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72 Hours
Tanner Mackay and Niall Sutherland were once far more than just fellow intelligence agents. But then a mission went horribly wrong and everything fell apart, sending Tanner into hiding and splitting the team and their affair wide apart.
Now an unknown traitor is threatening the team, and their ex-boss is determined to reunite them before it's too late. She finds Tanner in a run-down trailer park, bringing with her a most unwelcome refugee in need of temporary sanctuary: Niall, the man he thought he'd never have to face again. The man he's sure feels exactly the same in return.
Trapped in a situation that's both claustrophobic and highly dangerous, Tanner and Niall will have to revisit their past and reconsider their perceptions, their loyalties-and their desires-in order to survive, let alone forge a future together.
Now an unknown traitor is threatening the team, and their ex-boss is determined to reunite them before it's too late. She finds Tanner in a run-down trailer park, bringing with her a most unwelcome refugee in need of temporary sanctuary: Niall, the man he thought he'd never have to face again. The man he's sure feels exactly the same in return.
Trapped in a situation that's both claustrophobic and highly dangerous, Tanner and Niall will have to revisit their past and reconsider their perceptions, their loyalties-and their desires-in order to survive, let alone forge a future together.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2010
10 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Clare London
147 books434 followersClare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 2, 2010
By far my favorite of this author's many books - she's a talented writer, and I generally read everything she publishes, but I don't always *like* her stories. This one, though - not only is the writing impeccable, an absolute joy to read (though like another reviewer, I too could probably do with fewer exclamation points), but the story is engrossing, with just the right level of suspense to keep me interested and anticipating throughout without getting overly anxious, and the primary relationship is complex, interesting, and passionate, with obvious chemistry and complex and realistic conflicts that are resolved in an unusually (for the genre) realistic and thorough - and very satisfying - way. This author could serve as an example to so many others as to how to convey emotions and vulnerabilities without writing them out in exposition. And the sex scenes, which are well written and hot (or maybe hot because they're well written!) actually feel organic to the story, unlike in so many books I read in this genre: you could never mistake the guys in these scenes for two other guys, or swap one scene for another without noticing.
The first-person narrator's voice is fantastic - allowed me to really sink into his head and immerse myself completely. I find that many of my most favorite books are written in first person, because when done well, as in this case, it results in my becoming the most emotionally invested in a character and in the most emotionally intense and rewarding reading experience.
Adding to the pleasure, the secondary characters are well drawn and add great depth without ever taking over the focus of the story.
All in all, a delight to read, kept me totally engaged throughout.
The first-person narrator's voice is fantastic - allowed me to really sink into his head and immerse myself completely. I find that many of my most favorite books are written in first person, because when done well, as in this case, it results in my becoming the most emotionally invested in a character and in the most emotionally intense and rewarding reading experience.
Adding to the pleasure, the secondary characters are well drawn and add great depth without ever taking over the focus of the story.
All in all, a delight to read, kept me totally engaged throughout.
September 24, 2014
The shadowy agency that Tanner Mackay and Niall Sutherland work for is under attack, leaving all the agents separated and out of touch, and Niall in need of a safe house. They're both in disgrace after their affair slopped over onto a mission, and Tanner's disappeared to a disreputable trailer park to wait out his suspension. Now, he's the best safe house available, even though closeting Niall in a small space with Tanner is a recipe for sparks flying -- there's a ton of unresolved issues between them, and the attacks are escalating.
The main action takes place over the 72 hours of the title, though the important backstory comes in flashbacks, a chunk here, a chunk there, and exposing their incendiary relationship and break-up. The two are violently ill at ease with one another, and they spend a lot of their time working out the problems between them, both personal and professional (considerable overlap :s), since they have large chunks of time where they are waiting for someone to bring the fight to them.
As a relationship under duress, this story works very well -- the men have a LOT of issues, and do manage to work through enough that you can see a future for them, and it's hot. A sequence where they manage to have sex while waiting for the bad guy, in spite of violating most good sense and even giving that violation a nod, still works well. Not good craft, sure, but the same impulse that made people have sex in bomb shelters during air raids. Tanner and Niall know that, laugh at it, and go at each other anyway, and I cheered them on.
As a thriller, this story doesn't work quite so well -- as a spy/security/troubleshooter agency, the outfit seems singularly unable to find its backside with both hands, starting with personnel and going on to operations. A more competent agency would have been facing some very different threats -- this one, and it's various complications, would have never arisen.
This story has three parts, back story, current romance, and the external threat, and two of the three work well enough to overshadow the third if you are willing to let it, which unusually for me, I am. I can see putting on my suspenders of disbelief (they're red elastic) and reading this one again.
Disclaimer: I won this book through a Desert Island Keepers giveaway.
The main action takes place over the 72 hours of the title, though the important backstory comes in flashbacks, a chunk here, a chunk there, and exposing their incendiary relationship and break-up. The two are violently ill at ease with one another, and they spend a lot of their time working out the problems between them, both personal and professional (considerable overlap :s), since they have large chunks of time where they are waiting for someone to bring the fight to them.
As a relationship under duress, this story works very well -- the men have a LOT of issues, and do manage to work through enough that you can see a future for them, and it's hot. A sequence where they manage to have sex while waiting for the bad guy, in spite of violating most good sense and even giving that violation a nod, still works well. Not good craft, sure, but the same impulse that made people have sex in bomb shelters during air raids. Tanner and Niall know that, laugh at it, and go at each other anyway, and I cheered them on.
As a thriller, this story doesn't work quite so well -- as a spy/security/troubleshooter agency, the outfit seems singularly unable to find its backside with both hands, starting with personnel and going on to operations. A more competent agency would have been facing some very different threats -- this one, and it's various complications, would have never arisen.
This story has three parts, back story, current romance, and the external threat, and two of the three work well enough to overshadow the third if you are willing to let it, which unusually for me, I am. I can see putting on my suspenders of disbelief (they're red elastic) and reading this one again.
Disclaimer: I won this book through a Desert Island Keepers giveaway.
January 20, 2012
I think I need to start this review by saying I love Clare London and have enjoyed her other works. This one just did not work for me, not at all. First, these are supposed to be grown men. Second, they are also Agents in some secret Team that works behind all rules and laws. Third, I *think* they are supposed to be smart. But Tanner and Niall end up being the dumbest agents and the whiniest men I have ever read. They continue to bumble through this particular mission, which happens to be a threat to their secret team. I had the perpetrator pegged from the get go and I am not even able to shoot a gun straight. On top of the bad agent work from the ENTIRE team, we have the whacked out, fucked up, immature relationship between Tanner and Niall.
Their relationship takes dysfunction and childhood antics to a new level. There are so many instances where I was envisioning lighting each of them on fire and watching them go up in flames. They complained about how bad things got and they were not even together anymore. Lots of flashbacks, lots of guilt, lots of remembering of the good and mostly the bad times, and lots of cheap shots at each other. At about 50%, that is when the two of them decide to grab their balls, be men and not 16 year old drama queens and call a truce. They finally start communicating!!! Whooo hoo I was happy at 50%. Then the plot of 'who is hurting the team' comes to the forefront and they start bumbling over the mystery and I was unhappy again.
Kate has reminded me that there were some sunny spots. The secondary characters such as Junk, Dylan the dog, Phil, Sheri, etc really made good on the story and should be applauded for holding the story together!
Man I hate writing that I did not like a Clare London book. I love her, but this book just did not work for me, as if the review did not spell it out!
Their relationship takes dysfunction and childhood antics to a new level. There are so many instances where I was envisioning lighting each of them on fire and watching them go up in flames. They complained about how bad things got and they were not even together anymore. Lots of flashbacks, lots of guilt, lots of remembering of the good and mostly the bad times, and lots of cheap shots at each other. At about 50%, that is when the two of them decide to grab their balls, be men and not 16 year old drama queens and call a truce. They finally start communicating!!! Whooo hoo I was happy at 50%. Then the plot of 'who is hurting the team' comes to the forefront and they start bumbling over the mystery and I was unhappy again.
Kate has reminded me that there were some sunny spots. The secondary characters such as Junk, Dylan the dog, Phil, Sheri, etc really made good on the story and should be applauded for holding the story together!
Man I hate writing that I did not like a Clare London book. I love her, but this book just did not work for me, as if the review did not spell it out!
September 27, 2010
Another great one by Clare, where characters are forced into a situation where they have to face life and love difficulties head-on, while trying to discover who is after them. I enjoyed the internal struggle Tanner goes through - the story is told in his 1st-person POV - as he realizes where he's gone wrong and comes to terms with his self-pity. Also interesting is his perception of Niall. Now that they are in forced company, Niall has the opportunity to express himself in ways he couldn't before. The close confines of the trailer Tanner lives in and the limited time frame keep things moving so you never feel the character is bogged down in navel-gazing. The action involving the other members of their team is mostly seen/heard through phone and radio calls, while danger comes directly to Tanner's door.
The characters at the trailer park were fascinating, despite being rather limited. I would like to see more interaction between the heroes and the denizens of the park :)
The characters at the trailer park were fascinating, despite being rather limited. I would like to see more interaction between the heroes and the denizens of the park :)
August 12, 2012
I'm not sure how to rate this.
It's a nice story overall, with a few BUTs.
First of all, the flashbacks weren't clear. My biggest problem were the exclamation marks. Every-f-ing-where!! Like this! Or this! Uggh.
It's a nice story overall, with a few BUTs.
First of all, the flashbacks weren't clear. My biggest problem were the exclamation marks. Every-f-ing-where!! Like this! Or this! Uggh.
October 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this story, must seek out more Clare London titles immediately!
November 9, 2016
I'm really not sure how to rate this book. It wasn't bad, but I had a few issues with some of the 'choices' for the MCs.
So I think my final rating is around 2.75 +/-.
So Tanner is hiding in a trailer-park in the middle of nowhere, after being suspended from his job on the 'Project Team'.
The 'Project Team' is built from the ground up by Judith, Tanner's boss, and she's the architect of TPT. TPT operates under 'The Department', and goes on difficult and almost impossible missions for different reasons.
Tanner worked as a disguise expert and his partner Niall (both in and out of bed) worked as a bomb and weapons expert.
When the story begins, Niall is dumped in Tanner's trailer because somebody is 'hunting' the team and their members, and Niall needs a place to stay safe. Tanner and Niall are NOT happy with that solution, since their relationship imploded, spectacularly!
The whole book is a mixture of flashbacks to their relationship and the 72 hours they're in the trailer, trying to figure out who's behind the attacks and navigating their history.
The mystery in and of itself, was okay, and I hadn't guessed the bad guy, BUT I had quite a few issues with Tanner taking most of the blame for their failed relationship.
It takes two to tango, and living with a guy who doesn't communicate and express his thoughts and desires can take a FUCKING toll.
It annoyed me that, Tanner was portrayed as the bad guy of the relationship, since Niall carried just as much of the blame -IMO.
And their getting-back-together was just too smooth, compared to their 'blow-out' and the things that were said.
Lastly I would have loved
So, this wasn't a HUGE hit for me, but it wasn't a HUGE miss either. All in all an okay story, with a few of my pet-peeves, but I can't always get what I want.
So I think my final rating is around 2.75 +/-.
So Tanner is hiding in a trailer-park in the middle of nowhere, after being suspended from his job on the 'Project Team'.
The 'Project Team' is built from the ground up by Judith, Tanner's boss, and she's the architect of TPT. TPT operates under 'The Department', and goes on difficult and almost impossible missions for different reasons.
Tanner worked as a disguise expert and his partner Niall (both in and out of bed) worked as a bomb and weapons expert.
When the story begins, Niall is dumped in Tanner's trailer because somebody is 'hunting' the team and their members, and Niall needs a place to stay safe. Tanner and Niall are NOT happy with that solution, since their relationship imploded, spectacularly!
The whole book is a mixture of flashbacks to their relationship and the 72 hours they're in the trailer, trying to figure out who's behind the attacks and navigating their history.
The mystery in and of itself, was okay, and I hadn't guessed the bad guy, BUT I had quite a few issues with Tanner taking most of the blame for their failed relationship.
It takes two to tango, and living with a guy who doesn't communicate and express his thoughts and desires can take a FUCKING toll.
It annoyed me that, Tanner was portrayed as the bad guy of the relationship, since Niall carried just as much of the blame -IMO.
And their getting-back-together was just too smooth, compared to their 'blow-out' and the things that were said.
Lastly I would have loved
So, this wasn't a HUGE hit for me, but it wasn't a HUGE miss either. All in all an okay story, with a few of my pet-peeves, but I can't always get what I want.
February 28, 2011
I liked this book, because the theme of re-united lovers is one of my favorites and there was a lot of introspection and I usually like it. I think the book is very well written and the setting is very interesting. The emotional and sexual tension between the two main characters is constant and I always like when there is a lot of chemistry in the main couple, something animal, like it depends more on pheromones than a personal affinity. There was the right amount of misunderstanding and miscommunication that made the story personal TO me, meaning that I would have liked to have two words with both Tanner and Niall at various moments in the book.
I really liked the trailer park and its people, they are very loyal and focused and in a sense much more organized that the secret service group.
Unfortunately I didn't like the narrator. He seemed flat and subdued. Probably he isn't at his best, there's guilt and a sense of defeat in him, like nothing interests him anymore. Tanner is one of those characters that feel that the fate of the world depends on their own single actions. Maybe he lacks some self-esteem, I really can't tell. Then I think the secret group where he works wasn't as smart and secret and professional as it should have been. These two things made me roll my eyes a few times and that's the reason of my rating. I will probably re-read it in the future, just to see if it's my mood that's influencing my rating, because it's a very fine story and I have no problem in recommending it to action and suspense lovers.
I really liked the trailer park and its people, they are very loyal and focused and in a sense much more organized that the secret service group.
Unfortunately I didn't like the narrator. He seemed flat and subdued. Probably he isn't at his best, there's guilt and a sense of defeat in him, like nothing interests him anymore. Tanner is one of those characters that feel that the fate of the world depends on their own single actions. Maybe he lacks some self-esteem, I really can't tell. Then I think the secret group where he works wasn't as smart and secret and professional as it should have been. These two things made me roll my eyes a few times and that's the reason of my rating. I will probably re-read it in the future, just to see if it's my mood that's influencing my rating, because it's a very fine story and I have no problem in recommending it to action and suspense lovers.
December 18, 2010
72 Hours is an emotion packed story about two men who have serious communication malfunctions. Talk about men not wanting to ask for directions. It's no wonder the GPS was invented by a guy. Really? Sometimes you just want to knock their heads together and scream, TALK! Jeez...I loved this book by the way. Clare London's characters are so terribly real you can almost smell, taste, and feel the high tension throughout the entire novel. The deep and abiding love between Niall and Tanner jumps off the page and if they would only pay attention to their unspoken signals the sexy bits would have come a lot sooner. And the sex was very, very good...as was the drama, and the mystery. A 4.5 read and highly recommended.
September 27, 2010
From a slow beginning (which was due to the need of introducing a lot of cast) this story took up speed after a few pages and became a page-turner. Written from Tanner MacKay's first person POV, the author shows the development of Tanner's and Niall's relationship in a series of flashbacks, thus breaking and easing the tenuous 72 hours it takes the heroes to get reacquainted after their bad break-up. It was speechlessness on both sides which caused them to split, although they talk a lot, particularly Tanner, and it's gripping and heartwarming to watch those two struggle for common ground to start anew from. They are the totally believable, genuine persons this author is so skilled at inventing. Even the way Tanner sometimes adresses the reader directly fits the flow of the narrative and Tanner's voice perfectly.
The chemistry, passion and emotions between these two was really gripping, leading to page-scorching sex (and a lot of this). The mystery was well-done, too, although a little far-fetched. But it actually opened my eyes to certain aspects of sexually abused children I had never thought about before, so kudos to the author on that regard.
Another plus of this book was the secondary cast, particularly Junk, the trailer-park godfather, and his daughter Sheri. Persons in their own rights, skillfully written and real.
One minor niggle: the annoying exclamation marks(!) Lose them, please, author and editor. They don't have no place in a book except in the dialogue.
Overall, a great, suspenseful read full of passion and deep emotions, seasoned with a bit of angst and a very, very satisfying end. Seriously recommended.
The chemistry, passion and emotions between these two was really gripping, leading to page-scorching sex (and a lot of this). The mystery was well-done, too, although a little far-fetched. But it actually opened my eyes to certain aspects of sexually abused children I had never thought about before, so kudos to the author on that regard.
Another plus of this book was the secondary cast, particularly Junk, the trailer-park godfather, and his daughter Sheri. Persons in their own rights, skillfully written and real.
One minor niggle: the annoying exclamation marks(!) Lose them, please, author and editor. They don't have no place in a book except in the dialogue.
Overall, a great, suspenseful read full of passion and deep emotions, seasoned with a bit of angst and a very, very satisfying end. Seriously recommended.
March 22, 2011
Brilliant! If I hadn't had to go to work I would've sat up all night to finish this - not that I got to sleep easily with the characters and plot buzzing around in my brain.
In a way this was an insta-love story, but the characters were too stubborn to admit their real feelings to themselves let alone each other. Much of the story is told in flashback as they are forced to face up to the past while dealing with a current crisis. It all comes to an satisfactory action packed ending.
Tanner and Niall are great characters, even if their continued stubborness did make me want to bang their heads together from time to time. The were already virtually locked in a trailer so locking them in a room together wouldn't have helped much.
At times Dylan the dog was the most sensible and mature character on the page which I enjoyed immensely. I could picture the dog rolling his eyes and thinking 'stupid humans'. The only thing I can think of that would have improved this for me is more page time for Dylan.
In a way this was an insta-love story, but the characters were too stubborn to admit their real feelings to themselves let alone each other. Much of the story is told in flashback as they are forced to face up to the past while dealing with a current crisis. It all comes to an satisfactory action packed ending.
Tanner and Niall are great characters, even if their continued stubborness did make me want to bang their heads together from time to time. The were already virtually locked in a trailer so locking them in a room together wouldn't have helped much.
At times Dylan the dog was the most sensible and mature character on the page which I enjoyed immensely. I could picture the dog rolling his eyes and thinking 'stupid humans'. The only thing I can think of that would have improved this for me is more page time for Dylan.
September 26, 2010
Very good m/m romantic suspense about an agent for a shadowy government organization (think 24 here) who's been suspended and is hiding out, sulking, when the last man/agent he wants to see (his former lover) is deposited with him for safekeeping. You know how you read some books and get annoyed because the conflict could've been solved with some conversation? In 72 Hours, you might be tempted to think that at first, but you slowly come to understand that the critical conversations aren't always easy. Kinda like in real life. :)
I would actually give this 4.5 stars, were it possible.
I would actually give this 4.5 stars, were it possible.
November 21, 2010
Loved it. Wonderful, emotional love story which had good suspense too.
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March 8, 2019I'll be brutally honest and admit I didn't give this one much of a chance. I read the first paragraph and was like, oh boy. I have way too many books to read that I can't waste time on a story that just doesn't excite me. I didn't even really pick this one to read. I borrowed the Dreamspinner collection book from my library and this was just one of the bunch; I was after a different book so I didn't really miss anything. I won't give this a star rating because I didn't really even try to read this one.
September 14, 2012
I should get a medal for actually finishing this. I am disappointed beyond words with this book. After reading The Tourist I admit I was having high expectations of this book. Perhaps this was also a reason for the low rating.
But I started rather interested in the story. It was only as I advanced with the reading that the rating dropped. Oh, why did I dislike this so much? Let me count the ways.
By this point in the book, I was reading for the dying hope that things might improve. They never did. It was disappointment on all levels.
But I started rather interested in the story. It was only as I advanced with the reading that the rating dropped. Oh, why did I dislike this so much? Let me count the ways.
By this point in the book, I was reading for the dying hope that things might improve. They never did. It was disappointment on all levels.
June 20, 2011
This was a well written suspense/mystery novel. Tanner and Niall are part of a secret agency who has a traitor amongst them. The characters are very emotionally charged and it is this high level of tension that carries you through the book, from start to finish. The sexual tension between Tanner and Niall can be cut with a knife. The author takes a very clever approach in story telling by giving you bits and pieces of the back story in flash backs that are so well done as to be seamless within the story. I find that often times, flash backs can be choppy, but not here.
Tanner has left the agency on his somewhat self impose exile after a very public falling out with his lover, Niall. Now, moths later, he is forced to off shelter and protection to the one person he thought he never wanted to see again. Their forced solitude means a necessary truce and well, when two people really love each other, thing will find a way to come to a head. Trouble finds it's way back to them and with the help of their colleagues and some colorful residents of Tanners trailer park, some explosions, hostage takings and an assortment of other drama, not to mention some really good makeup sex ;0) this story made for one really enjoyable read.
Tanner has left the agency on his somewhat self impose exile after a very public falling out with his lover, Niall. Now, moths later, he is forced to off shelter and protection to the one person he thought he never wanted to see again. Their forced solitude means a necessary truce and well, when two people really love each other, thing will find a way to come to a head. Trouble finds it's way back to them and with the help of their colleagues and some colorful residents of Tanners trailer park, some explosions, hostage takings and an assortment of other drama, not to mention some really good makeup sex ;0) this story made for one really enjoyable read.
November 18, 2010
It is such a pleasure to read Clare London's books. I've only read two, True Colors and this book 72 Hours, but I've enjoyed them both. If pushed to choose which one I thought was the best, I would have to pick True Colors. And it would only win by the slightest of margins. 72 Hours is a well crafted story and it pulled me in from the beginning and didn't let go until the last page. Ms. London is a master at weaving multilayered stories that gives the reader a feeling of being in he story. I give this book 5 stars.
August 2, 2011
Definitely will re-read someday.
February 23, 2019
I could not connect to this story. There was a lot of action but it still felt slow for me, which doesn’t make a ton of sense....but is true. Maybe it’s because the story is long for covering 72 hours of time, which isn’t extremely common in books and that threw the pacing expectations off in my mind. In any case, not good for me.
August 15, 2012
I started reading this book with great expectations, however I was very disappointed. I expected a fast reading, wrapped in suspense and an intense plot, I didn’t get them. What troubled me even more was the lack of knowledge and realistic facts in the storyline. When it comes to police, secret agents, military and crime I expect real effort from the authors and some research to be done. This book was completely amateurish and left me unsatisfied.
The story is about two secret agents, Tanner Mackay and Niall Southerland, (no mention of the department or the section they work on) that fell in love and eventually break up in a horrible way, while on duty jeopardizing their mission. I will not stand at the fact that those two are having a relationship while being in the same job, things like that happen all the time, I will point the fact that the entire department was having a relationship with one another. The core of the Team had five agents, six including the boss, and oh my, all of them paired with each other…
Tanner is an extroverted guy, funny and able to fit in any environment he’s being thrown into. That is his job, infiltration, while Niall is more of a soldier, his expertise is on weaponry. They meet on the job and they’re instantly all over each other. I think the only enjoyable scenes for me were their sexual ones. Their lovemaking was intense, sensual and hot.
Before they notice it six months have passed by and they are still like the first day they met. That is probably their main problem, the fact that their relationship isn’t evolving. A mission gone bad and suddenly all their lack of communication shatters their private life, taking them mentally further apart. Things start to fall apart making mostly Tanner fail miserably at his work. In a stake out they both participate one thing leads to another and they let their personal feeling get in the middle ending with a fight between them and 3 months suspension for each. Tanner decides to take off and leave the Team and his love behind him.
Three months later and after several hits targeting the members of the team Niall stands in Tanner’s new home after a bomb having destroyed his apartment. Hatred is palpable and the urge for constant fight between the former lovers stands like an elephant in the middle of the little trailer’s living room…
This is where the story lost its appeal to me. During the events that follow nothing and I mean absolutely nothing convinced me that these two guys were special agents of some or any sort. They seemed like two frightened civilians with no clue on how to react. Tanner gets shot on the shoulder while standing like a sitting duck in an open area, with no cover whatsoever all the while he forbids Niall (mind you Niall is a special agent too) to get out of the trailer because the assassin is set after him… No communication with the other members of the Team, or the ones that occur are with no real meaning. No backups, no following of orders, every single agent on the Team has a mind of his own and acts accordingly. The leader is constantly on and off of reach. The thing that reeled my mind is when they catch a suspect and without researching the environment where they caught him, without looking into matters with a closer eye, they let him go… All the while the pair is on and off with fighting, having sex and trying to figure out whose fault it was, literally in the middle of gunshots. The last fight with the hell bent assassin was even beyond comprehension. They are suddenly missing essential weaponry; the scene is dragged and stretched at the point of disbelief. Unrealistic can’t even start to describe it. The last scene with the hotwired agent even more so. All in all it was like I was seeing a very, very bad executed TV-show.
The protagonists themselves were not of my liking. Tanner was exactly what he accused Niall to be. Selfish and stupid (he says so himself thank God) and so utterly blind I constantly had the urge to kick him to senses. Niall, well I liked him somehow, but when he goes ahead admitting to things I couldn’t see or charge him for in the end in order to keep Tanner, I just fell out of the clouds with a big WTF on my lips. I even felt sorry for the guy, having to put up with a brat like Tanner. From all the other supporting characters the one and only I liked was the dog. He was awesome even if at fault at some point but still, loved him.
I don’t know if I should or not recommend this book. I suppose if you’re willing to put aside the huge holes and details of the job, the story in its self is a nice romance, but if in any way, you are the freak that I am when it comes to this sort of stories, than no, stay clear and go read something else. This one is going to the shelf “Not met ANY of my expectations”.
The story is about two secret agents, Tanner Mackay and Niall Southerland, (no mention of the department or the section they work on) that fell in love and eventually break up in a horrible way, while on duty jeopardizing their mission. I will not stand at the fact that those two are having a relationship while being in the same job, things like that happen all the time, I will point the fact that the entire department was having a relationship with one another. The core of the Team had five agents, six including the boss, and oh my, all of them paired with each other…
Tanner is an extroverted guy, funny and able to fit in any environment he’s being thrown into. That is his job, infiltration, while Niall is more of a soldier, his expertise is on weaponry. They meet on the job and they’re instantly all over each other. I think the only enjoyable scenes for me were their sexual ones. Their lovemaking was intense, sensual and hot.
Before they notice it six months have passed by and they are still like the first day they met. That is probably their main problem, the fact that their relationship isn’t evolving. A mission gone bad and suddenly all their lack of communication shatters their private life, taking them mentally further apart. Things start to fall apart making mostly Tanner fail miserably at his work. In a stake out they both participate one thing leads to another and they let their personal feeling get in the middle ending with a fight between them and 3 months suspension for each. Tanner decides to take off and leave the Team and his love behind him.
Three months later and after several hits targeting the members of the team Niall stands in Tanner’s new home after a bomb having destroyed his apartment. Hatred is palpable and the urge for constant fight between the former lovers stands like an elephant in the middle of the little trailer’s living room…
This is where the story lost its appeal to me. During the events that follow nothing and I mean absolutely nothing convinced me that these two guys were special agents of some or any sort. They seemed like two frightened civilians with no clue on how to react. Tanner gets shot on the shoulder while standing like a sitting duck in an open area, with no cover whatsoever all the while he forbids Niall (mind you Niall is a special agent too) to get out of the trailer because the assassin is set after him… No communication with the other members of the Team, or the ones that occur are with no real meaning. No backups, no following of orders, every single agent on the Team has a mind of his own and acts accordingly. The leader is constantly on and off of reach. The thing that reeled my mind is when they catch a suspect and without researching the environment where they caught him, without looking into matters with a closer eye, they let him go… All the while the pair is on and off with fighting, having sex and trying to figure out whose fault it was, literally in the middle of gunshots. The last fight with the hell bent assassin was even beyond comprehension. They are suddenly missing essential weaponry; the scene is dragged and stretched at the point of disbelief. Unrealistic can’t even start to describe it. The last scene with the hotwired agent even more so. All in all it was like I was seeing a very, very bad executed TV-show.
The protagonists themselves were not of my liking. Tanner was exactly what he accused Niall to be. Selfish and stupid (he says so himself thank God) and so utterly blind I constantly had the urge to kick him to senses. Niall, well I liked him somehow, but when he goes ahead admitting to things I couldn’t see or charge him for in the end in order to keep Tanner, I just fell out of the clouds with a big WTF on my lips. I even felt sorry for the guy, having to put up with a brat like Tanner. From all the other supporting characters the one and only I liked was the dog. He was awesome even if at fault at some point but still, loved him.
I don’t know if I should or not recommend this book. I suppose if you’re willing to put aside the huge holes and details of the job, the story in its self is a nice romance, but if in any way, you are the freak that I am when it comes to this sort of stories, than no, stay clear and go read something else. This one is going to the shelf “Not met ANY of my expectations”.
November 26, 2012
I decided to give this book a go because I saw several positive reviews for London's book
Compulsion
, and I had this one already sitting on my Kindle.
It's a classic tale of boy-meets-boy, boy-fucks-boy, boy-and-boy-implode-due-to-communication-problems, boy-and-boy-make-up-and-do-the-nasty. (Several times - yay!)
Plot gets 2 stars - it was boringly clichéd, to be honest. And kind of pointless. The driving force of this book was the relationship between Tanner and Niall, two agents in a black ops division of a government agency (presumably something like the CIA or MI5). But the themes explored here really could have been set in ANY framework, and I thought that the drama with someone trying to kill the whole division out of revenge was nothing more than a distraction from the main point, which was really just two people trying to hash out their communication problems. Frankly, I thought the actual plot was just melodramatic claptrap.
And I hated all of Tanner's exclamations! OMG! Everything was so! Expressive!! *eye roll*
HOWEVER. However, I loved the exploration of Tanner and Niall's relationship, which unfolds to us through a series of flashbacks. It actually reminded me a lot of s stage play, as everything (except the flashbacks) took place in a single location. You know, what happens when you lock two people who supposedly "hate" each other into a room while they are in hiding from a maniac set on revenge?
The answer is: revisiting the reasons they fell in love in the first place (though it takes them most of the book to get to that word). I thought their chemistry was amazing, from their first date to their make-up sex to their final conversation, and the first person POV sex scenes really made them come to life. (And DAYUM, made me need a cold shower.)
Theirs was a simple case of a meltdown due not just to miscommunication, but a lack of any communication about their emotional and mental states. Tanner liked to talk too much - most of it bullshit, and Niall not enough. Their lack of openness about their feelings not just about their work situation, but about each other was the root of their problems. (I know, shocking, right? Men, afraid to communicate?! *gasp* NEV-AH!)
Luckily, they both come to understand this essential truth by the end of the story, and make an effort to change.
"...I'd never expected to be truly happy again. I'd thought I'd never see him again; I'd built a wall of self-disgust and untenable resentment, and I'd been fucking proud of it. Yeah, I had been a prick. And instead of being left to wallow in a pit of my own making, I'd been given a second chance to talk to him again, and hold him, and now to fuck him."
And hopefully, have your HEA with him, Tanner.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the TweetAway!
It's a classic tale of boy-meets-boy, boy-fucks-boy, boy-and-boy-implode-due-to-communication-problems, boy-and-boy-make-up-and-do-the-nasty. (Several times - yay!)
Plot gets 2 stars - it was boringly clichéd, to be honest. And kind of pointless. The driving force of this book was the relationship between Tanner and Niall, two agents in a black ops division of a government agency (presumably something like the CIA or MI5). But the themes explored here really could have been set in ANY framework, and I thought that the drama with someone trying to kill the whole division out of revenge was nothing more than a distraction from the main point, which was really just two people trying to hash out their communication problems. Frankly, I thought the actual plot was just melodramatic claptrap.
And I hated all of Tanner's exclamations! OMG! Everything was so! Expressive!! *eye roll*
HOWEVER. However, I loved the exploration of Tanner and Niall's relationship, which unfolds to us through a series of flashbacks. It actually reminded me a lot of s stage play, as everything (except the flashbacks) took place in a single location. You know, what happens when you lock two people who supposedly "hate" each other into a room while they are in hiding from a maniac set on revenge?
The answer is: revisiting the reasons they fell in love in the first place (though it takes them most of the book to get to that word). I thought their chemistry was amazing, from their first date to their make-up sex to their final conversation, and the first person POV sex scenes really made them come to life. (And DAYUM, made me need a cold shower.)
Theirs was a simple case of a meltdown due not just to miscommunication, but a lack of any communication about their emotional and mental states. Tanner liked to talk too much - most of it bullshit, and Niall not enough. Their lack of openness about their feelings not just about their work situation, but about each other was the root of their problems. (I know, shocking, right? Men, afraid to communicate?! *gasp* NEV-AH!)
Luckily, they both come to understand this essential truth by the end of the story, and make an effort to change.
"...I'd never expected to be truly happy again. I'd thought I'd never see him again; I'd built a wall of self-disgust and untenable resentment, and I'd been fucking proud of it. Yeah, I had been a prick. And instead of being left to wallow in a pit of my own making, I'd been given a second chance to talk to him again, and hold him, and now to fuck him."
And hopefully, have your HEA with him, Tanner.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner Press for the TweetAway!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2012
3.5 stars. A very readable m/m suspense-mystery-romance about two security agents whose team is being targeted by an unknown attacker, and they try to sort out who is the culprit while at the same time sorting out their mixed-up emotions about each other.
Tanner, our first-person POV, is under work suspension after mistakes from an earlier mission, and has chosen to spend his time hidden away from the team, wallowing in a dilapidated trailer in a trailer park. His self-imposed solitude is broken when his team comes and asks him to provide a temporary safe house to team member Niall, whose apartment was just blown up. Both Tanner and Niall are less enthused about this since their past relationship had broken apart prior to the suspension. But as the attacks escalate, and even make it into the trailer park, both men have to decide what is more important—their past bitterness, or surviving through the week, and possibly having a future together.
The parts I liked—I dug the set-up a lot, and containing most of the action in and around the trailer park was a neat trick that added to the suspense. (I also dug the trailer park denizens who added a lot of color to the story.) The mystery was also pretty good since the author threw in multiple paths to confuse the team about who the real villain was.
My issues with the book relate mostly to the pacing. Even though the set-up happens in the first scene with Niall moving in to the trailer, there are a lot of flashbacks in the first half of the book to fill in the reader about their relationship. These glimpses are important to understand why they are so bitter, but it really dragged the story down, and things didn’t kick in for me until about 50% in. I like a good long read, but I wished the story had been more tightly told. What also dragged the story down was the repetitive back-and-forth between Tanner and Niall as they argued about the different things that had broken them up. For professionally-trained people who are literally “under the gun” of a stream of attacks, they kvetch a lot. It slowed things down a bit, and personally, made it harder for me to root for them to work things out.
Also, one minor point is that Tanner uses a lot of exclamation points in his narration. At times, it made him feel like a much younger, more excited narrator, and it made it harder to take him seriously. I wish some of those had been weeded out.
So, this wasn’t one of my favorite works by London. As much as I liked the premise, I wish it had some more of the tense immediacy that she had in The Tourist or the tight narrative voice like in Freeman.
Tanner, our first-person POV, is under work suspension after mistakes from an earlier mission, and has chosen to spend his time hidden away from the team, wallowing in a dilapidated trailer in a trailer park. His self-imposed solitude is broken when his team comes and asks him to provide a temporary safe house to team member Niall, whose apartment was just blown up. Both Tanner and Niall are less enthused about this since their past relationship had broken apart prior to the suspension. But as the attacks escalate, and even make it into the trailer park, both men have to decide what is more important—their past bitterness, or surviving through the week, and possibly having a future together.
The parts I liked—I dug the set-up a lot, and containing most of the action in and around the trailer park was a neat trick that added to the suspense. (I also dug the trailer park denizens who added a lot of color to the story.) The mystery was also pretty good since the author threw in multiple paths to confuse the team about who the real villain was.
My issues with the book relate mostly to the pacing. Even though the set-up happens in the first scene with Niall moving in to the trailer, there are a lot of flashbacks in the first half of the book to fill in the reader about their relationship. These glimpses are important to understand why they are so bitter, but it really dragged the story down, and things didn’t kick in for me until about 50% in. I like a good long read, but I wished the story had been more tightly told. What also dragged the story down was the repetitive back-and-forth between Tanner and Niall as they argued about the different things that had broken them up. For professionally-trained people who are literally “under the gun” of a stream of attacks, they kvetch a lot. It slowed things down a bit, and personally, made it harder for me to root for them to work things out.
Also, one minor point is that Tanner uses a lot of exclamation points in his narration. At times, it made him feel like a much younger, more excited narrator, and it made it harder to take him seriously. I wish some of those had been weeded out.
So, this wasn’t one of my favorite works by London. As much as I liked the premise, I wish it had some more of the tense immediacy that she had in The Tourist or the tight narrative voice like in Freeman.
January 22, 2016
http://bianchianita1971.blogspot.it/2...
Leggendo la trama di questo libro mi aspettavo una storia più adrenalinica e d'azione, ed invece ho trovato un romanzo introspettivo, dedicato ai sentimenti ed alle emozioni dei due protagonisti e... mi è piaciuto tantissimo! Non fraintendetemi: è una spy story e come tale comporta momenti d'azione e tensione, ma è sopratutto il rapporto difficile tra Tanner e Niall ad essere al centro della vicenda. Nella maggior parte dei romance viene narrato l'avvicinamento e l'innamoramento tra i due protagonisti: qui abbiamo due uomini che si sono lasciati (in maniera piuttosto plateale e definitiva) ma che ora sono costretti a stare assieme a causa di una minaccia mortale.
Può essere definito un romantic suspense ma ho sicuramente apprezzato molto di più l'introspezione e la presa di coscenza dei propri limiti ed errori da parte di Tanner e Niall, rispetto alla caccia al traditore.
Devo ammetter poi che la scrittura della London rispecchia ed accompagna egregiamente la vicenda, fornendo così il giusto supporto alla narrazione.
Leggendo la trama di questo libro mi aspettavo una storia più adrenalinica e d'azione, ed invece ho trovato un romanzo introspettivo, dedicato ai sentimenti ed alle emozioni dei due protagonisti e... mi è piaciuto tantissimo! Non fraintendetemi: è una spy story e come tale comporta momenti d'azione e tensione, ma è sopratutto il rapporto difficile tra Tanner e Niall ad essere al centro della vicenda. Nella maggior parte dei romance viene narrato l'avvicinamento e l'innamoramento tra i due protagonisti: qui abbiamo due uomini che si sono lasciati (in maniera piuttosto plateale e definitiva) ma che ora sono costretti a stare assieme a causa di una minaccia mortale.
Può essere definito un romantic suspense ma ho sicuramente apprezzato molto di più l'introspezione e la presa di coscenza dei propri limiti ed errori da parte di Tanner e Niall, rispetto alla caccia al traditore.
Devo ammetter poi che la scrittura della London rispecchia ed accompagna egregiamente la vicenda, fornendo così il giusto supporto alla narrazione.
April 5, 2016
Un team segreto che lavora nel buio, che aiuta tantissimo, ma di cui si conosce poco sia del loro lavoro che dei suoi componenti. Allora perché qualcuno punta questa squadra? E tutto sembra collegarsi alla missione Colomba. Inizialmente ho pensato che fosse uno dei politici che si divertiva con i ragazzini del club. Ma poi si è capito che per conoscere cosi bene il Team doveva essere qualcuno del Team o di molto vicino. Ovviamente con il libro scritto in prima persona e tutti i commenti sulla squadra non ho mai sospettato di uno di loro bensì ho pensato a Cissy, il braccio destro del grande capo. Tra un indagine e una divagazione di Tanner (che giuro lo avrei picchiato per alcuni suoi comportamenti da bambino) il libro è coinvolgente e spinge a voler saper di più
November 5, 2012
Really enjoyed this. I liked the compactness of it; as the title suggests, most of the action takes place over 72 hours. There is quite a bit of flashback, but it worked well here. The “past history” was a matter of months ago, and those events and emotions were still very relevant to the characters in the present timeline.
The plot, involving an ill-defined secret branch of government taxed with handling crises of particular political delicacy, was thin but serviceable. It presented an engaging mystery and moments of tension and danger for our heroes, without overshadowing the relationship plot which was the story’s focus.
This story did an excellent job with the “we both want the same thing, we just can’t communicate” trope, ratcheting the tension and frustration and providing believable explanations for the struggles each MC had in trying to prevent their relationship from slipping through their fingers. Both men were annoying at times; both ultimately recognized and repented of their own failures. Their reunion was hard-won and satisfying.
May 6, 2012
This book almost didn't work for me. It did pick up towards the end, but the entire book, I frankly didn't like either of the MCs. Reading about how much they hate each other and how their relationship fell apart was stressful and unenjoyable. Tanner's flashbacks on Niall made me not like Niall, while his own actions made me not like him very much. They both seemed a bit immature to be part of this top secret clandestine group. And the way their relationship fell so horribly to pieces made me feel like they should have been able to be much more professional. It took a long, long time for me to warm up to them (nearly towards the end of the book) and it was too late for me to fall in love with either of them. It took me longer than usual to make it through a book of this length.
April 15, 2012
I agree with MsMiz - Are Tanner and Niall boys (or girls) or men? And are we really supposed to believe they are crack-shot undercover agents (of a sort)? Really? They seem incredibly unable to focus when lives are in danger so they prove to be a danger to themselves and others as well. Sheesh. The 'undercover story' part of this is just not well done enough for me (some of us do read le Carré after all!!!) nor does it meld well with these characters.
That being said... insert big dopey, smiley face here... if you want squishy, moony, wordy, yearning romance mixed with hot, steamy, fabulous sex then this is the read for you -- it gets 3 stars for that alone -- just forget the rest of it.
That being said... insert big dopey, smiley face here... if you want squishy, moony, wordy, yearning romance mixed with hot, steamy, fabulous sex then this is the read for you -- it gets 3 stars for that alone -- just forget the rest of it.
July 27, 2015
I enjoy Clare London's books. They are, for the most part, predictable but sexy. The MC's anxieties/issues sometimes drag on too long but I'm willing to suspend disbelief because the core of the story is good. And yet, I'm not entirely satisfied with this offering. Maybe it's because the setting is the good ole' US of A and the writer is clearly from the UK?
Her attempts at American colloquialism's took me out of the story regularly. Forcing me to stop, to interpret and correct her. Once that happened, grammar, missing words and general editing followed. What a waste because it could have been a great one. One final thought...does the relationship angst really need to take 75% of the book to set up? I think not.
Her attempts at American colloquialism's took me out of the story regularly. Forcing me to stop, to interpret and correct her. Once that happened, grammar, missing words and general editing followed. What a waste because it could have been a great one. One final thought...does the relationship angst really need to take 75% of the book to set up? I think not.
February 24, 2011
4.5 stars. I liked the back story and can easily see where it all went wrong and how real it is. Yes, I could have slapped them both upside the head, but they're men acting just like....MEN. Interesting mystery and conclusion. The supporting character just didn't seem like they were essential to the story. Other than strong feeling of kicking their asses collectively, there wasn't much emotional involvement for me, so 4.5 stars
April 4, 2012
I really, really wanted to like this story but after the 2nd completely impossible sexual positioning the author wrote, I just couldn't get there. Two guys, classic 69 position, no one's testicles are hitting the other one's throat right? Nose or forehead, yes; throat, no. Maybe I miss read the scene. *shrugs*
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