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Lethal Obsession #1
Tony & Ryan
Tony and Ryan are not your typical gay couple. Although they are American, they are trained government agents living in Italy, and they’re on the lam. They are fugitives who are hiding from the very agency that trained them. Tony is 30, a physical trainer with a linebacker’s build. He fears no one, and takes very seriously his responsibility of protecting his boy Ryan. Ryan is young, only 20, and a gentler soul. He’s far more soft-spoken than Tony, and he’s often overly trusting.While vacationing in Napoli, Ryan is brutalized by a group of four thugs—gay bashers. They beat and stab vulnerable, young Ryan, and leave him for dead. When Tony returns to find his boy in this condition, it nearly crushes him. Laden with guilt for not being there to protect Ryan, Tony begins the arduous task of helping his boy heal. Will he ever be able to get Ryan to forgive him for not being there? Will he ever be able to forgive himself? And will Ryan ever again be the loving, gentle soul that Tony once knew and loved?
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2010
1 person is currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Michele L. Montgomery
15 books78 followersI live my life believing. I believe that all of us can do anything we want to do. I believe that each goal we set for ourselves can be met if we strive to meet that goal, no matter what bumps we have to jump over to attain it.
I don't believe in fear I believe in the power of love.
Fear has the power to stop me, to control me and lead me to failure.
Love has the power to guide me over the most difficult of mountains with a smile on my face and a rush of warmth in my heart.
I'm a writer at heart, I love to tell stories and though most of what comes out of my imagination can appear a little off the beaten path, that's because it is.
Though all of my stories contain romance to a point, there's a lot more angst, D/s, sometimes off the wall characters who know love and romance doesn't always happen overnight and it can be a struggle to find the right person for them. So, if angst, drama, a bit of D/s mixed in with romance isn't your thing, then I probably won't be either.
I am bringing something different to the table with my stories and I hope you enjoy them.
If you'd like to get the know the characters from the Lethal Obsession series please visit and join: http://lethalobsession.blogspot.com/?...
You can also find me at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/
I don't believe in fear I believe in the power of love.
Fear has the power to stop me, to control me and lead me to failure.
Love has the power to guide me over the most difficult of mountains with a smile on my face and a rush of warmth in my heart.
I'm a writer at heart, I love to tell stories and though most of what comes out of my imagination can appear a little off the beaten path, that's because it is.
Though all of my stories contain romance to a point, there's a lot more angst, D/s, sometimes off the wall characters who know love and romance doesn't always happen overnight and it can be a struggle to find the right person for them. So, if angst, drama, a bit of D/s mixed in with romance isn't your thing, then I probably won't be either.
I am bringing something different to the table with my stories and I hope you enjoy them.
If you'd like to get the know the characters from the Lethal Obsession series please visit and join: http://lethalobsession.blogspot.com/?...
You can also find me at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 1, 2010
Wow, I read this one today, sitting in the sun, next to the pool, watching my baby girl play with her friend. I'm rather glad that's what I was doing when I read it too, because otherwise I think I would have needed a box a tissues and a glass of wine.
This is a very intense story. Ryan and Tony are in love and on vacation, when entering a cafe for lunch they run into some gay hating nimrods. Said nimrods somehow follow the two men back to the place they're staying and when Tony leaves, attack Ryan. The beating was brutal, vivid and left my stomach churning.
The remainder of the book focuses on Ryan's recovery and the way the after-effects of the assault affect both Ryan, the man he loves and his family.
I really enjoyed this story and was awed by the love portrayed between Tony and Ryan. Although intense, it was also a very sweet read.
This is a very intense story. Ryan and Tony are in love and on vacation, when entering a cafe for lunch they run into some gay hating nimrods. Said nimrods somehow follow the two men back to the place they're staying and when Tony leaves, attack Ryan. The beating was brutal, vivid and left my stomach churning.
The remainder of the book focuses on Ryan's recovery and the way the after-effects of the assault affect both Ryan, the man he loves and his family.
I really enjoyed this story and was awed by the love portrayed between Tony and Ryan. Although intense, it was also a very sweet read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2010
I am sure that the not so rave reviews is all because of me. Maybe I am just not in the mood. The truth is, I just don't get it. There is something missing from the story; I cannot feel any emotional connection with the characters. I feel like I'm being shoved into a scene that has already been introduced somewhere else, that the introduction of Ryan's family as (CMIIW) secret agents is so out of the blue. Even after Ryan is hurt, all I feel is bored out of my mind. I skip pages until the end and forget about it 10 seconds after I finish. And it is supposed to be a 50+ pages!!
May 22, 2010
Tony and Ryan are an endearing though unlikely couple. Tony’s a few years older than Ryan. He’s masculine and rugged, and a tad arrogant. Contrarily, Ryan is softer and far more sensitive. Ryan has a very big heart, and he appears almost a bit too naïve and trusting .
While vacationing in Napoli, Italy, Ryan is victimized by a group of American tourists. They target Ryan because he is gay, and they brutally beat him and leave him for dead. When Tony finds Ryan and realizes what has happened to him, he is riddled with guilt for not being there to protect his boy. Tony then is faced with the challenge of nursing Ryan back to health. Sadly it is more than just the boy’s body which is damaged; his spirit is broken as well.
Tony and Ryan is Montgomery’s first m/m publication. One would never suspect as much, though, based upon the quality of this short story. She packs a lot of emotion into fifty-five pages and delivers a powerful story which leaves the reader yearning for more. Romance, steamy erotica, suspense, violence, forgiveness, and retribution are all contained within these pages.
What I find most impressive about this author’s talent is her ability to portray gay male characters realistically. I related personally to Ryan and could literally feel his vulnerability. I understood the depth of his devotion to Tony, and in sappy sort of way I was even a tad jealous of him for having such a hunky, protective, and purely sexy hero for a boyfriend.
Tony seems larger-than-life to me. He’s everything a guy like Ryan could possibly dream of. He’s got the looks, the attitude, and the confidence. The dynamic that exists between this couple borders on D/s, yet the romance that is laced within the relationship seems to outweigh the significance of their Dom-sub roles. I’m dying to read more about them and to possibly see just how sexually dominating Tony can be.
Tony and Ryan is a wonderful story, and my only criticism is that it wasn’t enough! I’m certain that readers will agree. Once they meet this amazing couple, they’re going to want more…and soon!
While vacationing in Napoli, Italy, Ryan is victimized by a group of American tourists. They target Ryan because he is gay, and they brutally beat him and leave him for dead. When Tony finds Ryan and realizes what has happened to him, he is riddled with guilt for not being there to protect his boy. Tony then is faced with the challenge of nursing Ryan back to health. Sadly it is more than just the boy’s body which is damaged; his spirit is broken as well.
Tony and Ryan is Montgomery’s first m/m publication. One would never suspect as much, though, based upon the quality of this short story. She packs a lot of emotion into fifty-five pages and delivers a powerful story which leaves the reader yearning for more. Romance, steamy erotica, suspense, violence, forgiveness, and retribution are all contained within these pages.
What I find most impressive about this author’s talent is her ability to portray gay male characters realistically. I related personally to Ryan and could literally feel his vulnerability. I understood the depth of his devotion to Tony, and in sappy sort of way I was even a tad jealous of him for having such a hunky, protective, and purely sexy hero for a boyfriend.
Tony seems larger-than-life to me. He’s everything a guy like Ryan could possibly dream of. He’s got the looks, the attitude, and the confidence. The dynamic that exists between this couple borders on D/s, yet the romance that is laced within the relationship seems to outweigh the significance of their Dom-sub roles. I’m dying to read more about them and to possibly see just how sexually dominating Tony can be.
Tony and Ryan is a wonderful story, and my only criticism is that it wasn’t enough! I’m certain that readers will agree. Once they meet this amazing couple, they’re going to want more…and soon!
September 30, 2011
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous one. From the start, I kept thinking that I missed reading prior books in the series. The story moved along nicely, but it was a little disappointing that Ryan's problems seemed to be fixed in basically one conversation. I expected a bit more to be involved with him accepting things and his emotional recovery. I would be interested and look forward to learning more about the other brothers and their back stories.
September 23, 2010
Lovers Tony and Ryan are government agents living in Italy. The story starts out quite hot if a bit mushy and then one of the men is nearly killed in a gay bashing. Now his lover has to find a way to deal with his own guilt and his lover's trauma all while trying to get his own brand of justice for the crime. There is violence and a lot of angst in this one but was overall a nice story.
January 27, 2012
Too fast, too short.
Dont give up on Michele if you read this one first, Caged was one of my favorite books of 2011 and it is book #2 in the Lethal Obsession Series.
Dont give up on Michele if you read this one first, Caged was one of my favorite books of 2011 and it is book #2 in the Lethal Obsession Series.
May 25, 2018
This book was interesting. I thought it would be too short for a storyline like the one described in the blurb. I was very wrong. The author did a very good job. The book started after Tony & Ryan were in a relationship. It was more about healing after a traumatic event. I really enjoyed reading their story. I am definitely interested in the rest of the series now.
Read
August 17, 2010TONY AND RYAN is a 58 pages read that is a first for me, first as in this is the story of one of the characters from a main book that has not been released as yet. Yup, new for me.
The blurb sums up most of what is in the book so I wont go through all that. I read this book because I has a wonderful time with Ms. Montgomery first book and as such it was no hardship to read TONY AND RYAN. The book starts off with a rather sweet gushy scene between Tony and Ryan the two main protag and by the time I was a few pages in I was confused, why? – because right from a few pages in I could feel that this is or should be a middle book or a book that ties up loose ends from a main novel. I had to step back from it and go fuddle around on Ms. Montgomery’s blog to get any info that she had there about the book.
Tony & Ryan are two characters from a series I've been working on for more years than I care to say. For the longest time I had a heck of a time connecting with Ryan, until I explored his hidden side. He's 1 of 4 brothers. He's an orphan. He's an undercover agent on the run. [..:]
© Michele Montgomery – The story behind TONY AND RYAN.
So back to the book, TONY AND RYAN moves from those sweet scenes right into gay bashing territory within the blink of an eye and the bulk of the remaining few pages are spent with Ryan trying to deal with guilt and confidence issues while Tony is trying to be there for “his boy” and taking things at the pace that Ryan sets.
I will honestly say I had a lot of niggles with this book and they all stem from the fact that I knew nobody in the book, they weren’t built up enough and with new people being introduced or referred to, it only add to that spacey feeling.
If you can get beyond that, I thought Ms. Montgomery style came through well – despite me only reading one book by her – her same angsty plotline is there in this book, her attention to the aftermath and what happens to the person left behind after a crime is well thought out.
I also thought the author captured the intensity that goes along with crime of this nature really well and even the struggles of family and lover to deal with their love one who is determined to take the path of least resistance were some of the best scenes in the book for me.
I was going to give this review a miss, but the book is out there – so I thought why not.
On the whole the book left me intrigued to read the main novel, as enough things are alluded to and the unknown back story of each of the people introduced just feels like something I really want to read.
Once the main book is released I hope the author revisits this body of work, as there are some definately missed opportunity here. Firstly the book is set in Italy which so few m/m books are and I got nothing of the place, It would be nice to see what she does with this idyllic setting as a backdrop for this intensely angsty plotline. Second there is no two ways about it – this book needed to be longer to deal with the raft of issues that the author brought into play within this book.
All in all a quick read that was over too soon and left me wanting a whole lot more…
The blurb sums up most of what is in the book so I wont go through all that. I read this book because I has a wonderful time with Ms. Montgomery first book and as such it was no hardship to read TONY AND RYAN. The book starts off with a rather sweet gushy scene between Tony and Ryan the two main protag and by the time I was a few pages in I was confused, why? – because right from a few pages in I could feel that this is or should be a middle book or a book that ties up loose ends from a main novel. I had to step back from it and go fuddle around on Ms. Montgomery’s blog to get any info that she had there about the book.
Tony & Ryan are two characters from a series I've been working on for more years than I care to say. For the longest time I had a heck of a time connecting with Ryan, until I explored his hidden side. He's 1 of 4 brothers. He's an orphan. He's an undercover agent on the run. [..:]
© Michele Montgomery – The story behind TONY AND RYAN.
So back to the book, TONY AND RYAN moves from those sweet scenes right into gay bashing territory within the blink of an eye and the bulk of the remaining few pages are spent with Ryan trying to deal with guilt and confidence issues while Tony is trying to be there for “his boy” and taking things at the pace that Ryan sets.
I will honestly say I had a lot of niggles with this book and they all stem from the fact that I knew nobody in the book, they weren’t built up enough and with new people being introduced or referred to, it only add to that spacey feeling.
If you can get beyond that, I thought Ms. Montgomery style came through well – despite me only reading one book by her – her same angsty plotline is there in this book, her attention to the aftermath and what happens to the person left behind after a crime is well thought out.
I also thought the author captured the intensity that goes along with crime of this nature really well and even the struggles of family and lover to deal with their love one who is determined to take the path of least resistance were some of the best scenes in the book for me.
I was going to give this review a miss, but the book is out there – so I thought why not.
On the whole the book left me intrigued to read the main novel, as enough things are alluded to and the unknown back story of each of the people introduced just feels like something I really want to read.
Once the main book is released I hope the author revisits this body of work, as there are some definately missed opportunity here. Firstly the book is set in Italy which so few m/m books are and I got nothing of the place, It would be nice to see what she does with this idyllic setting as a backdrop for this intensely angsty plotline. Second there is no two ways about it – this book needed to be longer to deal with the raft of issues that the author brought into play within this book.
All in all a quick read that was over too soon and left me wanting a whole lot more…
Read
December 13, 2010Tony & Ryan was a little difficult read to wrap my mind around; at first I thought it was a book in a series and maybe the problem was I hadn’t read the previous books, but I did a quick search on the net and discovered instead this is book 1 in a new series, Lethal Obsession. That made me ponder on the novella: the feeling was really like some of those Christmas novella authors write with their favorite characters from a series gathering all together for some happy event; it’s something quite typical in the romance genre, and the readers buy the book more since they are fan than for the book itself. That is also the reason why usually authors don’t give much details on the background of the characters, since the length is short (novella) and the characters are a lot (all the main characters from the previous book).
When the story starts, not only Tony & Ryan have already a relationship, they also have a past together; and so have all the supporting character, three brothers of Ryan, one friend, and their wives and girlfriends. As the author highlights, Ryan is the only gay brother and for this reason I feal a bit of detachment in him, like he has some unresolved issues with his family; it’s not a lack of love, the love is there and it’s mutual, but Ryan has self-esteem issues, the wrong concept that being gay makes him a lesser man than his brothers, even if he is the second oldest.
Ab absurbo, he has not really chosen the right partner if he wants to play being a macho man, Tony is a mountain of a man who would make feel small the majority of the men around. And sincerely Ryan loves his big guy (that is Tony’s nickname) and when they are alone he is all for being the needy bottom in their relationship.
From a beginning that was light and sexy, the story takes an abrupt turn towards angst; everything Ryan fears comes true and the two men start a race to who is more guilty: I felt a lot of unresolved issues between them, issues that you have to add to the one Ryan already had with his family… that is probably the proof that he is not weak, a lesser man would have surrendered to the weight of all that guilty.
I’m still not convinced this is a first book in a series, true, I did a quick research and I don’t know all the backlist by Michele L. Montgomery, but or she wrote something before and didn’t publish it, or she is using this story as an appetizer, to entice the reader to wanting more, and in this case the wanting is not for something after, but for the story that was before. By the way, for the fans of het romance, she has good material for at least 2 stories if not more.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MQMNSG/?...
When the story starts, not only Tony & Ryan have already a relationship, they also have a past together; and so have all the supporting character, three brothers of Ryan, one friend, and their wives and girlfriends. As the author highlights, Ryan is the only gay brother and for this reason I feal a bit of detachment in him, like he has some unresolved issues with his family; it’s not a lack of love, the love is there and it’s mutual, but Ryan has self-esteem issues, the wrong concept that being gay makes him a lesser man than his brothers, even if he is the second oldest.
Ab absurbo, he has not really chosen the right partner if he wants to play being a macho man, Tony is a mountain of a man who would make feel small the majority of the men around. And sincerely Ryan loves his big guy (that is Tony’s nickname) and when they are alone he is all for being the needy bottom in their relationship.
From a beginning that was light and sexy, the story takes an abrupt turn towards angst; everything Ryan fears comes true and the two men start a race to who is more guilty: I felt a lot of unresolved issues between them, issues that you have to add to the one Ryan already had with his family… that is probably the proof that he is not weak, a lesser man would have surrendered to the weight of all that guilty.
I’m still not convinced this is a first book in a series, true, I did a quick research and I don’t know all the backlist by Michele L. Montgomery, but or she wrote something before and didn’t publish it, or she is using this story as an appetizer, to entice the reader to wanting more, and in this case the wanting is not for something after, but for the story that was before. By the way, for the fans of het romance, she has good material for at least 2 stories if not more.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MQMNSG/?...
June 4, 2013
This book was great. I loved the way the characters were brought to life. I am a total sucker for sweet hot romance so I was pulled in at the beginning. This story Is part of the Lethal Obsession series. Lethal obsession isn’t like most series where you have to read in a particular order, its one where some of the characters intertwine. I think Tony and Ryan sort of set the mood of the series and is a very good place to start. It’s short and well written. It left me begging for more. Which I got with Caged. But this is about Tony and Ryan.
Tony and Ryan are not your ordinary couple. Tony works for Ryan’s Brother and is not only Ryan’s lover but also a sort of body guard. Ryan’s older brother had worked in the United States for a corrupt man and they ended up assassinating him after he had tried to kill one of the younger brothers. The entire family is on the run and living in a compound. Tony and Ryan go on vacation in Napoli where their life gets changed drastically, by some American Gay bashers.
So what Happened? To who? How does this affect Tony and Ryan? Is their perfect love for each other ruined? All I will say is there was a time or too I would have liked to slap the crap out of Ryan. The rest you will have to find out for yourself. So read the book. You won’t be sorry.
Recommendation: If you Like a nice romantic love story with plenty of hot manlove and sex, with some intrigue in the mix and want something quick to read. Grab this!!I was totally hooked on this series. I can’t wait for more!
@Amazon
Tony and Ryan are not your ordinary couple. Tony works for Ryan’s Brother and is not only Ryan’s lover but also a sort of body guard. Ryan’s older brother had worked in the United States for a corrupt man and they ended up assassinating him after he had tried to kill one of the younger brothers. The entire family is on the run and living in a compound. Tony and Ryan go on vacation in Napoli where their life gets changed drastically, by some American Gay bashers.
So what Happened? To who? How does this affect Tony and Ryan? Is their perfect love for each other ruined? All I will say is there was a time or too I would have liked to slap the crap out of Ryan. The rest you will have to find out for yourself. So read the book. You won’t be sorry.
Recommendation: If you Like a nice romantic love story with plenty of hot manlove and sex, with some intrigue in the mix and want something quick to read. Grab this!!I was totally hooked on this series. I can’t wait for more!
@Amazon
April 27, 2013
I thought I'd missed a few previous books in this series as much of the first half of the book was taken up with the established couple shagging and a whole lot of complicated back story I'm still not sure I understand. But apparently, this is the first in the series which makes no sense whatsoever.
There is heaps of context missing in the dynamics here despite that very complicated info dump. Lots of characters, lots of past issues that affected this situation that I was missing. It's a shame because, apart from some seriously over-dramatic dialogue (mostly involving Tony's unfortunate and constant use of the endearment 'baby'), this had the potential to be a good second or third book in a great series.
There is heaps of context missing in the dynamics here despite that very complicated info dump. Lots of characters, lots of past issues that affected this situation that I was missing. It's a shame because, apart from some seriously over-dramatic dialogue (mostly involving Tony's unfortunate and constant use of the endearment 'baby'), this had the potential to be a good second or third book in a great series.
August 11, 2014
Books like this make me wonder how I'm unpublished. Sure, the opening scene was potentially steamy but... too soon. The loving platitudes were extremely over the top. And then you add in a hurried bit of back story that was nebulous and difficult to follow. All within the first chapter! Perhaps the story gets better, maybe not. I'm not gonna waste my time to find out.
May 20, 2011
This is a series. Book 1 but almost felt like there should have been another book first to fill in the blanks about why they were on the run. Good story line involving gay bashing and strong love will get you through it.
November 13, 2011
I'm sorry. I really, really hate giving one star reviews. I think I've only done it one other time, but if you read my status updates I give my reasons why. Some are direct quotes, and some are apporoximations of quotes. I feel bad giving this a one star, but I just didn't like it at all.
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September 29, 2010I have not read this book yet but will try.
Read
November 10, 2011I read it through in one go. I think I deserve a reward!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews