Hated? Yeah, I’ll take it and return it in spades.
That’s Duke Chambers motto when he begins working at GEA-A at Giuseppe Torrente’s request. His life isn't bad before he tracks down Giuseppe--he's been a drill sergeant in the Marines, garnering the respect of men and women with whom he's served. He has two women who love him like a son, and a “little” older brother he adores. Everything is great until fate sticks her nose into Duke’s life and upends it, leaving him filled with hatred. He finds out a truth he never wanted to accept but is there more than meets the eye?
Corbin Barr is trying to adapt to a new world after the mechanic flees Arkansas to try to create a life in New York and make up for past wrongs he participated in that hurt his brother Shay and his cousin Chase. The guilt is soul deep, especially since Corby is harboring his own secrets. His unrequited crush on one of the professionals at GEA-A doesn’t help.
Ace Hampton has lived a million lives—everything from an MMA fighter to a mercenary to a bodyguard. He’s meditated with monks in Tibet, and he’s done his fair share of beating fear into the reluctant. He’s traveled the world, meeting men of all walks of life, but when Giuseppe Torrente asks for his assistance, Ace feels it’s important not to turn the man down. What Ace doesn’t expect to find is a brotherhood of security professionals unafraid to do what’s necessary to protect those who are under attack. Among them, Ace finds himself drawn to two men. He’s learned he’s not cut out for monogamy, but can he be faithful to two unique men who have their own pasts to fight?
Can three broken men heal themselves and each other? How strong is the power of love? Can Corbin and Ace help Duke see he could have a new family and be an orphan no more?
I grew up in the rural Midwest before moving to the East Coast with a dashing young man who swept me off my feet, and we've now settled in the desert of Nevada. I write M/M contemporary romance, subgenres: sweet low angst, age-gap, cowboys, mysteries, and military/mercenary to name a few. I am a firm believer in "Love is Love" regardless of how it presents itself, and I'm a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
I have a loving, supportive family, and I feel blessed by the universe and thankful every day for all I have been given. I’m old enough to know how to have fun, but too old to care what others think about my definition of a good time. In my heart and soul, I believe I hit the cosmic jackpot. Cheers!
Orphan Duke by Sam E.Kraemer. Orphan Duke is the seventh book in The Lonely Heroes series. This is a great read with extremely interesting guys who all have a story … Duke who is angry at the world he inhabits finds; he meets Corbin who is someone he needs. The three guys, Duke, Corbin and Ace try a poly relationship, a relationship that would hold all their hearts together. This book has plenty of emotion , intrigue added with a connection that is a pleasure to read.
*4.5* It did take me a minute to get into this one but once we have a chapter or two from each character then I found myself fully invested in their relationships and the plot of both this book and the series. This is a series that must be read in order due to a series arc and interconnecting relationships that develop and grow throughout. Duke, Corbin and Ace all have links to others that we have met previously in Lonely Heroes, though Duke's may not be what anyone was expecting having met him in the previous books. He's clearly got some anger issues and that why becomes clear in his first chapter. I really felt for him but upon surprisingly getting close to Corbin he reevaluates his reasons for what he has planned. Corbin break my heart with how much guilt he's carrying for the childhood he and his brother, Shay, had with their extremely religious parents. He's punishing himself much more than anyone else but he also has others looking to make him pay for events in a previous book. Ace is a conundrum in that he likes to have fun but not really connect with people, having had a bad experience with a relationship several years ago. With him being poly and how that ended, he sees it as impossible to have three people stay together forever. He's also a bit of a nomad, moving to where he's needed or wants to be but connecting with Corbin, and by extension Duke, has him reevaluating what he wants. This book has everything I've come to expect from this series. Secrets, drama (of both romance and family), some dubious actions but all for the good of the Lonely Heroes family. It's all balanced out with strong blood and found family ties, attraction and romance building slowly across the story for the three MC's, and wonderful character development. I'm especially fond of how far Corbin comes from when we first met him to how he ends this book, personally and with his partners. I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
Another scintillating gay romance from this series but this one in triplicate Our three lovers have been in at least the past book: John Wayne “Duke” Chambers, Corbin Barr and Ace Hampton. In this book they all work at GEA-A; Duke and Ace as operatives and Corby as receptionist, typist, etc, none of which are his strengths, but he needs a job. This book highlights Duke, who as the book opens is called away from being a drill sergeant in the Marines to come home, which gives us the back story for his attitude in this book but also in prior books where he was mentioned. In this book the revelations will keep coming and he needs some support which he finds in Corby Barr, brother to Shay from book 6, and Ace. Trust me it takes a while to get to their hopeful interactions but when it does...Oh. My. Word! I must admit that I almost gave up reading in chapter one because there are so many characters to reintroduce and many have multiple names. It would benefit this series to have a legend with the many names that some characters could be called. I’ve read all the past books and still had a problem. I can’t imagine someone trying to start with this book. However, after chapter one’s introductions, it got into the story which was a page-turner. If you like steamy gay romance with lots of intrigue, read this book. Heck, read this series. I’ve already ordered the next book. Good stuff! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for the author.
Sam E. Kraemer will wow you with 'Orphan Duke.' I'm telling you that you need to read this series. It's amazing!
This book by Sam will have your emotions all over the place! The three men at the center of the story are very different from each other, which makes for an enjoyable throuple and lots of missteps!
Being part of a large organization that is multinational and involves several generations of family members, as well as warring families, provides excitement, danger and lots of romance.
When the bodies start piling up, when 'out of town' southern 'gentlemen' show up and are less than pleasant, fists start flying as do the insults.
A mechanic may find typing beyond his skill set. A former marine still demonstrates he knows how to give orders. A mercenary will need to decide 'who to work for.'
You'd be best served by reading the first books in the series. They story line is intricate and complex. You'll love the guys and many of the clan.
As this series has gone on Ive loved each book more. Esp as we get to see or hear about previous couples. This book is no different. Obviously after the life Duke led, he was a drill sargent, he would be gruff and likely imposing. He was unaware he didnt modify it enough to work with the kids. Once he was made aware the change he decided to make made him instantly ready to find love. Ace, didnt ever expect to find love, the first time he tried, he was hurt badly. He used this as a way to never try again, until he accidently hurt the one man, that he fell for easily. Corby has went through soo much at the hands of his family. He always felt unless he was being bullied by them he was just a spare part. He has little to no confidence, he feels like a loser and cant see why either man would be attracted to him.
I loved how Corby found his confidence, thanks to Duke and Ace. I cant wait for Doms book
Orphan Duke is the seventh in The Lonely Heroes series and should really be read in order. Duke is a member of GEA-A and hates everyone he works with. Corbin is Shay’s brother and a little lost. Ace also is a member of GEA-A and was once in a poly relationship but was hurt badly by the other twos actions. Duke and Corby are both intrigued by the idea. They begin a poly relationship. I loved they way that Duke and Ace made Corby felt seen and they took care of him. His back story broke me a little. We also find out more about Duke!! The pacing flowed and the story hooked me and didn’t let go easily. Overall, fantastic! The story is really well written with complicated and complex characters, highly recommend it!! I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy I received. This was solely based on my honest thoughts and opinion.
4,5* This is book seven in the ongoing series. I have not read all books in the series and it took me a little bit to get all the players in their rightful place in my mind to get into the flow of the book. But after that I was back onboard and fully into the story which has again, been crafted so well by Sam E. Kraemer.
I enjoy reading an mm+ thrope and this one was really well done. Ace, Corby and Duke are the central characters in this book. It is written from all their pov's. All three off them go through personal growth, be it for themselves or for them all to be able to be together as a throuple.
Some overall storylines, stalking family members, competitive 'families', etc. are still developing and there is plenty to come to conclusion to have several more books.
I was given an arc through the author for my enjoyment and I am leaving my honest review.
I'm always ready to read about poly relationship, so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped in and volunteered to read the book and leave my review. It is the seventh book in a serie, and it really needs to be read in order. Unfortunately, I didn't and even if I did enjoy the story, a smattering would have been very appreciated. Now, the the story itself as always is well written, all three MC have their own personality and each adapt perfectly with the other two. I truly appreciated their growth: Ace and his insecurities, Duke and the cold-heartedness with the people who aren't close to him, Corby and his sense of invisibility. The boys will have their HEA, but as an ongoing serie, we'll find answers to previous questions, and new questions to be answered.
Plot: MMM, Coming Out/First Time Gay, Relationship/Character driven, hurt/comfort, Found [blood] Family Feels: Many “Aww” moments as Corbin learns to live and love out and proud; loved the scene where he asks Shay what “poly” means Drama: Family drama surrounding Duke’s origins; Corbin’s bigoted family; Ace’s past heartache Heat: 3/5 Characters: Appreciated there was more focus on the development of Duke, Corbin and Ace’s relationship than action/mystery/time apart as was in previous books of the series; many Torrente cameos Pacing: Steady, smooth flow Length: Longer with some filler Ending: HEA, looking forward to the next book
I wasn’t sure I’d like this one in the series, however, it’s turned out to be one of my favourites. All the players are known to us, Duke being the closed off unfriendly jarhead type of guy. Well we finally find out why and I found it hard to understand. He’d had a really loving life with a fantastic family, much better than the lives Ace and Corby had. It was fascinating and touching to watch these three become a relationship. There was blood and guts aplenty, some rescuing, a lot of catching up, some explanations but still questions to be answered! For these three however there’s a lovely conclusion and I look forward to following their progress in the next books. Bruno deserves some love!
I like this series quite a lot. I was so curious on Duke's back story as he was a right bastard in the last couple of books. Now that we got to know his story his behaviour makes so much sense.
Shay's brother Corbin has definitely grown on me and I like how green he is as he has finally broken free of his family and finding his own footing now and truly finding his true self.
Ace has also intrigued when he just recently got introduced so I was excited to get to know him more in this book.
I liked this trio. They balanced each other out so much. I also like the suspense and continuing story line that has been going on from near the beginning of the series.
I can't wait for Noble Bruno where we hopefully find out the 'mole' and also his and Dominic's story.
I seriously didn't like Duke when we first met him. He was so angry and mean. Learning his backstory explained it all. I actually fell hard for these three. Separately, they all seem more reserved and closed off. However, together, they are the most swoon worthy relationship. Ace seemed the least likely to fall, but ut didn't take him long to realize they were worth the risk. Corby is such a gentle soul that had acted like a brute to survive his awful family. I am glad Shay was helping him to let go of the guilt once he had apologized. They truly have an amazing relationship. I loved the plot twist regarding Dukes parentage. I am glad they all accepted him so freely. I still struggle with Grace being Lucia's mom. They are so different.
I’m really enjoying this series, and Orphan Duke is a wonderful addition. I loved getting to know more about Duke, Corbin and Ace, and following their story to find their unique happiness easily held my interest from the first page to the last. Experiencing grumpy Duke change into a caring and gentler person, Corbin gaining confidence and Ace putting his past behind him was lovely. Plus, as always, it was great to see more of the other couples and to catch up a little on their lives. Filled with emotion, humour, suspense and heat this was a great read. Highly recommended. I received an ARC of this book to review, and this is my honest and voluntary opinion.
We finally get the chance to see why Duke is so angry with certain members of the team. What do you get when you have a former marine, a mercenary and a mechanic? The romantic and sweetest book you can read. Duke seems like a grumpy bear but when it comes to his men and anyone that he sees that needs to be taken care of. He will do anything for them. Corbin is looking for love and he finds it in these two men. Ace doesn't want to be hurt again and he is shown what love can be like. The book is sweet, funny, romantic, and has some angst. I read it in one sitting and I'm looking forward to Bruno's story.
I’ve read the other books in the series including the one after this; but, I skipped this one as I figured I wasn’t going to like Duke due to his character from previous books. I was looking for a new read last night and decided to read it as I had it in my library since it was released. Let me tell you from first opening this book, I was hooked on each character and I absolutely fell in love with Duke. I normally don’t liked long books but I’m sad the story has ended and want more. Definitely will be reading again.
If you are like me and was unsure if to read due to previous books, give this this book a chance. You won’t regret it.
Polyamorous story with three men that needed each other to be happy. Haven taken a break from the series, I had some catching up to do with the Torrente drama but seeing these men realize how much they want and love each other was the real story. Duke wanted to be part of a family, he ended finding two. Corby just wanted to be accepted for who he was and not feel overlooked like he had been at home in Arkansas. Ace was learning to open himself up after a bad experience and being in his own for so long. I thought Dukes advice for him to open himself up was sweet and spot on. Best if read in order, very entertaining.
This is a really fun series and I loved Duke’s story. This book had a great mix of intrigue and interesting characters, and without giving any spoilers…the plot was a twisty wild ride! The relationship side is also well done and engaging. Duke, Corby and Ace had great chemistry which kept me invested in seeing them get their happy ending. Very much recommend this one, exciting action, tons of fascinating characters and a sweet love story ❤️
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest review
Such an enjoyable story! These characters were fantastic! They each had things they were dealing with which impacted how they behaved and interacted with each other and everyone else. The right person or people can have an amazing influence though! These guys were awesome and balanced each other out perfectly! Finally some secrets come to light! This is such an amazing series and this was a fantastic addition to it! I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait for Bruno’s story! I highly recommend reading the whole series! Received arc and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
Duke Chambers is an angry man who doesn't let up on training the troops at GEA-A. In fact, in sometimes knocks them completely out.
He is big and when he starts to fall for Shay's older brother, Corbin, his entire world changes into a Torrente man. Secrets are revealed and love blossoms in the mist of Francisco Mangello's need to hurt the Torrente family and the Barr family to take out the "faggots" in their family--including Chase, Shay and Corbin.
I enjoyed getting to know Ace, Corbin, and Duke in a different light. They had some less than desirable qualities in earlier books of the series, but this book helps show that they have their charms. I really enjoy Kraemer's twisty plots. I would like a little less explaining of unnecessary details that don't further the plot, but the details aren't quite as pervasive as earlier books.
The narration was performed well, and I am looking forward to the next audiobook, which seems to be my preferred format for this book.
I loved this entry in the series. The characters of Duke, Corbin and Ace are so well developed, I understood each of them and why they behaved the way they did. Duke, the man angry at the world, Corbin with his load of guilt and Ace who's been hurt so deeply by the last people he trusted with his heart. When they come together at work and see the supportive group around them, they begin to tentatively open up to each other. The strength of the relationship they build is amazing to see.
This is one of my favorites in this series. Duke has always been a surly character seeking revenge on a family he didn’t know existed until a tragedy happens. Corby is a sweet sensitive character who had to be mean in order to survive a cruel family life. Ace is just a happy go lucky guy who loves them and leaves them in relationships.
Between the three they form an unbreakable bond that will last forever. If you love a happy ending you must read this story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the 7th book in the Lonely Heroes Series. This book is a sweet emotional journey of found family, relationships, coming out to name a few. It has pretty much everything with a little intrigue and mystery. I just love the authors style of writing and as always there is great character development. I thoroughly enjoyed it and always love catching up with the guys from previous books. I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy.
M/M/M, Poly, First Time, Contemporary, Romance. Easy to read page-turner that is best read in series order for full understanding and maximum enjoyment. Action and drama throughout and plot twists. Another fantastic installment in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story as their relationship develops. Guaranteed HEA.
Triads. I like if they ate arisen well. This one was.
These three were unexpected especially with the way Duke has been acting towards everyone. Between the way Corby was treated back home and Ace with his history. These guys were going to have to work a little harder to make it work. The drama that take place is moving this story line along.
Corbin has so much to learn about living in the city and interacting with all the different people at work. His homophobic family still wants to hurt him. How will falling for both Ace and Duke work out? Enjoy these passionate men as they figure out what they want most and how to keep loved ones safe!!!
The adventure and mystery part of this book is good, very good. But the romance threesome is not my type would not recommend this book because of that. That is not romance to me. I’ve seen too many people be hurt. Took me a very long time to finish this because of that part.
The characters in this book stole my heart! These fit together like puzzle pieces. They are stronger together. I love that each character, not only in the book but also the series, has their own personalities and characters. I love this whole series! I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
Orphan Duke was a wonderful read. I am not really a person for poly relationships, but this one got to me. Ace, Duke, and Corbin had me wrapped around their little fingers. Loved the story. Love Sam E. Kraemer.