Men of Smithfield

Feb 16, 2009 Daisiemae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2009, books-to-i-will-never-part-with, books-reviewed-in-2009, contemporary-romance, male-male-romance-erotica, e-book

This book was really good. I didn't know how I would feel about it because it is written in first person, and it is NO secret how I HATE first person. But, it looked good, so I decided to bite the bullet. I am glad I did.

What surprised me about the book was how funny it was. I truly wasn't expecting to laugh out loud several times. Plus, I came to care about Mark. His inner thoughts rang true to me for some reason. He was very easy to relate to, and I would be proud to call him a friend. Not to...more This book was really good. I didn't know how I would feel about it because it is written in first person, and it is NO secret how I HATE first person. But, it looked good, so I decided to bite the bullet. I am glad I did.

What surprised me about the book was how funny it was. I truly wasn't expecting to laugh out loud several times. Plus, I came to care about Mark. His inner thoughts rang true to me for some reason. He was very easy to relate to, and I would be proud to call him a friend. Not to say he doesn't do some outrageous things throughout the course of the book. But, I found myself cheering him on even though maybe he didn't make the best...er... wisest choices. I think he did to his cheating lover what MANY of us would gladly do if we had the balls to do it...no pun intended.

Mild mannered Mark Meehan didn't know his day was about to go to hell in a handbasket when he came home from work. When he finds his live in lover having sex with the creepy landlord he flips out. Although, their relationship has been quite tepid lately, he never thought the jerk off would cheat on him.

To say that Mark is angry is an understatement. When he attends weekly mass and spots his cheating lover in the aisle in front of him, he snaps and wallops his cheating lover upside the head with the bible, practically knocking the cheater out. Who knew that violence in the church would cause you to be "escorted" out in the middle of services?

On his way home, he is pulled over for driving UNDER the speed limit by a cop who happens to be his older sisters childhood friend and his crush Tony. Mark has deliberately avoided Tony for a while because of his feelings he has for him. But, seeing Tony again makes Mark want to unload his problems and reconnect with him.

To say that Tony is a sexy hero is an understatement. He is also the the glue that keeps Mark together. The more erratic Mark becomes, the calmer Tony is. They were perfect together.

I loved this book. Not only was it funny, but it had some VERY hot moments between Mark and Tony that had me turning on the ceiling fan. I really enjoyed watching Tony and Mark finally come together at the right time in their lives. They are the kind of characters that I would love for the author to continue their story. I hated for it to end!

If you are offended by laugh out loud moments, hot sex and different ways to get revenge on your cheating ex, this book is not for you.(less)

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Feb 08, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: glbt-fiction, favorites

No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Mild mannered Mark Meehan’s good judgment flies out the window when he finds his lover banging another man. Things go from bad to worse as Mark’s crazy revenge scheme uncovers shocking secrets-sending him straight into the arms of hunky lawman and old friend, Tony Gervase, a man of limited patience and secrets of his own.
From Aspen Mountain Press.

I liked Mark. In fact no, I more than liked Mark I just adored this character. He was smart and sexy, but most appealing was his v...more No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Mild mannered Mark Meehan’s good judgment flies out the window when he finds his lover banging another man. Things go from bad to worse as Mark’s crazy revenge scheme uncovers shocking secrets-sending him straight into the arms of hunky lawman and old friend, Tony Gervase, a man of limited patience and secrets of his own.
From Aspen Mountain Press.

I liked Mark. In fact no, I more than liked Mark I just adored this character. He was smart and sexy, but most appealing was his very human and real nature; which is what made this book so charming. Tony was a sex god of course with his whole tall, dark and chest hair going on, but it was wanting to see what Mark would do next that kept me up till way past my bedtime.

The writing was crisp with some beautiful use of language, without it looking like the author had fallen into a thesaurus. I liked this. Sometimes it’s nice if an author feels you’re intelligent enough to cope with the big words. heh. The pace of the story was quite fast, not short, just quick with no down time. This made for real edge of your seat reading. I was just dying to know what happened next and it felt like no words were wasted. The humor was also a nice suprise, although I did not spend the whole story laughing my ass of it was enough that my partner asked me what I was reading several times… which eventually turned into, ‘are you still reading that book?’

And hot. Holy shit, I do try and suppress my prurient side and not focus solely on this, it is a romantic story after all not Hot Cops (which does look rather interesting…) so there is loads of lovely sweet stuff, but this was just so good - or maybe I just have a thing for bathroom sex! heh.

I can honestly say I did not know quite what to expect going into reading this book, especially after reading the synopsis where I wondered if the crazy revenge theme was really going to be my cup of tea. But it was a great read, seriously! Memorable and one I cannot wait to see in paperback.
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Mar 20, 2013 ttg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, challenge-read, reviews

3.5 stars – The first story in Gregg’s Men of Smithfield series, this one focusing on Mark, who just caught his live-in boyfriend cheating, and his kneejerk quest for revenge starts with “gobsmacking” his bf with a bible and then leads to dumping his now-ex’s stuff, and then careens into finding out that all his money was stolen and he’s about to be evicted. In swoops Officer Tony, stalwart friend and his crush of long ago, but Mark is still busy fuming, so isn’t too quick on the uptake as his e...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, gay, ebook, 2009, done, 2012, reread

Very good m/m romance about a guy who goes a little nuts after finding his boyfriend screwing their landlord in their bedroom and things start to spiral out of control. Then there's the friend he's had a crush on for years, who turns out to have a few secrets of his own...

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Aug 29, 2012 (¯`·..·♥Anna♥·..·´¯) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley

Read more of my reviews at Anna Reads Romance

*3 stars*

What would you do if you found your boyfriend sleeping with someone else in your bed?

Our story begins when Mark finds his boyfriend Jamie sleeping with their landlord, a pretty disgusting guy. Later that day he sees Jamie during weekly mass and smacks him in the head with a Bible. This is one of the funniest opening scenes I have read in a long time and one worth reading. Right after he is kicked from Church he is pulled over for driving und...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Audrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: man-love

3.5 stars.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I actually enjoyed it more for the story/suspense elements than for the romance development.

THE STORY, IN BRIEF
Mark goes postal on his now-ex-boyfriend Jamie when he discovers Jamie in their bed, cheating on him with his hairy and disgusting landlord. Unfortunately, Jamie's betrayal of their relationship is only the tip of the iceberg. Jamie is in some hot water, but luckily, Mark has his longtime police officer friend, Tony, in his corner to en...more 3.5 stars.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I actually enjoyed it more for the story/suspense elements than for the romance development.

THE STORY, IN BRIEF
Mark goes postal on his now-ex-boyfriend Jamie when he discovers Jamie in their bed, cheating on him with his hairy and disgusting landlord. Unfortunately, Jamie's betrayal of their relationship is only the tip of the iceberg. Jamie is in some hot water, but luckily, Mark has his longtime police officer friend, Tony, in his corner to ensure he doesn't get scalded by Jamie's craziness and idiocy. Mark and Tony have known each other since Mark was a gawky fourteen year old to Tony's comparatively mature (and developed) eighteen. Mark has nursed what he thought was an unrequited crush on Tony all of these years, but he's about to find out...things may not always appear to be what they seem.

THE CHARACTERS
This is a first person narration, and I'm not sure if that served the story well. Mark's POV is pretty humorous, and I liked reading about his feelings towards Tony, especially in the flashback to their teen years. However, I had difficulties swallowing some of the consistency aspects at the end. Throughout the story, Mark was going ballistic over Jamie's actions, which, in addition to cheating, included embezzling all of Mark's life savings. At the end, though, Mark goes kind of zen about the whole "lost all of my life savings" thing. It just seemed kind of odd, considering his first person POV thought process was so intense and vitriolic earlier.

Tony was an enigma. The big reveal of his feelings at the end of the story was gratifyingly earnest and romantic, but I could have done with a little more foreshadowing over the course of the story. It just didn't feel like the romance aspect was as developed as I would have liked.

THE ROMANCE & SEXYTIMES
I liked the ending (or...beginning? of the relationship, that is...), which was romantic as they shared their feelings and hot as they expressed themselves physically. The sexytimes in general were hot, steamy, and passionate.

The quibble I have is with the romance, which I didn't feel was shown or built up very much in actions or statements. Instead, we hear about it in Mark's head and through Mark's sister, who reveals Tony's feelings for Mark. It just felt a little removed and not very satisfying. The romance felt secondary to the action of the story and the revealing of Jamie's deceptions.

OVERALL
This story was good, and the sexytimes were passionate and hot. I enjoyed it, but I didn't get as much out of the romance aspect as I would have liked, in part because I didn't know enough about Tony and his feelings throughout the story. The writing was good, though, and I would try more from this author.

Note: Thanks to the author and Carina Press for providing a copy of this book through NetGalley.
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Sep 04, 2012 Nik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cops-military-abc-agencies, friends-to-lovers, kindle-lend, m-m, lmao, sweet, scooby-gang

4.5 rounded up because I couldn't stop laughing.

Mark was absolutely clueless but hilarious no less. I thought Tony was hot but, then I have a thing for men in uniform, so there ya go. Jaime was a complete tool but, I'm sure that was quite the point. I thought the mystery portion here was a little less....mysterious but, overall I really thought this was a fun light read. My only quibble was I didn't find the ending that satisfying. I'm going to read the next book in the series and hope that ther...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, contemporary, mm, 2013-mm-countdown-challenge, 2013-rainbow-challenge, short-story, 2013-whips-and-kisses, 2013-az-book-title-challenge, 2013-challenges-overall-count

On Amazon.com this book is marketed under the name...

Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony.

This is a fast-paced story with a slightly hysterical queen having a major life-crisis & melt down. I did enjoy the craziness of the story & found myself snorting in laughter. Amongst the chaos & smelly landlords, there is a sweet romance too. I will definitely continue with the series to see how the romance blossoms & grows. This was a really nice read & I would recommend it to anyone who d...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Kelan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm sorry, but I didn't like this book at all. Based on some of the reviews, I expected a funny and amusing story with great characters, and a cheating villain who gets his ass kicked by an MC who has the upper hand and takes his revenge. But it's nothing like that.
The first half and some parts at the end are really frustrating, when bad stuff happens and Mark is almost helpless to it. He only reacts, and his situation only gets worse, no matter what he does. The only revenge-y thing he does is...more

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Nov 25, 2012 DaisyGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, genre-romance, i-own, other-steamy, other-funny, romance-contemp

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.0

This was a funny and entertaining read. I really like L.B. Gregg's writing style. I love how the book starts. I don't condone violence, especially in a place of worship, but I'd be lying my ass off if I said that f*cker didn't have it coming. No doubt, Mark should've kicked Jamie's cheating ass when he caught those philanderers at home and been done with it; but, that ass-whooping was non-negotiable ... it had to happen ... so I say, better late than never! The fact th...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Julesmarie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-crime-mystery, m-m

This book reminded me a lot of a M/M version of a Stephanie Plum book. There's the hot-Italian-cop love interest; the clumsy, awkward MC with a knack for getting into dangerous situations that end up solving cases; and the crazy, amusing townspeople.

Unfortunately, the first half of this book was just plain not fun to read. As it says in the blurb, Mark finds his partner cheating on him in their bed with their landlord, and then finds out that said partner has also stolen his entire savings. All...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Guilty Pleasures added it · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-slick

Slick's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

4 stars

From the first page where hero number one, Mark, walks into St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and smacks his soon to be ex-lover upside the head with a bible, to hero number two, Tony, pulling the above ex-lover off hero number one as he attempts to beat him senseless, to hero number one and two having combustible make up sex this book is non-stop excitement.
I’ve really grown to love the M/M genre in romance novels. While I tend to appreciate those book...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-cop, gay-drama, gay-fiction, gay-mystery, gay-romance, gay-series, gay-break-up

Two words: Gay. Drama.

I had a fun time reading this book. The characters were enjoyable and story was highly entertaining.

If you like a book that contains a good break-up that includes public confrontations in front of town folk and God (literally), the dramatic removal of a cheating partner’s possessions from a home and locks being changed, then you’ll enjoy this book. But it’s so much more than that...that is just a fun element.

The three main players in this story are: Mark, Jamie (Mark’s chea...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, romance

I have a pretty strange sense of humour. I like silly visual gags and people who are in potentially embarrassing situations. With that in mind, the opening chapter of this novella hit all my funny buttons and I laughed out loud. I mean, how could you not laugh when a gay man storms into a Catholic church during an Ash Wednesday mass, denounces his lover as a cheat and liar and proceeds to hit him over the head with a bible? It certainly got my attention, that’s for sure.

The gay man in question i...more I have a pretty strange sense of humour. I like silly visual gags and people who are in potentially embarrassing situations. With that in mind, the opening chapter of this novella hit all my funny buttons and I laughed out loud. I mean, how could you not laugh when a gay man storms into a Catholic church during an Ash Wednesday mass, denounces his lover as a cheat and liar and proceeds to hit him over the head with a bible? It certainly got my attention, that’s for sure.

The gay man in question is our hero and narrator, Mark. Earlier that morning he discovered his live-in lover, Jamie, in bed with the landlord. The rest of the book follows Mark over the next 3 days as he comes to terms with his lover’s betrayal, makes more discoveries about Jamie, before finding that his perfect man was actually under his nose the whole time. The book is basically about relationships: The ending of one relationship and the start of another; the relationships between Mark and the townspeople of Smithfield; the relationships within families. This all takes place within the slightly oppressive atmosphere of a small town in the depths of winter.

I have to admit I had very mixed feelings about Mark. At first I had a great deal of sympathy for him as he realises the extent of Jamie’s betrayal. However, as I got to know Mark better, I began to see how really self-absorbed he is, to the extent that he has behaved quite selfishly in the past. Mark is also very reactive, as can be seen from the opening chapter. He doesn’t seem to think things through very clearly before acting, which then leads to further trouble later on. Even a simple thing like a misplaced remark has him over-reacting and on a number of occasions I wanted to give him a bit of a shake and tell him to climb out of his own arse. Having said that, he does redeem himself by the end and part of my delight in this book was watching Mark come to realise what an idiot he has been. I am hoping that my reaction to Mark is one that the author was hoping for. At least I had a reaction.

In contrast, the other hero, Tony, is very reliable. He’s strong, dependable, sensible and thoughtful. The complete opposite to Mark and just what Mark needs during the few days where his life is turned upside down. Tony reminded me very much of a certain LA cop, except that he is firmly out of the closet – but that was no bad thing. I liked that it was obvious to the reader that Tony was attracted to Mark – even if Mark couldn’t see it himself – and that Tony was man enough to admit his mistakes, even before Mark wised up to his own mistakes.

One plus point for me was the setting. The snowy winter in New England was a perfect counterpoint to the warmth of the people who live there. I have a special fondness for NE, having visited a few times (once in a very cold March) and the people there are very similar in temperament to my native Yorkshire. The secondary characters, especially Mark’s family, didn’t appear very often, but when they did, there was a real sense of love and commitment to each other. The descriptions of the cold environment, especially in the scenes at the end of the book, gave depth to the book and emphasised the importance of the setting within the story.

I really enjoyed this novella. It was a smooth, fast paced read with some lovely use of descriptive language. There was no overblown prose here, everything was written for a reason – as should be the case in such a short medium as a novella. Despite my reaction to Mark, I can see that this is a superb effort from a first time author and I’m giving it a grade of ‘Excellent’. I very much look forward to the next in this series. Oh, and that was another great thing, there were no scenes setting up the next heroes in the series. The whole book was focused solely on Mark and Tony and their relationship. Bonus!(less)

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Apr 30, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

LB hasn’t just written a tale of two men who are just hot for one another, hand over the lube and bend over, let’s get to the sex. Gobsmacked is where two friends take the next step into becoming lovers. Mark Meehan, the narrator is the more feminine of the two while Tony is the semi-alpha male who wants to protect Marc because Marc’s lover, Jamie has cheated on him and stolen Marc’s life’s savings. Mark now has to pick up the pieces after a man he trusted broke his heart.

The opening scene is to...more LB hasn’t just written a tale of two men who are just hot for one another, hand over the lube and bend over, let’s get to the sex. Gobsmacked is where two friends take the next step into becoming lovers. Mark Meehan, the narrator is the more feminine of the two while Tony is the semi-alpha male who wants to protect Marc because Marc’s lover, Jamie has cheated on him and stolen Marc’s life’s savings. Mark now has to pick up the pieces after a man he trusted broke his heart.

The opening scene is too precious for words. Mark storms into a church during Ash Wednesday Mass and is out for Jamie’s blood because he caught Jamie screwing their married landlord in their bed. Mark takes a bible and whacks Jamie over the head, causing Jamie to hit his head on the pew. Mark curses in church and causes quite a ruckus. What a sacrilege! This is where I was cheering and laughing. What a great way to start a story.

Mark is a bit emotional, which is understandable because if I found my man screwing either a man or woman in our bed, a smack on the head with the holy book wouldn’t be good enough. I would be breaking out the kitchen knife and channeling my inner Lorena Bobbitt. Mark has felt betrayed and does what any person would do when the person they loved hurts them. Mark throws out all of Jamie’s belongings and gets piss drunk and laments over being so gullible. At least Mark doesn’t have to suffer alone because he has someone who cares about him and that is his former teenage crush and police officer, Tony Gervase. Tony calms Mark down and lends support even though he has been out of the picture lately because Mark was so involved with Jamie.

Over the next three days, Mark tries to figure out what is going on with his sleazy ex. Jamie has secrets and because Mark is a pretty nosey guy, he wants to know what is up. Tony is there to try and tell Mark to get over Jamie. Tony also wants Mark to see him for more than just a friend and begins to show him how much he does want him.

Gobsmacked is a fitting title for this book. Mark is gob smacked over Jamie’s betrayal and the way Tony has become his knight in shining armor. Tony even seems a bit gob smacked himself over Mark because Mark is a bit flighty and confuses the hell out of him. Also Mark won’t listen to Tony and gets into some trouble. But Tony takes Mark in hand and calms him down. The way Tony does this is with some passionate kissing and love play.

Much of the MM romance I read is so heavy on the sexual attraction the two male characters have for one another. Mark and Tony have this, but theirs is built up after many years. I loved that Mark and Tony have this history between them. They were friends and there are deep feelings between the two, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t hold back with one another.

Gobsmacked is told in the first person point of view from Mark. This was a pleasant surprise because I have never read a MM book in the first person. And because of that I did have a problem with Tony’s motivation. He says he has always cared for Mark, but I found his character a bit hollow. This relationship would have flowed better if there was a flashback between Mark and Tony or perhaps more interaction between them before everything happens with Jamie. I found Mark to be more dimensional. He is the reason to read this book. His voice and personality really shines. If only I could feel the same with Tony.

LB has written a story that held my interest till the end. Never at any point did I think she has a long way to becoming an accomplished author. Gobsmacked is just as good as any other MM romance I have read up to this point.

Would I pick up another LB Gregg book? Definitely. This is not someone who has written a fly by the seat of their pants book. LB has a skill that I hope will continue to grow in the years to come.(less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, friends-to-lovers, glbt, m-m-romance, series

4.5 Stars

Meet Mark Meehan and Tony Gervase: my new addiction. Actually, I suppose that will apply to all the men of Smithfield, Connecticut, once I’ve had the opportunity to meet the rest of them. No, not all. There are a few resident dirtbags there, but for now, I’ll focus that addiction squarely on Mark and Tony.

If ever there has been a couple doomed to poor timing, it seems it’s these two, as life and circumstances continued to wear away at the very foundation of their connection—a friendshi...more 4.5 Stars

Meet Mark Meehan and Tony Gervase: my new addiction. Actually, I suppose that will apply to all the men of Smithfield, Connecticut, once I’ve had the opportunity to meet the rest of them. No, not all. There are a few resident dirtbags there, but for now, I’ll focus that addiction squarely on Mark and Tony.

If ever there has been a couple doomed to poor timing, it seems it’s these two, as life and circumstances continued to wear away at the very foundation of their connection—a friendship that could’ve been so much more if Mark hadn’t been too young and Tony hadn’t been too scared, and if there hadn’t been another man standing in the way (see: dirtbag) who ended up causing no small amount of trouble for both Mark and Tony, and kept Mark so utterly oblivious to the obvious—the fact that Tony has been and always will be there for him because, hello, Tony loves him. I guess there’s a reason they say love is blind.

Albert Einstein once said, “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once,” but boy, does Mark put that theory to the test because as soon as he walked into church and concussed the hell of out his suddenly ex-boyfriend, Jamie Dupree—with a Bible, no less (which is also the precise moment I started loving hard on Mark)—it seemed like that’s when time and trouble tangled into a big ball of Mark not being able to outrun or out-think any of it. But he did discover one thing in the whole process: he had Tony, and that’s really all that mattered in the end. Well, that and the fact that he survived in spite of it all.

I loved this book, loved Mark’s voice, L.B. Gregg’s humor and style and the way she provided just enough backstory for Mark and Tony’s relationship to hook me without getting bogged down in too many flashbacks to build the foundation for their romance. I love exposition as much as the next person, but sometimes I need it more than others to buy into a connection. With Mark and Tony, that bond was almost tangible and in this case, seeing really was believing, so I didn’t feel at all as if I’d been deprived of anything that’d come before. All I know is that what happened during was fun and manic and sexy, and now I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the Smithfield men. I don’t know if I’ll be seeing Mark and Tony again along the way; if I don’t, I sure will miss them.

TNA (less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Anne-Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

3.5 stars

This is the story of Mark, Jamie and Tony. Mark is the wronged lover, Jamie the cheating bastard and Tony the unrequited childhood crush.

Mark and Jamie are live-in lovers and the story starts when Mark has just found out that his boyfriend has cheated. We soon learn that that is not all; it’s one anvil after another for Mark. He deals by acting before thinking which is told with a great deal of humour. Not surprisingly, he gets himself in heaps of trouble, not in the least with Tony. To...more 3.5 stars

This is the story of Mark, Jamie and Tony. Mark is the wronged lover, Jamie the cheating bastard and Tony the unrequited childhood crush.

Mark and Jamie are live-in lovers and the story starts when Mark has just found out that his boyfriend has cheated. We soon learn that that is not all; it’s one anvil after another for Mark. He deals by acting before thinking which is told with a great deal of humour. Not surprisingly, he gets himself in heaps of trouble, not in the least with Tony. Tony chooses this time - and one could argue that his timing could be better - to finally make his move.

This is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled caper that has an opening scene worthy of a sell-out rom com. LB Gregg grabs you by the jugular and drags you right into the thick of Mark’s messed up life. Or rather, the moment he begins to find out how messed up his life really is. Who knows where his mind was right up until that point, it makes you wonder. In any event, you just want to know how it’s all going to play out. It’s a page turner that had me laughing, smiling and cringing, you cannot help but react.

The story is over the top, yet has so much charm that I went along willingly with its rollercoaster plot twists no matter how bewildering it was. At times it was reminiscent of a farce, a slap-stick comedy or even a Bollywood flick (all it needed was someone to break into an ill-timed song-and-dance routine). Sometimes the silliness became repetitive or served no purpose. I found myself thinking: please let Mark walk without falling on his ass.

There are fun times to be had if you go along for the ride and put a share of your brain cells on hold, however, if you don’t then some of what we are asked to believe is a tad improbable. I found it hard to swallow that (view spoiler)

In closing I would like to say that I love LB Greggs’ way with words: she knows how to paint a picture. It's cinematic: you can see the whole thing happening, not only the characters and their interactions but with a few well-placed words you can also envision their surroundings without having been subjected to lengthy or obvious descriptions. It’s an art.
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Sep 29, 2012 Shirley Frances rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-read, mm-series, 2012

How can you NOT read this book after reading the blurb. That scene right there was laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Mark...Mark, Mark, Mark, that is what I kept saying throughout the book. He was just so, I don't know - all over the place. He did things that were just this side of ridiculous, but funny as hell. He was foolish and impulsive. Sarcastic, funny and impulsive. So lovable and sexy and impulsive. Did I say impulsive? Well, he was. But through all that impulsiveness I could see a very funny, sa...more

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May 29, 2010 Jimmy Hanson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, m-m

Absolutely hilarious ... I wasn't sure exactly how the first scene would go, since it involves the main chara storming into a quiet Catholic church during mass, but O.M.G. I must have just about laughed my ass off. There are so many cute/funny short-liners, it kept the whole first half of the novel lively and interesting. Even when it started to get a bit more serious, a few short quips would lighten it back up, at least to the point that I had a feeling it was part of the character's on-going n...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm, read-again-maybe

Oh thank God, somebody who actually knows how to string words together in a straight line!

The opener of the book:

"I stormed into St. Joe’s at the height of the Noon Ash Wednesday Mass. Still dressed in my scrubs, I blew through those massive chapel doors like a gust of bitter February wind. I’d just seen Jamie’s pretentious car parked in front of the church, and I figured he’d come to this penitential mass hoping for absolution. He sat in the third row, head bowed, his gloriously tousled mass of...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

This is a big book for me this year. Not only was it my 100th read of 2010, but it was also my first m/m story that I ever read. *throws confetti* And since this was my first m/m read, you are probably thinking that there must be some back story to how I picked this particular title. Well, to that I say…of course there is!

Many of my bloggy friends read and truly enjoy the m/m genre. So I wanted to play too! I went to one of the best sources for m/m – KC from Smokin’ Hot Books. She is cookoo over...more This is a big book for me this year. Not only was it my 100th read of 2010, but it was also my first m/m story that I ever read. *throws confetti* And since this was my first m/m read, you are probably thinking that there must be some back story to how I picked this particular title. Well, to that I say…of course there is!

Many of my bloggy friends read and truly enjoy the m/m genre. So I wanted to play too! I went to one of the best sources for m/m – KC from Smokin’ Hot Books. She is cookoo over this genre. I asked her for advice and recommendations. She sent me an email with a couple of authors who tend to be pretty consistent in their stories and their writing. I noticed that one of these authors’s had a new book coming out and I thought ‘perfect’. So, proud of myself for having decided which would be my first m/m book, I added it to my ‘to-read’ list on Goodreads. Shortly after I added it, I get a message from Mandi telling me I made the wrong choice and that I should read this instead. (Okay, she suggested maybe I would want to reconsider my selection since she had already read my original selection and didn’t think it was as good as some of the other books that this author had written .) I really do appreciate her gesture, because of course she was right in her suggestion – this was the perfect m/m for me to start with. Light and funny, two things I value in a contemporary book, no matter the genre. So there is the back story as to why I decided to make “Gobsmacked” by L.B. Gregg my first.

This book gets you going from page one. Mark, a usually calm and collected man, gets screwed over by his live-in lover and suddenly becomes a vengeful ass. L.B. Gregg does a great job making you really feel for what Mark’s dealing with and he also does a great job making you really hate Jamie (the now ex-boyfriend). I find that often in shorter stories, the author almost rushes through the character development leaving the reader feeling rather let down and disconnected, but that is not the case here. The book is short, but the character development is great. Not only is Mark well written, but so is Tony.

Tony is a local cop. He’s been friends with Mark for years, but Mark has been neglecting his friendship with Tony since hooking up with Jamie. I think we’ve all done that; half ignore the rest of the world once we enter a new relationship. Tony is not bitter…much. You can feel their history when these two meet on the page. And you can truly feel how much Tony cares for Mark and wants to ensure he doesn’t do anything stupid…um, stupider.

I must admit that, while reading the first big sex scene, I was having some difficulty picturing how it was all going down (no pun intended ;) I really don’t think what I was imagining was quite right since it seemed humanly impossible! Maybe before I read my next m/m story, I should rent a video or something. Yeah, I think that would be something I would be watching alone. I just don’t think my saying “Hey Jason, I rented a movie. Kind of like research. Want to watch it with me?” will buy me a movie partner.

Overall, the story is charming and the characters balance each other very well. You can’t want much more than that in a story, whether it be about a man and a woman or a man with another man. I will definitely check out the other books in this series…once I have a little wiggle room in my to-read pile.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Marquetta (LoveToReadForFun) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, m-m, netgalley

You know a book is gonna be good when the main character sneaks into church, grabs a Bible, and smacks his cheating boyfriend upside the head with it. That's exactly what Mark did when he caught his live-in boyfriend, Jaime, having sex with the nasty, hairy, married landlord. Mark's day continues to get worse has he flees the scene of the crime, he's pulled over the state trooper, Tony, who's also Mark's childhood friend. As Mark gets deeper and deeper with his boyfriend's betrayal, Tony is ther...more You know a book is gonna be good when the main character sneaks into church, grabs a Bible, and smacks his cheating boyfriend upside the head with it. That's exactly what Mark did when he caught his live-in boyfriend, Jaime, having sex with the nasty, hairy, married landlord. Mark's day continues to get worse has he flees the scene of the crime, he's pulled over the state trooper, Tony, who's also Mark's childhood friend. As Mark gets deeper and deeper with his boyfriend's betrayal, Tony is there to help him through. Or to knock some sense in his head. But there is one thing. Tony wants Mark. And now that Jaime is out of the picture, Tony plans on making his move.

I swear Mark wore me out. He went from one bad decision after the next. I know Mark is high on endorphin and anger and betrayal but by the time I finished, Mark and Tony, I needed a nap. Mark continually made his situation worse and worse and it had me shaking my head and wanting to shake him. But the frustration with Mark was fun and it was relatable. He was betrayed and he's all about getting revenge. Who wouldn't? But good grief, he needed to take a chill pill and think before reacting. Thank goodness Tony was around as the voice of reason, even though Mark didn't listen.

Tony comes off as reasonable and stoic and responsible. He did the responsible thing over 10 years ago when he rejected a drunk and teenaged Mark. Now he finally has the opportunity to be with him and he's not going to let it slip through his fingers. Tony is sexually aggressive and a likes to talk dirty. Me likey. When he put the moves on Mark, there was no confusion as to what he wanted.

I really enjoyed Mark and Tony. Mark was exhausting; I was waiting for someone to slip him a sedative. But I liked his character a lot. And I loved Tony. I'm a fan of dirty talkers. Mark and Tony kept me entertained from start to finish. Even though the book is short, it read like a full length novel. A quick, entertaining read that I could not put down.
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Aug 12, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Erotica, m/m, romannce,

Recommended to Angela by: netgalley

Shelves: ebook, erotica, fiction, m-m-romance, netgalley, romance, series

I had this book sitting in my TBR pile for quite awhile now and just kept putting off reading it for some reason or another. Well, having gotten the chance to read it from Netgalley I decided the time was at hand and I'm so glad I did. From the opening paragraph I just knew this book was going to be a book to keep and reread many times. Mark comes home early and finds his boyfriend cheating and instead of confronting them then he holds it in until he can come to grips with it. Unfortunately when...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kerry by: Sulawesigirl

Shelves: romance-same-sex

When I first started the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I can certainly understand the desire for revenge - but the follow-through was a little...bloodthirsty. Ow.

I really liked the main character in the book. Mark was adorable, cute, brave, and sweet (which made the revenge thing a little out of character, but he WAS pushed really hard by circumstances).

Some of the things in the book rang a little untrue to me, and I didn't like some of the characters' prior actions that were re...more

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Mar 17, 2010 Tiffany Danner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads

I have been hesitant to start another M/M Romance series, worried that none could match up with Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series. However, I have been overloaded with homework lately and really needed a couple of quick reads and these novellas by L.B. Gregg fit right into that at only about 120 pages each.

Gobsmacked is about Mark, a seemingly normal and calm gay man who absolutely loses his cool when he finds out his lover is cheating on him. I absolutely loved his character, he was funny, wi...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Stephanie Collins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As some of you know I am just venturing out in to M/M romances. This story is a re-release of the title - Gobsmacked - but as I hadn't read the original I cannot tell you how much may have been edited or added to the original story.

Mark is having a really crappy day... He walked in on his boyfriend having sex with their truly disgusting landlord... He backs out of the room without either man seeing him but then does something that had me giggling... He quietly goes in to a pew behind him at Mass...more

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May 15, 2013 Candice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, kindle

3.5 Stars

(view spoiler)...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Monica rated it 4 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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Sep 17, 2012 Larry Benjamin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“As I clenched the book rack, my fingers brushed against the Bible proudly displayed there. Eyeing the curls that hugged Jamie’s rough jaw, I slid the Good Book from its safe haven. The cracked leather felt worn, but the bulk was reassuring. Encouraging, even. So fueled by a boiling rage, I hauled back and gobsmacked that bastard as hard as I could in front of God and everyone.”

And with those words we’re off on a rollicking rollercoaster ride. Welcome to the Happy Hamlet of Smithfield, Connectic...more

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Nov 08, 2010 S.J.D. Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance, reviewed

Great book. The opening scene had my laughing out loud. I really liked Mark. He was witty, funny, sweet yet far from perfect which made him endearing. I love how he discovered a lot about himself in the face of such horrid betrayal.
What I didn't like was that I felt I didn't know enough about the other Main Character. Tony could have been an amazing character. By the end of the book I had understood, and grown to love Mark's character, but really didn't have a clue who Tony was or what made him...more

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title link	preview: Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony
avg rating	preview: Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony Goodreads rating: 3.72 (1039 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15781690-men-of-smithfield?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343861799l/15781690.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15781690-men-of-smithfield?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony by L.B. Gregg[/url]

Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony (Men of Smithfield #1)

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