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A Matter of Time #1
A Matter of Time Book I
Jory Keyes spends his time drinking and cruising gay bars picking up one night stands. Then suddenly he becomes the only witness to a brutal murder. Although the killer vows to silence him, Jory refuses to go into witness protection. This puts him into conflict with Sam Kage, a very straight and very hot police detective. When passion flares between the two men, Sam is astonished. Is he really gay? And if so, what will this mean to his career, and his life? As the danger threatening Jory increases, Sam senses that nothing is as it seems, and wonders who is really after his newfound and forbidden love?
This book is no longer available at Club Lighthouse Publishing.
This book is no longer available at Club Lighthouse Publishing.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2009
51 people are currently reading
3564 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,016 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
August 5, 2016
Warning to all you Jory fans out there, this is going to be rough.
This was one of the most irritating and annoying books I've read in a long time and it's mainly because of the MC, Jory. The story is told from the first person narrative, by Jory. Jory is the most perfect person to walk the face of the Earth. At least this is what EVERYONE thinks, apparently except for me. Colleagues, friends, ex/new lovers, anyone who's fortunate to lay their eyes on the halo of light that surrounds him, loves him. This is not an exaggeration. Nobody could keep their hands off of him. They all thought he could be a model and all you heard was "God, you are beautiful." *rolls eyes* The thing is, I could probably get into the character (a little) if everyone didn't fall head over heels for him. I felt like the author was jamming his beauty and how perfect he is down my throat. By the time the third person was entranced by him, I wanted to kill him. Yes, he's good-looking and always wants to help people but he is not perfect. He treats his ex-lovers like shit and honestly he makes some extremely stupid decisions.
Now onto the writing. I finally pinpointed what aggravated me about the dialogue. It was choppy and clipped. Questions were answered with questions and it appeared over and over again. "Yeah, I know." "You know?" "Whaddaya want?" "What do I want?" "What do you want to eat?" "Eat?" "Yes, eat." "I'm okay." "Okay?" Grrrrr.....the repetitiveness aggravated me to no end.
A few more issues to wrap up. We have the possessive and pushy cop, Sam. At first I was intrigued by him. His abrasiveness didn't bother me but after a while even he grated on me. I didn't feel like he was genuinely confused about his sexuality. He seemed to be just going through the motions.
The plot was predictable and honestly this seemed more like a day in the life of Jory rather than focusing on the crime/suspense aspects. Chapter one started off good. Jory finds himself witnessing a murder. Then it goes right in to his personal relationships with a little of the crime portions of the story thrown in here and there. It doesn't really pick up until the end.
The sex scenes were boring and completely forgettable.
Basically, there wasn't much I could say that I liked.
This was one of the most irritating and annoying books I've read in a long time and it's mainly because of the MC, Jory. The story is told from the first person narrative, by Jory. Jory is the most perfect person to walk the face of the Earth. At least this is what EVERYONE thinks, apparently except for me. Colleagues, friends, ex/new lovers, anyone who's fortunate to lay their eyes on the halo of light that surrounds him, loves him. This is not an exaggeration. Nobody could keep their hands off of him. They all thought he could be a model and all you heard was "God, you are beautiful." *rolls eyes* The thing is, I could probably get into the character (a little) if everyone didn't fall head over heels for him. I felt like the author was jamming his beauty and how perfect he is down my throat. By the time the third person was entranced by him, I wanted to kill him. Yes, he's good-looking and always wants to help people but he is not perfect. He treats his ex-lovers like shit and honestly he makes some extremely stupid decisions.
Now onto the writing. I finally pinpointed what aggravated me about the dialogue. It was choppy and clipped. Questions were answered with questions and it appeared over and over again. "Yeah, I know." "You know?" "Whaddaya want?" "What do I want?" "What do you want to eat?" "Eat?" "Yes, eat." "I'm okay." "Okay?" Grrrrr.....the repetitiveness aggravated me to no end.
A few more issues to wrap up. We have the possessive and pushy cop, Sam. At first I was intrigued by him. His abrasiveness didn't bother me but after a while even he grated on me. I didn't feel like he was genuinely confused about his sexuality. He seemed to be just going through the motions.
The plot was predictable and honestly this seemed more like a day in the life of Jory rather than focusing on the crime/suspense aspects. Chapter one started off good. Jory finds himself witnessing a murder. Then it goes right in to his personal relationships with a little of the crime portions of the story thrown in here and there. It doesn't really pick up until the end.
The sex scenes were boring and completely forgettable.
Basically, there wasn't much I could say that I liked.
September 16, 2013
I didn't want to need him
What can I say about this book? Let's do this short & sweet. I barely read on weekends so I thought why not start this one because it wasn't that long. Heather (my fave dentist EVAH) told me it was a freebie so I got my copy and guess what? Book 2 was also included so yeah, I am hooked and almost finishing book 2 now.
Ok, onto the review now.
Jory is a young guy who witness a murder.
Detective *ASSHOLE/TE ODIO* Sam Kage is a STRAIGHT detective who is working on Jory's case.
That's the premise of the book. The thing is Jory is not stupid and he doesn't want anyone taking care of him but he's not expecting Detective Kage to be that hot and "special".
They share more than a witness/detective relationship but things might get complicated for them.
"Keeping secrets is a killer and guilt is even worse"
This book wasn't amazing, there were a few things I didn't like but still I couldn't put it down for reasons unknown as my Brandon Flowers would say.
The only thing I know is I had to start book 2 and now I am biting my nails while I finish book 2 because I can't freaking wait for book 3 so that's why I gave this one 3.5 (rounded up) stars, because this series is unputdownable and very well written.
November 5, 2013
WHY? OH WHYYYYY? Does Mary Calmes do this? It's Acrobat all over again!
Why does everyone HAVE TO love Jory so much?
WHY does he have to be so perfect?
The man is like a Disney wonder boy - children, old ladies and dogs LOVE him!
He looks like a cover model for Amber Crombie & Fitch! And we get reminded of this ALL THE TIME?!
He has the power to deflect bullets with his cosmic radiance.
He solves the worlds problems with tea?! And needs to realise that he is not English! Nor is he Ghandi!
He's a walking aphrodisiac. *eye roll*
It's ridiculous and yet I am pathetically compelled to read on. In my defence, it's free and Jory just got his arse handed to him, which was fun. Plus, my edition includes the next book, so I shall persevere will a fresh attitude and try really hard to laugh it all off and follow the plot ...wait, whats the plot again?
Why does everyone HAVE TO love Jory so much?
WHY does he have to be so perfect?
The man is like a Disney wonder boy - children, old ladies and dogs LOVE him!
He looks like a cover model for Amber Crombie & Fitch! And we get reminded of this ALL THE TIME?!
He has the power to deflect bullets with his cosmic radiance.
He solves the worlds problems with tea?! And needs to realise that he is not English! Nor is he Ghandi!
He's a walking aphrodisiac. *eye roll*
It's ridiculous and yet I am pathetically compelled to read on. In my defence, it's free and Jory just got his arse handed to him, which was fun. Plus, my edition includes the next book, so I shall persevere will a fresh attitude and try really hard to laugh it all off and follow the plot ...wait, whats the plot again?
![Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1700013408i%2F101358081._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 25, 2024
|| 3.5 stars ||
This story is about Jory, a well-liked personal assist to an architect, who just so happens to have witnessed a murder and is now being protected as a witness by the police detective working on the case.
The main thing we get to see in this book is just Jory living his life, interacting with many different people, among which his boss, Dane, and the police detective, Sam, are the most important.
All his interactions with every person he meets is a fun and captivating thing to read about, since Jory just seems to be the kind of person that enamors every person he comes in contact with. People fall over backwards to get his attention, and I personally have a weak spot for seeing a character get completely adored and obsessed over by other people.
Anyway, there is obviously a romance going on between Jory and Sam, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. At first, I was totally into their relationship, and I adored how devoted and obsessed Sam was when it came to Jory, but that all came to a grinding halt near the end. Sam did something that made me change my entire perspective on the guy and on his love for Jory.
I really hope Jory will not just take him back: this man needs to grovel hard and he needs to do it now. I will be extremely pissed if that doesn’t happen. I kind of want Jory to find someone else altogether, but I’m guessing that that’s not going to happen. Unfortunately.
When it comes to Dane I have to say that I am a little more confused about what the author’s intentions are. I genuinely cannot tell if Dane is meant to have romantic feelings for Jory, or if he really just sees him like a little brother. I have no idea… It’s intriguing, though, and I can’t wait to find out. I definitely like their dynamic regardless, but I truly wish they could just end up together. They’d be cute.
Also, judging by other reviews I might be the only person who thinks this, but I honestly did not feel like Jory treated the many men in his life unfairly at all. He owed his exes or previous hook-ups absolutely nothing. He was quite obviously not interested, and most of them just kept pushing. That’s on them, not Jory.
I just wanted to say this because I feel like a lot of people hated Jory for his “attitude”, so the fact that I did not might be one of the reasons I was able to enjoy this much more than some others were.
Long story short, this wasn’t realistic in the slightest and everyone here was way too “perfect”, but I still had lots of fun with it. Seeing Jory get carried on hands and knees by every single person he meets was among my highlights.
'A Matter of Time' series:
1. Book I - 3.5 stars
2. Book II - 3.5 stars
3. Book III - 2.5 stars
4. Book IV - 4.0 stars
5. Bulletproof - 4.5 stars
6. But for You - 2.0 stars
7. Parting Shot - dnf
8. Piece of Cake - 2.5 stars
Short Stories:
5.5. Just Jory - 4.0 stars
6.5. Ears, Eggs and Bunnies - 3.0 stars
This story is about Jory, a well-liked personal assist to an architect, who just so happens to have witnessed a murder and is now being protected as a witness by the police detective working on the case.
The main thing we get to see in this book is just Jory living his life, interacting with many different people, among which his boss, Dane, and the police detective, Sam, are the most important.
All his interactions with every person he meets is a fun and captivating thing to read about, since Jory just seems to be the kind of person that enamors every person he comes in contact with. People fall over backwards to get his attention, and I personally have a weak spot for seeing a character get completely adored and obsessed over by other people.
Anyway, there is obviously a romance going on between Jory and Sam, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. At first, I was totally into their relationship, and I adored how devoted and obsessed Sam was when it came to Jory, but that all came to a grinding halt near the end. Sam did something that made me change my entire perspective on the guy and on his love for Jory.
I really hope Jory will not just take him back: this man needs to grovel hard and he needs to do it now. I will be extremely pissed if that doesn’t happen. I kind of want Jory to find someone else altogether, but I’m guessing that that’s not going to happen. Unfortunately.
When it comes to Dane I have to say that I am a little more confused about what the author’s intentions are. I genuinely cannot tell if Dane is meant to have romantic feelings for Jory, or if he really just sees him like a little brother. I have no idea… It’s intriguing, though, and I can’t wait to find out. I definitely like their dynamic regardless, but I truly wish they could just end up together. They’d be cute.
Also, judging by other reviews I might be the only person who thinks this, but I honestly did not feel like Jory treated the many men in his life unfairly at all. He owed his exes or previous hook-ups absolutely nothing. He was quite obviously not interested, and most of them just kept pushing. That’s on them, not Jory.
I just wanted to say this because I feel like a lot of people hated Jory for his “attitude”, so the fact that I did not might be one of the reasons I was able to enjoy this much more than some others were.
Long story short, this wasn’t realistic in the slightest and everyone here was way too “perfect”, but I still had lots of fun with it. Seeing Jory get carried on hands and knees by every single person he meets was among my highlights.
'A Matter of Time' series:
1. Book I - 3.5 stars
2. Book II - 3.5 stars
3. Book III - 2.5 stars
4. Book IV - 4.0 stars
5. Bulletproof - 4.5 stars
6. But for You - 2.0 stars
7. Parting Shot - dnf
8. Piece of Cake - 2.5 stars
Short Stories:
5.5. Just Jory - 4.0 stars
6.5. Ears, Eggs and Bunnies - 3.0 stars
July 3, 2020
2.5 Stars
I disliked both characters. The author made Jory as a perfect character who everybody is in love with or wants to come back to him (his exes) but in reality, he wasn’t (in my opinion). I couldn’t feel their connection and any chemistry between them. After 70% I started skimming a lot. All in all, I expected so much more of this and hope you like it more than me!
I disliked both characters. The author made Jory as a perfect character who everybody is in love with or wants to come back to him (his exes) but in reality, he wasn’t (in my opinion). I couldn’t feel their connection and any chemistry between them. After 70% I started skimming a lot. All in all, I expected so much more of this and hope you like it more than me!
March 1, 2020
Second re-read: 01.03.2020
Since I had just re-read the author's other series, Marshals, I decided to re-read this one again as well. Why you ask? Well, I adore Sam in the other series; he's just so damn brooding and sexy, and commanding and just plain hot. While in this one, he's different though. It's because Marshals is set in the future compared to this one. That being said, I have my issues - a l o t of them (mostly Jory) - but it's still an alright read. At least it passes time. I would rather ship Jory with Dane though, which is odd...
Re-read: 16.04.2018
I'm annoyed with myself. I can't find any new books to read so I end up re-reading a bunch of books that I barely even liked to begin with. This one is a fine example. I don't like Sam Kage all that much in this book, which is strange since he's my favorite character in the Marshal's series. Jory is like one of the most unserious characters I've ever met and quite stupid. Why do everyone need to touch him all the time?! Both of the characters kinda annoy me in this series. Yet here I am, re-reading it. I need to get out of this ... slump or depression I got going on. Also one thing I didn't remember was the awful sex description. It so far from hot that it's scary and I had trouble finding out when they actually had sex. That's not fun, believe me. Overall, I hate myself at the moment. But that's kinda normal. I hate more the fact that nothing seems to interest me anymore. I'm losing interest in everything.
Other characters:
↦ Dane Harcourt, the best character in the series. Is Jory's boss and the main architect for one of the premier architectural firms in the city, Harcourt, Brown, and Cogan.
↦ Caleb Reid, Dane's biological brother. Suzie Pomeroy and Danny Reid, Caleb's parents, and Dane's biological mother and father - Suzie put Dane up for adoption without Danny's knowledged.
↦ Michael ‘Mike’ Kage, a architect and Sam's brother. Alexandra ‘Alex’ Ralston, his girlfriend of three months, who Jory knew beforehand through Dane (she slept with him? Or worked for him?).
↦ Regina Rappaport, Sam's mother and Thomas Kage, his father.
↦ Jennifer ‘Jen’ Levine, Sam's sister, married to Mitch Levine, got two daughters, Ally Levine (2) and Carla Levine together. And is . I hate characters like this; must read to understand.
↦ Rachel ‘Rach’, Sam's oldest sister.
↦ Levi Kage and Joseph ‘Joe’ Kage, brothers and Sam's cousins.
↦ Nick Sullivan, a doctor/resident that wants Jory.
↦ Anna, Jory's friend and her abusive (hitting her) husband, Brian Minor, the one who Jury saw murder someone. George, Anna's beagle.
↦ Miles Brown, who does interior design and Sherman Cogan, the landscape architect, Dane's business partners.
↦ Piper Dowling, Harcourt, Brown, and Cogan's front desk receptionist
↦ Celia Johnson and Jill Kincaid, assistants like Jory - Celia worked for Brown and Jill worked for the third partner at the firm, Cogan.
↦ Evan Rheems, Jory's friend and flight attendant.
↦ Taylor Grant, Jory's occasion hook up?
↦ Kevin Wu, a guy Jory dated for six months?
↦ Ben, Wade and Eddie, friends of Jory.
↦ The Gordons, old friends of Sam's folks. Their daughter Nora and Sam used to date back in high school.
↦ Dominic Kairov, Sam's work partner.
First read review:
This book was actually alright. A good thing, considering I had actually shelved this book as a 'checked-wont-read' book, but later decided to give it a shot anyway. And I'm glad I did. Jory ‘J’ Keyes (22) and Samuel ‘Sam’ ‘Sammy’ Thomas Kage (34) was interesting and I'm looking forward to see more of them. The story had action, friendship and awesome characters. Jory had witnessed a murder and refuses to go into witness protection. That means his life is in danger and Sam has made it his mission to keep him safe; by showing up everywhere Jory is (though not really stalking as he is a cop and it is his job?...). But keeping him safe is not as easy as people are coming after Jory and they want him gone. As in dead...
Sam's possessive, controlling and demanding, while Jory is kind, loving, sweet and easy-going. Together they sort of balance each other out. I also really enjoyed Dane Harcourt , Jory's boss (is his assistant) and the main architect (designs houses). He was hot. Overall, it was a nice read, though not the best, but one of the better books from Mary Calmes. There's just something about her writing that keeps making me come back... And as there's insta-lust, instead of insta-love, I was quite happy, even though one of the characters were falling the words 'I love you' haven't been mentioned so yay :)
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Sam Kage?
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars
Since I had just re-read the author's other series, Marshals, I decided to re-read this one again as well. Why you ask? Well, I adore Sam in the other series; he's just so damn brooding and sexy, and commanding and just plain hot. While in this one, he's different though. It's because Marshals is set in the future compared to this one. That being said, I have my issues - a l o t of them (mostly Jory) - but it's still an alright read. At least it passes time. I would rather ship Jory with Dane though, which is odd...
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*I'm not feeling anything anymore*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 16.04.2018
I'm annoyed with myself. I can't find any new books to read so I end up re-reading a bunch of books that I barely even liked to begin with. This one is a fine example. I don't like Sam Kage all that much in this book, which is strange since he's my favorite character in the Marshal's series. Jory is like one of the most unserious characters I've ever met and quite stupid. Why do everyone need to touch him all the time?! Both of the characters kinda annoy me in this series. Yet here I am, re-reading it. I need to get out of this ... slump or depression I got going on. Also one thing I didn't remember was the awful sex description. It so far from hot that it's scary and I had trouble finding out when they actually had sex. That's not fun, believe me. Overall, I hate myself at the moment. But that's kinda normal. I hate more the fact that nothing seems to interest me anymore. I'm losing interest in everything.
“Keeping secrets is a killer and guilt is even worse.”
Other characters:
↦ Dane Harcourt, the best character in the series. Is Jory's boss and the main architect for one of the premier architectural firms in the city, Harcourt, Brown, and Cogan.
↦ Caleb Reid, Dane's biological brother. Suzie Pomeroy and Danny Reid, Caleb's parents, and Dane's biological mother and father - Suzie put Dane up for adoption without Danny's knowledged.
↦ Michael ‘Mike’ Kage, a architect and Sam's brother. Alexandra ‘Alex’ Ralston, his girlfriend of three months, who Jory knew beforehand through Dane (she slept with him? Or worked for him?).
↦ Regina Rappaport, Sam's mother and Thomas Kage, his father.
↦ Jennifer ‘Jen’ Levine, Sam's sister, married to Mitch Levine, got two daughters, Ally Levine (2) and Carla Levine together. And is . I hate characters like this; must read to understand.
↦ Rachel ‘Rach’, Sam's oldest sister.
↦ Levi Kage and Joseph ‘Joe’ Kage, brothers and Sam's cousins.
↦ Nick Sullivan, a doctor/resident that wants Jory.
↦ Anna, Jory's friend and her abusive (hitting her) husband, Brian Minor, the one who Jury saw murder someone. George, Anna's beagle.
↦ Miles Brown, who does interior design and Sherman Cogan, the landscape architect, Dane's business partners.
↦ Piper Dowling, Harcourt, Brown, and Cogan's front desk receptionist
↦ Celia Johnson and Jill Kincaid, assistants like Jory - Celia worked for Brown and Jill worked for the third partner at the firm, Cogan.
↦ Evan Rheems, Jory's friend and flight attendant.
↦ Taylor Grant, Jory's occasion hook up?
↦ Kevin Wu, a guy Jory dated for six months?
↦ Ben, Wade and Eddie, friends of Jory.
↦ The Gordons, old friends of Sam's folks. Their daughter Nora and Sam used to date back in high school.
↦ Dominic Kairov, Sam's work partner.
I heard it loud and clear. When the experiment was over I would go on my way and he would go back to sleeping with girls, auditioning the mother of his children. I was an interlude, intermission—all the I words applied here. Even if I made myself seemingly indispensable, even if I thought he could not live without me—in the end he would live without me because it was not what he wanted. His heart was not connected to his dick. He could sleep with me from now until he died and still not love me because he was not hardwired that way. Men loved women, not other men. This was a truth like any other for him. Rain fell, the sun shone, men loved women. Period. I was wasting my time thinking it could ever be anything more....
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might contain spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
First read review:
This book was actually alright. A good thing, considering I had actually shelved this book as a 'checked-wont-read' book, but later decided to give it a shot anyway. And I'm glad I did. Jory ‘J’ Keyes (22) and Samuel ‘Sam’ ‘Sammy’ Thomas Kage (34) was interesting and I'm looking forward to see more of them. The story had action, friendship and awesome characters. Jory had witnessed a murder and refuses to go into witness protection. That means his life is in danger and Sam has made it his mission to keep him safe; by showing up everywhere Jory is (though not really stalking as he is a cop and it is his job?...). But keeping him safe is not as easy as people are coming after Jory and they want him gone. As in dead...
Stupid to give anyone power to make me feel one way or another—except my boss. Only Dane Harcourt got to yank my chain.
Sam's possessive, controlling and demanding, while Jory is kind, loving, sweet and easy-going. Together they sort of balance each other out. I also really enjoyed Dane Harcourt , Jory's boss (is his assistant) and the main architect (designs houses). He was hot. Overall, it was a nice read, though not the best, but one of the better books from Mary Calmes. There's just something about her writing that keeps making me come back... And as there's insta-lust, instead of insta-love, I was quite happy, even though one of the characters were falling the words 'I love you' haven't been mentioned so yay :)
“If I didn't watch so much TV, real life wouldn't be so disappointing.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Sam Kage?
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars
February 14, 2014
Very simply: a joy to read.
Hilarious and irritating and heartwarming and silly as fuck.
But also so sexy I am compelled to add a couple extra x's to the word.
Have fun!
Hilarious and irritating and heartwarming and silly as fuck.
But also so sexy I am compelled to add a couple extra x's to the word.
Have fun!
March 12, 2022
dnf @ 40%. i think this author is just not for me
September 20, 2016
I am re-reading the All Kinds of Tied Down-series to get ready for the 3rd book and I really wanted Sam Kage's origin story. I had this on my Kindle, so I thought I would give this a try...
And boy, oh boy did this not work for me. I am obviously in the minority with my GR friends, but Jory was THE most condescending, superior, annoying character I have read in a while.
I should mention that I threw in the towel around the scene with Sam's sister and her husband's best friends... That was just... So freaking weird and ridiculous.
So Jory is this PERFECT, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL character and EVERYBODY wants him (sarcasm not used!)
This dude is described like the second coming of christ, and it was disturbing. His best friend wants a relationship, a doctor stalks him, to get him in a relationship, I thought his boss wanted him for a relationship (apparently not), Sam Kage, a homicide detective, who is STRAIGHT wants a relationship. But Jory of course wants NO relationship. He grew up in foster homes you see, and he is not ready for a relationship.
One night he's in Sam's bed and he's so not ready, but the next morning he SO is...
I'm like.... What??? I can't even...
And then he meets Sam's mother, and she just LUUUUUURVS Jory, and takes him shopping and hugs him and feeds him.... And my teeth were aching with the over-the-top-sweetness...
And then, then Sam's sister And I threw in the towel...
The way he 'handled' Sam, was so condescending and I was cheering for Sam, to throw the sister out on her ass...
We also have the stupidity...
Jory witnesses a murder, but he can handle himself (he was in foster care, you see) and he don't need no man to help him... The dude is (almost) kidnapped and still, he's like I can handle myself! Luckily Sam takes over here, but I did so much eyerolling and shaking my head that it's a wonder anything is still attached!
This story was NOT for me! I did not like Jory at all, he was too 'perfect' and polished and it was freaking CREEPY that everybody LUUUURVED him as soon as they met him... Puh-lease spare me and give me a character with more grit and decency.
And boy, oh boy did this not work for me. I am obviously in the minority with my GR friends, but Jory was THE most condescending, superior, annoying character I have read in a while.
I should mention that I threw in the towel around the scene with Sam's sister and her husband's best friends... That was just... So freaking weird and ridiculous.
So Jory is this PERFECT, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL character and EVERYBODY wants him (sarcasm not used!)
This dude is described like the second coming of christ, and it was disturbing. His best friend wants a relationship, a doctor stalks him, to get him in a relationship, I thought his boss wanted him for a relationship (apparently not), Sam Kage, a homicide detective, who is STRAIGHT wants a relationship. But Jory of course wants NO relationship. He grew up in foster homes you see, and he is not ready for a relationship.
One night he's in Sam's bed and he's so not ready, but the next morning he SO is...
I'm like.... What??? I can't even...
And then he meets Sam's mother, and she just LUUUUUURVS Jory, and takes him shopping and hugs him and feeds him.... And my teeth were aching with the over-the-top-sweetness...
And then, then Sam's sister And I threw in the towel...
The way he 'handled' Sam, was so condescending and I was cheering for Sam, to throw the sister out on her ass...
We also have the stupidity...
Jory witnesses a murder, but he can handle himself (he was in foster care, you see) and he don't need no man to help him... The dude is (almost) kidnapped and still, he's like I can handle myself! Luckily Sam takes over here, but I did so much eyerolling and shaking my head that it's a wonder anything is still attached!
This story was NOT for me! I did not like Jory at all, he was too 'perfect' and polished and it was freaking CREEPY that everybody LUUUURVED him as soon as they met him... Puh-lease spare me and give me a character with more grit and decency.
August 2, 2019
A Matter of Time Vol. 1 is the tale of Jory, hot young, twenty-two-year-old who out of loyalty to a friend decides to do her a favor. The friend was in a really bad situation, and Jory came to her rescue; unfortunately, the situation he ends up in due to helping his friend is pretty bad. Wrong place, wrong time, and the police become involved.
We then meet Detective Sam Kage. Oh, he's stoic, oh so stoic. I found it adorable every time he popped up wherever Jory was. It was teetering the line of stalking, but his infatuation was adorable. I loved that Jory read the signals well and finally gave Sam what he was craving.
The sex scenes were different than what I'm used to in my M/M romances. Not as graphic but nothing wrong with that.
We then meet Detective Sam Kage. Oh, he's stoic, oh so stoic. I found it adorable every time he popped up wherever Jory was. It was teetering the line of stalking, but his infatuation was adorable. I loved that Jory read the signals well and finally gave Sam what he was craving.
The sex scenes were different than what I'm used to in my M/M romances. Not as graphic but nothing wrong with that.
October 23, 2014
Written October 23, 2014
3.8 Stars - Enthralling and intriguing. - Jeez, this one made me F.E.E.L (quite hurt and angry right now)
Book #1
I just finished listening to book #1 in Vol.1 - A Matter of Time (book #1-2) and I'm a happy listener. ~ Great narrated by Paul Morey (6:45 hrs).
~ An absolutely captivating and truly moving story. ~
Wow! I need much more of these men.
I know it will be too many long hours. These guys will hurt my heart, there'll be some sobbing, I'm going to be so d@mn angry — but yet so addictive good to listen to in the autumn darkness.
***********************************************************
A Matter of Time is about the quite young (22), gay, blond, goodlooking Jory Keyes. He lives a ordinarie gay, young & fun life in Chicago. He is dancing and partying at clubs and gay bars and there are a huge gang of needy (h@rny..) begging gay men who wants much more from this beautiful dream-boy but Jory hardly never goes for more than one steamy hot night, if even that long.
On the days works Jory Keyes as an architect’s assistant to an overly bossy (and protective) boss. Dane Harcourt a classy $$$ top architect and also a gorgeous, fameous ladies's man. ~ Maybe is Dane also Jory's best friend in an odd way.
As the kind and sweet friend he also can be, is Jory one night trying to help a poor hurted girl-friend. She needs him to help her to get her cute little puppy dog from her former (mean and beating) hubby's house. Jory then becomes the witness to a very brutal murder.
—This long epic tale start...—
Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won’t give up no matter who is after him. But Jory’s life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.
This sexy, but straight, Detective Kage is just everywhere and pops up all the time from now on. He is there ready to "save" Jory from other men, from walking home alone, from to many drinks... etc etc. ...One thing leads to another and pretty soon we have a start on a long, tough, heartbreaking grand love story.
***********************************************************
There are certainly some lacks, stuff to complain about..etc etc. ~ It is kind of slow, the whole series is maybe too long and you probably need to read it all to get your happy end. ~ There are hundreds of details about people, second characters and work stuff. The love and smex are wonderful (sweet but alsa manly rough) and it's NOT an erotica M/M filled with sex or thoughts about it. Just tastefully and when we need it.
...I more than one time wanted to slap and scream to that big rough Detective Sam (..he can be a dumb steamroller jerk), and Jory is the most beautiful man on Earth and a bit like Jesus (loved by eveyone) etc - haha! ~ Don't roll your eyes.
On the other hand; this is fun, intense, emotional, captivaiting and a quite interesting reading and listening. ~ As long as you know you need to read a lot of book parts to get your HEA is that okay. For me anyway. **smiling**
***********************************************************
I know I'm stucked to these books already. ~ Just 3 (or 6) more to read and listening to. This will be a long and bumpy ride. I'm glad I can listening and 'live' on with my RL in the same time.
Next: #2 - A Matter of Time 2 (the second half of my audiobook Vol.1 - A Matter of Time (book #1-2)).
I LIKE - ...want the next one at once
**********
The A Matter of Time series by Mary Calmes:
3.8 Stars - Enthralling and intriguing. - Jeez, this one made me F.E.E.L (quite hurt and angry right now)
Book #1
I just finished listening to book #1 in Vol.1 - A Matter of Time (book #1-2) and I'm a happy listener. ~ Great narrated by Paul Morey (6:45 hrs).
~ An absolutely captivating and truly moving story. ~
Wow! I need much more of these men.
I know it will be too many long hours. These guys will hurt my heart, there'll be some sobbing, I'm going to be so d@mn angry — but yet so addictive good to listen to in the autumn darkness.
***********************************************************
A Matter of Time is about the quite young (22), gay, blond, goodlooking Jory Keyes. He lives a ordinarie gay, young & fun life in Chicago. He is dancing and partying at clubs and gay bars and there are a huge gang of needy (h@rny..) begging gay men who wants much more from this beautiful dream-boy but Jory hardly never goes for more than one steamy hot night, if even that long.
On the days works Jory Keyes as an architect’s assistant to an overly bossy (and protective) boss. Dane Harcourt a classy $$$ top architect and also a gorgeous, fameous ladies's man. ~ Maybe is Dane also Jory's best friend in an odd way.
As the kind and sweet friend he also can be, is Jory one night trying to help a poor hurted girl-friend. She needs him to help her to get her cute little puppy dog from her former (mean and beating) hubby's house. Jory then becomes the witness to a very brutal murder.
—This long epic tale start...—
Though initially saved by police Detective Sam Kage, Jory refuses protective custody - he has a life he loves that he won’t give up no matter who is after him. But Jory’s life is in real jeopardy, especially after he agrees to testify about what he saw.
This sexy, but straight, Detective Kage is just everywhere and pops up all the time from now on. He is there ready to "save" Jory from other men, from walking home alone, from to many drinks... etc etc. ...One thing leads to another and pretty soon we have a start on a long, tough, heartbreaking grand love story.
***********************************************************
There are certainly some lacks, stuff to complain about..etc etc. ~ It is kind of slow, the whole series is maybe too long and you probably need to read it all to get your happy end. ~ There are hundreds of details about people, second characters and work stuff. The love and smex are wonderful (sweet but alsa manly rough) and it's NOT an erotica M/M filled with sex or thoughts about it. Just tastefully and when we need it.
...I more than one time wanted to slap and scream to that big rough Detective Sam (..he can be a dumb steamroller jerk), and Jory is the most beautiful man on Earth and a bit like Jesus (loved by eveyone) etc - haha! ~ Don't roll your eyes.
On the other hand; this is fun, intense, emotional, captivaiting and a quite interesting reading and listening. ~ As long as you know you need to read a lot of book parts to get your HEA is that okay. For me anyway. **smiling**
***********************************************************
I know I'm stucked to these books already. ~ Just 3 (or 6) more to read and listening to. This will be a long and bumpy ride. I'm glad I can listening and 'live' on with my RL in the same time.
Next: #2 - A Matter of Time 2 (the second half of my audiobook Vol.1 - A Matter of Time (book #1-2)).
I LIKE - ...want the next one at once
**********
The A Matter of Time series by Mary Calmes:
June 21, 2017
Audible
Rounded up to 3 stars with an extra bonus-star for Paul Morey
What for a
After my last book that was ingeniously written but very depressing and without a single sex scene I wanted to pick up something romantic, easy-going and hot! And because my dear friend Irina is living through her Paul Morey's phase right now and even created a new shelf in his honour. I thought, it could be a perfect opportunity to listen to a book that would remind me of Adrien Mystery or Cut & Run series and that was narrated by everyone's darling.
Well. This went not as smoothly as I imagined.
At the beginning:
The story seemed to be exactly how I expected, BUT the narrator was a hard bit of work for me to enjoy his voice.
At the end:
I got used to the narrator's voice, to his long pause after every sentence, to his posh accent and even grew used to him and started enjoying it...BUT. HOLY FUCK, what happened to the plot?!
It deteriorated to break-even! AWKWARD and EMBARRASSING. That's all that comes to my mind when I think about what I've been listening to.
I started to feel pity for the narrator around the 20% mark. Poor guy! HE had to read this text ALOUD and repeat the same lines AGAIN and AGAIN. HE had to pretend to breath hard and growl with pleasure reading these annoying sex scenes! HE had to try to put all his belief in his voice to let Sam appear not as a stupid asshole but as a straight muscle bulk with an excessive dominant tendency.
Don't ask me about Jory. It was already said enough by the other readers.
Bottom line:
I found a new automatically-not-buy author.
I found a new narrator who doesn't need my unconditional compassion - at least he's being paid for reading such books. ALOUD.
And not too less, as I heard.
September 1, 2016
This was my response out loud literally like 15 seconds ago: "END OF BOOK ONE?!? END OF BOOK ONE?! END... OF BOOK.... ONE...?!?!"
How is this even real life that a book this amazing exists? This amazing.. this dramatic.. this heartbreaking... OH MY CRAAAAAAAP.
Okay. Jory.. who wouldnt love that adorable little fairy. And Dane? Okay. Dane. Let's talk about Dane. Dane is AMAZING. He's my favorite in this story by far. He's so trustworthy and loyal and reliable.. and god please don't let him end up brother material forever. There are so many lines about him that I just adore. "He's so flawed."
You have no idea how pissed I am at Sam. Sam can rot in a cave for all I care. How could he act so loving and caring and nuts and then just turn into a raging asshole and break my poor Jory's heart?
You know what I say to you, Sam Kage?
No. No, no no.... no!
How is this even real life that a book this amazing exists? This amazing.. this dramatic.. this heartbreaking... OH MY CRAAAAAAAP.
Okay. Jory.. who wouldnt love that adorable little fairy. And Dane? Okay. Dane. Let's talk about Dane. Dane is AMAZING. He's my favorite in this story by far. He's so trustworthy and loyal and reliable.. and god please don't let him end up brother material forever. There are so many lines about him that I just adore. "He's so flawed."
You have no idea how pissed I am at Sam. Sam can rot in a cave for all I care. How could he act so loving and caring and nuts and then just turn into a raging asshole and break my poor Jory's heart?
You know what I say to you, Sam Kage?
No. No, no no.... no!
August 12, 2021
Re-read 11th - 12th August 2021
My yearly Jory fix
Re-read 25th-27th August 2020
Re-read 27th April 2019
Re-read 7th - 8th September 2018
I loved it from the get go this time.
Short review - Oh My God.
Longer review - Having read and loved the OTT craziness that is the Marshalls series I was more than a little intrigued by the amazing Sam Kage.
Once again this is a suspend reality read and while I grew to absolutely love Jory it wasn’t the instant attraction a lot readers felt. He was a little much and I had to settle in but once I did then I fell for him big time.
Now for Sam.
What can I say about Sam?
I tried to be understanding and see things from his POV. It was all new and a huge change but honestly he was a prat and I really disliked him for most of the book. The way he treated Jory was unbelievable, talk about an emotional read I was exhausted when I’d finished this and then it’s topped off with that cliffhanger!
While I really disliked Sam I know he turns into a great guy but even without that knowledge I’d still be reaching for the next book. I couldn’t put this one down.
My yearly Jory fix
Re-read 25th-27th August 2020
Re-read 27th April 2019
Re-read 7th - 8th September 2018
I loved it from the get go this time.
Short review - Oh My God.
Longer review - Having read and loved the OTT craziness that is the Marshalls series I was more than a little intrigued by the amazing Sam Kage.
Once again this is a suspend reality read and while I grew to absolutely love Jory it wasn’t the instant attraction a lot readers felt. He was a little much and I had to settle in but once I did then I fell for him big time.
Now for Sam.
What can I say about Sam?
I tried to be understanding and see things from his POV. It was all new and a huge change but honestly he was a prat and I really disliked him for most of the book. The way he treated Jory was unbelievable, talk about an emotional read I was exhausted when I’d finished this and then it’s topped off with that cliffhanger!
While I really disliked Sam I know he turns into a great guy but even without that knowledge I’d still be reaching for the next book. I couldn’t put this one down.
July 18, 2013
So I started off cackling outrageously.
Then I felt a bit meh.
Then I was all like "yeah right, the ditzy 22yo twink (Jory) is suddenly all wise and magically steering the big bad cop (Sam (be still my beating heart)) into a doe eyed lap dog with hand petting and cups of solve-all tea".
Then I ended up so illogically jealous of this kid who's name kept reminding me of a fish called John Dory. I mean everyone is so thoroughly enamored and in lust with him it had me mentally launching hand grenades at him.
Everything was about Jory. Jory, Jory, Jory. Imagine having everyone fawn all over you everywhere you go. Practically throwing rose petals at your feet and hand feeding you at any given opportunity. Imagine being told CONSTANTLY how amazing your eyes are, how beautiful your face is, how incredible your skin is, how hot your ass is everywhere you go. All. The. Time.
Naturally the great big hunk of spunk cop falls under Jory's spell and they consummate their relationship in all manners of frenzied testosterone filled hijinks (no complaints here 'cause it kind of saved the whole thing for me). The sex was hot; there is no other way to describe it.
Then something happens to Jory and that was the end of the story.
Sam was the saving grace but unfortunately even my review was essentially about Jory. Jory, Jory, Jory too.
Then I felt a bit meh.
Then I was all like "yeah right, the ditzy 22yo twink (Jory) is suddenly all wise and magically steering the big bad cop (Sam (be still my beating heart)) into a doe eyed lap dog with hand petting and cups of solve-all tea".
Then I ended up so illogically jealous of this kid who's name kept reminding me of a fish called John Dory. I mean everyone is so thoroughly enamored and in lust with him it had me mentally launching hand grenades at him.
Everything was about Jory. Jory, Jory, Jory. Imagine having everyone fawn all over you everywhere you go. Practically throwing rose petals at your feet and hand feeding you at any given opportunity. Imagine being told CONSTANTLY how amazing your eyes are, how beautiful your face is, how incredible your skin is, how hot your ass is everywhere you go. All. The. Time.
Naturally the great big hunk of spunk cop falls under Jory's spell and they consummate their relationship in all manners of frenzied testosterone filled hijinks (no complaints here 'cause it kind of saved the whole thing for me). The sex was hot; there is no other way to describe it.
Then something happens to Jory and that was the end of the story.
Sam was the saving grace but unfortunately even my review was essentially about Jory. Jory, Jory, Jory too.
April 8, 2016
4.25 stars
I can’t help it, I’m on the ‘everyone loves Jory’ train.
Sam is being an ass, but I still love him. I even love Dane, Jory’s boss, now.
I love everyone! Gimme more!
I can’t help it, I’m on the ‘everyone loves Jory’ train.
Sam is being an ass, but I still love him. I even love Dane, Jory’s boss, now.
I love everyone! Gimme more!
January 2, 2010
4.5 stars but under protest
*note* I originally posted this review to book 2. I was so rattled by the ending apparently I lost my mind. Be warned this book literally ends in the middle of a sentence. You need to pick up the story in book 2.
This first book was really interesting. I love Jory. I love Sam. I love Dane. (This is not a ménage, just all pivotal characters in the book)
Right off the bat I was hooked. It is from Jory's POV (although there is some head-hopping to Sam occasionally)as we watch him basically go through his life.
He accidentally witnesses a murder while doing a friend a favor and from there we start down the life path of Jory. He turns down protective custody because he works for Dane, an straight architect that is like family to him. Now he is being protected by Sam the Detective.
This is GFY in style. Sam was not gay until he fell for Jory (frankly, everybody falls for Jory or Dane in this book) but Sam is very conflicted over it all as you would imagine.
*note* I originally posted this review to book 2. I was so rattled by the ending apparently I lost my mind. Be warned this book literally ends in the middle of a sentence. You need to pick up the story in book 2.
This first book was really interesting. I love Jory. I love Sam. I love Dane. (This is not a ménage, just all pivotal characters in the book)
Right off the bat I was hooked. It is from Jory's POV (although there is some head-hopping to Sam occasionally)as we watch him basically go through his life.
He accidentally witnesses a murder while doing a friend a favor and from there we start down the life path of Jory. He turns down protective custody because he works for Dane, an straight architect that is like family to him. Now he is being protected by Sam the Detective.
This is GFY in style. Sam was not gay until he fell for Jory (frankly, everybody falls for Jory or Dane in this book) but Sam is very conflicted over it all as you would imagine.
October 29, 2014
Audible
This was exactly what I needed. A steamy, angsty mm romance with a bit of suspense, drama and my favourite part - a hot police detective deep in denial.
I didn't even care about minor things that might have bothered me some other time - the unrealistic feel to the story and slightly manipulative cliffhangers. It still worked very well for me and the narrator, Paul Morey, has made the experience even better. 5 stars to him!
Great beginning to the series!
***4 stars***
This was exactly what I needed. A steamy, angsty mm romance with a bit of suspense, drama and my favourite part - a hot police detective deep in denial.
I didn't even care about minor things that might have bothered me some other time - the unrealistic feel to the story and slightly manipulative cliffhangers. It still worked very well for me and the narrator, Paul Morey, has made the experience even better. 5 stars to him!
Great beginning to the series!
***4 stars***
December 30, 2016
This book was full of WTF?!-inducing plot fuckery and it had zero resolution to both the suspense and the romantic storylines and yet... I didn't totally hate it. In fact, I'm so confounded, that I'm going to hop back in for Book 2 right away (which only confounds me more).
*scratches head in bewilderment*
*scratches head in bewilderment*
October 3, 2015
DON'T READ THIS BOOK unless you're ready to read all four of the first books at once and you are ready to be really upset for awhile. Apparently the four were written as all one book but the publisher felt it was to long and cut it into four parts. I'm very angry with the publisher. These are emotionally draining.
I'm going to review all of the first four together because they really are one book. I've noticed that now #1 & #2 are called Book I and #3 and #4 are Book II in some places but books 1 & 2 both end on cliffhangers. I was crying at the end of book 2.
This series effed me up. Calmes played with my emotions like my dog plays with stuffed toys she's trying to kill. There are so many ups and downs I felt like I was on Galloping Gerty. Ok, enough with the similes. The point is that this is an emotional roller coaster ride. Okay, that was a metaphor, not a simile.
The story is very linear. Jory sees bad thing, Jory needs to go into witness protection but refuses. Hot cop follows Jory. Jory works and we find out everything about Jory's work. Jory deals with cop. Jory deals with bad guys. It would be annoying if Jory weren't so wonderful.
Of course everyone agrees. Everyone in the story loves Jory. EVERYONE. Here is Jory's interactions with every single gay man we meet:
"Jory I love you. Come home with me."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"I can't live without you."
"No."
"Just one night."
"No."
"Please let me by you food."
"That's not a good idea."
"Please."
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." **hug**
"Please come home with me!"
"No."
"EFF YOU JORY!!"
"Bye."
Then there's usually a problem with Jory getting away from him. Then later in the story:
"Jory, I'm so sorry, will you forgive me?"
"Of course."
"I know you don't want me, let's be friends."
"Okay."
"You know I love you more than anyone ever will."
"I know."
"Please."
"No."
"I can't live without you."
"No."
"Just one night."
"No."
"Please let me by you food."
"That's not a good idea."
"Please."
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." **hug**
"Please come home with me!"
"No."
"EFF YOU JORY!!"
Sometimes this happens several times. Jory is kind and sweet and loving to his stalkers. He's always calm. It's ridiculous.
Same with his boss. Every woman who meets him falls in love with him and will not accept when it's over. She throws herself at his feet and makes a complete fool of herself. Every single single woman. It's ridiculous. Of course, we love him, too.
Fortunately, unlike in many M/M stories, there are some wonderful female characters who I really liked. Of course, all the good characters are wonderful and we love them all. They all love Jory, even homophobic family. Everyone loves Jory. But so do I.
On to the plot:
Despite the thriller/mystery label of the books, only the third really feels like one. There are thriller elements in the first and second, a lot of danger in the second, but mostly it's about the relationship between Jory and Sam who's an asshole most of the time. But I wanted them together. Of course I wanted them together. I just wanted Sam to stop being an asshole.
Jory was maddening in his flip way of looking at his own life. He isn't surprised that everyone loves him, and he is completely aware that he's drop dead gorgeous. But he isn't arrogant and he doesn't have a lot of respect for his own life.
Sam wants Jory but he wants his life to stay the way it is, and he doesn't get that he can't have both. He's controlling and overprotective and surly. Most of the time it's adorable but sometimes I want to slap him. Jory loves the controlling part. Sometimes he feels like a little kid, but other times he's a lot more mature than Sam.
The danger scenes, the chases, the kidnappings, that kind of thing, were all well done and kept me clinging to my ebook reader. The pacing varied but was great through those parts.
The characters were good. Most of the main characters were individual enough that they felt real to me, even if they were all so wonderful and nice. There were a lot of women and het men in addition to gay boys.
By the end of #1, I was upset with the relationship but I still liked it and immediately read #2. In fact, I almost didn't even notice because the ending felt like it was in a completely arbitrary place. #2 starts immediately after the end of #1. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 just to differentiate it enough from the rest. Happy ending?
By the end of #2, the situation had been resolved, and everything was perfect until the last couple of pages when I wanted to maim someone, perhaps the author, for doing what she did to Sam & Jory. I couldn't handle the cliffhanger and was honestly really upset. I immediately bought the next one and within 10 minutes was deeply involved again. 3.5 stars, rounded down to three because of the ending. Happy ending? Okay, I cannot get this book out of my head, so I can't leave this at 3 stars, not when part three is 3 stars so I'm raising it up to 4.
#3 made me angry. I HATED the first part, I hated the situation, I hated that . this one was by far the worst in the series because there was no plot--it was all about Sam and Jory's relationship--and it read a lot like a soap opera. This one does not end on a cliffhanger but because of how emotionally wrenching the whole series was up to this point, you might be tempted to stop. DON'T because you might not start again. STICK WITH IT because #4 is the best of the lot. Happy ending? 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because of the ending and because I don't want anyone thinking it's not worth it.
#4 was what I expected the whole series to be: Exciting, romantic, interesting, dangerous, thrilling, sweet, with several twists and turns. It was exactly what I was looking for. The one problem was that Calmes had so messed with my heart that I had trouble enjoying it because I expected something awful to happen between Sam and Jory at any moment. Happy ending? 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because I was so relieved and happy at the end.
I'm okay with how it left off, and I really want to keep reading the series, but I'm scared to, because I'm afraid Calmes is going to mess me up again. So for now, I'm just putting the next one as to-read and moving on to something else. I hope this habit of slicing through my heart with a butcher knife isn't true of all of her books because I would really like to read more, but I just can't take this.
BTW, I've seen some people label this GFY/OFY and it's not true.
I'm going to review all of the first four together because they really are one book. I've noticed that now #1 & #2 are called Book I and #3 and #4 are Book II in some places but books 1 & 2 both end on cliffhangers. I was crying at the end of book 2.
This series effed me up. Calmes played with my emotions like my dog plays with stuffed toys she's trying to kill. There are so many ups and downs I felt like I was on Galloping Gerty. Ok, enough with the similes. The point is that this is an emotional roller coaster ride. Okay, that was a metaphor, not a simile.
The story is very linear. Jory sees bad thing, Jory needs to go into witness protection but refuses. Hot cop follows Jory. Jory works and we find out everything about Jory's work. Jory deals with cop. Jory deals with bad guys. It would be annoying if Jory weren't so wonderful.
Of course everyone agrees. Everyone in the story loves Jory. EVERYONE. Here is Jory's interactions with every single gay man we meet:
"Jory I love you. Come home with me."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"I can't live without you."
"No."
"Just one night."
"No."
"Please let me by you food."
"That's not a good idea."
"Please."
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." **hug**
"Please come home with me!"
"No."
"EFF YOU JORY!!"
"Bye."
Then there's usually a problem with Jory getting away from him. Then later in the story:
"Jory, I'm so sorry, will you forgive me?"
"Of course."
"I know you don't want me, let's be friends."
"Okay."
"You know I love you more than anyone ever will."
"I know."
"Please."
"No."
"I can't live without you."
"No."
"Just one night."
"No."
"Please let me by you food."
"That's not a good idea."
"Please."
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." **hug**
"Please come home with me!"
"No."
"EFF YOU JORY!!"
Sometimes this happens several times. Jory is kind and sweet and loving to his stalkers. He's always calm. It's ridiculous.
Same with his boss. Every woman who meets him falls in love with him and will not accept when it's over. She throws herself at his feet and makes a complete fool of herself. Every single single woman. It's ridiculous. Of course, we love him, too.
Fortunately, unlike in many M/M stories, there are some wonderful female characters who I really liked. Of course, all the good characters are wonderful and we love them all. They all love Jory, even homophobic family. Everyone loves Jory. But so do I.
On to the plot:
Despite the thriller/mystery label of the books, only the third really feels like one. There are thriller elements in the first and second, a lot of danger in the second, but mostly it's about the relationship between Jory and Sam who's an asshole most of the time. But I wanted them together. Of course I wanted them together. I just wanted Sam to stop being an asshole.
Jory was maddening in his flip way of looking at his own life. He isn't surprised that everyone loves him, and he is completely aware that he's drop dead gorgeous. But he isn't arrogant and he doesn't have a lot of respect for his own life.
Sam wants Jory but he wants his life to stay the way it is, and he doesn't get that he can't have both. He's controlling and overprotective and surly. Most of the time it's adorable but sometimes I want to slap him. Jory loves the controlling part. Sometimes he feels like a little kid, but other times he's a lot more mature than Sam.
The danger scenes, the chases, the kidnappings, that kind of thing, were all well done and kept me clinging to my ebook reader. The pacing varied but was great through those parts.
The characters were good. Most of the main characters were individual enough that they felt real to me, even if they were all so wonderful and nice. There were a lot of women and het men in addition to gay boys.
By the end of #1, I was upset with the relationship but I still liked it and immediately read #2. In fact, I almost didn't even notice because the ending felt like it was in a completely arbitrary place. #2 starts immediately after the end of #1. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 just to differentiate it enough from the rest. Happy ending?
By the end of #2, the situation had been resolved, and everything was perfect until the last couple of pages when I wanted to maim someone, perhaps the author, for doing what she did to Sam & Jory. I couldn't handle the cliffhanger and was honestly really upset. I immediately bought the next one and within 10 minutes was deeply involved again. 3.5 stars, rounded down to three because of the ending. Happy ending? Okay, I cannot get this book out of my head, so I can't leave this at 3 stars, not when part three is 3 stars so I'm raising it up to 4.
#3 made me angry. I HATED the first part, I hated the situation, I hated that . this one was by far the worst in the series because there was no plot--it was all about Sam and Jory's relationship--and it read a lot like a soap opera. This one does not end on a cliffhanger but because of how emotionally wrenching the whole series was up to this point, you might be tempted to stop. DON'T because you might not start again. STICK WITH IT because #4 is the best of the lot. Happy ending? 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because of the ending and because I don't want anyone thinking it's not worth it.
#4 was what I expected the whole series to be: Exciting, romantic, interesting, dangerous, thrilling, sweet, with several twists and turns. It was exactly what I was looking for. The one problem was that Calmes had so messed with my heart that I had trouble enjoying it because I expected something awful to happen between Sam and Jory at any moment. Happy ending? 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because I was so relieved and happy at the end.
I'm okay with how it left off, and I really want to keep reading the series, but I'm scared to, because I'm afraid Calmes is going to mess me up again. So for now, I'm just putting the next one as to-read and moving on to something else. I hope this habit of slicing through my heart with a butcher knife isn't true of all of her books because I would really like to read more, but I just can't take this.
BTW, I've seen some people label this GFY/OFY and it's not true.
November 13, 2013
REPOSTED since my original seems to have disappeared--mysteriously. WTF?!
2.5 stars
Bucking the crowd or somehow I read a different book. Put in spoiler tags 'cause my grievances reveal significant plot points.
In the end, I was aggravated by this book because there were several times when I was really enjoying it and going with it when all of a sudden a random monkey wrench was tossed in and wrecked the flow. It was like playing Chutes and Ladders and constantly being sent back to the beginning again.
2.5 stars
Bucking the crowd or somehow I read a different book. Put in spoiler tags 'cause my grievances reveal significant plot points.
In the end, I was aggravated by this book because there were several times when I was really enjoying it and going with it when all of a sudden a random monkey wrench was tossed in and wrecked the flow. It was like playing Chutes and Ladders and constantly being sent back to the beginning again.
February 18, 2015
SERIES REREAD REVIEW (books 1-6)
Original Read: October 2012
Original Rating: 3 - 3.5 stars
Reread: February 2015
Reread Rating: 4 stars
I first read this series in October 2012 and rated each individual book between 3 - 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, consumed it in a weekend, and in my mind, it was the kind of series that served a purpose. It was a series about too-perfect characters, in too-perfect relationships, with too-perfect HEA's. But I eat that shit up with a smile and that was the bucket I placed Jory & Sam (and every Mary Calmes book moving forward) in...my modern fairy tale/guilty pleasure reads.
Now, I very rarely reread books. Too little time to get to read all the books out there even once! And I always just assume the stories will never be as good as the first time. But when a friend jumped into reading this series recently, and loving it, I was tempted. And life was busy and challenging, and I needed that comforting, predicatable read, so I dusted off those mobi files and jumped in.
Huh...go figure. It was SO MUCH BETTER for me this time through. Yes, I enjoyed it as I had the first time. But so much was lost on me or overlooked that original read-through. And all those assumptions I made about the too-perfectness of everything? I think I *may* have been unfair in that assessment.
The books are told from Jory's 1st person POV...and what I missed the first read-through is that...hey, we're in Jory's head. And Jory sees things a certain way. And he processes things a certain way. And that doesn't always make it the way things are...but the way that he makes them fit for himself. And it released, for me, so many new nuggets and removed so many old niggles.
The "everybody loves Jory" syndrome that started to wear on me in the past, didn't bother me as much this time through. Because what was interesting is that Jory didn't always love Jory. He didn't see himself as beautiful despite everyone saying so. He didn't see himself as a catch, despite everyone wanting him. He was "just Jory"...and for that, I came to love him more than I had.
And that grunting, emotionally-stunted, neanderthal Sam? Well, let's be honest, I loved me some Sam from the get-go. But, I LOVED ME SOME SAM this readthrough. Sam is scared, not as tough as he seems. He's an all or nothing kind of guy. He doesn't always process his emotions. But when he does, it's done. No discussion...no need to worry...it just IS.
And Jory and Sam? Where I used to think their relationship was this easy insta-love thing, I came to realize that what it actually was was 2 guys who loved each other with such abandon, with such care, because they're each the only one who could handle the other...not the perfection, but the imperfections. Their love was INEVITABLE. As Jory puts it "the sun shined, the rain fell, and Sam Kage loved me".
Now, things that hurt me the first time through, that tainted my happy place...exits, misunderstandings, time apart, other people...they FIT and made more sense this time through. Again, details I'd missed that the author subtlely sprinkles throughout the story, I discovered. And it allowed me to accept how things played out and not hold my own emotions against the characters. And it helped me see the author, Mary Calmes, in a totally new light. She's always told a good story...but damn, she can tell a surprisingly layered one too. I missed that from the first read. Found it in this one.
Is this series perfect? No. And I think the books get progressively weaker as you go along, with Book 5, Bulletproof, being my least favorite. BUT...is it better than I had originally thought? YES and then some. It really is more than meets the eye.
So, if you haven't read this series, I say go for it...it's fun, it's sexy, and it's entertaining. But don't get lost in the "mine"s and the "eyebrow waggles" and the "Sam!"s and all those little tell-tale Calmes bits on the surface. Allow yourself to get to know and understand Jory, Sam, and Jory & Sam.
And if you've read it before and dismissed it as just a basic, feel-good read, well...I encourage you to give it another go. I think you'll find it's much much more there.
May 19, 2022
May 2022 review
Ha, well, I read it again and all the below is true. And I am still reading book 2. Somebody save me!
March 2022 review
This review will be a combined review of the first 4 books as a whole so use caution as there could be spoilers for other books.
Ok, I have read this series several times over the years, and in fact was one of the first books I read when I started mm romance. I don't remember if the things that annoy me now did then too. I can say I totally enjoyed them the first go round and was obsessed.
Now on my who know's how many re-reads later, those annoyances are VERY in your face. Not in any particular order:
- Jory, why does everyone want to touch, kiss, hang on, be around, have sex with, instantly fall in love with him? There has not been one person, male or female, who didn't want Jory in one way or another. Annoying!! I so want to edit this book!
- Interruptions, Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They all constantly interrupt each other. Why?????????????????? How many hanging sentences can there be in a story? Unofficial tally 90% of this story is told via interrupted sentences. I so want to edit this book!
- knowing what the other is thinking. There is a lot of psychic ability here because somehow everyone can read minds, which leads to interrupting someone! Stoooooooop!!! I so want to edit this book!
- asking stupid/obvious questions. Hmm, why is the killer after me, why does everyone touch Jory, why is Jory in trouble? Duh!!! Jory says yes to everything and has no sense. And then the just stupid questions of like, who someone is, or what their job means. There are so many basic obvious things being asked I wanted to shake people. It's like the characters got paid by the word. I so want to edit this book!
- yawning. Is there not some other "thing" a character could do, like scratch their nose, or play with their hair, or crack their knuckles. EVERYBODY is yawning in this story. Why are they yawning every 5 minutes??? I so want to edit this book!
- laughing. Yeah, sometimes laughing is good, when something is funny. But Jory laughs wrong. Death, murder, mayhem, anger, danger, running, hiding, during an argument, etc. So not the right time to laugh. And yet, Jory does this routinely. Has anyone checked him for a brain tumor? I so want to edit this book!
- danger. How much danger can one person get in to and survive?!?!? If you are Jory, the answer is a lot and always. Dumb, dum-du-du-du-dum-dumb! Pimps, killers, cops, drug runners, random friends, random people! Jory should just live in an underground bunker and have food delivered by a very small shoot. I so want to edit this book!
- drinking/parties/wanting Jory to "be there." Jory is beyond popular. Everyone wants him and wants to be around him. He is invited everywhere and of course is constantly berated for forgetting to show up (he is out getting not murdered, sometimes). Frankly, with Jory's track record, I would want him as far away from me as possible. And Jory drinks a lot!! Substituting drinking for plot does not work. I so want to edit this book!
- Dane adopts Jory. Say what? I know I had this same reaction the first time. Ok, not adopts. Dane makes Jory his brother. Ok, got it. But what?? Seriously, what magic does Jory possess that makes people do these things! Dane, a very smart, serious, not seemingly daft in the head person, decides his admin assistant, Jory, should be his brother. Legal stuff, yada-yada-yada, Jory changes his name to Harcourt. Um, what? I so want to edit this book!
- constant yelling at Jory, and Jory ignoring. Jory is a flight risk (from those who tell him what to do) and has no sense of self protection, which yep, gets him almost murdered constantly by rando people he meets. Sam yells at Jory to come home, come to the hospital, come to him wherever, just come. And does Jory listen? Ha, nope! So by book 4, why even bother?
-Sam. Sigh, Sam. What a douche!!!!!!!!! I do NOT remember the part where someone is pointing out how Sam is different when Jory is around by explaining Sam FOLLOWED SOMEONE WHO CUT HIM OFF (driving) AND BEAT HIM UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Sam, a POLICE OFFICER! Followed a stranger and beat him up. Yes, this is logical and sane and I would totally date him, so go for it Jory! And let's not forget how often Sam ignored Jory in the beginning, or how cheap he treated him. Then expects Jory to just take him back, snap of fingers. Nope. What a douche!!!
- dialogue short hand. Watcha, hafta, wanna, etc. Annoyed the crarp out of me!!!!! And it wasn't just Jory talking that way, which could be a character trait. No, it was MOST of the characters talking that way. These are not technically words!!! Sure fiction should have a basis in reality but this is ridiculous! I don't speak in short hand routinely, maybe when I am just playing around. But I promise you if I talked like that at work, I would have people looking at me weird and possibly a sit down with HR. Add in the yawning and they might think I am on drugs! 😁😁 I have to say, this is possibly the thing that annoyed me the most. Use real contractions, can't, won't, want to, have to, what are you doing...yes those last are not contractions, just making a point.
- People loving, then hating, then loving Jory again. You say bad things to me, you're out. People talk serious bad bad bad things to Jory and then he accepts their apology and acts as if nothing happened! Even to those who are trying to kill him! Yes, let's huddle for body warmth next to a possible Jory serial killer because Jory never wears enough clothes in the winter, in Chicago (right?). Again, no sense of self preservation.
- Other characters. a) stop molesting Jory. b) stop telling Jory how beautiful he is you random wacko stranger. c) ditto for not strangers. d) get a life that does not revolve around Jory (you can do better). e) Stop bringing your problems to Jory to solve. He can't help himself. You have relationship/work/money problems, a hangnail, someone wants to kill you (for a change), figure it out you adult adults, and tell the police about the last one.
Ha, these books just make no sense!! I do NOT know anybody who is THIS popular. How is it possible people all over the world don't know Jory at this point?
I am not as obsessed with this series as I was before. Hurray maturity and experience. One of these days I WILL go thought this series and edit annoying parts, delete stupid parts, and finally have a story that doesn't make me feel like ripping out my eyeballs.
And now....on to book 5. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Ha, well, I read it again and all the below is true. And I am still reading book 2. Somebody save me!
March 2022 review
This review will be a combined review of the first 4 books as a whole so use caution as there could be spoilers for other books.
Ok, I have read this series several times over the years, and in fact was one of the first books I read when I started mm romance. I don't remember if the things that annoy me now did then too. I can say I totally enjoyed them the first go round and was obsessed.
Now on my who know's how many re-reads later, those annoyances are VERY in your face. Not in any particular order:
- Jory, why does everyone want to touch, kiss, hang on, be around, have sex with, instantly fall in love with him? There has not been one person, male or female, who didn't want Jory in one way or another. Annoying!! I so want to edit this book!
- Interruptions, Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They all constantly interrupt each other. Why?????????????????? How many hanging sentences can there be in a story? Unofficial tally 90% of this story is told via interrupted sentences. I so want to edit this book!
- knowing what the other is thinking. There is a lot of psychic ability here because somehow everyone can read minds, which leads to interrupting someone! Stoooooooop!!! I so want to edit this book!
- asking stupid/obvious questions. Hmm, why is the killer after me, why does everyone touch Jory, why is Jory in trouble? Duh!!! Jory says yes to everything and has no sense. And then the just stupid questions of like, who someone is, or what their job means. There are so many basic obvious things being asked I wanted to shake people. It's like the characters got paid by the word. I so want to edit this book!
- yawning. Is there not some other "thing" a character could do, like scratch their nose, or play with their hair, or crack their knuckles. EVERYBODY is yawning in this story. Why are they yawning every 5 minutes??? I so want to edit this book!
- laughing. Yeah, sometimes laughing is good, when something is funny. But Jory laughs wrong. Death, murder, mayhem, anger, danger, running, hiding, during an argument, etc. So not the right time to laugh. And yet, Jory does this routinely. Has anyone checked him for a brain tumor? I so want to edit this book!
- danger. How much danger can one person get in to and survive?!?!? If you are Jory, the answer is a lot and always. Dumb, dum-du-du-du-dum-dumb! Pimps, killers, cops, drug runners, random friends, random people! Jory should just live in an underground bunker and have food delivered by a very small shoot. I so want to edit this book!
- drinking/parties/wanting Jory to "be there." Jory is beyond popular. Everyone wants him and wants to be around him. He is invited everywhere and of course is constantly berated for forgetting to show up (he is out getting not murdered, sometimes). Frankly, with Jory's track record, I would want him as far away from me as possible. And Jory drinks a lot!! Substituting drinking for plot does not work. I so want to edit this book!
- Dane adopts Jory. Say what? I know I had this same reaction the first time. Ok, not adopts. Dane makes Jory his brother. Ok, got it. But what?? Seriously, what magic does Jory possess that makes people do these things! Dane, a very smart, serious, not seemingly daft in the head person, decides his admin assistant, Jory, should be his brother. Legal stuff, yada-yada-yada, Jory changes his name to Harcourt. Um, what? I so want to edit this book!
- constant yelling at Jory, and Jory ignoring. Jory is a flight risk (from those who tell him what to do) and has no sense of self protection, which yep, gets him almost murdered constantly by rando people he meets. Sam yells at Jory to come home, come to the hospital, come to him wherever, just come. And does Jory listen? Ha, nope! So by book 4, why even bother?
-Sam. Sigh, Sam. What a douche!!!!!!!!! I do NOT remember the part where someone is pointing out how Sam is different when Jory is around by explaining Sam FOLLOWED SOMEONE WHO CUT HIM OFF (driving) AND BEAT HIM UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Sam, a POLICE OFFICER! Followed a stranger and beat him up. Yes, this is logical and sane and I would totally date him, so go for it Jory! And let's not forget how often Sam ignored Jory in the beginning, or how cheap he treated him. Then expects Jory to just take him back, snap of fingers. Nope. What a douche!!!
- dialogue short hand. Watcha, hafta, wanna, etc. Annoyed the crarp out of me!!!!! And it wasn't just Jory talking that way, which could be a character trait. No, it was MOST of the characters talking that way. These are not technically words!!! Sure fiction should have a basis in reality but this is ridiculous! I don't speak in short hand routinely, maybe when I am just playing around. But I promise you if I talked like that at work, I would have people looking at me weird and possibly a sit down with HR. Add in the yawning and they might think I am on drugs! 😁😁 I have to say, this is possibly the thing that annoyed me the most. Use real contractions, can't, won't, want to, have to, what are you doing...yes those last are not contractions, just making a point.
- People loving, then hating, then loving Jory again. You say bad things to me, you're out. People talk serious bad bad bad things to Jory and then he accepts their apology and acts as if nothing happened! Even to those who are trying to kill him! Yes, let's huddle for body warmth next to a possible Jory serial killer because Jory never wears enough clothes in the winter, in Chicago (right?). Again, no sense of self preservation.
- Other characters. a) stop molesting Jory. b) stop telling Jory how beautiful he is you random wacko stranger. c) ditto for not strangers. d) get a life that does not revolve around Jory (you can do better). e) Stop bringing your problems to Jory to solve. He can't help himself. You have relationship/work/money problems, a hangnail, someone wants to kill you (for a change), figure it out you adult adults, and tell the police about the last one.
Ha, these books just make no sense!! I do NOT know anybody who is THIS popular. How is it possible people all over the world don't know Jory at this point?
I am not as obsessed with this series as I was before. Hurray maturity and experience. One of these days I WILL go thought this series and edit annoying parts, delete stupid parts, and finally have a story that doesn't make me feel like ripping out my eyeballs.
And now....on to book 5. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
August 9, 2016
I had this on my 'to read' shelf for quite a while and the main reason why I didn't pick it up was because (and please, I know there is no logic to this!) I was worried I would get so obsessed with this popular series that I would have to buy all the books up to #8.5 straight away because I had to know what was going to happen.
Well, I'm relieved and disappointed at the same time to say there is no danger of that.
I enjoyed Mary Calmes writing style, I chuckled at Jory being Jory, I kind of fancied Sam and totally fell for Dane (why not, everyone else does???) But...
I had a hard time enjoying the plot. It was unrealistic on so many accounts I found myself shaking my head again and again, but my main niggles were:
.) Why would anyone of sound mind (and we are given the impression that Jory is quite a bright spark) have so little self-preservation that he would go out partying night after night, wander into dark alleys etc when he knows there are some people out there who are trying to kill him??? And after he gets attacked the first time he still continues behaving irresponsibly!?!
.) Jory and Dane - I thought their relationship was sweet and cute and heart warming, before Dane simply TOLD Jory What???. And Jory just thought that was all fine. Right.
.) My biggest complaint however is that I really really really wanted to be in Sam's head, too. I sorely missed his POV, and just seen through Jory's eyes, the guy annoyed the hell out of me. I felt Jory's love, the passion between them, but I saw no real signs why and how Sam fell for Jory. We don't know whether he feels torn, guilty and we don't get to really understand what drives him. And he is not exactly eloquent enough to express his feelings adequately.
.) Sam chickening out towards the end, claiming leaving Jory is for Jory's sake, feels wrong after their previous love confessions. They were in a good place and suddenly this? It is clear that the separation is not going to go well, if simply for the fact we know there are quite a few books coming up and of course, Sam and Jory did that quite a few times already and it's never worked so far.
.) There are too many people in this book. Coping with Sam's family would have been enough, but there are tons more characters, and so many friends and co-workers, and clients and client's families and and, and... this book should come with a Who is who? part included at the end! And the best part is - EVERYBODY loves Jory, wants to jump into bed with him, date him, touch him.... Sigh - at 23 the guy is a 'boy' wonder!
So all in all - this series is not for me. I did have a peek into reviews of the following books, and I'm quite content to see it all ends the way I hoped it would. But I'm sorry to say that I don't have to read it to find out the details.
Well, I'm relieved and disappointed at the same time to say there is no danger of that.
I enjoyed Mary Calmes writing style, I chuckled at Jory being Jory, I kind of fancied Sam and totally fell for Dane (why not, everyone else does???) But...
I had a hard time enjoying the plot. It was unrealistic on so many accounts I found myself shaking my head again and again, but my main niggles were:
.) Why would anyone of sound mind (and we are given the impression that Jory is quite a bright spark) have so little self-preservation that he would go out partying night after night, wander into dark alleys etc when he knows there are some people out there who are trying to kill him??? And after he gets attacked the first time he still continues behaving irresponsibly!?!
.) Jory and Dane - I thought their relationship was sweet and cute and heart warming, before Dane simply TOLD Jory What???. And Jory just thought that was all fine. Right.
.) My biggest complaint however is that I really really really wanted to be in Sam's head, too. I sorely missed his POV, and just seen through Jory's eyes, the guy annoyed the hell out of me. I felt Jory's love, the passion between them, but I saw no real signs why and how Sam fell for Jory. We don't know whether he feels torn, guilty and we don't get to really understand what drives him. And he is not exactly eloquent enough to express his feelings adequately.
.) Sam chickening out towards the end, claiming leaving Jory is for Jory's sake, feels wrong after their previous love confessions. They were in a good place and suddenly this? It is clear that the separation is not going to go well, if simply for the fact we know there are quite a few books coming up and of course, Sam and Jory did that quite a few times already and it's never worked so far.
.) There are too many people in this book. Coping with Sam's family would have been enough, but there are tons more characters, and so many friends and co-workers, and clients and client's families and and, and... this book should come with a Who is who? part included at the end! And the best part is - EVERYBODY loves Jory, wants to jump into bed with him, date him, touch him.... Sigh - at 23 the guy is a 'boy' wonder!
So all in all - this series is not for me. I did have a peek into reviews of the following books, and I'm quite content to see it all ends the way I hoped it would. But I'm sorry to say that I don't have to read it to find out the details.
August 31, 2016
An extra star because I did laugh a lot, maybe not always because it was funny-funny, but a bit, ahem, OTT.
Story-wise, there really wasn’t that much in here. It’s all covered in the blurb.
What is fascinating instead, is Jory. Jory is Mr. Universe, Martha Stewart, Lolita, and Oprah/Dr. Phil, all in one, as well as a great PA. Oh, and he could probably temp as a jedi knight as well!
He is also a bit of a slut: "I had a personal rule: if you made it to my apartment, you were getting laid"
He is the shining star in this one, whether you like this particular brand of MC or not.
And some general ranting:
February 19, 2015
3.5 stars
I am the kajillionth-bazillionth-zillionth person to read this book that just celebrated its fifth year since publication. And I’ve read my share of discussion about the Jory and Sam archetypes over the years.
Coming at this backwards from one of my favorite Calmes reads, Change of Heart, I get the comparisons between Jory/Jin and Sam/Logan— the feminized, smaller guy everybody (and I mean, everybody) wants and the super-duper alpha hunk who turns GFY and all possessive/mine! for him.
But it’s like crack sprinkled on dark chocolate. It’s the ultimate wet dream read. Think about it… we all want to be desired, pursued, cherished, protected. At least a little bit, sometime. Jory and Sam are fairytale-land, but when I want those good feels I know just who to go to. Mary. Freaking. Calmes.
Still, no full 5 stars, here. I didn’t care for that feminization of Jory (which was somewhat reduced with Jin in Change of Heart). Jory’s being relegated to the ‘girl’s place’ in the kitchen one too many times... that sucked donkey balls. And…
I didn’t get Sam’s brushing Jory off in the end. We all know Sam’s totally gaga for him. What was up with that? Boo, hiss. But…
The rest of it… yum. Crack on delicious dark chocolate.
March 19, 2021
So, 1 star off for the rambling plot. Really disorganized and just unnecessary.
1 star off for the CHEATING!! See status below around 85%.
1 star off for Sam Kage NOT being what he seemed to be in the subsequent series where he's the boss man at 50+ years old. Still hot and very intimidating. He's not at ALL what I expected based on the other series I read. That Sam Kage was what intrigued me to pick up this series. But this Sam Kage is an IDIOT!!
So. I will not be continuing with this series. UGH!
1 star off for the CHEATING!! See status below around 85%.
1 star off for Sam Kage NOT being what he seemed to be in the subsequent series where he's the boss man at 50+ years old. Still hot and very intimidating. He's not at ALL what I expected based on the other series I read. That Sam Kage was what intrigued me to pick up this series. But this Sam Kage is an IDIOT!!
So. I will not be continuing with this series. UGH!
June 26, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Woo boy. I'm not really sure where to start. Oh, wait - first and foremost, I want to warn readers who are interested in purchasing A Matter of Time (Book I) that it is not a stand-alone book. It ends with nothing really resolved - not what I'd call a cliffhanger, exactly, but something similar...and it just sort of cuts off mid-sentence. By the time you get to the end of Book II...and Book III...you'll see that each of them do, too. And despite it's many, many flaws (and I'll get into them in a minute), the overall story is endearing enough for it to become addicting to forgiving readers (or at least tolerant ones), so you're going to be spending a lot more money than you'd thought to experience the whole story. The fact that this four book "series" is in actuality one long story with several different plot points spread out over the span of all four parts makes it necessary to warn readers who are expecting a contained and complete book and the first book in a series of similarly complete books. Also note that this review encompasses the four "book" story, because it's virtually impossible to review them individually.
That being said, lets talk about A Matter of Time (Book I). Book I starts the story of Jory Keyes, the gay twenty-something playboy who is the personal assistant of Dane Harcourt, architect extraordinaire. Jory is called late one night and asked to do a favor for a friend. That favor ends up changing - and threatening - his life. Literally tripping onto the scene of a murder in progress leaves Jory marked for death and under the protection of vice detective Sam Kade, and only Sam's fierce determination to keep Jory safe - and more than a bit of sexual need - stands between Jory and a murderous racketeer. But when Jory starts falling for the manly detective, the threat to Jory is taken to a whole other level because it's his heart, not just his life, on the line. But Sam Kade is straight...or is he? As it turns out, not even Sam himself is too sure of that.
In A Matter of Time (Book II), Dane takes more of a stand in Jory's life, and while Jory is suffering a broken heart after Sam decides he can't give up his dreams of a traditional marriage and family to be with Jory, Dane is there to make Jory a part of his family and get him started on the road to independence. But don't write Sam off yet, because the detective can't forget our favorite boy and when the repercussions of Jory's testimony start to get insidiously dangerous, Sam can only drop back into his life to recapture his heart and save his life and soul. But will it last this time?
A Matter of Time (Book III) takes a sudden and huge leap in time forward - three years forward, in fact - and Dane is off on his honeymoon while Jory has recovered...more or less...from the devastation of Sam's departure in Book II. But Sam and Jory run into each other and the sparks start to fly...again. This time, however, Jory can't risk his heart on someone he's certain is just going to walk away again. It's up to Sam to convince him that everything is different now, but when bodies start piling up and the past comes back to haunt them, will the strain put the final nail in their relationship coffin...or just Jory's?
A Matter of Time (Book IV) picks up right where Book III left off and after a tragedy that shakes Jory to his foundations and threatens the life of his beloved detective, Sam Kade, Jory takes off to track down the threat, determined that no one is going to hurt his man. With a crafty set of maneuvers that send Dane and his wife's heart racing Jory is relentless in his pursuit of information about his own latest abduction while keeping tabs on his man as he lies in a hospital bed. When all this is over, will love conquer the day, or will ashes be all that's left when Jory openly defies his love of Sam and his brother Dane to follow the trail of clues to the core of evil that's haunting them all?
I have to admit, I had many issues with A Matter of Time (and I'm referring to all four "books" together), but the story itself...the plot, the characters, what happens and who it happens to...wasn't any of them. I have nothing but respect for every author who puts in the work to write a book or a series of books, and in that regard, I respect Calmes and credit her achievements. Jory's story really grew on me, and I read all four of them over the last four days. Unfortunately, it wasn't the story, but the mechanics of the writing that I have so many problems with.
Bluntly put, and given A Matter of Time as the yardstick, Calmes' writing ability is not up to professional contemporary standards. Literally riddled with stilted conversations, a bare-bones narrative that came across as almost clinically detached and rapid-fire to the extreme (though that was either less noticeable in Book IV or I got too used to it to notice it as sharply by then), anemic character development ripe with cliche - most notably for secondary and ancillary characters - continuity flaws, inconsistent characterizations, spelling errors, butchered grammar and sentence structure, repetition of plot, theme, and conversations, bizarre pacing, undefined and abrupt jumps in time, characters doing things that make no logical sense, narrative that makes no sense, ridiculously absurd happenstance with no sufficient explanation to allow for a consistent willing suspension of disbelief...and the list goes on...the story as a whole reads less like a published novel and more like a poorly written fan fiction. I know that sounds really harsh, and I support small, independent publishers that may not be able to afford high power editors, but at some point you have to hold an author accountable for the mechanics of writing a story they sell. This should've been self-edited - or get a group of friends together to help. Just correcting the grammar and sentence structure would've been a huge assist.
And yet, despite all that negativity (and I really do regret having to say it), I give the series a 3 stars. If you're particularly unforgiving about writing mechanics, I can not in good conscience recommend this title, but if you're more tolerant of that sort of thing and like a m/m romantic thriller, give it a try. I did enjoy the story and I liked Jory. I had a love/hate thing going on with Sam (ending on a high point), and I wish there'd been a bit more focus on Dane, as I found him compelling. I will warn you, though, this is not a m/m erotica novel. Yes, there's sex, but it's hardly more daring than the m/m equivalent of traditional mass market paperback het sex. Nothing too graphic or extreme, and though dominance and submission is a theme, it's more the nature of the characters (big alpha male dominant, smaller gay young man submissive) than in any way BDSM.
If you are more critical of writing mechanics and don't think this book is for you, I highly recommend the following titles: Zero at the Bone, Cut & Run, Sticks & Stones, Warrior's Cross, The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks...and anything else by Josh Lanyon, especially his Adrian English stories.
~*~*~*~
This review was posted at One Good Book Deserves Another on July 10th, 2010, and has been edited for content from the original review posted at Amazon.com in February, 2010.
Woo boy. I'm not really sure where to start. Oh, wait - first and foremost, I want to warn readers who are interested in purchasing A Matter of Time (Book I) that it is not a stand-alone book. It ends with nothing really resolved - not what I'd call a cliffhanger, exactly, but something similar...and it just sort of cuts off mid-sentence. By the time you get to the end of Book II...and Book III...you'll see that each of them do, too. And despite it's many, many flaws (and I'll get into them in a minute), the overall story is endearing enough for it to become addicting to forgiving readers (or at least tolerant ones), so you're going to be spending a lot more money than you'd thought to experience the whole story. The fact that this four book "series" is in actuality one long story with several different plot points spread out over the span of all four parts makes it necessary to warn readers who are expecting a contained and complete book and the first book in a series of similarly complete books. Also note that this review encompasses the four "book" story, because it's virtually impossible to review them individually.
That being said, lets talk about A Matter of Time (Book I). Book I starts the story of Jory Keyes, the gay twenty-something playboy who is the personal assistant of Dane Harcourt, architect extraordinaire. Jory is called late one night and asked to do a favor for a friend. That favor ends up changing - and threatening - his life. Literally tripping onto the scene of a murder in progress leaves Jory marked for death and under the protection of vice detective Sam Kade, and only Sam's fierce determination to keep Jory safe - and more than a bit of sexual need - stands between Jory and a murderous racketeer. But when Jory starts falling for the manly detective, the threat to Jory is taken to a whole other level because it's his heart, not just his life, on the line. But Sam Kade is straight...or is he? As it turns out, not even Sam himself is too sure of that.
In A Matter of Time (Book II), Dane takes more of a stand in Jory's life, and while Jory is suffering a broken heart after Sam decides he can't give up his dreams of a traditional marriage and family to be with Jory, Dane is there to make Jory a part of his family and get him started on the road to independence. But don't write Sam off yet, because the detective can't forget our favorite boy and when the repercussions of Jory's testimony start to get insidiously dangerous, Sam can only drop back into his life to recapture his heart and save his life and soul. But will it last this time?
A Matter of Time (Book III) takes a sudden and huge leap in time forward - three years forward, in fact - and Dane is off on his honeymoon while Jory has recovered...more or less...from the devastation of Sam's departure in Book II. But Sam and Jory run into each other and the sparks start to fly...again. This time, however, Jory can't risk his heart on someone he's certain is just going to walk away again. It's up to Sam to convince him that everything is different now, but when bodies start piling up and the past comes back to haunt them, will the strain put the final nail in their relationship coffin...or just Jory's?
A Matter of Time (Book IV) picks up right where Book III left off and after a tragedy that shakes Jory to his foundations and threatens the life of his beloved detective, Sam Kade, Jory takes off to track down the threat, determined that no one is going to hurt his man. With a crafty set of maneuvers that send Dane and his wife's heart racing Jory is relentless in his pursuit of information about his own latest abduction while keeping tabs on his man as he lies in a hospital bed. When all this is over, will love conquer the day, or will ashes be all that's left when Jory openly defies his love of Sam and his brother Dane to follow the trail of clues to the core of evil that's haunting them all?
I have to admit, I had many issues with A Matter of Time (and I'm referring to all four "books" together), but the story itself...the plot, the characters, what happens and who it happens to...wasn't any of them. I have nothing but respect for every author who puts in the work to write a book or a series of books, and in that regard, I respect Calmes and credit her achievements. Jory's story really grew on me, and I read all four of them over the last four days. Unfortunately, it wasn't the story, but the mechanics of the writing that I have so many problems with.
Bluntly put, and given A Matter of Time as the yardstick, Calmes' writing ability is not up to professional contemporary standards. Literally riddled with stilted conversations, a bare-bones narrative that came across as almost clinically detached and rapid-fire to the extreme (though that was either less noticeable in Book IV or I got too used to it to notice it as sharply by then), anemic character development ripe with cliche - most notably for secondary and ancillary characters - continuity flaws, inconsistent characterizations, spelling errors, butchered grammar and sentence structure, repetition of plot, theme, and conversations, bizarre pacing, undefined and abrupt jumps in time, characters doing things that make no logical sense, narrative that makes no sense, ridiculously absurd happenstance with no sufficient explanation to allow for a consistent willing suspension of disbelief...and the list goes on...the story as a whole reads less like a published novel and more like a poorly written fan fiction. I know that sounds really harsh, and I support small, independent publishers that may not be able to afford high power editors, but at some point you have to hold an author accountable for the mechanics of writing a story they sell. This should've been self-edited - or get a group of friends together to help. Just correcting the grammar and sentence structure would've been a huge assist.
And yet, despite all that negativity (and I really do regret having to say it), I give the series a 3 stars. If you're particularly unforgiving about writing mechanics, I can not in good conscience recommend this title, but if you're more tolerant of that sort of thing and like a m/m romantic thriller, give it a try. I did enjoy the story and I liked Jory. I had a love/hate thing going on with Sam (ending on a high point), and I wish there'd been a bit more focus on Dane, as I found him compelling. I will warn you, though, this is not a m/m erotica novel. Yes, there's sex, but it's hardly more daring than the m/m equivalent of traditional mass market paperback het sex. Nothing too graphic or extreme, and though dominance and submission is a theme, it's more the nature of the characters (big alpha male dominant, smaller gay young man submissive) than in any way BDSM.
If you are more critical of writing mechanics and don't think this book is for you, I highly recommend the following titles: Zero at the Bone, Cut & Run, Sticks & Stones, Warrior's Cross, The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks...and anything else by Josh Lanyon, especially his Adrian English stories.
~*~*~*~
This review was posted at One Good Book Deserves Another on July 10th, 2010, and has been edited for content from the original review posted at Amazon.com in February, 2010.
January 18, 2014
Read this series when I first started reading m/m in 2011 and fell head over heels in love with Jory and Sam, the ever growing cast of characters and Mary Calmes books in general. Now I'm a fan and if all her characters tend to be formulaic and based on these two then I'm happy with that!! I guess its either love or hate with this and I'm in camp love.
Exasperating.. Yes!
Too good to be true ( and I do mean Jory even though I love the pants off the guy ) .. Yes!
Two stupid stubborn men...Oh yes!
Over the top...yes, yes, yes!
Hot and Sexy with heaps of Sexual Tension...Beejaysus Yes!
Good fun... Abso.bloody.lutely!!!
Boring... Hell no!!
Will I read it again and again? ...Well, this is my third time around so its looking like a safe bet!
This series of books have stayed on my kindle from the day I bought them and they ain't going nowhere and neither is my original 5 star rating. Me likee.. A lot!
So will you love them? ... How the hell do I know? Read 'em and see......
Exasperating.. Yes!
Too good to be true ( and I do mean Jory even though I love the pants off the guy ) .. Yes!
Two stupid stubborn men...Oh yes!
Over the top...yes, yes, yes!
Hot and Sexy with heaps of Sexual Tension...Beejaysus Yes!
Good fun... Abso.bloody.lutely!!!
Boring... Hell no!!
Will I read it again and again? ...Well, this is my third time around so its looking like a safe bet!
This series of books have stayed on my kindle from the day I bought them and they ain't going nowhere and neither is my original 5 star rating. Me likee.. A lot!
So will you love them? ... How the hell do I know? Read 'em and see......
August 15, 2016
MEH.
Damn.. How can I be so stupid...????
What the hell i just read??
Was it some kind of joke?
Why do everyone like this book?? I just don't understand??/
Why do you all have to like Jory?? He is soooo stupid.
This book was utterly a waste of tree's and my time!!
Damn.. How can I be so stupid...????
What the hell i just read??
Was it some kind of joke?
Why do everyone like this book?? I just don't understand??/
Why do you all have to like Jory?? He is soooo stupid.
This book was utterly a waste of tree's and my time!!
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