Life After Death (Infected, #3)

Sep 28, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

***Spoilers Ahead***

”pain doesn’t ever really fade—you just get used to it”

Everything changes when our lives and hearts wrap around another heart and soul. We share, touch, need, give, lust, love and affect each other on every level. So what happens when you lose half of your heart? When death takes a loved one, how do we hold on? How can we continue to move, feel, live, and breathe without dying inside?

We don’t. Bits and pieces of your heart and soul fall away, but hopefully we heal. Hopefully...more

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May 12, 2013 Gwenith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ooooh This Was Bitter-Sweet

I Enjoyed this Part of Roan's Journey♥

That Alone Has Earned This Book 3.75-4 Stars....I Liked It Alot!

This is a heart-felt, bitter-sweet read, and as many have said, this is not a primary romance but...I could not help but want some added sizzling sweetness.

The Book~

What I liked~

Paris speaking it was awesome, however it only made me miss him more...:so sad, so very sad...:-(((, but I liked it~

Dylan's story, I liked that we got to know more about him, it was awesome...more

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May 19, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, weres-and-shifters, read-in-2011, detectives-private-investigators

Ok, so maybe I just miss Paris, but this book didn't do it for me the way the others did.

This book has two stories: Life After Death & Hysteria.

Life After Death is just what it sounds like, Roan is finally rejoining life after Paris. It's almost a year after Paris and apparently he's barely left his bed. His friends are taking care of him and he's still talking to a hallucination of Paris. When we join the story, he is just finally becoming aware of the world again. He gets out of bed, takes...more Ok, so maybe I just miss Paris, but this book didn't do it for me the way the others did.

This book has two stories: Life After Death & Hysteria.

Life After Death is just what it sounds like, Roan is finally rejoining life after Paris. It's almost a year after Paris and apparently he's barely left his bed. His friends are taking care of him and he's still talking to a hallucination of Paris. When we join the story, he is just finally becoming aware of the world again. He gets out of bed, takes a case, goes grocery shopping... (view spoiler)

Hysteria I had some trouble getting in to. Maybe it was some of the things that started to unfold in the first story of the book. Maybe I just miss Paris. It seems like Roan is making new friends in this book. Expanding his circle. Adding more and more people to his "give a crap about" list. Some of them are fun, like his new assistant. A former computer programmer, turned dominatrix that seems to look like a frumpy housewife out of costume. She's fun. And Holden, a former hustler that goes by the name of Fox. I have created an entire storyline for him (that has nothing to do with Roan), but I hope even a little bit of it comes true. Plus, in this book we see another relation of Roan's go full circle. And Roan seems to be continually at the center of a lot of sensational "cat" stories.

I think some of my disillusionment was definitely because Roan was off his game, so I felt off mine. I know a big portion of it was the absence of Paris. While the books were always about Roan, Paris offered a nice balance. (view spoiler) By the end of the second book, I saw the "hysteria" that the tittle seemed to imply.

All in all, still good, but not at the top of my list. The two stories seemed very transitional except in one aspect where it seems to really push the story forward. I think one transitional story would have worked, getting it all out in Life After Death. And then Hysteria could have been a reboot and rebuild, but as it was, there was a lot of rebuilding and set up in both books, with Roan moving forward rapidly in some aspects while it's really clear that he shouldn't be, because he still needs to find his restart button.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Adara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I would actually give this 4.5 stars, but it'll have the re-readability that'll make me round up to 5 stars. I don't quite like this book as much as the previous one, Infected: Bloodlines (probably because it wasn't as gut-wrenching), but I did really like it. I still wish that there was more visible sex occasionally instead of just the implication that it happened (in the series as a whole, not just this book), but it's a minor complaint because I like the characters and the universe so...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Ilhem rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, prn, mystery

Life after Death : *****
Hysteria : ***

It should have been a five-stars if not for the odd ending of “Hysteria”. Other reviewers already commented on it : the main plot ended at chapter 14 and the story went on for 5 chapters after that. I could not see how it brought something to the book and I struggled through the last chapters despite Holden’s story being interesting. It ruined the pace of this book for me.

And yet. It took 3 books and the devastation of Paris’ death but I cannot imagine not...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Dreamer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: shit-hot-cover, m-m-para-romance, kindle, droolworthy-alpha-male, love-a-bad-boy, tortured-hero, 5-star, rent-boy

Roan rides a Buell Lightning, City Model.

'Roan put on a Porcupine Tree CD to keep himself awake.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4-JKm...

(view spoiler)

...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm

Some notes while I read --

There's a bad timeline error here. At the beginning of the book, Paris has been dead for "nearly a year". The first story takes at most a couple of weeks to complete. Then the second story starts with the notation "one month later". So Paris has been dead for about a year. But then, just a few pages after the start of the second story, on the same day the story starts, the author says "He'd been dead for two years now". That's off by a whole year. addendum: later in the...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, erotic, paranormal, suspense-mystery, m-m

originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

This is a book that a reader should not read fast. Instead, sip it like a fine wine and draw it out to savor the experience for the full effect. As anxious as I was to get my hands on the latest news about Roan, I also remember how I felt at the end of the last book. I didn’t rush through this current story. No, I spread it out over four days because I didn’t want to let Roan go. I adore his character, I care about him and I blame it a...more originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

This is a book that a reader should not read fast. Instead, sip it like a fine wine and draw it out to savor the experience for the full effect. As anxious as I was to get my hands on the latest news about Roan, I also remember how I felt at the end of the last book. I didn’t rush through this current story. No, I spread it out over four days because I didn’t want to let Roan go. I adore his character, I care about him and I blame it all on Ms. Speed. She’s created a character that’s come to life for me, and a book over three hundred pages is still not enough.

I don’t know how Ms. Speed has done it but she’s kept the quality and vibrancy intact and sharpened the emotional edge to a fine point in Life After Death. This book picks up after the worst of Roan’s mourning of the loss of Paris, his husband, has occurred. The author sprinkled just the right amount of memories, references and an uncanny and heart wrenching additional touches that made me want to cry all over again. I was reading some of this book at work during lunch hour and I found myself sniffling and blubbering, making my co-workers wonder if I was okay. I was more than fine, I was moved, and my feelings were engaged. That doesn’t happen with cookie cutter characters and personalities of little depth. In each book, the author has had Roan progressively opening up about his feelings, his thoughts and his view of himself and this story is no different; and I love him all the more for it.

Once again, this book is actually split in two with Roan investigating two different crimes and mysteries. Ms. Speed has created a very human character because he not only has to get his life back together again, but he has to deal with the daily mundane chores of living. The author paints a clear picture of his home, his work and even his friends with well thought out descriptions and interesting minutia that at times seem innocuous but in fact flesh out the environment so readers can relate and feel closer to the action. And there is some very interesting mental and physical action for readers to enjoy.

Secondary characters are really important in this latest adventure. Some are from the previous books and didn’t evolve as I thought they might, (Ms. Speed is good at surprises) and some are new that promise to provide some very interesting dialogue between them and Roan at some future point. They’re too fascinating not to.

I enjoy watching Roan explore his kitty powers, although if he ever heard me say that, I bet he’d growl at me. I also appreciate the emotional toll they take on him. His pain and worries are all so very real to me thanks to the author’s quality writing style that I can’t help but want him to be happy. Paris wanted the same thing for him and that gets explored a bit too, much to my avid interest.

I will remind readers of this review that Infected: Life After Death is probably not a standalone read. There were quite a few loose ends that get tied up in this book that won’t have the impact for new readers that it does for those who have read the previous two books. I was shocked, amazed and astounded at some of the changes but I was ecstatic with some of the new additions. I got a kick out of Roan’s new employee.

Another thing readers need to be aware of is that there isn’t any graphic sex in this story. I certainly never missed it because the author kept me on my toes reading all about Roan’s cases and all the other stuff he gets into. Poor guy has the most bizarre things happen all in the course of a day. The hero does get to have some sheet time and I’m thrilled and happy for him, even cheering for him, but a reader only sees some really romantic kissing and tender touches, the door is firmly closed.

Infected: Life After Death is pure magic. It stayed with me after I read the final paragraph. I dreamed of what I would say in this review; the story haunted me that much. I can’t even express well enough the insights that Ms. Speed imbues her characters with – it’s almost spiritual and mysterious – in a rough sort of way. Roan’s internal dialogue always impresses me and makes me want to know him for real. The author brings an authenticity and grit to her writing that has been consistent all the way through. Ms. Speed has a true talent that I’m in awe of. I guess I’m starting to sound all fan girl but her characters and storytelling voice has had a powerful impact on me and I don’t find too many books that do what this series has done and continues to do. Kudos, Ms. Speed, on another high-powered winner and I eagerly look forward to another crime-solving adventure with Roan and his ongoing journey to a better happily ever after.

(less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com

Shelves: favorites, m-m-romance, mystery, paranormal, series, urban-fantasy, weres-shifters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I’m going to admit that I went into this installment of the Infected series with no small amount of anxiety. And maybe just a wee bit of reluctance. Read Infected: Prey and Infected: Bloodlines and you’ll know why. I’m still not sure if I’ve recovered entirely.

Yes, to start, it was every bit as difficult as I’d feared; yet, at the same time, Infected: Life After Death became an affirmation that even when you take a pass on living, life rarely takes a pass on you, especially when there are people...more I’m going to admit that I went into this installment of the Infected series with no small amount of anxiety. And maybe just a wee bit of reluctance. Read Infected: Prey and Infected: Bloodlines and you’ll know why. I’m still not sure if I’ve recovered entirely.

Yes, to start, it was every bit as difficult as I’d feared; yet, at the same time, Infected: Life After Death became an affirmation that even when you take a pass on living, life rarely takes a pass on you, especially when there are people who are determined to make sure you continue to exist in whatever way you can; until one day, you finally find the strength to manage the days which suddenly become years, then find the connection to life that maybe begins to feel a little like hope.

Roan McKichan’s loss has altered his very being, his grief manifesting itself into the driving force that dictates the flow of his days and nights. Yet love, though the loved one may be gone from his life, continues to direct Roan’s journey, through his friends, through his subconscious. All it takes is one timely connection, one person who understands, one person who gets that Roan needs to cope with his sorrow in his own time and in his own way that becomes an unexpected gift. Roan finds the one person who, when he’d so aggressively given up on his life, made him feel like he might want to take it back again.

As a small but devoted group of friends helps Roan to emerge from a place a bit too close to insanity, he finds he must learn how to make his way through the collateral damage of what is left of his life, and finds that, through his job as a private investigator, sometimes other people’s lives can give yours a run for the money on the devastation scale. It’s a kinship that only those who’ve waded through the flotsam and survived can understand.

In typical Andrea Speed fashion, she has managed to combine a cracking good set of investigative cases in this urban fantasy setting, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure.

These characters are entirely human—even when they’re not entirely human—and have come to life on the page. They’ve drawn me into their world so effortlessly that it’s difficult to remember a time when I didn’t know who they were, and now, all I want is to know them better.

This book begins in despair and ends with a cautious optimism that has me longing for book #4 in the series. Roan and Dylan’s story is just beginning; will it thrive? Only Andrea Speed knows that for sure, and I for one cannot wait to see where she takes them.(less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Andi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eros-rising

I have been addicted to this series since I read the first book, even after the second book broke my heart (but don't get me wrong, I loved it too). I was hoping to get some closure from this one, and I did. But not too much. The author did an excellent job of balancing the need for Roan to move on with his life with the incredible weight of grief he carried over his loss. That was one element I loved about this book. Another was the supporting characters. This author has a great deal of percept...more

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May 02, 2012 Tamela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, contemporary, mm-or-mmm, my-6-star-favs, my-favorites, cops-detective-security, paranormal, recommended, love-romance, sci-fi-fantasy, series

A rough road back but Roan is finally pulling himself together a year after the death of his husband, Paris. And he's moving on in a big way, as in the biggest, baddest cat around.

I'm happy he's finally moving on, though it's obvious he misses Paris every moment, but he has finally decided that dying himself isn'tthe answer. But he did say that he had died with Paris, and he is often surprised and dismayed that he is alive and healthy when so many others are sick or dying.

I've decided that I rea...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Sheri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: obsessed, amazing-yet-tragic, boyz-luvin-boyz, destroyed-me, sob-fest, pnr

Pulsating Pain. Agonizing illusions. Surviving after.
Roan’s grief was a palpable wave of pain that surged from the pages.
I grieved, I suffered and I wept with him.
After Paris’ death, he shut down (as expected) and if it wasn’t for Paris’ careful planning before his passing, Ro would have willingly stayed in his pit of misery. I didn’t think it was possible to adore Paris more, but the steps he took to take care of Roan swelled my heart to painful proportions. The persistent ex, the puppy dog...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Shira Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, cops, detectives, dreamspinner, m-m-rom, mystery, series, shifters, supernatural

In some ways, I really liked the lower-key feel of this book after the first two. It was a bit of a breather after the high-intensity of the last book, especially, which tore my heart into tiny bits.

Roan is on the mend. Sort of. Ms. Speed does a wonderful job of showing us that grief is messy, and recovery comes in fits and starts. I enjoyed the addition of a few new characters and I liked getting to know Dylan (although we don't really get to know him all that well yet, which is fine). This boo...more In some ways, I really liked the lower-key feel of this book after the first two. It was a bit of a breather after the high-intensity of the last book, especially, which tore my heart into tiny bits.

Roan is on the mend. Sort of. Ms. Speed does a wonderful job of showing us that grief is messy, and recovery comes in fits and starts. I enjoyed the addition of a few new characters and I liked getting to know Dylan (although we don't really get to know him all that well yet, which is fine). This book is less about romance and more about Roan and what makes him tick. There's still plenty about him and his past that we still don't know much about, but you get a pretty good sense of him and the reasons for some of his vulnerabilities.

In this book, Roan is really dealing with survivor's guilt, on several levels. By its end, he still hasn't made sense of it, but he's starting to frame the questions and feelings he has. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Speed takes us in Roan's journey.

I also look forward to seeing more of Holden (I hope there is more). For me, the second best part of the novel after Roan's grieving, was the plotline involving Holden. Like Roan, Holden is a multi-faceted and wonderfully flawed character. Smart, funny, and hiding an entirely different person beneath his sharp exterior. The best kind of character.

There are a few minor problems with the book (no book is perfect, honestly, but I'll point them out since they did take jar me a little). First, there's a bit of a rough transition between the first and second half of the novel. The time frame doesn't seem quite right (I kept scratching my head wondering if I'd just lost a year, when it said "One Month Later"). There was also a minor mystery that seemed to get lost in the shuffle between the two parts (Kevin asks Roan to look into someone's disappearance, and I'm pretty sure we never hear any more about that). But those things were so minor in the grand scheme of things that it really didn't change my rating.

Life After Death was a thoroughly enjoyable read that dealt with the major trauma Roan experienced in a thoughtful and realistic way.(less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-detectives-spies-military, m-m-romance, paranormal-fantasy, favorites, sobbed-like-a-rabid-hyena, hi-freaking-larious, series, rentboy, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 14, 2013 Tamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, adventure, contemporary, cops-detective-security, after-the-heartbreak, life-goes-on, mm-or-mmm, made-me-cry, my-6-star-favs, mystery-who-done-it, recommended, sci-fi-fantasy, series

This is my second read and it will remain on my-6-star-favs shelf. This is one of the BEST series I've come across.... right up there with Cut & Run and Adrien English.

The thing I love most about this series is the characters. All through out these stories are sexy detective good guy, cute hotties, a snarky EMT friend, a slimy nemosis who dies in the end, and numours friends and foes who keep the story interesting.

Roan is finding his way back after loosing Paris, and its a real struggle but...more

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Nov 27, 2011 LdDurham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, gay-fiction, shifter

Excellent. I didn't know how this story could go on, but it does and it does it brilliantly. Andrea Speed is an amazing talent. I am seriously in awe of her. I wish I could say more, but I'm afraid I would just rhapsodize and accidentally leave spoilers. I just have to say that if you've read the first two and are shell-shocked and trying to decide if you have the heart to keep going, please do so. It's worth it. The author helps both Roan and the reader through the mess she left us at the end o...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Jenre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, paranormal, urban-fantasy

Those readers who toughed it out during book two as we followed Paris' decline and death are no doubt hoping for a slightly cheerier read in this third book. You may well be a little disappointed then because, although Life After Death isn't the weepy that Bloodlines was, it's still very melancholic in tone.

The story begins a year after the end of the last book. Roan is finally dragging himself out of the mire of his grief and depression, mainly because one of his friends organises a client for...more Those readers who toughed it out during book two as we followed Paris' decline and death are no doubt hoping for a slightly cheerier read in this third book. You may well be a little disappointed then because, although Life After Death isn't the weepy that Bloodlines was, it's still very melancholic in tone.

The story begins a year after the end of the last book. Roan is finally dragging himself out of the mire of his grief and depression, mainly because one of his friends organises a client for his detective agency. Work brings a sense of purpose for Roan as helps a woman who thought her husband had died but now isn't sure and needs Roan to track him down. Working on the case means that Roan is out and about more and he finds himself being watched carefully by his friends, as well as getting to know one of the bartenders at Panic, his and Paris' old gay club haunt, a little better.

One of the most interesting parts of this series has been watching Roan change and develop over the course of three books. This change becomes even more marked now as he no longer has Paris' calming influence over him. Roan was always a sarcastic man with a quick temper and cruel tongue at times, this only increases as this book progresses. At times he can barely hold his temper, which leads to painful changes as his lion virus tries to take over each time he grows angry. It is alarming to both Roan and the reader as to just how barely in control he is during the book, and how he revels in his ability to intimidate and frighten at times. I also found his casual cruelty towards some of his friends a little off putting. Matt in particular bears the brunt of Roan's sarcasm on a number of occasions, and whilst I could understand why Roan acted as he did, I couldn't help but feel very sorry for Matt. By the end of the book, Matt has been reduced to an almost pathetic figure, some of which is due to Roan's treatment of him.

Having said all that, Roan is still an absolutely fascinating man. His constant struggle with his grief over Paris is affecting as is the way that he is slowly trying to regain some interest in his life and occupation. His relationship with Dylan is both good and bad, I think. Dylan is a good influence on Roan and very opposite in temperament. However, I couldn't help but get the impression that Dylan isn't really going to be the one for Roan in the end. That maybe his and Dylan's relationship will not stand the test of time. This is mostly because Roan tells this to the reader, but also because there was no spark between them, and as such the romance feels a little flat.

The other fascinating thing about this series has been the world of the cat virus created by the author. In this book we are slowly gaining insights into Roan as a virus child, as well as seeing some of the political changes starting to take place to help control the cats. Although this is not a huge part of the book, it all added to the setting and I get the impression that things are not going to go so well for infected people in future books. It will be interesting to see what the author does with this theme.

I have one pretty major negative with this book to do with the plotting. Towards the end of the first part of the story, Roan is approached by a former police colleague and asked to investigate the disappearance of a male prostitute. Shortly after that the first part of the book suddenly ends and the story moves a year into the future (although there is a typo which claims it's only a month later). The plot thread involving the missing prostitute is then dropped and never referred to again. This irked me no end as I like all my plot threads to be tidied up.

However, that annoyance wasn't enough to completely spoil my enjoyment of this absorbing book. I said earlier that the book was melancholic in tone, but this is tempered on occasion by bright flashes of humour - usually of the sardonic kind from Roan, by the genuine caring that many of Roan's friends show for his well being and by the amusing character of Fiona, the dominatrix mentioned in the blurb, who was a welcome breath of fresh air into Roan's life.

Those of you who have stuck with the Infected series so far are going to enjoy this one too. Those who have read book 1 and couldn't face book 2, can pick up the story here with very little difficulty. As for me, I eagerly await the next in the series as I just can't seem to get Roan out of my head and want to know whether there will ever be a silver lining for his cloud.(less)

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May 15, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic, mm-shifters

I read these two stories ("Life After Death" and "Hysteria") when they were still "free version". So the rating is based on that. I don't think the rating will change but I will reread this newly improved version and post a more proper opinion. Right now, my memory is a bit fuzzy, considering I read the free version few months ago. I have short capacity of memory so I can't remember the details *grin*. All I can remember was that I felt glad that Roan could find a way to move on after the devast...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Blackheart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

I did not like this book. The previous was a hard one, the scenes of Paris's last days on Earth were heartbreaking and sob-wrenching. It really felt like The End.
But life goes on no matter what, even if you don't feel like going along for the ride. But sooner or later you have to come around and try to move on.
With Roan it happened rather sooner - not even a year (!) has passed and already he finds himself attracted to someone else. WTF? A year is nothing! And Paris's continual "presence" some...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Life After Death is the third book in the Infected series and, in my opinion, the strongest yet to date. Sometimes with a series, it loses momentum after the first book or two. Not so with the Infected stories. With Infected Life After Death, the story of Roan McKitchen grows in power and in depth.

As the story opens, Paris Lehane has been dead a year but for Roan McKitchen it might as well been one hour ago. Roan has retreated into depression and denial, rarely leaving his home, unable to deal w...more Life After Death is the third book in the Infected series and, in my opinion, the strongest yet to date. Sometimes with a series, it loses momentum after the first book or two. Not so with the Infected stories. With Infected Life After Death, the story of Roan McKitchen grows in power and in depth.

As the story opens, Paris Lehane has been dead a year but for Roan McKitchen it might as well been one hour ago. Roan has retreated into depression and denial, rarely leaving his home, unable to deal with the loss of Paris. Only the support of friends who pay his bills and force him to eat has kept him alive. Roan is coasting along, full of pain and survivor's guilt, until a case of a missing husband forces him back into the real world.

The real beauty of this story lies in the fact that the character of Paris Lehane was so real and so loved that here you grieve with Roan. The author pulls you through all the stages of grief as Roan lives them. When Roan is unable to cope with this monumental loss, it's your loss as well. His tears are yours too. Keep that tissue box handy. As Roan gets wrapped up in the mystery of the missing spouse (and a wife's grief), all too briefly you forget that Paris is gone and involve yourself in the case too. Until a song or a memory makes Paris' death real again to Roan and the reader. The story keeps you on a rollercoaster of emotions along with Roan as the case gets more complicated, forcing Roan back to the living as he searches for answers.

The second part of the book takes place two years after Paris' death. I loved that, for once, the fact that death and loss does not get better with time is addressed. Too often in life (no matter whether it is a story or not), people assume that grief has a time limitation on it, like a parking meter or a bakery good. You don't get over something this traumatic, you just learn to deal with it better. And here Roan is trying to move forward while learning this basic truth. New characters come into his life that I just loved, such as a software executive with a surprising new job and a old acquaintance called Holden Fox who is as complicated as he is gorgeous. I can't wait for their next appearance.

This series is full of mysteries, and not just the cases Roan takes on. There is the mystery of how the werecat virus was born. And why Roan is getting stronger as he ages while the other cats, like Paris, grow weaker and sicken. Plus the politics of being infected is always present much like Aids was in the 80's and 90's. The series and this book has so many layers that each time you read it, you make new discoveries. I love Roan's voice. If the dialog here were a song, it would be on autoplay in my home. Roan McKitchen has the ability to make me laugh, and cry and snort in disbelief. He is as real to me as my neighbor next door. That is both a talent and a gift. Andrea Speed has both.

If you are looking for a book full of hot sex only, this is not that story. But if you are looking for a story of love, loss, and full of characters so real that they breathe, this book and this series is for you. I have one more published book to go….Infected Freefall, the fourth in the series. I think I am going to try and wait a week to get and start that one. I just don't want to be finished yet. Luckily, Andrea Speed is working on book 5. So the end is not in sight. Lucky for all of us.

My rating is 5 stars.

Publisher Note: My ebook had formatting problems. At the end of each chapter was the notation to return to the table of contents. And sometimes the chapters started in the middle of the page. I have not had this happen before so I am not sure if it was just my copy or all the ebook copies. But that was the only jarring note here and unusual for this publisher.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Alya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 15, 2011 Snowtulip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, par-rom

3.5

I absolutely loved Bloodlines, so I knew there were big shoes to fill with the next book in the series. This was still a great story with characters I love and mysteries to be solved - this kept me interested and continuing to read the story. The reason for the lower rating is because sometimes there was too much information and I would start to skim since it didn't interest me (this also happened in the first book). (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a wonderful story! The author continues to create and evole facinating and complex characters. She continues to explore a facinating and inventive world. Because of these things I wish I could say it was a wonderful book, and it certainly had the potential to be a wonderful book, if only it had been decently edited. The editing was so poor, unfortunately, that I was frequently confused by inconsistencies, which actively pulled out of the story multiple times. It really frustrated me, es...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Kaje Harper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, fantasy

This book is not as intense as the first two, but it still is an engaging and interesting read, and vital (to my emotional satisfaction) in showing Roan moving on after book two. I like the opening, which eases us into Roan's new life alone. Dylan is a nice guy, although not the character that Paris was. And Fox is great. The ending wrap-everything-up summary was a little too narrative. If four or five of those scenes had been played out instead of described I think it would have avoided a littl...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, serie-infected, shifters, dangerous-hero-2012-reading-challen

While not the waterworks of the previous book, it was a pretty emotional tale.

This book was split in two different stories. The first case of the disappearing man was well executed. I certainly do miss Paris and the parallel with the case was a nice touch.

The reason for the 4 stars reside in the second story. While Roan is trying to move on, the number of mysteries was too high to make a complete resolution. It seemed a bit rushed but in some respect a new story arc was being implemented and loo...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Book One

"If you'd ever really loved me at all, you'd stop killing yourself."

I really enjoyed this read. It took me 3 days just to get through the first book of this book. That would be thanks to having three days of Christmas--not because this book was terrible.
I really, really, liked the message that came along with this. Moving on after a loved one has passed away. Beautiful. I love Andrea Speed's writing style. It is extremely captivating. So much so, that I actually took this with me to rea...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Gloria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance, mystery, paranormal, shifter, private-eye

I actually read this book first, before Prey and Bloodlines. While I don't recommend doing that it did allow me to get to know Dylan without having Paris' ghost hanging over my shoulder (Roan's is another matter), which probably explains why I like Dylan more than Paris. (sacrilege, I know) This series is very different from most shifter series. In most shifter stories the shifter are aware of who they are when they are in their animal forms, even if they think like that animal. In this series t...more I actually read this book first, before Prey and Bloodlines. While I don't recommend doing that it did allow me to get to know Dylan without having Paris' ghost hanging over my shoulder (Roan's is another matter), which probably explains why I like Dylan more than Paris. (sacrilege, I know) This series is very different from most shifter series. In most shifter stories the shifter are aware of who they are when they are in their animal forms, even if they think like that animal. In this series the shifters truly shift, that is, they fully change into big cats with nothing human about them, and those cats have no memories of being human. Shifting is hideously painful, moreover, and so these big, vicious predators wake up from their shift in agony, and very, very hungry. What do you think a cougar or lion does if it's in pain and there are humans nearby? If you think such an animal is dangerous and unpredictable, you would be right.

Life After Death is broken into two different stories. The first one Roan has been house-bound for about a year, grieving after his husband's death, when he is forced out of bed by a case. A formerly grieving widow, ("formerly" because it turns out her husband is not so dead after all) hires Roan to track down her missing husband. In the process Roan finds that losing himself in work, as well as confronting the grieving process head-on, is sometimes the best way to deal with things. It's interesting watching Roan start on the road to physical (lying in a bed for a year due to severe grief doesn't do good things to you) and mental recovery, as well as building new relationships.

In the second half we meet Holden, Roan soon-to-be partner-in-crime. "Fox" Holden is a former hustler, current high-end male escort, and Roan needs his help to track down a serial hustler-beater. Holden agrees, he's protective of the street-boys after all, but only if Roan agrees to help him find his sister. They both find more than they expected.

This series often gets lumped with gblt romances, but in reality it is more like a mystery/thriller series. Roan's relationships with his friends are as deeply explored as his relationships with his romantic partners, and above all the cases he takes and the mystery of his mutating werecat virus takes center-stage. If you're just looking for another shifter romance this series might not be for you, but if you are looking for a fantastic read this is a great series.

PS: don't forget to check out Andrea's site, andreaspeed.com. New chapters of Infected are posted there first before being published.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, urban-fantasy

4.5 stars.

I cried four times while reading, not the buckets of tears of the previous books, but those sneaky, bitter tears that burn your eyes. I missed Paris so much, it was almost indecent for a book of fiction, but it's really the merit of the author for creating such wonderful characters, such a rich world.

I didn't give 5 stars this time for a couple of reasons. The first episode of the book was pretty perfect, but the second was puzzling. It was almost ending and then something happened, so...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Even though I loved this book as much as the others, and I really like both Dylan and Holden, without Paris there is a huge void to fill. It's hard to see just how far Roan has fallen since the last book, and while not unexpected, it is just really difficult to read. The writing itself is as excellent as ever, but it is missing something that the first books had. Something intangible I can't put my finger on but boils down to Paris, I'm sure. Make sure you have tissues at the ready for a good po...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Eva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-and-fantasy-fiction, read-in-2012, uf, crime-mystery-suspense-thriller, favorites, mm-fiction, ctr-pnr_detectives-agents-pi-s-cops

Two things are confusing me after finishing this book.
First, the case of the missing escort Kevin asked Ro to look into was not finished in the first part and never mentioned again in the second part. What's up with that?
Second, unless I'm mistaken in the first part it's said it's been about a year since Paris died, then the second part picks up one month later and all of a sudden it's two years. But I suppose it could all just be Ro being confused from grief.
Anyway, still a great book in a seri...more

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title link	preview: Life After Death
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Life After Death (Infected #3)

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