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Spin Out (Deputy Joe #2)

by James Buchanan (Goodreads Author)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 312 ratings · 55 reviews

Right guy.

Wrong time.

Deputy Joe Peterson understood the risks when he got involved with ex-con Kabe Varghese. He didn’t, however, see fit to warn Kabe. Now, in the middle of searching for the killer of a local boy, he has to contend with his career and his relationship spinning out of control. Solving the case may be easier than repairing broken trust.

ebook, 284 pages

Published July 16th 2011 by MLR Press, LLC (first published July 14th 2011)

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2011

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Aug 28, 2012 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm-power-exchange-slave, glbt, rainbow-gay, action-crime-suspense, romance

I love Joe.

I'd like this to be my review.

But if I don't bore myself and everybody else with my thoughts, I don't feel like I've really done the book justice. Or maybe I should shut the hell up. Anyway:

Joe's voice is enthralling, even if it's a bit hard to pick it up for a foreigner like me, but then it just keeps you glued to the screen. It seems all that's good and genuine in Joe comes out in his way of telling events. Genuine, real, concrete, I don't know, it seems as though I could end up in...more I love Joe.

I'd like this to be my review.

But if I don't bore myself and everybody else with my thoughts, I don't feel like I've really done the book justice. Or maybe I should shut the hell up. Anyway:

Joe's voice is enthralling, even if it's a bit hard to pick it up for a foreigner like me, but then it just keeps you glued to the screen. It seems all that's good and genuine in Joe comes out in his way of telling events. Genuine, real, concrete, I don't know, it seems as though I could end up in his little corner of the world and meet him. Like in the first book, his sexual dominance really seems just like a trait of his personality and it suits him perfectly, it spills in his bedroom in a natural way. Outside of the bedroom, he's a regular guy doing his job and trying to follow his principles and be just, not simply playing lip-service to abstract religious principle. He doesn't drink, he doesn't cuss, he doesn't beat to surrender everyone he meets with his animal magnetism, but when he's with his Kabe, well, he's scorching hot. I think I expressed this concept thoroughly.

In this installment, he's facing the problems he caused by himself after hooking up with Kabe during the investigation of the first book. He has to go in front of a commission and have his behaviour analyzed and judged and he could risk a lot. He doesn't want Kabe to be involved in this, but eventually it happens. Joe meant good, but he hasn't really understood that Kabe wants to be an equal in their relationship, he wants to be there as a partner, not as the boy Joe orders around in the bedroom. I really felt for Joe and I sympathized with him for not being able to see how he was hurting Kabe by trying to shield him for the nastiness of the IA investigation.

The subplot around the mystery investigation was unsettling. The bullying that transpires is heartbreaking, even if the author didn't make this a central theme, but it niggled my mind quite a lot.

So: excellent. I hope for other books along the way, because Joe has still a lot to face in the future, especially in his community and within his family.(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 MandyM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

4.5 stars. I was surprised how good this sequel to Hard Fall is. James Buchanan's writing is excellent in this story. It's a good M/M romance but on top of that the sense of place, the brilliant dialogue and the slow simmer of a storyline kept me riveted till the end.

Deputy Joe is definitely the star of this tale which is written from his POV. His mannerisms and dialect are portrayed so perfectly that he could be standing right next to you. His reserve, his decency and his never-give-up attitude...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Kaje Harper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Deputy Joe Peterson has to be one of my favorite characters in M/M romance. I love his narrative voice. Some people have found his colloquial country-boy tone annoying (one reader on Amazon complained about all the 'typos') but I like it; it sounds right in my head. About his relationship with Kabe, Joe says, "My heart decided to go and I didn't have much choice but to follow." It's that simple, but not that easy. This installment is just as good as the first one, and Kabe becomes a little more...more

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Apr 12, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Spin Out (Deputy Joe #2) by James Buchanan (95,000 words) is the second and newest book in a projected series about the unforgettably unique character of Joe, a law enforcement officer in rural Utah whose devout faith in God coexists uneasily with his equally strong need for gay sadomasochistic sex. Both “Deputy Joe” books (Hard Fall and Spin Out) have a lot going for them, including tight understated writing, solid police procedural details, in-depth research, hot BDSM sex, and strong mystery p...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Karel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Likes:

1. Joe's narrative. It's hicky, it flows, and it's him personified. What more can you ask of a narrative?

2. Kabe. Because attitude. Because addiction to social website. Because one second he'll be like ATTITUDE, FUCK YOU, and then the next he'll be updating his Facebook to 'In a Relationship' with Joe and the mental image of that is just too cute.

3. I don't think they ever said 'I love you' even once, but it radiates from the pages.

4.EMOTIONS! When their relationship hit a rough patch I...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Kazza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the Deputy Joe series is just as good as the first. They're good in some different ways.

Joe is still a decent man. Joe is still not the loquacious type, but in this book it took on a frustrating aspect, as he didn't let Kabe in and allow the relationship equal footing. However, his inner thoughts about Kabe were so beautiful. The way he thinks about Kabe’s smile, his meaning to him as a partner is poetic; even if he won’t allow himself to externalise it.

I felt this book would have been...more

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Apr 30, 2012 SueM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, cop-agent-military-pi, criminal, contemporary-romance, bdsm, bingo-challenge, religion, ipad-stanza

This is not my favorite James Buchanan novels and it leaves me with mixed feelings. While I enjoyed the first novel featuring Deputy Joe and his felon partner Kabe, I found this one a little, well, just not for me.

This is in part due, no doubt, to the type of BDSM content in the sex scenes. I don't mind bondage and domination for the most part, but pain is not something I'm particularly comfortable with, and this one had a little too much for me to remain in my comfort zone.

I did enjoy reading...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Librarian Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I give this a 4.5; there was so much I liked about it, but Kabe's turnaround once Joe finally tried to talk to him just felt a bit unsupported. Since Joe is the narrator, the story is told as he sees it, with all of his rationalizations and bad decisions...I could just feel the train wreck coming as they got closer to the POST hearing. And his response to Kabe's reactions felt really true to his character, but the point where Kabe goes from "I can't trust you at all anymore" to "ok, let's talk"...more I give this a 4.5; there was so much I liked about it, but Kabe's turnaround once Joe finally tried to talk to him just felt a bit unsupported. Since Joe is the narrator, the story is told as he sees it, with all of his rationalizations and bad decisions...I could just feel the train wreck coming as they got closer to the POST hearing. And his response to Kabe's reactions felt really true to his character, but the point where Kabe goes from "I can't trust you at all anymore" to "ok, let's talk" just felt kind of sudden. I didn't "see" from the conversations where Kabe would have made that switch.

But I loved this story - even though the rock climbing elements and metaphors weren't as much a part of "Spin Out", James still brings the Utah landscape and culture to life with gorgeous descriptions and great supporting characters. It was great seeing a bit more of Pete and Sheriff Simple's support of Joe in the face of so much homophobia and hatefulness, and Nadia builds on her relationship with both Kabe and Joe from "Hard Fall" by trying to mediate the misunderstanding. I just loved her when she flat out tells Joe "you're being a dick, and yes, it is your fault". And Dev is a sweetie - a bit of a ho, but his heart was in the right place. I got the feeling he really does care about Joe and is thrilled and more than a bit jealous when he realizes Joe is really in love with Kabe - and pushes Joe to get out there, suck it up and get Kabe back.

In the "Taking the Odds" trilogy, Nicky and Brandon's relationship evolves through the three stories, against the background of plotlines that also show the characters' changing relationships with their jobs and their perceptions of themselves because of their jobs. I see this dynamic in the two "Deputy Joe" books as well; it works really well in M/M because men do tend to see themselves in terms of their jobs, and a threat to their ability to do/be that job gives the author an opportunity to explore how a character identifies who he is and what's most important to him as a person. One of the things that makes both of these series so compelling is how the reader "sees" what's good about a character when he's clearly not seeing it himself, and you just want to reach in there and smack/hug him. And hope the supporting characters can do it for you - and they do.

And Oh. My. Gawd. Who found the models for the cover photos? Deputy Joe is pretty spot on, but Kabe? That picture is so perfect (for me, anyway) it's almost Photoshopped to be how I picture Kabe from the descriptions in the books. Yummmmm...(less)

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Nov 14, 2011 Michelle B rated it 5 of 5 stars

Honestly, why isn't this book at the top of every list? It's such a well-told mystery wrapped in a m/m romance novel. I pray the author is planning Deputy Joe #3--we have to know what happens between Joe and Kabe, right? (or what's the point of a romance?) I also loved Book #1 in the series.

Existing reviews have already detailed all you need know about the story, and I wouldn't want to spoil your pleasure in the unfolding of the who-dun-it elements. What I most enjoyed was the crafting of relati...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spin Out is the second story in the Deputy Joe series and since this one picks up shortly after the end of the first book, you really do need to read Hard Fall first. Readers will find it very easy to fall right back into the world the author has created with these two. The closeness between them is still there, as is the intense passion. However, the relationship, which is only a few months old, is starting to run into some problems. The outside pressure the men, especially Joe, are facing puts...more

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Aug 07, 2011 orannia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Four and a half stars. What can I say, I love Joe and Kabe :) I did have a few niggles though. The editing for one. I get that the word 'a' (or should that be letter :) doesn't seem like much, but when it's missing in a sentence (and no, I don't think it was to allow Joe's voice to come through) I go looking for it...which throws me out of the story. (Speaking of Joe's voice, normally I don't like a writing style that writes a dialect, but it didn't grate, it flowed.) I didn't do that all the wa...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Erin (PT) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-military, erotica, kink, lgbt, series, mainstream, mystery

Another super enjoyable book from James Buchanan. Spin Out has all the elements I really enjoyed from the first Deputy Joe book: good characters, good conflict, good sex & romance, good sense of place and time, and I feel like she even managed to tell a better integrated story than the previous outing (not that Hard Fall was at all bad).

Ironically enough, I read both books while on a plane, but with Spin Out, I hadn't quite reached story's end by the time the plane landed and, though on a v...more Another super enjoyable book from James Buchanan. Spin Out has all the elements I really enjoyed from the first Deputy Joe book: good characters, good conflict, good sex & romance, good sense of place and time, and I feel like she even managed to tell a better integrated story than the previous outing (not that Hard Fall was at all bad).

Ironically enough, I read both books while on a plane, but with Spin Out, I hadn't quite reached story's end by the time the plane landed and, though on a vacation I was really looking forward to, I found myself chafing for the moment I'd be back in the hotel and could continue reading and finish the story. That's how much I enjoyed Spin Out.

First of all, Buchanan tackles one of MY favorite romance tropes: "Okay, now we're together, now how do we make this all work?" Though first time, get together stories can be great, I'm always so much more interested in stories about people trying to make their relationships work, and Buchanan really delivers with Kade and Joe, two people who never thought they'd find themselves in a relationship and aren't one hundred percent sure that they are, let alone how to make it work.

Even more so than in Hard Fall, Buchanan also imbues Spin Out with a powerful and vivid sense of place and community. Much as Stephen King does with his home state of Maine, Buchannan paints a strong picture of Utah, its beauty and its isolation and its small, close-knit communities, with their faults and virtues. One thing that I also find refreshing in both books is how Buchanan deals with Joe, as an excommunicated, gay Mormon character. I think it's very easy--and very popular--to write characters of faith and the faith itself (and pick your poison, there) as huge monolithic villains and the people who subscribe to that faith as fatuous fools. And, while pretty much any organized religion has its share of jerks, assholes, and bigots bolstered by picked and chosen elements of their faith, it's not a complete picture and it gets completely tedious and overworked. So it's refreshing to have a character like Joe who has definitely suffered at the hands of his faith and yet still finds the tenacity and faith within himself to find something meaningful in it all. And, as before, Joe's lack of existential angst about reconciling his faith with his queerness is just...it's different than most other books with similar elements and the fact that Buchanan doesn't tread this same, boring territory is delicious.

Looking at my review for Hard Fall, I noticed I didn't even really mention the central "mystery" of the story...and there's a good reason for that. It's a device, but it's not the main focus of the story. I feel like that's still the case with Spin Out, especially because Kade is less involved in this case, but I do think Buchanan does a much better job of integrating Joe's job as a whole into the flow of the story, showing how the relationship with Kade both is and isn't the center of his existence, showing how what's happening in one affects the other (in both directions) and addressing the ongoing consequences of a cop and an ex-con trying to have an HEA.

If I have a complaint about Spin Out, or the series as a whole, it's that Kade is still a bit of a mystery to me. Joe is such a larger than life character and it's all told from his POV and he can be kind of a lunkhead at the best of times, which means I don't feel like we know Kade as well as we know Joe so intimately...but their relationship is such a realized and genuine one, that the loss of Kade's POV is not as dire as it might be coming from a different author. I really hope Buchanan continues this series; it's such a unique and wonderful voice in the genre.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-cops-detective-guard, mm-romance-or-erotica, 4-and-half-stars_rating

4.5 stars

This is, so far, my favorite title from James Buchanan. What I like most about James's books is how her characters are always (forgive me, if this make me sound condescending) guys' guys, you know? Sure, I like my m/m romance to be romantic and lovely. But most of the times, I prefer strong voice of the narrators, where the love is real and intense but not bordering to sickly saccharine. That is what I get when I read James's books.

This story is taken timeline about few months after Har ...more 4.5 stars

This is, so far, my favorite title from James Buchanan. What I like most about James's books is how her characters are always (forgive me, if this make me sound condescending) guys' guys, you know? Sure, I like my m/m romance to be romantic and lovely. But most of the times, I prefer strong voice of the narrators, where the love is real and intense but not bordering to sickly saccharine. That is what I get when I read James's books.

This story is taken timeline about few months after Hard Fall. Deputy Joe Peterson has been together with Kabe Varghese for four months. There are two significant plots in this book. One is the repercussion of Joe hooking up with Kabe. He is facing an administrative law hearing regarding the violations of the prohibitions against Custodial Sexual Misconduct, which will result in his status of POST qualification. Second, a dead body of a missing teenager, first thought of as suicide only later investigation by Joe proves to be a rather different story.

Joe has become my favorite character from James's stories. His voice reaches out to me like a friend. I feel comfortable reading his narration about his feeling for Kabe, his job, his fears and worries, and his faith. When Joe "talk", I "listen" -- which is kinda funny considering that Joe is described as someone who don't talk much. But how can you stop from listening when his words are vividly real?

For example, he might not be romantic, he might not say "I love you" outright, but the way Joe describes his feeling for Kabe just knocks my chest, grabs my heart, and squeezes it tight.

Among Mormons, when you got married, you stood in front of a dozen mirrors and looked into eternity with your chosen. “I don’t see you as a gal…but I see you as a commitment.” And, even though I’d never get that out of my former Church, the sealing my soul to someone else’s, I could see eternity next to him. (page 223)

This book just makes me keep going. From the hearing that brings a serious fight between Joe and Kabe -- Joe is being stupid, of course, trying to protect Kabe without thinking that Kabe wants to be equal in the relationship -- and the investigation towards the dead teenager (which later on brings a climax worthy of a TV scene, which involving some serious car crash!) I cannot take my eyes off my Kindle. Sure, I might still get some issues regarding some technical terms here (the words during the hearing just fly me by 'cause they're too "law" wordy :p). But I just power through it. I need to know what is going on. I need to know how it ends. Of course, James throws some HOT sex in between (which lets us to see how silent Joe can be dominant Joe in private :p)

I wish James can write more books. Then again, I prefer to have 1-2 books a year if they are THIS good than several mediocre ones ...(less)

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Dec 16, 2012 ttg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, reviews

Sequel to and set several months after Hard Fall, Spin Out tells the continuing story of Deputy Joe as he faces the repercussions of his actions from the summer, finds a new murder case on the mountain, and works through the kinks (sexual and otherwise) in his ongoing relationship with ex-con Kabe.

Like in Hard Fall, I really enjoyed reading Joe’s very distinctive narrative voice, and I give props to Buchanan for doing such good job with it and making it read so consistently “Joe” throughout. (I’...more Sequel to and set several months after Hard Fall, Spin Out tells the continuing story of Deputy Joe as he faces the repercussions of his actions from the summer, finds a new murder case on the mountain, and works through the kinks (sexual and otherwise) in his ongoing relationship with ex-con Kabe.

Like in Hard Fall, I really enjoyed reading Joe’s very distinctive narrative voice, and I give props to Buchanan for doing such good job with it and making it read so consistently “Joe” throughout. (I’m not sure how to describe it…”Realist folks-y”?) The mystery that he and Kabe (literally) stumble upon on the mountain was interesting and layered, and I appreciated following Joe as he pieced things together.

Kabe and Joe’s chemistry is also still pretty hot. (I'm not so into the pain play that Kabe digs, but I do find it hilarious that Joe is basically taking on the Dom role without really knowing anything about it--he just naturally gravitates towards it, so in that way, they're very compatible.) It’s also nice to see how their relationship deepens along with how each of them grows, like with Kabe finding work while also training to be an EMT. At the same time, you see Joe struggling with how to be in a relationship, something he’s never really had before, and his attempts to shield Kabe from his worries are admirable, but ultimately unsuccessful. Thankfully, spitfire Kabe is just as stubborn, even when he’s feeling hurt.

Between the two books, I think Hard Fall is still my favorite, although I’m hard-pressed to explain why. But the mystery seemed better balanced with the main story in this book, and I liked how Kabe played a part in Joe’s investigation. It made me feel that they really are in each other’s pockets, even when they’re mad at each other.

So, if you enjoyed Hard Fall, you’ll probably dig this continuation of Joe and Kabe’s story. I would not recommend Spin Out if you haven’t read the first book though--you probably could get by, but you would be missing a lot of the “reasons” for what results you see laid out here. Anyways, I’ll looking forward to checking out the forthcoming third book, and hey, there’s even a Joe&Kabe Christmas story still to read. How festive!(less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, m-m

I loved this book as much as the first one and it's definitely one I'll reread. The sex scenes are fresh, hot and the way the characters communicate on one level so they always feel integral not gratuitous. The mystery was interesting too and definitely part of the book rather than grafted on. This pairing is romantic in a very real way, with believable issues and interaction.

My only issue is not with the author but the editing, specifically the typos and grammatical errors and no, I don't mean...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Librarian Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a bit puzzled about the book format options for Goodreads - I got the paperback book, and wrote my review there, but it looks like the ratings AND the reviews are separate for the ebook/Kindle/paperback formats. So I'm copying my review in this format "thread"...

I give this a 4.5; there was so much I liked about it, but Kabe's turnaround once Joe finally tried to talk to him just felt a bit unsupported. Since Joe is the narrator, the story is told as he sees it, with all of his rationalizati...more I'm a bit puzzled about the book format options for Goodreads - I got the paperback book, and wrote my review there, but it looks like the ratings AND the reviews are separate for the ebook/Kindle/paperback formats. So I'm copying my review in this format "thread"...

I give this a 4.5; there was so much I liked about it, but Kabe's turnaround once Joe finally tried to talk to him just felt a bit unsupported. Since Joe is the narrator, the story is told as he sees it, with all of his rationalizations and bad decisions...I could just feel the train wreck coming as they got closer to the POST hearing. And his response to Kabe's reactions felt really true to his character, but the point where Kabe goes from "I can't trust you at all anymore" to "ok, let's talk" just felt kind of sudden. I didn't "see" from the conversations where Kabe would have made that switch.

But I loved this story - even though the rock climbing elements and metaphors weren't as much a part of "Spin Out", James still brings the Utah landscape and culture to life with gorgeous descriptions and great supporting characters. It was great seeing a bit more of Pete and Sheriff Simple's support of Joe in the face of so much homophobia and hatefulness, and Nadia builds on her relationship with both Kabe and Joe from "Hard Fall" by trying to mediate the misunderstanding. I just loved her when she flat out tells Joe "you're being a dick, and yes, it is your fault". And Dev is a sweetie - a bit of a ho, but his heart was in the right place. I got the feeling he really does care about Joe and is thrilled and more than a bit jealous when he realizes Joe is really in love with Kabe - and pushes Joe to get out there, suck it up and get Kabe back.

In the "Taking the Odds" trilogy, Nicky and Brandon's relationship evolves through the three stories, against the background of plotlines that also show the characters' changing relationships with their jobs and their perceptions of themselves because of their jobs. I see this dynamic in the two "Deputy Joe" books as well; it works really well in M/M because men do tend to see themselves in terms of their jobs, and a threat to their ability to do/be that job gives the author an opportunity to explore how a character identifies who he is and what's most important to him as a person. One of the things that makes both of these series so compelling is how the reader "sees" what's good about a character when he's clearly not seeing it himself, and you just want to reach in there and smack/hug him. And hope the supporting characters can do it for you - and they do.

And Oh. My. Gawd. Who found the models for the cover photos? Deputy Joe is pretty spot on, but Kabe? That picture is so perfect (for me, anyway) it's almost Photoshopped to be how I picture Kabe from the descriptions in the books. Yummmmm...
(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Rhys Ford rated it 5 of 5 stars

James Buchanan always delivers. ALWAYS. The writing is fresh and there is a reasonable conflict within the story. Buchanan works to portray the men in her story as guys, realistic (within the confines of the story, of course) but just normal guys who could possibly exist in the world Buchanan has created.

I like a wide range of story types but my best reading... my favourite reading comes from a storyteller who takes the time to flesh out characters and provide an in-depth plot with a true-to-lif...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Angela Baldwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cannonball, detective, m-m

My second foray into the world of Deputy Joe and Kabe was a much faster pick up than the first. Having become more familiar with the writing style made this a much easier read.

Spin Out is set a few months after the ending of the original book in the series, Hard Fall, and we see Deputy Joe continuing to struggle with himself over the decision he made to not only come out of the closet but to engage in a relationship with Kabe who is an ex-con on parole in Joe's jurisdiction. A new murder that ne...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Valentina Heart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, the-romance-reviews

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

Reviewing a sequel usually means you're carrying some baggage left over from the previous book. You either loved it and expect the same or more from the next one, or you disliked something and are fretting about what exactly did the next book in the series keep and what did it discard.

I was one of those who expected a lot. I needed all of the elements I liked in the first book to still be in this one and I ne...more This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

Reviewing a sequel usually means you're carrying some baggage left over from the previous book. You either loved it and expect the same or more from the next one, or you disliked something and are fretting about what exactly did the next book in the series keep and what did it discard.

I was one of those who expected a lot. I needed all of the elements I liked in the first book to still be in this one and I needed that something extra which would make it better. Well, I got what I wanted and let me just tell you about it.

Joe made his life very difficult by choosing Kabe. He got shunned by his church, some people in town are taking the relationship as a personal insult and to make things worse, as an officer of the law, he's facing an administrative hearing regarding his sexual relationship with a man on probation. Things are not looking good, but instead of finding strength in his partner, Joe keeps it all inside, thinking of all the issues as his own. While it might have started as a way of protecting Kabe from all the hurt, in reality it came down to withholding information from the only person in Joe's life who really mattered.

Our Deputy is a man of many flaws and a man of strong beliefs. While he tries to do the best thing, he doesn't always see mistakes that might come with it. It's not entirely his fault, of course. You can't be perfect in something you've never experienced before, and that is exactly where Joe stands. He's with Kabe, both his heart and soul invested in that one man, but he doesn't see it as clearly as we reading his thoughts might. Precisely for that reason, I loved him.

I did miss Kabe's voice every once in a while, but most of the time I didn't even think about it. Joe is such a strong character he overshadows the rest of them, and in the end, I was fine with that. Joe, or rather the author, gives us the perfect ratio of plot, love relationship and character. All bases are covered and all curiosity satisfied.

The story did move slowly at times, some things taking precedence over others I might have been more interested in, but when looking at this book as a whole, it was done brilliantly. I wasn't overwhelmed with the facts of Joe's investigation, but still all angles were covered and all questions answered. The relationship was talked about and in a certain way it was the main focus, but again, it's not something that's in your face. That made me enjoy every interaction more, and the absolutely amazing not-to-mention hot sex scenes forced me to pay attention and almost beg for more. Well, I did beg, just not publicly.

So page-by-page, I read through the story. I felt my heart almost break for Joe and I felt it skip a beat from fear at one point. I can't say I hated Kabe, but he made me frown at times although I understood him. These things are something you just can't help, because although Joe is a quiet man, when he feels and when he speaks, you experience every emotion and every single word right there with him. By the end I realized I felt sorry for needing to let these characters go and all those read pages behind me, were just too few.(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 LenaLena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

4.5, rounded up.

Started this book with some apprehension, follow ups aren't always as good. You're missing that whole tingle-your-toes first-time-for-everything tension, so often what you get is fabricated misunderstandings or MCs that suddenly get lobotomized and become TSTL. Or at least too stupid to be in a relationship.

The latter bit may seem like it is the case for Joe here, but it is so absolutely in character, that he even had me convinced he was doing the right thing for a long time. T...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Christy Duke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-kindle, reviewed, bdsm, m-m

Once again I struggled a little with this story but for a different reason this time. Here in book #2 of the series has Joe still living in his fantasy world that he is an island, a rock and or he doesn't need anyone for anything. Basically he's living in la-la land because its so easy to read between the lines (no pun intended) and see that he's in love with Kabe but absolutely terrified of admitting any of his emotions to himself. A crisis happens which causes a strong rift in their relationsh...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2011, police-government-agency, romance-contemporary

This is the second book in the Deputy Joe series. This review contains spoilers from the first book so if you haven't read that you might want to skip this review since this story builds from the first.

We pick up about 3 months or so after the last book. It's just before Christmas Joe's still moving forward despite his lose of church and the snubs of the occasional hateful people around him. He's still got his job & Kabe, and the people that are standing by him. Only now he finds out that he...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Florebunda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, kink, law-enforcement-guy

The second Deputy Joe book. Joe has to contend with being brought before a disciplinary hearing for his relationship with Kabe (because he's on probation), as well as trying to find out what happened to a dead teenager. If he'd have actually told Kabe what was going on it would have made his life easier - but Joe's got 'some learnin' to do there. Really good read. Joe's voice is as excellent as ever. There were lots of little details that made the sheriff's department and locations feel very rea...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Eva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, read-in-2012, crime-mystery-suspense-thriller, contemplating-religion, mm-romance-or-erotica, ctr-pnr_detectives-agents-pi-s-cops

Shame on you Joe for making me worry you've messed things up beyond repair.
In this sequel to Hard Fall Joe and Kabe are still together but trouble is just around the corner and combined with Joe's pride and insistence he do everything on his own it almost destroys what he's been building with Kabe. However Joe does come around and realizes what's been starring him in the face all along and that's that he can share his problems with Kabe because they are partners and he does want that forever wit...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Dee Wy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, m-m-contemporary, bdsm, series

5+ Stars. I think Deputy Joe is now my all-time favorite gay leading man. He's the kind of guy you'd be proud to call friend, with a firmly entrenched code of ethics he strives to live by, while hoping that his Mormon church will someday admit they were wrong about excommunicating gays who "give in" to who they are. After all, he says, they've admitted they were wrong before, (bigamy) and changed their teachings.

Joe and Kabe are put through the wringer in this second book as Joe must go before a...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2011

Spin Out is the perfect title for this one. Deputy Joe Peterson's life is spinning completely out of his control. In Hard Fall he was excommunicated for being openly gay. How he's being called in front of Utah's version of Internal Affairs to answer questions about his relationship with Kabe. A relationship he may not even have any more, because Kabe is so furious about not being told about the seriousness of the hearing.

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Hard Fall, I think because Joe is...more

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May 25, 2012 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, cop-pi-bountyhunter, sports-athletes, murderer-serial-killer-rapist, mystery, series, nook-lendable

Kabe Varghese, the sexy rock climber, and his hot boyfriend Deputy Joe Peterson are back. At the end of the first book Kabe and Joe solved the murder of the German photographer and became closer during the weeks of the investigation. In Kabe, Joe has found someone who glories in interfacing with nature as much as he does, who he doesn't have to hide being gay around, and who accepts his religious background. For Kabe, Joe doesn't treat him like a dumb kid or like a convict. Joe believes in Kabe...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, cops-agents-military, mm, romance, nookbook, bdsm, mystery

That sure ended abruptly. I thought "Wait, what? That's it??" Gah! I typically don't like titles with bondage in them, but I have to say that this author wrote those scenes really well. Joe's spontaneous reactions, and grabbing what's at hand, was very hot. Not some elaborate strung up bondage gear, just great imagination and passion. Can't get the handcuffs scene out of my head, though... going to make for a long day at work. hahaha

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Jul 30, 2011 Lady*M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bdsm, contemporary, m-m-romance, detectives

It's hard for me to say much about the book because I like it so much, but I can say this... Joe is now seriously competing with Nicky (from Taking the Odds series) for the title of my favorite Buchanan's character and that is saying something, because Nicky was a tough act to follow. There aren't many characters in m/m romance who are as well drawn, as complex, as alive as Joe. I feel these characters still have more to say and, if I'm not mistaken, there are some hints in Spin Out that there m...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Wendy (wluvsbooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: app-ereader, series, career-fire-police-law, sex-bdsm-kink, sex-partner-mm

I definitely enjoyed this sequel more than the first book. The author does a fantastic job of character building. Joe’s country bumpkin style is very clear, but so is the intelligence hiding behind that simple exterior. I loved his conviction to being himself and how comfortable he felt in his skin within the context of his relationship with Kabe. I didn’t like how he tried to be overly protective of Kabe and wouldn’t open up to let Kabe fully in. I now understand how these two fit together and...more

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About James Buchanan

James Buchanan, the author of over ten gay novels and single author anthologies, lives in a 100 year old Craftsman in California with SexyGuy, two demon spawn and a heard of adopted dogs, cats, rats and fish. Between managing a law practice with SG, raising kids and writing books, James volunteers with the Erotic Author's Association, Liminal Ink, the EPIC Awards Committee as well as coordinates t...more

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Spin Out (Deputy Joe #2)

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