the relationship angst department and now we’re left with a cliffhanger? Give me book 3! I should note that if you don’t read the excerpt for book 3, the relationship is a bit more cliffhanger than if you DO read the excerpt. So…just read the excerpt is what I’m saying.
Trigger warnings include mentions/video of what appears to be a suicide, homomisia, an adult having sex with an underage student/statutory rape, blackmail, murder, violence, mentions of bulimia, losing a home to a fire, suspected kidnapping, mentions use of drugs, possible alcoholism, unresolved PTSD, and mentions of emotional and physical abuse.
I think the title is a great one and actually very fitting for what happens in this story. There’s multiple mysteries at the same time and it was hard to know which one North and Shaw should really be focused on and which one was maybe…not so important? Or maybe just something to direct their attentions elsewhere. For once, I got a good handle on who all the suspects were and it was easy enough to follow along with the cases that didn’t leave me too confused.
The first case comes straight to the Borealis offices from a state senator who wants North and Shaw to track down her missing teenage son. Who happens to attend a super expensive school for rich kids that Shaw is an alumnus of.
Then there’s Uncle Ronnie (not really North’s uncle) who has North and Shaw looking into a missing boyfriend for a guy Ronnie just happens to know and wants a favor from in the future. Why? It’s very suspicious.
And the third case is from Aldrich Acquisitions, Shaw’s father’s company who kind of has Borealis Investigations on retainer? Or whatever the right term is for their work contract. Well the company needs someone to investigate and figure out who’s trying to break into their not-so-secret lab trying to steal proprietary information.
There’s a lot going on.
In the middle of all this, North and Tucker are going through a divorce.
And Ronnie is up to no good. Again. But is this book the last we’ve seen of him? I don’t trust him at all and it wouldn’t surprise me if he weasels his way back into the story somehow to make North and Shaw’s life hell again.
I liked that this book explores the differences in North and Shaw’s upbringing and it’s highlighted in this book more than we’ve seen in the previous books. Shaw grew up rich. I mean, he IS rich and is an only child. This is an entirely different world and lifestyle than how North grew up. I hate to say it, but the privilege and wealth Shaw is used to is entirely similar to Tucker. Shaw is NOTHING like the abusive asshole Tucker was, sure. But the wealth and privilege that comes with that is something that I don’t think North would ever be used to.
North wasn’t necessarily poor, but he’s solidly working class and the social divide between him and Shaw is strongly emphasized and something that comes to a head here. North knows and loved Shaw’s eccentricities, but the case with the missing rich white kid and having to deal with Shaw’s family (and maybe a lot does have to do with Shaw himself) all in a very short amount of time is just a lot for North. His own relationship with his father isn’t at all like what Shaw has to deal with in regards to his own parents, so they definitely need to work stuff out.
I love how Gregory Ashe manages to give us books that seem to present a HEA at the end of a story arc, but manages to give us even more books that doesn’t lessen up on the relationship angst. Like, the attraction and the tension between the main characters is still a THING, but from a different angle now? He did amazing with the Union of Swords arc with the Hazard and Somerset and I trust that North and Shaw will be okay after book 4 of this story arc. I guess were just in the middle of it with this book. I just want North and Shaw to be okay.
This is a very solid book, with lots of mystery and story to keep me entertained! Book 3, Redirection, is too far away (okay, maybe just 2 months but it FEELS like a long time) and I can’t wait to see where North and Shaw’s relationship goes.
And I guess I do want to make some comments on the excerpt for book 3…
There are some fun Hazard and Somers Easter eggs in this book (they don’t show up though, just mentions) and I adore the fact that Shaw and Hazard oddly seem to get along? I think Shaw insisting that him and North are best friends with Hazard (unbeknownst to Hazard, I’m sure) is so cute.
***Thanks to the author for giving me an ARC to read and review!***
Trigger warnings include mentions/video of what appears to be a suicide, homomisia, an adult having sex with an underage student/statutory rape, blackmail, murder, violence, mentions of bulimia, losing a home to a fire, suspected kidnapping, mentions use of drugs, possible alcoholism, unresolved PTSD, and mentions of emotional and physical abuse.
I think the title is a great one and actually very fitting for what happens in this story. There’s multiple mysteries at the same time and it was hard to know which one North and Shaw should really be focused on and which one was maybe…not so important? Or maybe just something to direct their attentions elsewhere. For once, I got a good handle on who all the suspects were and it was easy enough to follow along with the cases that didn’t leave me too confused.
The first case comes straight to the Borealis offices from a state senator who wants North and Shaw to track down her missing teenage son. Who happens to attend a super expensive school for rich kids that Shaw is an alumnus of.
Then there’s Uncle Ronnie (not really North’s uncle) who has North and Shaw looking into a missing boyfriend for a guy Ronnie just happens to know and wants a favor from in the future. Why? It’s very suspicious.
And the third case is from Aldrich Acquisitions, Shaw’s father’s company who kind of has Borealis Investigations on retainer? Or whatever the right term is for their work contract. Well the company needs someone to investigate and figure out who’s trying to break into their not-so-secret lab trying to steal proprietary information.
There’s a lot going on.
In the middle of all this, North and Tucker are going through a divorce.
And Ronnie is up to no good. Again. But is this book the last we’ve seen of him? I don’t trust him at all and it wouldn’t surprise me if he weasels his way back into the story somehow to make North and Shaw’s life hell again.
I liked that this book explores the differences in North and Shaw’s upbringing and it’s highlighted in this book more than we’ve seen in the previous books. Shaw grew up rich. I mean, he IS rich and is an only child. This is an entirely different world and lifestyle than how North grew up. I hate to say it, but the privilege and wealth Shaw is used to is entirely similar to Tucker. Shaw is NOTHING like the abusive asshole Tucker was, sure. But the wealth and privilege that comes with that is something that I don’t think North would ever be used to.
North wasn’t necessarily poor, but he’s solidly working class and the social divide between him and Shaw is strongly emphasized and something that comes to a head here. North knows and loved Shaw’s eccentricities, but the case with the missing rich white kid and having to deal with Shaw’s family (and maybe a lot does have to do with Shaw himself) all in a very short amount of time is just a lot for North. His own relationship with his father isn’t at all like what Shaw has to deal with in regards to his own parents, so they definitely need to work stuff out.
I love how Gregory Ashe manages to give us books that seem to present a HEA at the end of a story arc, but manages to give us even more books that doesn’t lessen up on the relationship angst. Like, the attraction and the tension between the main characters is still a THING, but from a different angle now? He did amazing with the Union of Swords arc with the Hazard and Somerset and I trust that North and Shaw will be okay after book 4 of this story arc. I guess were just in the middle of it with this book. I just want North and Shaw to be okay.
This is a very solid book, with lots of mystery and story to keep me entertained! Book 3, Redirection, is too far away (okay, maybe just 2 months but it FEELS like a long time) and I can’t wait to see where North and Shaw’s relationship goes.
And I guess I do want to make some comments on the excerpt for book 3…
There are some fun Hazard and Somers Easter eggs in this book (they don’t show up though, just mentions) and I adore the fact that Shaw and Hazard oddly seem to get along? I think Shaw insisting that him and North are best friends with Hazard (unbeknownst to Hazard, I’m sure) is so cute.
***Thanks to the author for giving me an ARC to read and review!***
June 10, 2021
I don't know what's happening with me and Gregory Ashe stories at the mo...I struggled with Indirection and I struggled with this one too. Normally takes me two days tops to read one of his stories, but lately? The only reason I can think of is North and Shaw 😕, and that I maybe don't like them as much as a couple as I do Emery and John-Henry 🥰🥰🥰.
I could cheerfully throttle Shaw sometimes, he is just so completely and utterly weird and tbh quite selfish [and yes, I would assume that his background story has a lot to do with that, but come on, you're supposed to be a twosome...work for it!!], and for North to discover that Shaw's parents didn't even know they were together as a couple cos Shaw hadn't said anything, was a huge shock for him.
As for the story characters, both of Flip's parents needed putting away...dead or alive doesn't matter to me, and as for Uncle Ronnie?? The sooner someone takes a contract out on him, the better 🤬🤬 AND that moron Tucker, whom I understand features front and centre in Redirection...unfortunately.
I could cheerfully throttle Shaw sometimes, he is just so completely and utterly weird and tbh quite selfish [and yes, I would assume that his background story has a lot to do with that, but come on, you're supposed to be a twosome...work for it!!], and for North to discover that Shaw's parents didn't even know they were together as a couple cos Shaw hadn't said anything, was a huge shock for him.
As for the story characters, both of Flip's parents needed putting away...dead or alive doesn't matter to me, and as for Uncle Ronnie?? The sooner someone takes a contract out on him, the better 🤬🤬 AND that moron Tucker, whom I understand features front and centre in Redirection...unfortunately.
February 10, 2024
It’s hard to believe
the kinds of damage love does.
It’s hard to like Shaw.
the kinds of damage love does.
It’s hard to like Shaw.
May 20, 2021
3 1/2 stars. The mystery was interesting and everything came together really well but I still have a hard time believing these characters (okay, one of them) in their given profession. There were a few plot points that were very unrealistic but the author’s writing is just very enjoyable.
April 11, 2025
Loved more of Shaw and North, things got serious there at the end. It was actually good to have them put their issues out there to make it more real for them and their relationship. I’m looking forward to the next book and what comes of this relationship. 👍
May 29, 2021
Oh my heart …. Come on ! We can’t finish the book like that. Can’t wait for a book to be called Alignment ! Hopefully the boys are on the same page
June 15, 2022
This one hurt
Shaw and North are in peril again but this time it’s more than just their lives on the line.
This book was very difficult to read at times as Shaw and North worked their way through some serious problems.
Shaw is kinda always seen as the naïve one but it’s really North that was naïve. That hurt a lot. Shaw had so much power to hurt North and he didn’t realize it until it was too late.
The mystery in this one was harsh as well. The death and destruction was devastating. This definitely should have had a few TWs. Yikes.
Now, the aftermath. I really have to start the next book because the end of this one was a kick to the gut.
Shaw and North are in peril again but this time it’s more than just their lives on the line.
This book was very difficult to read at times as Shaw and North worked their way through some serious problems.
Shaw is kinda always seen as the naïve one but it’s really North that was naïve. That hurt a lot. Shaw had so much power to hurt North and he didn’t realize it until it was too late.
The mystery in this one was harsh as well. The death and destruction was devastating. This definitely should have had a few TWs. Yikes.
Now, the aftermath. I really have to start the next book because the end of this one was a kick to the gut.
February 1, 2025
4 stars
I really enjoyed this one and while the ending killed me, I was kind of expecting it.
These guys are such good friends which is a good base but at the same time they rely on that too much and there is too much history with shared and seperate that needs to be needs to be dealt with.
Pari's words to Shaw at the end were spot on. North has never had someone love him as much and the same way that he loves them. He deserves that. He also needs to work out his issues with Tucker and with money. Shaw was absolutely in the wrong here to me and the explanation didn't make sense to me at all.
I also liked the cases they worked. I felt for Flip. He was in a no win situation. The solution to Ronnie was well done, though I believe we haven't seen the last of him.
Good instalment
I really enjoyed this one and while the ending killed me, I was kind of expecting it.
These guys are such good friends which is a good base but at the same time they rely on that too much and there is too much history with shared and seperate that needs to be needs to be dealt with.
Pari's words to Shaw at the end were spot on. North has never had someone love him as much and the same way that he loves them. He deserves that. He also needs to work out his issues with Tucker and with money. Shaw was absolutely in the wrong here to me and the explanation didn't make sense to me at all.
I also liked the cases they worked. I felt for Flip. He was in a no win situation. The solution to Ronnie was well done, though I believe we haven't seen the last of him.
Good instalment
May 27, 2021
The best in the entire Borealis series so far. The relationship angst had me in knots and I loved that! I wanted to scream and I was gutted by how it ended but then I read the preview of the first chapters of the next book and these boys are still a mess! The relationship is not a healthy one and there are many issues. I cannot wait to see how this ends.
The mystery in this one was really good and tied in with the other case with that rat Ronnie made this exciting.
The mystery in this one was really good and tied in with the other case with that rat Ronnie made this exciting.
August 3, 2021
I have to admit I was a little bored with the 'cases' undertaken by Shaw and North in this book. The absolute best things were the multiple references made regarding Shaw's 'best friend' Emery Hazard ... like little warning beacons alerting readers of the upcoming launch of H&S (series 3) in a couple of months - yayyyyyy! I do have to admit however there not many characters as strikingly original (and as annoying) as Shaw.
June 30, 2021
I think i hate Shaw. Like really, really much. Yeah, maybe North has issues about money, but how easy and breezy he acts when client doesn't pay for their services and just say "oh, don't worry about it", makes me angry. Also, what's with all that nasty teasing and jokes? Yeah, maybe i am bitter, but, please, don't ever tell me that the rich also cry. Shaw is an asshole.
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