Last Line

Last Line (Last Line #1)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87  ·  rating details  ·  275 ratings  ·  63 reviews
Genre: LGBT Action/Adventure Paranormal

John Griffin has fallen hopelessly in love. He's trying to hide it, because the man he loves is also his partner in a renegade counterterrorism agency, and John loves the job too. Michael, the most loyal of friends and partners, doesn't return John's passion. Nor that of anyone else, as far as John can see. Sexy and handsome as hell,...more
ebook, 133 pages
Published May 31st 2011 by Loose Id
more details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
Hot Head by Damon SuedeBear, Otter, and the Kid by T.J. KluneThe Locker Room by Amy LaneBetween Sinners and Saints by Marie SextonDivide & Conquer by Abigail Roux
Best M/M Romance Published in 2011
95th out of 399 books — 860 voters
Latakia by JF  SmithI'll Be Your Drill, Soldier by Crystal RoseSpecial Forces by Aleksandr VoinovKeeping Promise Rock by Amy LaneStrength of the Pack by Kendall McKenna
Best Gay Military
20th out of 90 books — 164 voters


More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 653)
filter  |  sort: default (?)  |  rating details
MandyM
3.5 stars. I love Harper Fox's heroes. They are so full of intelligence and honour and sheer bloody machismo. But they are usually very damaged and Mike would have to be the most damaged of them so far. This is a romance within a solid action/espionage plot. Mike and John have been working as partners for Last Line (a nickname given to an ultra secret British spy/assassin type organisation) for three years. Prior to that Mike worked for MI6 and on his last mission he was imprisoned, tortured and...more
Emma
A unusual paranormal/Manchurian candidate/The Professionals mashup. I'd call it a thriller with a gay relationship; it is definitely not a traditional m/m romance. This makes it the rare beast: an actual novel that would stand alone without the sex scenes. Happily there are quite a few anyway, but they are not tender, loving sex scenes.

The MCs are compelling, and have a relationship that walks the line between gritty and tender. I think I'm fairly in love with John. All the secondary characters...more
Simsala*is getting slow*
I can`t remember the last time I`ve felt so much compassion for a books main characters - especially Michael - and so much hate for a villain.
Last Line is a tightly written,intense and dark - even frightening - thriller and the story of a seemingly hopeless love.
Definitely Harper Fox` best book.
...Shakespeare was absent this time...
Fehu
4.5 stars
This one had me biting my nails and the ending was a bit unexpected since the it has some paranormal elements. If you want a mystery this is your book. Sometimes I thought Mike to damaged and the controling and programming made me shudder. Also I don't know how they could have forgiven Anzhel. I hated him and for me he had no redeeming qualities.

Mammarella
OK, so where are all the bad Russians Harper Fox keeps telling us about? Because Lucas Oriel is NOT a Russian name. Neither is Mikhaili nor Anzhel nor Mattvei (in that particular spelling) nor Zemelya, for that matter. Three quarters of Russian is misspelled almost beyond recognition. So, I am asking the author again - where are the Russians?
And what nationality are these people pretending to be Russian?
Full star off for that.

The story set my teeth on edge from the beginning, unfolding painfull...more
Vio
4.5 stars
I asked for gritty and that's exactly what I got, a taut, fast paced thriller with wrenching twists and turns. It was emotionally intense, so much anguish, god this story had a way of making me feel things I didn't want to feel. With every page read I dreaded what was ahead and as the story unfolded the nail biting and heart stopping moments started. At times I wanted to smash things (Anzhel especially) the pain and torment that Michael had to endure was devastating. The smiling monster...more
Jaya
Slash Readers : So, I really liked this book but I found it very frustrating all at the same time. The book opens up with Mike during his captivity in Russia. For those who do not care for darker scenes or those that contain things such as torture, dubious consent (I am highly amused by the wording in the publishers note), some blood letting, 'mind control', and such; than, I would suggest not picking this up.

Alright, that being said I like some dark and I don't mind some violence--makes the ha...more
C.S.
Sep 18, 2011 C.S. rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: gay
Without the paranormal element, which didn't add anything of value to the story, I would have given this four stars. Did someone--the author?--the editor?--think the story couldn't stand on its own? Whatever the reasoning, I feel cheated. I knew, going in, that there was a paranormal element. I don't like paranormal as a general rule, but sometimes it can work well--in the proper context. This wasn't the proper context. It felt very much as if it was pasted on as an afterthought. And knowing tha...more
Yvonne
Well what just happened here??? The most important thing to probably know about this book is that it's reportedly part of a trilogy/series. Loose ends are not neatly tied up at the end & there is an underlying paranormal thread that is not fully explained in this first book.

Secondly is don't come here if you're looking for kisses & cuddles. This is a fast paced, unrelentingly tense (take that breath during the swimming scene--you'll need it for the rest of the story) suspenseful & h...more
Karina
Pure impulse lead me to read this book and I'm happy that I did. It was so rewarding!

Michael and John. The first definitely comes with a lot of baggage and from the beginning I could clearly see that he had a past he could wish shaking. I was puzzled why he cared for John and still insisted on keeping away from him and then that bastard! came in. ( I can't even remember his stupid russian name right now)

He came in with all his glory and just RUINED michael and John just when they were getting so...more
Susan65
Way out of my comfort zone but the storyline itself was intersting. I hated it but couldnt put it down at the same time. Not sure what that says and im glad i finished but also wish i'd never read it too. First off, is this truly considered a romance just because it ended well...for now? If I was John I would have been long, long gone. The conditioning was just too brutal...for Mike, John and me.

I am still not sure of my 4 star rating though. So many unanswered questions. What was up with Mikes...more
Sammy2006
Last Line by Harper Fox was not an easy read—oh don’t get me wrong—it is a BRILLIANT book but easy to read?? No, not by a long shot.

The story unfolds smack in the midst of the most realistic and gut wrenching torture scene I have ever read—and that was the first time I though to myself. “turn away—don’t read this book…this is not going to be good.” I said that to myself several times: through a Non-consensual sex, torture, bloodshed, violence, more torture—this time of the mind and soul, and thr...more
Erin (PT)
I really wanted to like this book. By all accounts, Harper Fox is a lovely person. I'm always desperate for a new, good m/m writer to read and a number of my friends have rated her books highly, either verbally or here on Goodreads. Hell, that was the main reason I picked up this particular book; a four-star rating by a friend who has similar taste to mine. But after slogging through the entire book, the only reason this doesn't get a one-star rating is because Fox's prose is good enough that I...more
piranha
hm. hard to do this justice in a review. i didn't enjoy the start of it (torture is always hard to read about because it is too real to me). but it's treated realistically here, not used for titillation. but i inhaled it in one sitting. both characters are interesting. john almost felt a little bit too good to be true, but he skated by when he didn't take everything michael dished out lying down. michael ... oh, so damaged, but with a core that's holding on against the odds. i'd like to see more...more
Crys Harris
Technically, there isn't really anything bad to say about this book. The writing flows well, the characters are nuanced and interesting (even the token kid), and there's a bit of intrigue. But.. I just feel like it a good book. Better than ok, but not that memorable. I think the plot line is a bit too ridiculous, the love interest is a bit too Pollyanna, and there is a strange paranormal quality threading through the storyline that is frustratingly vague. If it's not going to be part of the stor...more
Julia
This book was pretty incredible. At first it seems like a straightforward spy-type read (which I love dearly) and then...eases into some more paranormal/sci-fi areas. It's incredibly well done, disturbing in places, funny in others. As always Fox gives us amazing characters. Not to spoil anything, but there is some non-con/knife-play/blood-play in here. Not the kind that I would put into the "Oh, God, hot." category (as was the case, in some places, with Special Forces: Soldiers Part I -Director...more
Urnius
Overall good ideas for the plot, reminded me of Homeland tv series but didn't achieve the suspense and intrigue while having human feeling characters the series does.

It's a shame that it didn't get developed as it should have. In parts in definitely felt rushed. So much time spent explaining the conditioning and showing us the confusion it creates and yet we do not get explanations for their "powers", the repercutions in their lives, what happens with Quin and the boss... The resolution of the "...more
EllieNY
Jun 27, 2011 EllieNY rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: m-m
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
John
Harper Fox writes, in my opinion, beautiful prose. I suspect she could make the driest subject compelling by her deft use of language. So from a purely technical point of view Last Line is a pleasure: beautifully descriptive and evocative. As in her other books, her characters are engaging an compelling; the plot full of action and swift-flowing. There are few moments to catch one's breath; both style and plot move at a breathtaking pace. Only at the last chapter does the reader get a chance to...more
Kaje Harper
This story introduces two fascinating MC's. Their complex relationship is derailed by Michael's unacknowledged and mainly unremembered traumatic past. That past comes back to haunt them both. I was totally caught up in the story and could not put it down. The one star I took off is because the plot becomes complex and less than logical toward the end. I had to stop and reread and still don't think it made total sense. But I was so in love with the characters I could forgive a lot. It is a dark b...more
Trish
Jan 30, 2012 Trish rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: m-m
4.5

wow... this was a great story, i was actually horrified at one scene and that is hard to do to me.
because the author wrote it so well was definitely a factor.

it starts out a bit confusing and i had a hard time with it.... i almost gave up. so glad i didn't. :)
looking back now, i realize this may have been done on purpose by the author. in a way it was like being in michael's head during his mind control, the confusion, the torture...must have been hell for him :(.

lastly, *spoiler* i'm left...more
JSidelinger
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars - I more than liked it, but not quite "really" liked it as defined by the Goodreads star rating.

I thought the second half of the story was more engaging than the first half, but I think it is probably just me...I struggle getting into Harper Fox's writing, although she is technically a good writer - I can't put my finger on it, but I never seem to be able to fully engage. I just finished this story tonight, so I will need to come back and edit my review.

I think...more
Plainbrownwrapper
I love Harper Fox, but the plot just didn't cut it for me. It was dumb and unbelievable. This upsets me, first because I like parts of this book very much -- and second because I love Fox's work in general, and I'm very sorry to see such dire flaws in this one.

Here are my complaints from the reread I just finished:

The opening is visceral and gripping. I love the basic setup and the characters. Big gripes with the plot, though.

1. (view spoiler)[there ain't no way any intelligence service would al...more
Jack
Mar 29, 2012 Jack rated it 2 of 5 stars
Shelves: m-m
"I hate to complain, but..." (tm) Is it really that hard to find someone online to Russian-pick for you, if you're writing about something you have the vaguest idea about?

It wasn't a bad book, as far as m/m goes, but I only managed to get through it by pretending it wasn't about Russians, but some fantasy race, their strange language, and their magical powers. Which, essentially, it was. Still, I got a motherload of second-hand embarrassment for the writer, and a vague anger at people who belie...more
Mickie Ashling
4.5 Last Line is a dark and mysterious read that kept me glued to my Kindle for hours. The paranormal element was unexpected and added yet another layer to this wonderfully complex novel. Be prepared for some pretty graphic scenes that you may end up reading through fingers. The ending felt more like a pause which is why I left off half a star. There are too many unanswered questions. Rumor has it that this is the first in a series. I sincerely hope so. I'm completely invested in these character...more
Nikyta
This was a... hard book to read. In some respects, I can see the appeal of it. It can be an entertaining and dark read depending on the reader. But if you have hang ups like I do? This story is just a struggle to get through.

For me, it dragged considerably. Even from the start it was hard for me to really get into the story. Right when I was starting to like it, though (probably about half way in), Michael's ex shows up. From there, the story went down hill again because Michael and John are jus...more
Diana
May 03, 2012 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone
I don't know why but with a few of Harper's books it's taken me a few chapters to really get the idea of the story. Then I fall in love with her writing. Again, as with all her books, I loved this story. It was full of adventure, heart wrenching love and suspense. I also love how she's able to set the scene so well. It puts me right in the middle of the action. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down and that's bad for my eyes.
Paloma Beck
This was an intense, thrilling, and incrediblysatisfying read. Last Line was at times dark and frightening and other timesheart-wrenching. I was crushed by the torture of one of the heroes and heldimmediate hatred for a villain. Definitely not for the reader looking for alight read, this book is one that stays with the reader long after the final page is read. My full review is posted at www.theromancereviews.com/rpoma72.
Cait Miller
I loved this book! I am going to reserve one star until I see if there is a sequel because there were some supernatural elements to the story that were never fully made clear. There were also a few loose threads at the end. I am hoping there is going to be a second book where all will be explained. If so then I will happily add another star. It still made an immensely satisfying, if dark, read that I sat up way too late to finish.
ObsidianCub
Seriously good. Unfortunately leaves me with so many questions but in a satisfactory way not a through my mobile out of the window way. This book tears you apart for the characters and then somehow mends you. Love Quinn and want to know more, the brainwashing was creepy and although the hate for Anzhel was enormous at the end there was something more. The tension and complications felt real and despite the fact that you know with these books that you tend to get a happy ending and the heros don'...more
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 21 22 next »
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
Last Line (Last Line, #1)
4059028
Harper Fox is an M/M author with a mission. She’s produced six critically acclaimed novels in a year and is trying to dispel rumours that she has a clone/twin sister locked away in a study in her basement. In fact she simply continues working on what she loves best– creating worlds and stories for the huge cast of lovely gay men queuing up inside her head. She lives in rural Northumberland in nort...more
More about Harper Fox...
Scrap Metal Life After Joe Driftwood The Salisbury Key Half Moon Chambers

Share This Book

Your website