Fair Game

All's Fair #1

by Josh Lanyon

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B003U89S66

A crippling knee injury forced Elliot Mills to trade in his FBI badge for dusty chalkboards and bored college students. Now a history professor at Puget Sound university, the former agent has put his old life behind him—but it seems his old life isn't finished with him.

A young man has gone missing from campus—and as a favor to a family friend, Elliot agrees to do a little sniffing around. His investigations bring him face-to-face with his former lover, Tucker Lance, the special agent handling the case.

Things ended badly with Tucker, and neither man is ready to back down on the fight that drove them apart. But they have to figure out a way to move beyond their past and work together as more men go missing and Elliot becomes the target in a killer's obsessive game...

69,000 words

Genres: M M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary, Crime, LGBT, Suspense

270 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Author of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.

Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.

She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.

Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.


Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The mystery was pretty good and even though I guessed the "who", though not the "why", it still kept me invested in the story.

Elliot and Tucker are typical Josh Lanyon characters and I love her typical characters. I loved the dynamics between them and how their relationship changed throughout the story. There's something about the way this author writes second chance that really works for me. Whenever I finish a book, I just want to go back and re-read it, knowing what I know now.

******
Re-read 8/2023: Just as good the second time around.

[Baba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review completed January 13, 2012

Fair Game is a prime example why I love to read M/M novels. Wow! These are the reading moments I live for! Did I say that I loved it?



After sustaining a terrible knee injury, former FBI agent Elliot Mills is now a college history professor. As much as Elliot enjoyed teaching, he had loved law enforcement and he had always loved believing that he was making a difference in the world. He truly enjoyed setting right a few wrongs. However, instead of accepting a desk job, he preferred working as a history professor. But he missed his former job tremendously. Elliot not only lost his job but also his lover and fellow FBI agent Tucker Lance. They hurt each other immensely by not wanting to talk about the painful "incident". Both of them overreacted and in the end they regretted it deeply.

"The way I handled things?" Elliot snarled. "Christ. You've got a complaint about how I handled things? You're the biggest asshole on the planet, but you've got a complaint about how I treated you?(…)

The problem was that his newfound acceptance, this hard won calm, was too much like his reconstructed knee joint. It still worked, after a fashion, and it was mostly pain free, but it was not built to withstand prolonged, extreme stress--and nothing defined Tucker Lance like extreme.

Granted, their affair was rather short yet utterly passionate and intense. They never shared a lot of interests--except the same sense of humor and…fantastic sex. It was amazing how this wordless, instinctive sexual computability enabled each to give the other exactly what he wanted. Yet it goes without saying that they did not part on good terms.

And he missed Tucker. He'd been missing him for seventeen months. Even though he'd told himself that there had been nothing between them but sex--and the profession they both loved--he still missed him, still felt like a huge chunk of his life had been ripped out by the same bullet that put him out of a job.

When students start going missing on campus, Terry Baker's parents ask Roland Mills if his son, Elliot, could look into their son's disappearance. Elliot accepts rather reluctantly since he was still trying to glue his life together, and he knew it would be a mistake to get involved in the case. Even more so when he knew who was the special agent in charge of Terry's case: Tucker Lance. When Elliot is confronted by his former lover unwanted memories are stirred up.

All that wordless searching and that was what he came up with? Typical Tucker. Throwing it right back on Elliot. His lips parted. Yes, it was too late. It was seventeen months too late. That's what he wanted to say, what his hurt pride goaded him to say. But if he said it now, it would be the end.

As it was Elliot and Tucker didn't feel happy about working together. In fact, Tucker's antagonism was utterly palpable and Elliot didn't know yet how to deal with it him. Even though this was first and foremost about solving a case, and hunting down a serial killer, ultimately it was the crossroads. They had to make up their minds if they still wanted to pick up where they left off. Bottom line: while solving a case they must face their past and failures as well as their feelings.

Let the games begin.

Fair Game is a perfectly balanced story and pretty fast-paced and very engaging. There is a very good murder mystery, some highly thrilling and suspenseful scenes that will make your spine tingle as well as an intense "romance". Although I'm not quite sure if I should be calling it a romance. Anyway, experiencing these two guys together is extremely satisfying in every sense of the word. Elliot and Tucker are pleasantly flawed, possessive in their intensity, and despite their shortcomings very likable and authentic.

It goes without saying that I really enjoyed seeing these two strong-willed and stubborn men get past hurt feelings, anger and pride to find a way how to deal with their problems and shortcomings that would allow them to live a well-balanced relationship.
While the action and suspense caused by the murder mystery was exciting to boot, I totally loved their action between the sheets and their heart-to-heart was profoundly emotional.

There was a terrible familiarity to it. A reminder that he had not forgotten nearly enough, nearly what he had reassured himself was far, far behind him. It was all there, buried deep but still flickering, like a short in his wiring, like an imprint on cell memory. Genetic code and the secret message was Tucker. The sudden unbearable sweetness of it made his breath catch and his eyes sting. Turned his guts to liquid with furious longing for that touch--that touch and no other.

Fair Game really thrives through plenty of emotions and feelings. The sex between Elliot and Tucker is indeed like thunderclouds tumbling through the summer sky. I'm not a huge fan of frantic sex scenes but I have to admit that Lanyon does them extremely well! Oh my, it was hot as all get out, erotic and oh-so lush. I totally devoured this book; it was a fabulous read!

"Yeah?" Elliot murmured. "What I want, really want, is to be f@@@ed. I want you to f@@@ me."
"Oh God," Tucker muttered. "I want that. I don't think a week goes by I don't dream about it. The way it feels to move inside you. The way your body grabs on like tight velvet. The sounds you make, like having me inside you is the best thing that ever happened to you."

Just the astonishment of being naked together again, of putting hands on each other again. There was something about it, the concession of placing your trust--literally your balls--in another man's hands.

Lanyon's writing is excellent and beautiful. Despite the seriousness of the plot there is some well-placed banter to be found as well.

"I don't recall you playing much tennis. As for the gymnastics…" His sexy browl of a laugh seemed to snag Elliot in the guts. "Yeah, you do have some beautiful moves as I recall. They didn't require a lot of footwork."

"Okay. Thanks for staying on the line. You'll be pleased to know I feel like an idiot."
"Try the engine."
"Now you're just making fun of me."
"Well yeah, but try the engine anyway."
The engine purred into smooth life.
"All systems go."
"Roger, Houston. Have a nice flight."

Once again, it is so blatantly important that a couple must communicate. Lack of communication will always cause pain and misunderstandings. Elliot and Tucker never had a heart-to-heart about what happened and more importantly what followed suit: the fallout, hurt feelings, fears for the future etc.

"I know," Tucker whispered. "There's nothing you can say to me I haven't said to myself."

Also, I'm always amazed how much the author packs into his rather short stories. 216 pages is short after all but I never feel like something is amiss. I figured out who the villain was when (HUGE spoiler)Kyle, another victim who escaped the baddy, was talking about him smelling like chemicals. I suspected Corian pretty early on but at this stage of the plot I knew it was him. I assumed he needed chemicals for his sculptures. Overall I totally devoured this riveting story. In fact, I've only read three books by this author and Fair Game is the very best so far. If you enjoy a well thought out murder mystery with well developed and complex characters, great dialogue as well as some lascivious man on man action then don't miss this story. Highly recommended!

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It was dark.”
“I’d know you in the dark, Tucker.”
Tucker’s eyes flashed up to meet Elliot’s. He said curtly. “Yeah. I’d know you too.”




Well, I've found another M/M author to obssess with and lucky me, he has a TON of books



Fair Game was my first, but I think it was a good choice because I absolutely loved it

"And he missed Tucker. He’d been missing him for seventeen months. Even though he’d told himself that there had been nothing between them but sex — and the profession they both loved — he still missed him, still felt like a huge chunk of his life had been ripped out by the same bullet that put him out of a job."

The story

Elliot Mills, a retired FBI agent, now working as a professor, is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young man who went missing three weeks ago. Everyone but the boy's parents think he ran away or committed suicide. Everyone, including the FBI and his former lover, now in charge of the case, Tucker Lance ( )
That leads to some problems, considering they broke up in not so good terms, and "can't stand" each other now.
As the days go by, Elliot discovers more and more some things that the FBI missed, and when another guy goes missing, he knows it has to be connected.
Elliot and Tucker have to work together again, and it just dredges up some old emotions and regrets , along with having fights again :D
But when the kidnapper focuses on Elliot and starts a psycho game with him, it doesn't look good... for anyone

“It’s worth finding out.”
Tucker was still looking at him, his expression unreadable. Elliot heard the echo of his words. For some reason it suddenly felt like they were talking about something entirely different.
“Sometimes you already know the answer. Sometimes it’s just not worth the bother.”

Well, the beginning really was a bit slow, but I understand that, the case was building and it was all about the investigation.
But you know, I really didn't care that much about the case! I just wanted to read more about Elliot and Lance, wanted to know what happened between them all those months ago, what was the reason for their break up and how are they going to get back together again
Who cares about the missing guys, right? Well, even as I told myself that I don't really care, I was wondering about it ALL THE FREAKING TIME!
Everyone was suspicious! The writer dude neighbour was suspicious! The president of the university was suspicious! That chick obsessed with Elliot was suspicious! The professor guy was suspicious! The friggin janitor was suspicious! The guy who dated the first missing guy was suspicious! I may have missed a few characters but they were still all suspicious!!!!!!

There were a few freaky, scary scenes, and then there were those with Elliot/Tucker, OMG how I loved every minute they spent together in this book

Just have to say one thing. I LOVE the way the case went. You know, usually when there's a case of kidnapping or disappearance, there is a search and it's all gloomy until right at the end they find the person and it's all happy/mushy/perfect ending for everyone. NOT here. I think this is more realistic, and was surprised by how it all turned out, and I love it! Just awesome!

"He turned his head and Tucker’s big hand landed ungracefully on his shoulder, drawing him back as his warm mouth landed on Elliot’s.
For an astonished moment Elliot was aware of nothing but the feel of Tucker’s hard, insistent lips on his, the almost desperate pressure, the taste, the scent, the disturbing reality of Tucker’s desire.
The sudden unbearable sweetness of it made his breath catch and his eyes sting. Turned his guts to liquid with furious longing for that touch — that touch and no other."

Elliot

He was shot in the knee while working on a case, and instead of a new desk job at the FBI, he chose to be a professor in the university his father used to work at.
He still hasn't gotten used to his new life, with constant pain, and without excitement. He misses the thrill of the chase, working on cases and all that goes with it, so when he's asked to look into the disappearance of a young man from his college, he can't really say no.
He's good at his job (well, was), and soon he finds clues that lead to believe the two disappearances are connected. But Lance doesn't believe it. When Elliot's life gets in danger, he starts to take him seriously, and the chase for the kidnapper/murderer begins.
Elliot still has feelings for Tucker, and is very angry at him for the way they split up.

"It wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t so conscious of the warm weight of Tucker’s arm, the hard strength of his torso and flank pressed up against Elliot’s body — if he wasn’t conscious of how much he wanted Tucker’s arm around him."

Elliot was great! The story is completely from his POV, so we get to see a lot of how his mind works, and his feelings for Tucker. I felt really bad for him all the way through, mostly because I had no idea what happened and I only knew his version of things.
The other thing I loved, their relationship back then, it was something that was really starting, not an undying love that was tragically broken or anything. It all felt real, and that was awesome! Elliot wasn't a perfect man, he also made some mistakes where their relationship was involved, and I like that :) Made him/them more human
I loved his reaction to their first kiss after all that time, even though it was so tough to read, them fighting, but he did the right thing :)

"Tucker strode in, bigger than life. That’s how Tucker always seemed: bigger than life. Just walking into a room he seemed to fill it, while at the same time emptying it of half the oxygen."

Tucker

He's an FBI agent, not very good with people skills, and tends to go with the easiest solution, at least where this case was involved. It kind of bugged me, the way he insisted there was nothing there, and it took something very serious to change his mind. I just got that "not-very-good-at-his-job" vibe there
He is angry at Elliot for some reason, and doesn't think that the break-up was only his fault.

"Tucker embraced him with something close to ferocity. Elliot went with it. He hugged Tucker back, resting his face in the damp curve of Tucker’s neck and collar.
Tucker’s hard, muscular arms were wrapped so tight around him he could barely catch his breath. He could feel Tucker’s heart slamming against his chest — or maybe that was his own heartbeat."

There's the thing about a book with only one POV. I really, really wanted to see more of Tucker, find out more about him!
The whole time, their break up was torturing my sanity, I wanted to know what it was, why it happened, everything!
I love the way he reacted in the shooting, OMG I felt bad for both of them! I could tell that he still had feelings for Elliot, and I wanted them back together!!!
Then came - THE TALK

OMG it just broke my heart!!!!! Two stubborn men! Gah!
But later on Just loved, loved, loved them <3

"Suddenly he wanted — craved Tucker like he’d wanted nothing in his life before. His hands slid into the softness of Tucker’s hair and he tried to drag his head up to taste his mouth again, he felt famished for the taste of him, like he could never again get enough of him."

Roland Mills - I jut loved that guy! Don't know why, there weren't many scenes with him in the book, but I don't know, I just adore him :D Kind of reminds me of Indiana Jones and his dad ahahahahahah



Conclusion: Loved it! Totally! I think I've said maybe too much anyway ahahahaha I just know that this was my first of many books I'll read from Josh Lanyon

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy Re read November 2020. 😍 😍

******************************************
I Loved this .. The mystery kept me guessing and i liked it...
At first i thought the mystery will be over quickly then there was a twist and i was like.?





Thats when i started picturing Criminal minds and the book got interesting..



Elliot and Lance were great together...
“Yeah?” Elliot murmured. “What I want, really want, is to be fucked.
I want you to fuck me.”
“Oh God,” Tucker muttered. “I want that.
I don’t think a week goes by I don’t dream about it.
The way it feels to move inside you.
The way your body grabs on like tight velvet.
The sounds you make, like having me inside you is the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Elliot moaned in response to that dark, seductive voice.
His cock went stiffer still. “Yeah, like that,”
Tucker breathed hotly against his ear. “Just like that.
The way you spread yourself,
spread your legs so that I can get at you and push so deep—”



Annoyingly there was a grin in Tucker’s voice when he replied. “Okay, okay. I’ll see you at five at the Black Bull pub. Try not to get yourself arrested in the meantime.”
“They were not going to arrest me, Lance.”
“That’s their story now.”
“I’ll see you at five.”
“Wear something sexy.”
“Asshole.”
“That will certainly work.”

Highly Recommended.

[~Mindy Lynn~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliot was injured in the line of duty which took him out of his job. He was offered a desk job but couldn't bare doing the job he loved behind a desk. He's now a professor at PSU teaching history. He likes his job. He's not in love with it, but he enjoys it enough. He's kind of a loner. He's closed himself off since his injury. He interacts with his neighbor (he kind of forces himself on Elliot) and his father but that's about it. He doesn't attend any of the schools functions. He always has an excuse to skip out. But when a boy from his college goes missing and just happens to be the son of one his fathers close friends, he is thrown back into the world of his old job when he's asked as a favor to look into the disappearance. The lead on the investigation just happens to be his ex-lover Tucker. AWKARD! Things are tense and both men seem to be pretty angry at the other for how things ended. It took a while for things to cool down between them, but once it did they worked really well together. Eventually old feelings that never went away for either rears its head and soon the men are picking up where their relationship left off.

I liked that these guys had issues to work out and just didn't fall into bed. It was a bit of a slow burn romance with a strong mystery steering it along the way. I liked Elliot and Tucker together. They had great chemistry in and outta the bed.

The mystery is really good in this. JL has a great way of making you feel like your part of the case. But I would be a crap detective because I was completely in the dark most of the book about who the killer was. LOL

The suspense and mystery is good as it always is with a JL book. This author does good mysteries. I'm a sucker for these types of books and that is why JL is an auto-buy for me.

Highly recommend this one for those who enjoy a great mystery and doesn't mind the romance being on the side.

[Dd · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you even try to die, I’ll kill you myself."

Hello Readers!!

How do I not love this book after this???


This book was the perfect cocktail....


It had,my personal favourite,two very hot hunks.One of them,a wounded hero.

Drama.


Suspense.


Sexual tension.


Action.


Romance.


What else do you want?? Grab it and just sit back and enjoy!!


-------------------------------------------------------------

Now,the story---

It starts with a vibrating cell phone....

Elliot Mills is a newly appointed professor of Puget Sound university.
Newly appointed because 17 months ago,he used to be a hotshot FBI special agent,damn good at his job.

But that's a life which he had to leave behind him.

Why?

Because he sustained a crippling knee injury.(I'll leave out the details for you to find out.)

Not ready to accept a desk job,he left FBI and now is a professor.

Anyway,now coming back to that vibrating cell phone,it was a call from his father.

A young man,son of a local rich,influential lawyer who is also Elliot's father's friend,has been missing for weeks.A bright and serious student,he's not the type to take off.But the possibility of foul play is small too.The parents had called in both the police and the FBI.But not getting any satisfactory results,they ask Elliot's father to enlist Elliot's expertise.

He agrees to help,ignoring his gut feeling that this one was going to turn ugly.And so....

....THE GAMES BEGIN!!

Soon he finds out that the agent in charge of the case is Tucker Lance,his ex-lover.For 17 months,Elliot had tried to convince himself that they were nothing more than fuck-buddies....


But when the games will turn dangerous and Elliot's very life will be at stake,will they be able to leave their past arguments behind and realize that what they have is far more precious than anything else??


'A million questions were chasing around Elliot’s fogged brain, but none of them seemed
important compared to the astonished delight of finding himself alive, mostly unhurt and in Tucker’s arms.'


"I want that. I don’t think a week goes by I don’t dream about
it. The way it feels to move inside you. The way your body grabs on like tight velvet. The sounds you make, like having me inside you is the best thing that ever happened to you."


So,who is this person obsessed with Elliot? Will all this bring Tucker and Elliot closer to each other??

As always,you have to read this to find out!! :D

-------------------------------------------------------------

'Don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.'

That's all for now,Readers.

Ta-Ta!!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please don't slam a corkscrew into my throat, ladies!

Oh, and could you drop that penknife?

That anvil you're about to use to drown me... Honestly, it'll ruin your back!

And I did like Fair Game. I really did! It's another decent formulaic mystery romance by Lanyon. I don't mean formulaic in a bad way here. It's great to know what to expect, and does Lanyon ever disappoint? However, compared to the Adrien English series, Fair Game didn't make much of an impression on me. That would have been spectacular anyway, because I cried my heart out - and then some! - because of Adrien and Jake.

Adrien's wittiness really brought out the best in Lanyon, but wasn't nearly as prominent in this story. I only remember a few humorous moments. That may have something to do with the fact that it took a while for Fair Game to pick up steam and get intense. The mystery never actually captures me in Lanyon's books; it's simply not thrilling or peculiar enough.

But it does offer a perfect backdrop for a budding romance. And Lanyon writes love scenes so tenderly that I persistently call them love scenes instead of sex scenes. He infuses them with all these delicate little details, and by doing so brings alive his characters. Because of this I regret that Tucker entered the scene a little too late for me to emotionally connect to him. And although Lanyon made sure to give Elliot a bad knee - the equivalent of Adrien's dodgy heart - to make me as a reader care about his recovery and misfortune immediately, he lacked the dry and sarcastic humor of Adrien, his vulnerability and quirkiness..heck, even his obnoxious mother.

It's all right. I don't think my ereader would survive any more tears leaking onto it anyway.

[Rosalinda *KRASNORADA* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Officially a Josh Lanyon fan. I know, I am late to the party!

I can't believe I enjoy mysteries that much. How about adding a little bit more romance next time, Mr Lanyon? hehe

Read this, you won't regret it.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elliot Mills is an ex FBI Agent, turned history professor and is living a quiet life. When two male students disappear, Elliot is asked to help in the case. Tucker Lance is the FBI Agent in charge of the missing students, and unfortunately, Elliot’s ex-boyfriend. Soon enough, Elliot is in the middle of a game of cat and mouse with the killer.

This story is more of a mystery with little romance, which worked out fine for me. Elliot and Tucker were definitely struggling with working together and trying work out the problems of their past.

I am not going to get into much detail, but I thought I knew who the bad guy was, and I was completely wrong. This author does keep you on your toes guessing.

I am embarrassed to say, this is my first Josh Lanyon book. I loved it so much, I jumped right into the audiobook of book 2.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written February 14, 2014

4 1/2 Impressed Stars - comfortable and moderately slow, stylish, well-written, thrilling exciting, funny, thought-out and also so tender-cute romantic finally

“All cynics are disappointed idealists.
The more stars in the eyes, the harder the fall.”

This was my first attempt (..or venture) with a M/M novel by Josh Lanyon. A lot of friends here have been telling me that JL's books are so very good. I'd big hopes...

...And they are met. This was a wonderful blend of crime drama and romance. Every word and sentence was a pleasure to read, so well written and fantastically well done. My friends are so right, this is good stuff. ~ This author is a genuine literary writing pen, or perhaps, keyboard master, in my humble POV.

I'm very impressed!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elliot Mills is a former FBI agent who after a shooting incident and a badly damaged knee, had to change career and take up his old skills and now instead is Professor Mills in History.

Elliot is bitter man and has constant pain but then one day ask his father him (..his father is Roland Mills, the well known former professor with a fondness for 1960s and 1970s century liberal, red, protesters period - a very interersing character - loved him too), to help some old friends in the search for their missing adult, but young, son. Elliot can't resist the temptation to do a little investigative work and the story kicks off.

Pretty soon he faces his former lover (.. or maybe we should say fuck-buddy), the impressive red-headed FBI agent Tucker Lance. Their relationship ended in a bitter disaster right after Elliot's severe gunshot wound, almost two years earlier. Tucker is not that very happy and delighted to see and meet Elliot again.

Emotions run, it's bitterness and hurt feelings, but these two men have to hold back and both of them can keep a straight face alright. But Elliot is shaken and wondering what went wrong, and his feelings are still there.

The mystery also increases when another young poor student disappears shortly thereafter. The nasty crim-drama, and maybe even a revitalized love-drama, must be resolved. ~ And it is very urgent...

‘Tucker strod in, bigger than life. That's how Tucker always seemed: bigger than life. Just walking into a room he seemed to fill it, while at the same time empting it of half the oxygen. Elliot had never known anyone who took up more metaphysical real estate than Special Agent Tucker Lance.’



‘...as Tucker kissed him with those warm, almost tender lips. He closed his eyes, gave himself to the sweetness of the kiss.’

The crime mystery here was thrilling and really good, not too bloody, but all the time awfully exciting and not too predictable. I have read lots of crime / police / crime fiction and regarding that part of this book, I feel that Fair Game carries a really good class with a light-hearted, entertaining style.

And the romance part was even better. These men are gorgeous. Their banters and fuss, to begin with, is so much fun to follow. And that first kiss, their first tentative softened feelings for each other, their cautious expressed thoughts and words ... so incredibly beautiful to experience. ...and Tucker is a hot read-headed huge sexy man - Yummy You!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fair Game is a one POV-told story and in this case it was an excellent solution. I laughed often high over Elliot's own thoughts. Self-Irony is always fun and refreshing. He's not a super hero but a character to empathize with and for.

“If you even try to die, I'll kill you myself,”...’

As I started..; Well written, thrilling, romantic and so very amusing done. I want more of these lovely (both tender and tough) men and I will certainly read more by Josh Lanyon. Recommended to all crime/romance-M/M lovers!

I LIKE - a perfectly good crime romance


~~~~~~~~~~~

A friend (Elizabetta) told me that she heard it will be a second part (..or sequel) and much more about this lovely lovebirds, Professor Elliot Mills and the FBI agent Tucker Lance, in the fall. Looking forward to grab that one.

[Vishous · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!!!

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-!

5 HUGE AWESOME STARS!!!!

I THINK I FOUND MYSELF A NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR AND I KNOW I'LL BE READING HIS OTHER BOOKS ASAP!!!!!!!!

HONESTLY I WISH THIS COULD BE A FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES BECAUSE I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE GOING ON LATER WITH THEM!

MUCHO SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!

ABOUT THE STORY.....

A young man has gone missing at the campus, so Elliot is asked to look into it as a favor from his father because he used to be an FBI agent. But because of the injury he got on the line of duty he had to trade his badge for teaching college student.

When he left the job he also left somebody behind, his former lower Tucker.... But Tucker is the one that is handling the case....

OH MY GOD! OMG! OMG!

17 MONTHS! 17 MONTHS OF NOTHING AND THEN WHAM!

Elliot is still blaming Tucker for not being there for him...
Tucker holds a grudge because Elliot shut down from him....
they "HATE" each other....
but they have never talked about why everything fell apart...

One of the best anticipation of their kiss and their talk ever! And when Tucker kissed him! OMG! THE BEST! I loved it that Elliot snapped out of it! That he didn't forget, and that he couldn't believe that Tucker would just like that continue like nothing happened! I liked it that he was pissed!

Elliot never stopped loving him, he still craved for Tucker and him being again next to him, just brought all the memories back....

ELLIOT I LOVE YOU! I SERIOUSLY DO! YOU ARE AMAZING!
AND IF YOU EVER SWITCH TEAMS I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU....

This is my Elliot... so HANDS OFF LADIES!



SO BACK TO THE STORY....

Elliots interfering made him a target, the killer wants to play cat and mouse with him and stupid Elliot later encourages him.
But Tucker saves him and sparks fly!

I MEAN REALLY! SPARKS FLEW!!!! BEST KISS EVER! THE EARTH MOVED! THEY DROPPED IN THE MUD! HIS JEANS WERE WET! THEY WERE IN LIFE THREATENING SITUATION! HE WAS INJURED!

"Their mouths met. It seemed natural, inevitable. Tucker’s lips felt exactly the way Elliot remembered, tasted exactly as he remembered. For such a hard man, Tucker had a sweet, lush mouth.

"Suddenly he wanted—craved—Tucker like he’d wanted nothing in his life before.... he felt famished for the taste of him, like he could never again get enough of ...him. The hot velvet of Tucker’s lips had fastened on Elliot’s throat and he was sucking him, marking him..."

"His knee was killing him, was not going to support him for much longer, but of far greater importance seemed the erection shoving against the constriction of his jeans. Biological imperative."

So many things unspoken between them so when they finally had THE TALK ... yes I actually shed a tear because I was pissed it took them so long and then to have the possibility for it to be too late!!!!! So heartbreaking to read how they felt, what they thought because even then they did not communicate about the problem...
Seriously if Tucker didn't reached for him and made him stop thinking how late it is for this conversation... I think that would be the end of me!!!!!

And then the way Tucker talked to him.... OMG! HUGE SPOILER! HUGE! I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO HIDE IT BECAUSE IT IS BEAUTIFUL!

“Yeah?” Elliot murmured. “What I want, really want, is to be fucked. I want you to fuck me.”
“Oh God,” Tucker muttered. “I want that. I don’t think a week goes by I don’t dream about it. The way it feels to move inside you. The way your body grabs on like tight velvet. The sounds you make, like having me inside you is the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Elliot moaned in response to that dark, seductive voice. His cock went stiffer still. “Yeah, like that,” Tucker breathed hotly against his ear. “Just like that. The way you spread yourself, spread your legs so that I can get at you and push so deep—”

I love them both! Loved the story! There was anticipation for everything! I loved how it was written. I wasn't bored at any time and I liked how the story build up slowly!

THIS IS A MUST READ!

[Rosa, really · Rating 4 out of 5]

This section of the review is entitled: Elliot Mills, you giant sack of poo.

Elliot, buddy, I mean it sincerely when I say I love you but if you say there’s nothing but sex (and Nissans) between you & Tucker one more time, I’m planning on borrowing the nearest penis & making violent love to him myself. You ask yourself, how the hell could you be homesick for a place that had never been home? Um, cause you love him? Cause he was your home? Maybe? DUR. You seem to come to your senses by the end of the novel, but I’ve got my eye on you, butt munch. (Seriously, though, I lurve you.) And ease up on all the Civil War music; that cannot possibly be healthy for anyone.

This section is entitled: Tucker Lance, I want to climb your horny gingerness like a howler monkey.

You make my down-belows sparkle. That’s pretty much it.

To both boys: Communication is not just for cry baby pee-pants anymore, ok?

That’s right, adults do it too. Listen to teacher now….Elliot, you should learn by watching Tucker. He may be a tough FBI agent who sucks all the air of any room he enters (with his utter ginger hotness), but he’s clearly willing to open up and share his feelings with you. Even if it takes another near death incident and about 75% of the book for him to do it. Fer Chist’s sake, Tucker even says “I love you” and your response is “There seems to be a lot of that going around.” This is very sweet, but use your words, Elliot! However, this is something you both need to work on. Like Dr. Phil says, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? Something to think about, hmm? Dismissed.

That said, Josh Lanyon is fantastic at portraying a serious lack of communication. It’s something I find intensely annoying when done by some (many) authors (*mumbles* Mary Calmes), because it generally goes something like: Hey, dude, I really need to expl—oh, look. The vampires are attacking again. They’re just simple minded distractions created by an author to keep heroes apart. They have no actual meaning beyond extending an already weak novel. Lanyon creates two strong-willed men who are afraid to openly communicate, afraid of the answers they might hear. Like Adrien says in Death of a Pirate King, I just didn’t ask the questions I didn’t want to know the answers to.

Another thing Lanyon does well? Sexy sex sex. Thank you, Mr. Lanyon, for not adding the ever popular “I need to stroke my ding dong in the shower cause I’m thinking about my one true love & the author thinks it’s way too early for us to get it on.” Instead we get ha-ta-ta-tot-hot dreams & memories of sex with Tucker: He kept remembering the weird, unlikely pleasure of being rolled onto his face and being fucked to within an inch of his sanity by someone bigger and stronger and possibly even hornier than himself. I WANT TO GO TO THERE.

My favorite part of the book is the juxtaposition of the investigation of Elliot and Tucker’s feelings for each other and the investigation into the disappearance of two young college students. Elliot, Tucker and the reader spend the novel wondering what happened to these young men. Did they just take off and abandon their loved ones? Or was it something more sinister? Similarly Elliot and Tucker scrutinize their own feeling for each other – both feel abandoned by the other. Both feel that the other disappeared from their lives. Elliot, especially, uses the investigation as a way to explore the loss of his previous life and whether the end of that life means the end of his relationship with Tucker.

I still have several questions about the mystery though. When Terry Baker’s body is found in a pond and apparently it’s been there for a week when Baker has been dead for three – why does no one seem to question this? Question who might’ve put the body there? Also why would a person about to commit suicide tie an anvil around his waist and shoot himself in the head? One or the other I could understand – if one drowns oneself, they probably need some extra weight to keep them down when they naturally start to fight drowning. (Virginia Woolf put rocks in her pockets before walking into a river.) And shooting oneself in the head seems a quick and painless way to go, so why would one need to tie themselves to a heavy object? This all seems to scream murder to me. One thing I did like is the murderer using the dead bodies as models. I think this was used before in a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery and maybe an older story (?).

This was the second time I've read this book. Shamefully, I remembered nothing but the beatnik dad - he refers to way too many men as "cat" not to remember him - and that it had a generally happy ending. Clearly I read way too many books last year if I forgot a Josh Lanyon novel. I read 537 books in 2013 and I'm pretty sure that's a low estimation. I know, it's a sickness.

Here’s another sickness: Why do I feel a sense of pride that Elliot was shot, in the rain, at Pioneer Courthouse Square, in Portland, Oregon? I should be a tour guide – that’s right, folks, Portland is so great FBI agents get shot here too! And in such a pretty area! Isn’t that wonderful! Followed by: Hometown pride, GO….oh that’s right, we don’t have a sports team. But we do have some very tall trees.

I’m giving this book a very solid 4.25 stars, rounded down to 4. This is an excellent novel and I highly recommend it…but for me it didn’t hold that gut-punch of recognition I felt for the Adrien English series. Now that I’ve read that, I’m afraid every Josh Lanyon book will have to compete with it for first place in my heart. Awww….

Find the coda here.

[Dia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 rounded to 3 stars

This is my first book by Josh Lanyon. Mostly I enjoyed his writing style, BUT the first half of the book was too slow paced for my taste.
Don't get me wrong, I love to play detective, suspect them ALL, find new clues, but the romance played such a little part in this.

So this story had a lot of mystery, a serial killer, a terrifying crimes "game" and some unexpected hot scenes. The problem is I'm not really fond of this kind of broken relationships, when the men meet again after a long time (here 17 months, but still I'm wondering why didn't Tucker tried to contact Elliot until now?!) and realize they still have unsolved things and feelings and well start all over again.
I know I might be alone in this, but I wasn't satisfied at all by the lack of action between Elliot and Tucker most of the book. The last chapters were hot and full of action. I was happy they found their way to each other.

I've seen many of my friends loved this book. I, on the other hand, can't say I loved it. I liked it, but didn't get to love it.

I already bought the next book and plan on reading it soon. Maybe Elliot and Tucker will surprise me more.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

"Surrounded by glistening pine trees, enveloped by rain and fog, for the first time it occurred to Elliot that his extended period of solitude just might be turning to loneliness."

I abandoned the Adrien English mysteries after the second book because I tired of Jake’s assholery.

Now that I’ve finished Fair Game in just one sitting, I’m starting to regret that decision. I’d forgotten how good a writer Josh Lanyon is and how much fun it is to read a light mystery with two seemingly incompatible men whose feelings run deep and passionate. Even though I figured out the villain early on, it was still satisfying watching Elliot Mills and Tucker Lance work together to stop more male college students from being killed, hashing out the problems that ended their relationship disastrously, and kissing and making up.

I loved this story and can’t wait to read the next two sequels.

[Maida (Medley of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 5 "This is how M/M should be read!" Hearts!!!! <3 :D



You know you’ve picked up a great book when every aspect of it instantly draws you in, completely consumes your day and night, and doesn’t let go even long after the last page is turned. Ecstatically, Josh Lanyon’s Fair Game captivates from beginning to end, an ex-FBI agent turned history professor forced to work with his ex-lover to stop the victimization of young men midst the unraveling of a killer’s sick mind games before he himself becomes a name on the list of the preyed upon.

"I don't recall you playing much tennis. As for the gymnastics…" His sexy growl of a laugh seemed to snag Elliot in the guts. "Yeah, you do have some beautiful moves as I recall. They didn't require a lot of footwork."

Fast-paced and entertaining, this is a solid, intriguing murder mystery set in evocative ambience and narrated with dimensional writing. While the murder facet plunges us into a series of hair-raising, spine-tingling scenes well-plotted with convincing red herrings, and simultaneously fastening us in a state of horrifying fascination, this story is brilliantly laced with both humorous banter and a second chance romance that steadily, yet skillfully, builds in the background.

Annoyingly there was a grin in Tucker’s voice when he replied. “Okay, okay. I’ll see you at five at the Black Bull pub. Try not to get yourself arrested in the meantime.”
“They were not going to arrest me, Lance.”
“That’s their story now.”
“I’ll see you at five.”
“Wear something sexy.”
“Asshole.”
“That will certainly work.”

Elliot Mills is a perfect blend of involuntary no-nonsense temperament, a badass with the glimpses we get of his FBI training second nature to him even after his incapacitating knee injury, vulnerability, and reminiscent absinthe consumption. In contrast, Tucker Lance is take-charge, matter-of-fact, and when given the opportunity pleasantly amusing. Despite their contrasting personalities, both these men are beautifully flawed, tough and stubborn, yet instantly likable and very palpable.

“And he missed Tucker. He’d been missing him for seventeen months.”

The romance is secondary to the action, however, Lanyon ensures that the romance is abundant in chemistry, angst, and heartfelt emotions. As Elliot and Tucker slowly get over their resentments, misunderstandings, and lack of communication, their sizzling chemistry ignites and carnally discharges into hot kisses and scorching sex scenes. While a passionate affair the first time, in their second chance, we’re given a gorgeously subtle romance with time taken to examine the feelings both have for one another. And the end result is just as pristinely gratifying as can be imagined from such an elaborately authentic and touching relationship.

“Biological Imperative. That’s what you called that. He needed Tucker. Needed to fuck and be fucked. Something to do with surviving a very close call, with almost dying, but that didn’t change the fact that it was Tucker finally here in the right place at the right time.”

A new reader to Lanyon, his brand of vivid characterization, engaging mystery, exceptional writing and equally seductive and poignant romance is beyond easy to fall in love with. This first installment wraps up in a fulfilling manner drawing an apparent conclusion, but also leaving room for more mysteries and romantic storms that await Elliot and Tucker in book two. Overall, Fair Game is not to be missed.

Highly recommended!

I wouldn’t have met Elliot and Tucker, fallen irrevocably in love with them or have a new found appreciation for Josh Lanyon’s work without this person’s recommendation, so I would sincerely like to thank my awesome-est awesome friend, Baba! You seriously rock, girl!! <3 :D



Posted: June 10, 2015

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make:

I like Elliot and Tucker more than Jake and Adrien. Or at least more than I liked Jake and Adrien at the end of book 1 of the Adrien English series.



Now now, no need to grab the pitchforks. I did end up really liking the Adrien English series eventually, though it took me a while to buy Jake and Adrien as a couple. But I couldn't help but compare the two couples, because I just recently finished the Adrien English series.

There are a lot of similarities between the two pairs. One's an active-duty law enforcement officer, the other is more academic. Their first go at a relationship was secretive and ended badly. Tucker is the strong and serious type, like Jake. Elliot attracts trouble and jumps heedlessly into the fray, like Adrien.

However, the differences were what made me like Elliot and Tucker together more. First, while Tucker wasn't the nicest at times, I didn't doubt that he actually respected Elliot. Second, Tucker isn't in the closet, and doesn't force Elliot back into one either.

At the end of the book, I could see a long-term relationship between the two. They had a solid foundation built on mutual respect and caring. The romance doesn't really come into play until the second half, but once it does I was all on board for it. Their emotional and physical connection was undeniable.

The mystery, as always with Lanyon, was entertaining. A healthy dose of twists and turns, and I didn't see the end coming. There were some inconsistencies and the police's behaviour at times wasn't entirely realistic. But I enjoyed the ride enough to overlook those.

Overall, 'Fair Game' was a very promising start to this series. On to book 2!

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mentions of Tucker Lance in Winter Kill had me craving a re-read of this series. Honestly, it's been so long since I read it, I actually forgot who the killer was. Such a great mystery, and I adore Elliot. I think I'll cue up Fair Play!


my original review from 4 September 2015
oh so, so great. Absolutely loved it - No one can spin it like Josh Lanyon, perfect & concise, the pacing is so good I couldn't put it down. Fascinating mc & the best supporting characters... I'm going to run out of adjectives before I can finish describing how fantastic this book was.

[Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of audiobooks is such a great one, isn’t it? Convenient! You can listen to books when you don’t have the hands free to be reading them. And if you’re one with a long commute or loads of laundry to do or cooking dinner, its awesome.

Except for the fact that (I’ve noticed) most audiobooks are 10+ hours long! And, well, I don’t have a car. My commute is a 15 minute walk or 2 subway stops. I am forced to send my laundry out (no laundromat nearby) and, erm, my cooking typically consists of 2 minutes in the microwave. So, even though I picked up the SHORTEST audiobook I could find (6 hours, 49 minutes) it still took me a LONG time to finish this. I, well, started this on December 23, 2012. Almost 13 months. I also found that I feel asleep or my mind wandered every single time.

*sigh*

Ok, so maybe my lifestyle isn’t conducive to consume audiobooks. Still, I really actually enjoyed this! The story itself (which I’ll get to in a sec) was fantastic and the narrator…Ray Ramano (no, not the actor Ray Romano!) was really great! Not cheesy at all (which I’ve struggled w/ in listening to samples of some other audiobooks) I also found that though I have a short attention span, when I DO pay attention, it sticks. I could put the audiobook down and not come back to it for weeks and still remember everything. For ebooks, if I don’t write a review directly after finishing, I sometimes forget the characters names! No such problem here. And the BEST part, I just realized? Taking it slow, identifying with the inflections and emotions, getting to know the characters and story over a long period of time…I feel like…I’ve been in a long relationship rather than a one-night stand!

Now, on to the book…

I LOVED IT! First off…OVER 200 PAGES! A Lanyon book!!!! I mean, WHAT A TREAT! :) I loved that this is a longer one. I loved the build up of both the mystery and the romance. And I think BOTH the mystery AND the romance are 2 of the best I’ve read from Lanyon.

Eliot, as far as injured/disabled/isolated characters go, is so easy to like. And though, of course, I felt sympathetic towards him, I didn’t feel sorry for him. I saw him as strong and capable…and it’s easy to lose that in physically “damaged” characters. His interactions and conversations with all the secondary and tertiary characters each and all were so well written – I felt every one of his controlled emotions or questions or confusion or certainties. I loved reading this book from his point of view.

And Tucker…ahhhh…when they finally break through the hurt and the rejection…the two of them were SO GOOD together – Tucker being the emotional strength that Eliot needed. This is one of my favorite Lanyon couples. And the slow burn of them finding their way back to each other was so satisfying. Even when the two of them were being stubborn alpha mules, you could sense the underlying passion brewing and what was fueling their fire.

The mystery element of ‘murders on campus’ was also REALLY strong. I was engaged and trying to guess whodunnit all the way up until the end. Probably one of the strongest mystery plots in m/m I’ve read. And sprinkle in some creepy and scary bits, and it was a hit!

I like how Audible & Amazon give you the deal to purchase the accompanying ebook for a discount. I think I’m going to go back and read it on my kindle this time to see if I pick up any new gems to the story. I very rarely reread so that says a lot about this one!

As for audiobooks…well, I can’t really deal with 1 book per year, so we’ll have to see if I give another one a go…

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it about 2 manly men unable to voice their true feelings or show their vulnerable emotions that provides such good angst?? I don't know either but this book had it in spades.

There's really not much to complain about a Josh Lanyon book. You've got intricate, researched details. There's also witty, charming, self deprecating humor - the conversations interesting and intriguing. Also a well set up mystery and slow burn romance is present too.

Elliot - G man turned professor trying to get on with his life after being permanently injured in the field. He's a bit lonely, a bit bitter - missing the explosive chemistry he had with fellow coworker Tucker.

Tucker - kinda gruff, tough - surprisingly willing to put his heart on the line once Elliot comes back into his life after 17 months. Had these boys talked initially, they could have not missed out on months of getting it on.

Sooo like I said before, there's great mystery, wonderful feels, all mixed in with a love story and smex. I'm just glad I don't have to wait four years for the sequel.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying revisiting this series. My original review stands. :)

------Original Review From 19 Jan 2014--------
I've read a couple of Josh Lanyon's short stories and enjoyed them quite a lot and so bought Fair Game the other day to try. I loved it. It was action packed and suspenseful and Elliot and Tucker obviously had some unresolved issues that needed dealing with.

I loved the story and the suspense. The antagonist was camouflaged pretty well, I thought, and what a sick sick person it was, too. And it gave Elliot and Tucker not only a reason and the chance to work together again, but also to remember that they were good together before Elliot's injury. And I loved the interaction between Elliot and Tucker. It's obvious that they cared about one another, even through the anger and hurt. They're good for each other - even if it did take a while for them to figure it out.

[Jln · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is definitely a case of it's me and not the book. It was good overall, I just personally found it to be a little slow. I had to cheat at the halfway point and look ahead to see if anything was ever going to happen with the romance, because I was getting bored. I didn't mind that the book focused more on the mystery, but for some reason I didn't find that part of the storyline to be all that riveting. I liked the Puget Sound backdrop and the two main characters. I liked it, just didn't love it!

[LenaRibka · Rating 4 out of 5]

BR with Sofia, Rosa, Therese!




Josh Lanyon's books and me are fully compatible.
We are harmonised together.
We were born to match each other optimally.

In Fair Game Josh Lanyon combined skillfully - as always - an exciting criminal case with the personal fate of its protagonists. The whole story was spiced up with a pinch of subtle humor, that made the reading even more pleasurable for me.

The well written mystery kept the pages turning - Josh Lanyon managed to maintain consistent tension up to the last chapter.
But not only the mystery part was great - I really enjoyed the romance between Elliot and Tucker. The personal developments between them were very real and believable, and their slow approach to each other, the slow build up, the sexual tension was the sweetest TORTURE!!!

Fair Game is a gripping engaging read, it has enough romance to satisfy the romance readers and has a great mystery, not to disappoint the mystery fans.

All in all- highly recommended!

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy shit! I actually loved it! Admittedely, the mystery totally overshadows the romance, but A) it's a very well crafted, nail-biting mystery plot and B) the romance *is* there, and it burns so slow.

I'm definitely reading the rest of the series.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still giving 5 stars for the book, but the audio version... well Sawyer Allerde wasn't the worst I've heard but he sure added nothing to this book. His inflection was non-existent and even when the author says straight out "she added dryly" he still didn't bother. He did not ruin the story for me but I admit that from the time when Elliot wakes up in Tucker's apartment and they start their sexy times I read the rest myself ;)

After AE this is my favorite Josh Lanyon series, I really love Elliot and the chemistry between him and Tucker is fantastic. Elliot is so adorable, I just love how sweet and vulnerable he is... yet he's smart and sharp and totally capable - only Tucker Lance can undo him (sorry, I couldn't resist).

[Ninni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read this author before. What a pleasant surprice if all of her work is as good as this one! Loved this second chance romance between former FBI collegues. Their reconnection was so well done as was the mystery. 4.5 ⭐

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

This is why Lanyon is one of my favorite authors ever. Fair Game has everything I look for in a novel: good standalone plot, good mystery that I didn't solve until just before the MC did, good sexual tension, good sex, good suspense, several viable suspects, a reasonable reason for the MC to get involved in a case, good suspense and action, individual characters, strong women characters, and lots of danger and near-death and oh-my-God-I-was-so-scared-I'd-lose yous to make me ecstatic. It was so good that I forgive the main character for saying he didn't like Seattle. He at least loved the Pacific Northwest; he just didn't love the big city. (Yes, I'm making excuses...) I just wish one of his main characters were a racial minority. Lanyon's not very good about that.

Nitpicks:

1.I have been to five different universities in my unsuccessful quest to not enter the real world, and I have never been to one that would notice, let alone care, if an undergraduate disappeared. A specific teacher might, but not the president of the university. (mild spoiler) And two kids disappearing who had nothing in common at all, would not be a huge coincidence. College kids run off on benders and fall in bed with someone and blow off their classes and do some drugs and lose track of time and take off for something really fun at the last minute, etc., etc., all the time. The story takes place at "Puget Sound University" in Tacoma. It's obvious that it's supposed to be the University of Puget Sound which is also in Tacoma. That is a big enough school that no one would notice or care.

2. Seattle University is nowhere near any wharf or harbor, and any sit down restaurants on the piers are extremely pricey. No wharf-side restaurant would be a popular meeting place for SU students who would have to drive there and pay enormous fees for parking, in addition to the food costs. Creative license, sure, but huge geographical inconsistencies bug me.


Favorite quotes:

"Christ. Only in academia did people talk such bullshit and expect to be taken seriously." (By someone who was a professor.)


"Mrachek, Leslie hovered in his office doorway." (He remembers students by how they appear on the roll sheet which is what made me laugh.)


"All cynics are disappointed idealists. The more stars in the eyes, the harder the fall."


"'I'll see you at five.'
'Wear something sexy.'
'Asshole.'
'That will certainly work.'"

Because of the lack of positive minorities and the terrible inaccuracies, 4.5 stars, rounded up because everything else was so great.

Happy ending? Yes, strong HFN.

Note to Lanyon: I am happy to fact-check your Pacific Northwest stories for you for free. Seriously. There are so many readers and writers of M/M fiction (we have a whole conference for it now) that it's important to get it right.

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series- All Fair
Book ⅓- Fair game
Rating- 3.5 Stars
Sub-genre- Sleuthing but not by an amateur.

I kept pointing my finger to a new suspect every 10 minutes.😂😂 And, whenever I thought, Ahhhh!!!!! I have guessed it, either we have a new suspect or my suspicion is switched back to another.

The story started 17 months after a crippling knee injury forced Eliot Mills to leave the FBI and became a history college professor. He likes his job but he still misses his cop life. He is trying to build a new life around his new job and his retired father. 

His father asked him to look into the case of a missing student who was the son of a family friend. And, although Eliot was hesitant, he agreed to do so. But, he was shocked to stumble upon his ex, FBI agent Tucker during the case.  

Relationship wise, the book was a disaster. It was a second chance romance where we get only Eliot's POV. Tucker treated Eliot with open hostility and tried to shoot down any new suggestion given by him about the case. But, we get to see it quite later that the hurt was mutual. 

As I have already mentioned the mystery was not easily guessable. Actually, I was pleasantly shocked by the final revelation. And I loved 

Sawyer Allerde did an excellent job with the narration in the audiobook.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read #2283742 Dec 16, 2016:

Fuck, how did I give any of the books in this series a 4? I'm a monster. A fucking MONSTER!
Tucker? MHMMMM.
Elliot? MMHMMMMM.

God, it's all good. I love it. No stupid choices, no pointless drama... just good old fashion romance and mystery. This book so gooooood.

---

Full review later!

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️&#x1f3a7;&#x1f4da; Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio 5 stars
Book 4 stars because again with the one pov

I think I'm officially a Josh Lanyon fan. On to the next...

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is getting a sequel! Hallelujah!

Because this is my favourite Josh Lanyon book so far, I feel like I must write a review for this. But I am unable to write something that would sum up my feelings for this one. I read it before I reviewed books. Back then I was unsure of what I liked or didn't like in m/m. But I soon found this was the epitome of what I love in an m/m thriller. It was also what I love in second chance stories. There was just something beautiful about this book and the writing that I couldn't fault.

Elliot, a former fbi agent turned teacher, is asked to do a favor for by his dad. The son of his friends is missing and they want him to snoop around and try to figure out what happened to him. Little does he know the person in charge of the case is also his ex lover, Tucker. Things did not end well between the two, so things are strained when they meet again.

I was impressed from the minute I started reading. Lanyon is a hit or miss for me, and normally I can tell quite quickly one way or the other. Well, I can honestly say I knew pretty much straight away that this was going to be good. The chemistry between Elliot and Tucker was instant for me. I felt them early on - which doesn't always happen. They had great dialogue going and it was nice to see two mc's who didn't piss me off reunite after a breakup. Yes, that happens a lot.

It was easy enough for me to get sucked in to the case and the romance. Again, not something that happens very often. Normally, I am interested in one or the other. Very unusual for it to be both. So I applaud Lanyon for that. He can write amazing mystery/thriller plots. And he is definitely the king of crime stories.

Elliot, for me, was a very strong character. And to be honest, so was Tucker. Neither of them were over the top in their actions. They were believable. I rooted for them as individual characters and as a couple. I didn't find myself wanting either of them out of the picture. Even when I found out why they broke up, which was kinda stupid, but anyway... They were flawed in many ways, but they were hot together. From the first on-page kiss, to the sex. It was all believable, and enough to make me want them more.



Overall, this is definitely Lanyon's best novel for me. It not only captivated me. But his characters were superb and lovable, while the writing was beautiful. Definitely recommended to both Lanyon and non-Lanyon which there aren't many fans. You will not be disappointed at all.