Three Wrong Turns in the Desert

Have Body, Will Guard #1

by Neil S. Plakcy

Have Body, Will Guard book 1 LGBT Action/AdventureCan you find true love by running away from your problems?From the moment he sees handsome Liam McCullough showering naked behind a Tunisian bar, ESL teacher Aidan Greene wants to screw the sexy bodyguard. At first, though, a dead courier and beefy hired thugs get in the way. But Liam soon convinces him -- with wiles and smiles and solid logic -- to join him on a race across the desert for a rendezvous with a Tuareg tribe at a remote oasis. Then nothing can stop them from getting naked and getting it on. Together they explore the passion Liam hid from as a closeted Navy SEAL, and the love Aidan's missed after his longterm boyfriend kicked him to the curb.From the back of a motorcycle to a Turkish bath to a remote dune in the desert, these two Romeos find ways to bring each other to the heights of pleasure. So what if they're carrying the password to a million-dollar Swiss bank account and being chased by Libyan intelligence agents determined to stop them at all costs? Love and lust fuel their passion and not even three wrong turns in the desert will keep them from surviving this adventure alive -- and together.Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable. Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Military Fiction, Gay, Adventure

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

I have been a voracious reader all my life, mostly in mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy, though a college degree in English did push a lot of literary works into my list of favorites.

Quick note: sign up for my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com to get free prologues, epilogues and short stories.

I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.

It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.

I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.

My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.

I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.

When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story.
Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.

Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.

My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.

I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.

Reviews

[Teal]

DNF @ 50%, and right in the middle of a sex scene -- there's no more definitive way for me say, "This isn't working for me."

The writing style is... simplistic. A bit wooden, lacking in nuance, lacking in depth. Not sure how to describe it, exactly, but the end result is that I'm always aware I'm reading words, and I couldn't get swept up into the story or believe in the characters. Such a shame, because I'm always in search of action-adventure stories with gay characters.

Oh well. I've had better luck with a couple of the author's other books, so giving up on this series doesn't mean I'm giving up on him.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. It had, in my opinion the perfect balance between adventure, romance, and sex. A fun read and both of the main characters were great

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first experience with Plakcy's story and what a delightful experience that is. If there is ONE complaint, which I would like to let out first, it will be AGAIN, a hint that my country (Indonesia) is only a terrorist country. Really, my country IS NOT simply about the terrorism. There are so many POSITIVE things we do have. That kind of generalization (of negative portrayal) sometimes make me annoyed as Indonesian. Also, I found a couple of bad editing, like wrong name used.

However, overall, this is an exciting book to read. With backdrop in far away land, it brings a great adventure-romance between two VERY likeable characters. A chance encounter and mistaken identity brings ESL teacher Aidan Green to handsome bodyguard Liam McCullough and then to an adventure of his life when he needs to pose as a dead guy, to carry an account and password of million dollar account to a tribe, with Libyan agents and Tunisian cops hot on their trails.

The story balances out the action and romance perfectly but carries it in a light tone. It's not really "Bourne Trilogy" kind of action, but more like "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (the one with Brad and Angelina, of course *lol*), I think. Not very intense in action, but still fun, and there is romance. I am happy that the story doesn't comprise of sex ... the sex scenes are there but woven into the story nicely.

I have a couple of reservations about the ending ... the idea of making this into something BIG, what with the SEALs joining in and the anthrax operation, seems a bit too much. Also with sudden appearance of Aidan's ex, which I totally see no point of (for what purpose? Aidan already decides that he wants to stay in Tunisia for awhile, anyway). Sometimes less is more :)

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book to the tune of two stars. But I'm adding on extra because it seems really well-researched. I mean, I know a lot more about camels now than I did before. That deserves appreciation, methinks.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 star story.
1 star narration. I was not feeling this narrator at all. He sounded like an old man which made the parts that were supposed to be sexy... not sexy. Listening to him narrate the sex scenes was hella awkward. And there was a lot of sex. So... yea.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book!
Both main characters are awesome - I really couldn't decide who I like more and it's rarely for me )) The mystery part of the story was so engaging, I literally couldn't put my e-reader down, till I finished. And of course I loved the romantic part - both guys are really guys here: strong and not too prone to overly long relationship discussions and holding hands, but when they do hold hands - you believe them :) Great balance between comradery, partnership and growing feelings. Oh and sex was smoking hot! xD
So happy there're two more books in this series and I hope there'll be more! :)

[Lori K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this suspense/romance. The author had just the right ratio of romance and suspense plot. He didn't knock you over with the smut tho what was there was well written (and hot!). I will definitely read on.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a book with a dog. I loved that this dog was a real dog and that the dog fit into the story where it was supposed to and was not stuck where it shouldn't have been. I always put a dog in my stories and sometimes it's hard to make it fit without making it a dog story.

There's lots of action in this, and the pacing is nice. The characters are fairly believable, although Liam is kind of a jerk in the first part. I really felt he was using Aiden for a long time and it took him saying something before I believed he also cared. Note the use of the word "also."

Pros

When the two first meet (after Aiden has seen Liam shower naked), Aiden thinks Liam is even sexier in clothes then out of them. I find this to be true sometimes, even when the man has an amazing body. There's something about a guy who exudes sensuality who can work it when wearing clothes...A lot of times it's when you have to use your imagination that a person is most appealing. It's why I don't find ultra-revealing clothing attractive. I don't want it shoved in my face, I want tantalizing tidbits that make my thoughts go wild.

Aiden is very smart and is very helpful and useful. He is not TSTL. He's extremely observant, more so than Liam.

Someone is described positively as having "a dick of death." I love that.

There's no instalove, just insta-attraction which is excellent, although they do fall in love too fast.

All the Star Wars stuff. I had no idea it was filmed in Tunisia. I'm not a big fan but the facts are interesting. I also noticed that one of the towns is called Tataouine. Wikipedia (such a reliable source) says it's also transliterated as Tatooine among many other spellings. The author didn't point out this link but it's obvious.

The sex was steamy hot.

It sounds like the author really knows Tunisia. He's either been there for more than a couple of days or he did extensive research. I think it's the former. I learned a lot of interesting things about the country, its history, and its peoples.


Cons

When the two first meet, Liam is scary creepy. We learn later why, but Aiden is an idiot for going with him.

Aiden doesn't get scared when he should.

At one point they try to evade police who came up in an elevator so they go down the stairs ten flights or more. Go down one flight, then take the elevator down to the basement and walk up, or down to the second floor, or something. If you walk that far, you give them too much time to start searching for you in the stairwell.

Laim accuses Aiden of playing games when he had been playing them all along.

At one point I felt like I was reading a video game: find this and then take it to this person who will have you do this.

They fall in love too fast but at points where Aiden is worried about Liam being in danger, he words like he's worried about himself, like "what would he do if Liam disappeared?" kind of thing. At one point in the book, the POV is Aiden's and the text says, "Aiden let out a huge breath as he realized Liam was alive. He wasn't on his own." It began to piss me off. Liam did similar things. I blame this on being written by a man as they are supposedly not so good with describing feelings.

Liam is constantly disappearing and not telling Aiden where he's going. Or saying he'll be right back and then isn't. If I were Aiden, I would flip out and turn into a screaming banshee. He is only worried and frustrated and then once Liam gets back and explains, all is fine. Liam for his part only feels bad once, I think, and that was when he made a conscious decision. That's also the only time he even worries about Aiden when the man is on his own.

Aiden is pathetic when it comes to Blake and puts up with WAY too much. He was also a slut and quite disgusting before that. The two traits do not mesh to me. Seriously, they make Brian into the worse possible human they can. He doesn't even like anal sex. Why were they together so many years? Plus, saying a relationship was a mistake and lie after eleven years because it ends is just stupid. People change in eleven years. But regardless, when Brian comes all the way to Tunisia because he is scared Aiden is dead, that shows a decent guy. It doesn't fit with the evil person painted. He could have just called the authorities and had them look into Aiden's disappearance.

Nit picks: There were a couple of discontinuities: At one point Aiden goes over and sits on the couch and then in the next paragraph he pushes back his chair. Another time Aiden accuses Liam of sleeping with him to get to the souk. The first time they sleep together is after going to the souk. They never thank anybody. They appreciate help but they never actually thank anyone. They don't worry enough about water in the desert. They use it to clean themselves up when they only had as much as they could carry on a motorcycle along with all their other stuff. A guy they meet is a Navy SEAL and he wears glasses. I'm pretty sure that precludes being a SEAL.

Aiden refers to wanting something "so bad." He's an English teacher, not just abroad but back in the states so he should know more than basic rules. This adverb/adjective confusion is really common and it drives me crazy. I don't mind if a person who's not educated uses it in dialog, but an English teacher??

One reason Brian is a loser is that he can't stand spicy food. Why do people think this is a character flaw? I don't like it because it disguises other flavors, it overwhelms the food. It also kills tastebuds and it lasts too long. I do like wasabi and horseradish but they don't last long and are less of a taste and more of a feeling.

They put an old couple in danger and aren't really worried about them. They aren't just in physical danger. They could also be put in prison if they survive. Can you imagine what a Tunisian prison would be like? Further, someone helps the old couple and the two of them think it's because the they're the enemy of the people who hurt the couple. Um, how about just because it was the nice thing to do?

Unsafe sex. They talk about it but Aiden assumes he's fine because he got tested every year. But he knew Brian had cheated extremely recently. Unless the test was right before he left the states, which it couldn't have been, he wasn't safe to have sex with.


More nit picks: It didn't happen often, but the author switched POV between paragraphs sometimes. BIG pet peeve. Although the author took creative license in this, he could have used something different: Even the worst variety of Anthrax takes 1-6 days to produce symptoms, not hours. With inhalation, it's usually more like a week. During sex the two are constantly "howling." I need a different word, at least sometimes.

People in this third world nation are WAY too tolerant of homosexual behavior. Although the two are always worried about it, nothing happens and usually people go out of their way to help them because of it. They also keep running into gay men.

Despite all this, I really did enjoy it. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and I'm glad it's with the same characters. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of the dog.

[Charly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing setting and a decent romance

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- The setting is interesting. I know very little about Tunisia, and I enjoyed all of the details about the country, the cities, the customs, etc.
- The plot is fast-paced and exciting. It’s one thing after another, which is a little exhausting at times, but I found it mostly engaging. (see cons below also)
- The romance develops at a pace that I found realistic given the setting and the men’s personalities.

CONS:
- There are a few times when the same situation is told from both characters’ perspectives, but in order to do that, the author jumps back chronologically because the story has progressed several hours since the incident happened. We see Event A from Aidan’s point of view, then we see several other things—B, C, and D—happening that day, all from Aidan’s perspective, and then there’s a scene break. When we switch to Liam’s point of view, instead of moving to that night, which is where we should be chronologically, we jump back in time and see Event A again from Liam’s perspective. All of this could have been avoided had Event A simply been told as a flashback from Liam’s point of view.
- The plot kept my interest. However, I did get a *little* annoyed at times at Liam’s repeated use of Aidan because Aidan conveniently looks like someone else.
- There’s some very sloppy editing. Phrases like “Liam wrapped his arms around Liam” should never occur in published fiction.

Overall comments: I don’t think this will be one of my all-time favorites in this genre, but it stands out if only because of the unusual setting. I still remember it well, and I finished it nearly 3 weeks ago. That’s not common, given how many books I read.

[Kassa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I’m a fan of Neil Plakcy’s mystery series, this particular adventure/romance mix didn’t live up to the excitement and entertainment normally associated with his work. Mostly well written with a few obvious and notable mistakes, the characters, and more importantly the setting, come to life in the rich heat of the desert in a foreign land. The actual adventure and mystery is somewhat forgettable when the action threads are often ignored in favor of romantic tension and an over the top ending. However, fans of the author’s will enjoy the writing and engaging characters who are enough to carry the book to its conclusion. Not a home run unfortunately, but this won’t keep me from supporting and enjoying the author’s work.

The story revolves around an ESL teacher, Aidan Greene, who has taken extreme measures to get over a recent breakup. After more than a decade with the same man, Aidan decides to take an adventurous new job in northern Africa to get over his ex. However, once Aidan arrives in Tunisia, nothing goes right. An unexpected partnership with an ex-SEAL turned bodyguard, Liam McCullough, provides Aidan with more excitement and romance than he thought. Now the two must race against unknown forces to stop terrorism and save the world.

Well perhaps saving the world is a bit overstated but Aidan and Liam end up embroiled in a terrorist plan and must enlist the help of SEALs, diplomats, and tour directors alike to solve the mystery. The actual mystery is a bit simplistic ~ Liam must deliver information to the paid buyer and evade capture from those who want the information for themselves. This would have worked rather well if there was more emphasis on the details and action. Instead, during the action scenes, the characters would often information dump with various past deeds, thoughts, and internal musings on emotion. While this information is not unwelcome, the timing and placement of such dissipated any tension and dramatic impact the action scenes would have had.

For example, early on Aidan is chased by a group of street boys which leads him to find an out of the way bar where he meets Liam for the first time. While Aidan is being chased and supposedly frightened, he is musing on his past with his ex Blake, the reasons he’s in Tunisia, his past travel prior to meeting Blake, and his fears about not fitting into the strange city. All of this information helps develop Aidan’s character and motivation but the fact that it all happens while he is running through the streets away from potential harm overshadowed the action. In fact, I actually forgot he was being chased for a page or two. This kind of scene is repeated in the story where the action is overshadowed and muted by thoughts, information, and character development in inappropriate places. Thus there was a palpable lack of tension and dramatic conflict. The story seems to meander gently along as the men cross the desert and there is no big end scene even though the details of the final resolution are somewhat far-fetched ~ there were women, children, and innocents in that building.

Although the action was muted and somewhat forgettable, the characters are well developed and fully three-dimensional. The motivations, decisions, and history are fully incorporated into the story and their sexual chemistry is raw and sexy, sometimes visceral and other times muted. The small details are definitely a welcome addition and although there is plenty of romance and sensuality, there is an honest, masculine voice to the writing that is much appreciated. Added to this is the wonderful desert setting where the heat, grit, sweat, and taste of the country come alive in vivid detail. Some of the places visited are riveting and enthralling while fun ideas such as the camel riding inject humor into the situation.

The only other aspect I do want to mention is that although the writing is very clean in some places, in others there are noticeable errors. These include the wrong name used, pronoun confusion, grammar mistakes, and a few other minor problems. Some of these are small and others are slightly jarring. Overall the prose choices are solid and interesting, keeping the story moving along the same pace and style. This consistency helps deliver a good story that didn’t work so well for me, but others may like it better. The unique voice and writing that Plakcy offers stands out in the genre and well worth reading.

[DaisyGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars

This one was alright. The mystery was okay but very secret agent'ish, what with the passed notes and translated messages for certain "eyes only." Add to that the fact that almost every stranger Aidan and Liam came across was more than willing to help them. Totally selfless and wonderful but not very realistic.I liked that both MCs were smart, independent, strong characters. I liked traveling to Tunisia and getting a flavor of the people and the places visited.

What didn't I like? Stinky, sweaty sex. Sweat, sand, and camel hair ... blech! Maybe I'm being a little OCD here but a few days of that without showering and a rim job is just gross. Ewwww.

Bottom line: a fairly fun foray in the Tunisian desert.

[Calila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. I thought Aiden took way too much on faith and made illogical decisions. Liam could've been up to ANYTHING and Aiden just travels along and aids and abets. I didn't care for how the story wrapped up. It seemed callous. They put a lot of people at risk in hopes to catch some bad guys. Yes they had a plan and contingencies, but anything could've gone wrong and they would've been responsible. And yet despite all this I enjoyed the actual relationship between the two. And I don't get why the ex had to show up at the end. It seemed pointless. Aiden had already decided like five times that he was past him.

[Shirley Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good story that had just the right amount of humor, action and romance to keep the reader interested throughout.

The author went to great lengths to describe the setting well enough that the reader could easily imagine being there with the characters.

I loved Aidan to bits, he was funny and adventurous and a great fit for Liam who was a bit more serious but very tender too. The whole plot had me wondering what the hell was going on and very interested in a conclusion.

I'm looking forward to next book.

[Alyosha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable and fun adventure.

4.25 stars

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an awesome book. Mystery/crime is not my favorite genre, I can only take it in small doses, so I rarely venture into that category. But here the romance and the action was perfectly balanced. I loved Aidan and Liam. Loved the chemistry. It was sizzling.

The English teacher and the bodyguard went on an adventure. The story takes place in Tunisia, and I loved that we got a glimpse into that world. I can honestly say that I don’t want to live there. Ever. Not even visit the country, I would be constantly scared. Though since I’m a woman they probably wouldn’t even acknowledge me. Still, I’m pretty sure I would get mugged by kids. Anyway.

To complete their task, they have to travel across the desert and deliver some information while bad people and the police too are after them. Through ups and downs the two men fall in love with each other. The declarations came sooner than I’d have liked, but it was still believable.

I really loved the ending too. It wasn’t chaotic, there weren’t guns and bombs, and it didn’t feel out of place, the whole thing went down very smoothly. The ex showing up was completely unnecessary though. And Aidan said something about his past somewhere in the middle of the book, that was totally OTT and eyeroll-worthy.

So except some minor things, I truly enjoyed this book. Not sure I’ll continue with the series, I think the other installments are focusing more on the adventure than the romance and I don’t think I would like that, but we’ll see.

Sorry about the lack of highlights, but I kind of... forgot. XD

[Meep]

Kindle-Sort-ReRead

Not for me, quit at 32%

Liam bodyguard/agent? Is not around for his brains! All about his looks, muscles, square nipples, leather vest... inappropriate and not very bright.
I'm not 100% but thought you had to get work visas before entering a country, not leave it to your potential employer that has no way to contact you?
Would-be teacher (while bame I've forgotten) gas spent most of the book so far at least half hard.
Maybe intended as a fantasy read over thriller but the sex is oddly unsexy.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wavered between two and three stars on this one for a while. The writing was decent, the characters mostly okay and the story was moderately intriguing... but, there was a problem. A big enough problem for me to deduct a star.

Basically, there was too much dick. WAY too much dick. If the guys weren't currently screwing--while being sweaty and dirty and not having even wiped down with a damp towel for days on end, so eeww!-- then nine times out of ten, Liam's dick was visible through his swishy see-through pants. I may be cast from the M/M Reader Club for this but, frankly, I don't need that much dick detail. I mean, come on, if this had been a F/M romance, constant talk about her camel toe would have turned ANYONE off.

There were other issues, like how every local seemed to either want to get into their pants or couldn't do enough to help them. Apart from the token bad guy giving occasional chase through exotic markets, there was little to stop two Americans--whom most locals apparently pegged as gay from the get go--from running wild through Tunisia and Libya. I'm no expert on either country but it all seemed a little too easy in places.

If I do read on, it'll be a long time from now and I'll most likely be desperate.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of non m/m books and one of my guilty pleasure genres are action/adventure stories normally involving mercenaries of some sort or another, so this book was off to a good start as it married the two together. Aiden is an English teacher who heads to Tunisa after leaving his partner of 10 years, one evening to avoid being mugged he ducks into a bar where he sees a man showering through an open window. Returning the next day he witnesses a drive by fatal shooting and the man from the shower, Liam, mistakes him for the victim, who he should have been guarding. The pair must then work together to unravel what happens, which takes them on a journey across the Tunisian desert to Libya. Their footsteps are dogged by the authorities and more shady characters and they must keep moving to their final destination, whether their journey is by rail, motorbike or camel. There is an instant attraction between the two men, but both are quite insecure regarding personal feelings and have fairly chequered histories so the development to a full relationship and declarations of love is drawn out through the story. I really enjoyed this one and will definitely look at the authors other stories.

[315 · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do I feel... meh.

First off for an ex-SEAL Liam is a bit of a bumbling fool. He spends more time going over what he SHOULD of done or how he failed over coming up with good ideas. It was annoying after awhile how much he fumbled. In fact at the end he admits that Aidan had all the good ideas. WHAT?!?! And Liam mistakes Aidan for someone else on day one... HOW IN THE HELL did you make it into the SEALs and last? *insert eye roll*

The other thing was they fell in love sorta quick for me. With all the action they didn't spent a ton of time "together".

I'll keep reading to the next book as I think this first one was just to get to know the guys. There are 6 books in the series so one more should be telling if this is a series for me or not.

[Tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, great read, adventure, romance and fun. Would recommend this book and will now have to see what else Neil Plakcy has written.

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at my blog.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M, contemporary, suspense, action, mystery, ex-SEAL, bodyguard, Tunisia, violence, terrorism.

Why I read it:
The author asked me to read and review this novel. I’d never read any of his books before but had heard good things about the Mahu Mysteries series.

Storyline:
Aidan came to Tunisia to reinvent himself after his boyfriend dumped him. He meets bodyguard and ex-SEAL Liam and ends up in one big adventure with him, due to an initial misunderstanding. One thing leads to another and they end up on the run for thugs to bring a secretive mission to a good end. Meanwhile their mutual attraction makes for more than one hot night.

My opinion in short:
Three Wrong Turns in the Desert is a sexy, romantic read that has a lot more to offer than just an engaging, hot gay couple that falls in love: namely suspense, mystery and action. I enjoyed the setting of North Africa and the author made me practically feel the heat of the desert. His heroes are easy to love and their chemistry is great, and not only in a sexual way. I would’ve liked a little more internal conflict and focus on insecurities and fears, and a bit more ‘showing’ than ‘telling’ in the writing, but the choices the author made regarding these aspects had its own advantages. If you like an uncomplicated romantic story arc with a strong back story full of suspense, I can highly recommend this entertaining novel. I not only look forward to the sequel of this novel, Dancing With the Tide because of my curiosity about the romantic future of this sexy couple, but also because of the thrill of a new adventure, and perhaps the latter even prevails.

~~~~~
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
~~~~~

What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Somewhere in the book we read: “Mean people suck. Nice people swallow. Aidan swallowed.” And that sums up Aidan pretty well, he is a very nice guy. I adored him, not only his kindness and pliability, but also his inventiveness, his sexiness and his passion for excitement and new things. The excellent character development is, in his case, fueled by the adventure and his relationship with Liam.
Liam is more the strong and silent type. He’s in control, sexy and taking charge but not very talkative about his past or feelings. The longer he is in Aidan’s company the more the other man disarms and surprises him and the more Liam opens up to him.
As a couple they do not only have a great sexual chemistry, they also interact smoothly and form a great team in fighting the bad guys. It’s very convincing by the end that they are a perfect match for each other, although they hadn’t figured that quite out themselves. Thanks to little glimpses of their feelings and thoughts about each other - like admiration, surprise, lust and joy - the falling in love came gradually but steadily. I enjoyed this kind of relationship exploration very much. Sometimes the lack of a conflict can work just fine.
• POV
Two alternating points of view in third person (Aidan and Liam). This provided all the information I needed and I never had to guess what was going on. Consequently I had sometimes more information than the protags and was never afraid or kept in suspense together with one of them about the whereabouts of the other man. I admit that perhaps I would’ve liked the insecurities and fears a bit more exposed and dragged out.
• Plot
The plot is very dynamic. This book is a romance, mystery and action novel in one, with all the matching elements of those genres interwoven into one plot. It never gets boring. With a full plot like that it sometimes can get confusing on what to focus though. And at certain moments I was wishing for more developments in the romantic department and at other moments I wanted more information about the mysterious assignment and its who’s and why’s. But in the end all different threads were knitted nicely together into one big, colorful scarf that wrapped comfortably around my shoulders.
• Smexing
M/M. The sex scenes were sensual, hot and rather uncomplicated, especially when one takes the lack of beds, showers and lube into account. These scenes aren’t the main focus of the relationship building.
• Writing style
The author is a great story teller and tells his story straightforward. His writing is lucid and pleasant. The strongest characteristic of his prose is the accurate descriptions of a setting with which he evokes colorful, lifelike images - for example of the medina (the old part) of a North African city:

“The sounds in the medina were overwhelming, from the calls of the merchants in harsh Arabic to the methodical pounding of the repoussé artisans and the Arabic pop music blasting from speakers.
They passed souks full of carpets, elaborate birdcages with pointed arches, brass teapots, and cotton blouses in a rainbow of colors, embroidered with intricate designs. He saw a souk stocked with the long, hooded cloaks called djellabas and thought he might buy one to wear at night while relaxing and grading papers.
Sweet aromas wafted out of the spice vendors' souks; the leathermakers' stalls were pungent. They even passed the perfumers' souks, where the flowery scent combined with the delicate colorful bottles to assault the senses.
At the fez-maker's souk, an old man was proudly demonstrating the traditional process.”

I admit that I’m probably a little biased and I might have enjoyed these descriptions of North Africa so much because I’ve been there, and these parts of the book brought back good memories.
At the same time the writing style made me a little lazy, because everything was told and explained and not much was left for me to put together with my own imagination. I usually enjoy a story more when the writing does ‘show’ instead of ‘tell’, especially when it concerns the intimate scenes between the protags.

Favorite scene/quote:
Apart from the colorful descriptions I mentioned above, I also enjoyed little quips and ironic comments like this one:

“Maybe he could write a book. He'd been thinking about writing an ESL text for a few years, unhappy with the materials that were available. Or maybe a novel about two gay guys chasing through the desert and falling in love.
No, no one would believe that one.”

Linking:
Neil Plakcy’s website | on Twitter | on Goodreads
Buy Three Wrong Turns in the Desert here

Other m/m romances by this author:
Dancing with the Tide (sequel of Three Wrong Turns in the Desert)
Gaylife.com

[William Kibler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced, non-stop action

Great story set in the Middle East. Different than most MM romances, as this story involves mystery, foreign intrigue, subterfuge, and exotic locales. Writing in the appearance of an ex-boyfriend towards the end of the book (seemed quite a stretch), and many small proofreading errors demoted the story from 4 stars to 3 for me.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fun cozy romance suspense starter to a series. Aiden and Liam make a good team and an even better couple. 3.5.

[Smaran Ramidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of my 2024 smut journey and I would read it again honestly.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book!

First of all, I think the setting is wonderful. The author made me really feel like I was in the busy streets of Tunis, in the sandy trails in the desert, running or walking, on a bus or riding a camel. The book has the flavor of the adventure books I liked to read when I was a child, I lost myself in the pages and I read the story in a blur to see where the characters would take me and what would happen to them.

The main characters are both very fascinating. Liam is an ex-Navy SEAL who got branded in my brain the first time I caught a glimpse of him showering outdoors in a backyard, skin gleaming and nipple rings sparkling under the sun. And I know what you're doing right now! You're buying the book! It's easy to fall in love with Liam because he's really impressive and I am so shallow and I can't resist hotness.

Aidan, the English teacher who fled to Tunis after the end of a relationship, grows on the reader page after page. The story is told mainly in his point of view and at the beginning Liam overshadows him for his sheer physical appearance and because Aidan has a low self-esteem and he can't see his qualities. It takes a while for Aidan to realize he is much better than his ex made him think of being and the brattier side of him slowly emerges, making him maybe more interesting than Liam in the long run. It was good to see how resourceful Aidan was and even if he insisted on following Liam in the most dangerous situations, he knew how not to make things worse. He was brave but not reckless. At the end of the book, Liam - ex Naby SEAL, big, butch and trained - seemed a bit dumb in comparison to Aidan and I don't like to think of one of the main characters like this.

The chemistry between the two is incredible and when they are together, they are sizzling. As I said before, I was a bit blinded by Liam at the beginning - probably by the jockstrap, mmmm - but I loved to see the way Aidan was able to manipulate Liam to get things his own way. The exotic locations of the book gave everything an even more sensual edge and I liked that the author was able to make this spill in every aspect of the book.

I have a pet peeve. I like when the point of view switches between the main characters with a rhythm that makes me expect to hear from the other character. But I also like books with a single point of view. In this book the point of view is mainly Aidan's with a few switches to Liam's. I wish we had had nothing from Liam's or significantly more, because otherwise I am left with the feeling that the author had the intention of writing a single point of view, but couldn't work around certain situations easily without changing it.

I have a few reservations about the ending. I wasn't really convinced about the Tuareg tribe problem turning to an anti-terrorism operation with anthrax, etc. It suddenly became this big thing and even if I am very good at suspending my disbelief, this turning of the events took me out of the story. Another thing that I didn't really like was the re-appearance of the ex, which seemed a bit out of character for what I knew about Blake - or not sufficiently explained, or wrapped up too quickly. I don't know if the author was already planning of writing a sequel, but I would have kept this reunion for a later book.

Apart from this, it was an incredibly fascinating and exciting story. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, because I really want to see how Liam and Aidan's relationship evolves in their next adventures.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ~ Three Wrong Turns in the Desert was an amazing, adventurous and sensual story. I really hadn't known what to expect; the only other Neil Plakcy story that I had read was in the Best Gay Romance anthology edited by Tom Graham ~ Mi Amor, Mi Corazon, Mi Cielo.
It was a wonderful and yet humourous romance and it really set me up to like anything by Mr. Plakcy. So when the opportunity arose to read his story Three Wrong Turns in the Desert, I jumped at it. I was glued to the pages as Aidan and Liam's relationship began, grew and developed. And the exciting elements of intrigue reminded me of Robert Ludlum and the manner in which he mesmerized his readers. Mr. Ludlum is still, in my mind, one of the very best in the genre ~ and here I found the same intensity in a romance... wow!
I absolutely adored Aidan, a man who found himself in circumstances that he could neither have forseen or knew how to deal with, but with Liam by his side, all was possible.
Liam was more of a mystery, but as the story progressed Neil Plakcy slowly peeled back the layers behind which Liam had hidden himself. I loved watching as he and Aidan found something together that neither of them had ever expected to have. Beautiful, heart-pounding, erotic and always a story that will be a joy to return to again and again.
Here's hoping that there will be more stories featuring Aidan and Liam; I for one will get them as soon as they're out!

And I've already ordered, and received, Mr. Plakcy's Mahu books... really looking forward to sitting down, digging in and letting go.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aidan finds himself in Tunis after his ex dumps him after ten years together. He sees a beautiful, naked man showering in a courtyard and decides to return to the scene the next day. Imagine his surprise when the hot man, Liam, actually connects with him. Liam is a former SEAL who has been honorably discharged because of DADT. The story that follows is an adventure and we follow Aidan and Liam across the desert in search of clues and eventually potential terrorists. While this requires some significant suspension of disbelief it kept me entertained (and at one point Plakcy mocks his own story by having Aidan imagine writing about their adventure, then quickly dismissing that idea because “no one would believe him”). Also, I thought the arrival of the ex at the end was truly unbelievable (was this written before Skype?) BUT I had been hoping there would be some resolution there so I wasn’t unhappy. I will read the next story because I liked Aidan and Liam and their relationship.

**One week later and I have to say that thinking about the scene when Aidan first sees Liam still gets me hot & bothered…

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story of Liam, a former navy seal turned bodyguard and Aiden, an ESL teacher who finds himself out of a job halfway around the world. The adventure they embark upon was fun and I liked the author's writing style, i.e. his "voice".

I didn't like the amount of time Aiden spent second-guessing his decisions, his lifestyle, his past, his relationship with Liam, his future, etc. I think the story could have been told with less pages. There were times when I just used speed reading through the sex scenes, though they were hot, they became redundant too. I started to compare this to one of the m/f writers I used to enjoy before she got stuck on using too much introspection in her stories. That may be why it ended up being a 3 star read for me, rather than 4.

[Addicted2M/M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook version. (I wish I had read the book instead of the audio version, I may do a re-read of the ebook, because the narrator really didn't do it for me. I think it lost some of the humor, excitement and heat because I had to repeat everything in my head they way I thought it should be said. The worst part was that the voice he used for Aiden sounded like a 12 year old boy, instead of a 40ish man. And Liam often sounded like a jovial grandpa. I sometimes felt like I was listening to a Rankin/Bass Christmas special.)

Aiden's waffling drove me a little nuts. I liked how Aiden came up with some of the plans, it wasn't all the "Super Seal" solving every problem. Loved Liam's reaction to their visitor at the end of the book.

[DeeNeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I just got off the wildest rollercoaster ride of adventures. And damn fun it was. Nonstop action, both sexual and adventure, through the deserts of Tunisia. How they kept the sand out during all that sex defies logic, but it was sizzling between Liam and Aidan. Liam is an ex-SEAL, now body guard for hire, who mistakens Aidan for a client. Aidan who just arrived to Tunisia to teach, finds himself witnessing the murder of man who could be his double. Aidan is enlisted to take the place of the murdered man on a mission to find and deliver a mysterious coded package. All involving one hot sexy looking bodyguard.