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Brandt and Donnelly Caper #5
Bachelors Party
A Brandt and Donnelly Case File Five
Med student Oliver Mitchell has discovered a way to make more tips as a bartender—put on ripped workout gear and serve drinks at the hip new gay club, Burn. The only catch is Oliver is straight. The staff and patrons don’t mind, though, and Oliver fits in well—until he meets James Buchanan Whitford, a local politician with a he’s married. When James’s scheming wife attempts to catch him in flagrante with Oliver, they flee the city for the refuge of James’s cabin in the woods. There, Oliver faces a new challenge—he's starting to feel more for James than friendship. Their new relationship must survive political intrigue and small-town politics before they can be together.
With their wedding two months away, it's time for Troopers Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly to have a bachelor party. Ethan's older brothers are excited, but Ethan is not. As a straight guy who fell in love with another man, the whole ritual is fraught with complications, and he struggles to reconcile newly granted marriage equality with old traditions. Brandt and Donnelly work to help James and Oliver find their way to happiness while pulling off the bachelor party of the year.
Med student Oliver Mitchell has discovered a way to make more tips as a bartender—put on ripped workout gear and serve drinks at the hip new gay club, Burn. The only catch is Oliver is straight. The staff and patrons don’t mind, though, and Oliver fits in well—until he meets James Buchanan Whitford, a local politician with a he’s married. When James’s scheming wife attempts to catch him in flagrante with Oliver, they flee the city for the refuge of James’s cabin in the woods. There, Oliver faces a new challenge—he's starting to feel more for James than friendship. Their new relationship must survive political intrigue and small-town politics before they can be together.
With their wedding two months away, it's time for Troopers Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly to have a bachelor party. Ethan's older brothers are excited, but Ethan is not. As a straight guy who fell in love with another man, the whole ritual is fraught with complications, and he struggles to reconcile newly granted marriage equality with old traditions. Brandt and Donnelly work to help James and Oliver find their way to happiness while pulling off the bachelor party of the year.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Xavier Mayne
14 books189 followersXavier Mayne is the pen name of a writer who has been both a university professor of English and a marketing professional for software companies. He currently manages a team of writers for a large technology company based in the US Pacific Northwest. Versed in academic theories of sexual identity, he is passionate about writing stories in which men experience a love that pushes them beyond the boundaries they thought defined their sexuality. He believes that romance can be hot, funny, and sweet in equal measure.
The name Xavier Mayne is a tribute to the pioneering gay author Edward Prime-Stevenson, who also used it as a pen name. He wrote the first openly gay novel by an American, 1906’s Imre: A Memorandum, which depicts two masculine men falling in love despite social pressures that attempt to keep them apart.
The name Xavier Mayne is a tribute to the pioneering gay author Edward Prime-Stevenson, who also used it as a pen name. He wrote the first openly gay novel by an American, 1906’s Imre: A Memorandum, which depicts two masculine men falling in love despite social pressures that attempt to keep them apart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 14, 2022
This series demands to be read in order otherwise you will be totally lost and wondering what in the world is happening. I started this series 5 years ago and for some reason got waylaid...so I had to go back and read the first 4. Glad I did because I remembered how much I liked these two guys and their offbeat “case files. This is James and Oliver’s story and unfortunately Brandt and Donnelly have only a minor role in it. I missed seeing them work together. Oliver is adorable as the straight bartender in the gay bar. James is a regular at his end of the bar. James is a huge tipper, but there is a bit of sadness in him, Oliver always looks forward to their conversations during his weekly visits to the club. James is in politics and Oliver is about to be caught up in the ugliness of James' life and the lies that have been told. I really disliked James for what he did and had a bit of a harder time forgiving him than Oliver did. James and Oliver hideout together and of course things go from hate to love in the blink of an eye as they try to figure out damage control. I enjoyed their story, but I really missed the Brandt and Donnelly involvement. Maybe what Xavier Mayne has shown with this one is that love is love wherever you find it and we shouldn't be putting labels on it.
June 7, 2015
Another book with Ethan and Gabriel and fun was had by all.
Loved:
*Oliver and Millie's relationship. Their banter back and forth was so much fun to read.
*Ethan's brothers. Supportive and fun. Liam's conversations with Bryce were hysterical. Plus, the entire conversation between Liam, Noah, and Ethan after they saw Gabriel's, ahem, package, was awesome. You could just sense Ethan wanting to crawl into a hole and die. Great stuff!
*Oliver's parents. I won't say much more about that, but they were pretty great.
I would read 100 books in this series. I hope there is another one about the wedding!
Loved:
*Oliver and Millie's relationship. Their banter back and forth was so much fun to read.
*Ethan's brothers. Supportive and fun. Liam's conversations with Bryce were hysterical. Plus, the entire conversation between Liam, Noah, and Ethan after they saw Gabriel's, ahem, package, was awesome. You could just sense Ethan wanting to crawl into a hole and die. Great stuff!
*Oliver's parents. I won't say much more about that, but they were pretty great.
I would read 100 books in this series. I hope there is another one about the wedding!
June 16, 2015
In this installment I felt more than in the others that I was reading two separate books. Brandt and Donnelly have only a minor role in James and Oliver's story and I missed seeing them really work together, but Oliver's experience here does have quite a resemblance to Brandt's.
Oliver is adorable as the straight bartender in the gay bar. James is a regular at his end of the bar. A huge tipper, with a bit of sadness in him, Oliver looks forward to their conversations during his weekly visits to the club. What Oliver doesn't know is that he's about to be caught up in the ugliness of James' life in politics and the lies that have been told. I have to say I really disliked James for what he did and had a bit of a harder time forgiving him than Oliver did. As the two hideout together things go from hate to love in the blink of an eye as they try to figure out damage control. I enjoyed their story, but it was a little too sweet and for me missing some of the Brandt and Donnelly involvement I was hoping for.
Brandt and Donnelly have become one of my favorite couples. I enjoy how Brandt has been really questioning how to define his sexuality and whether he even needs to (and it was nice to see Will again). Here again it is brought up as Brandt begins to panic over the impending clash of straight and gay men at the bachelors party his brother insists on throwing. The only solution to making everyone comfortable (or epically uncomfortable)? Have his brother work with Bryce to plan a party that everyone will love. Frankly, anything that gives Bryce more page time works for me. I enjoyed everything about Brandt and Donnelly's part of the story, especially meeting Brandt's brothers, and I really wanted more of the focus to have been on them. I'm hoping next will be the wedding story. Now that all the arrangements have been made "What could possibly go wrong?"
Oliver is adorable as the straight bartender in the gay bar. James is a regular at his end of the bar. A huge tipper, with a bit of sadness in him, Oliver looks forward to their conversations during his weekly visits to the club. What Oliver doesn't know is that he's about to be caught up in the ugliness of James' life in politics and the lies that have been told. I have to say I really disliked James for what he did and had a bit of a harder time forgiving him than Oliver did. As the two hideout together things go from hate to love in the blink of an eye as they try to figure out damage control. I enjoyed their story, but it was a little too sweet and for me missing some of the Brandt and Donnelly involvement I was hoping for.
Brandt and Donnelly have become one of my favorite couples. I enjoy how Brandt has been really questioning how to define his sexuality and whether he even needs to (and it was nice to see Will again). Here again it is brought up as Brandt begins to panic over the impending clash of straight and gay men at the bachelors party his brother insists on throwing. The only solution to making everyone comfortable (or epically uncomfortable)? Have his brother work with Bryce to plan a party that everyone will love. Frankly, anything that gives Bryce more page time works for me. I enjoyed everything about Brandt and Donnelly's part of the story, especially meeting Brandt's brothers, and I really wanted more of the focus to have been on them. I'm hoping next will be the wedding story. Now that all the arrangements have been made "What could possibly go wrong?"
June 9, 2015
Another good installment of this series. Brandt's angst over the bachelors party seemed a little over the top especially since the main event scenes didn't last that long. Seeing Brandt interact with his brothers was a lot of fun though.
Brandt and Donnelly have become so comfortable with each other. I love noticing all the little ways they've become a couple. And Nestor and Bryce are back. Need I say more?
As for the other main couple, Oliver and James -- they were fine. Did I buy their insta-love? Not really, but they were sweet with each other. Unfortunately, the bitchy wife and the super-cool, know-it-all bestie both make an appearance here. I did smile a few times at the banter between Oliver and his bestie.
I hope with the next book Brandt and Donnelly are back as the center of all action. And we finally get that wedding. I've waited long enough.
Brandt and Donnelly have become so comfortable with each other. I love noticing all the little ways they've become a couple. And Nestor and Bryce are back. Need I say more?
As for the other main couple, Oliver and James -- they were fine. Did I buy their insta-love? Not really, but they were sweet with each other. Unfortunately, the bitchy wife and the super-cool, know-it-all bestie both make an appearance here. I did smile a few times at the banter between Oliver and his bestie.
I hope with the next book Brandt and Donnelly are back as the center of all action. And we finally get that wedding. I've waited long enough.
June 8, 2015
Works on Every Level
Xavier Mayne does not like the conventional. Anyone who has picked up the first book of this series (Frat Boy Troopers) would know that from the start, and there hasn't been a book in the series that doesn't provide that twist, and early, that sets the reader slightly aback.
Bachelors Party was no exception, and I should have known I'd be in for a loop or two from the title: Notice, there is no apostrophe in Bachelors. That's because the title of the book is a noun, not an adjective and a noun. Figure that one out early and you may be prepared for a bit of a ride.
The twist comes early when out of nowhere we are introduced to Oliver Mitchell (foreground, cover) and his best friend, Millie, who has dragged his straight med student ass to a gay bar so she can convince him to apply for a bartender's job there so he can make more money in tips in one night (because of what he looks like) than he can in a month at the conservative steak house he is currently working at. I was slightly taken aback by the conversation they have because we are treated to a psychoanalytic lecture of why Millie had a very slight premonition that Oliver might have had latent, how you say?, gay feelings. Not Oliver, though, who is fairly well portrayed in this chapter, and most of the others where his story develops, as a straight boy from a small town who likes women but has no time for them now that he's busting his butt in school.
This is where I put down the book and said, "Um, where are Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly going to fit into this?" Truth to tell, they eventually fit in, of course (it is the Brandt & Donnelly Capers series, after all). However we are not only going to get Oliver's profile fleshed out, but also similar expositions of Ethan and Gabriel (serious conversation time), Ethan's brothers Liam and Noah (wonderful interplay with Liam and flaming queen Bryce), and most of all for this tale, the story of James Buchanan Whitford (background, cover). James is an obscenely wealthy politician who becomes one of the least likely catalysts for a rollicking adventure-love story you will find in a M/M romance involving one allegedly straight and one unquestionably closeted man.
The kicker here is the way author Mayne weaves the almost parallel universes of Oliver and Ethan through this plot; how he manages to get Bryce into the act early by weaving the same kind of psychological babbling with Ethan's brother Liam; how Gabriel's simple approach to life finds almost a cross-reference to that of James; how Ethan's brother Noah almost has a life-changing experience at the party; and how that potential little weasel Millie becomes lovable after all. Mayne gets this done by developing three-dimensional characters who are not stereotypes, but rather human beings. (Well, except for one character who is a bit stereotypical, but shall remain unidentified here so as to not add a spoiler).
It is obvious as this one unfolds that we are likely to see another sequel in this series, and that one--given the hints herein and the closing line of the book from Gabriel (no spoilers)--should be, like all of these books, both a doozy and a hoot.
Xavier Mayne does not like the conventional. Anyone who has picked up the first book of this series (Frat Boy Troopers) would know that from the start, and there hasn't been a book in the series that doesn't provide that twist, and early, that sets the reader slightly aback.
Bachelors Party was no exception, and I should have known I'd be in for a loop or two from the title: Notice, there is no apostrophe in Bachelors. That's because the title of the book is a noun, not an adjective and a noun. Figure that one out early and you may be prepared for a bit of a ride.
The twist comes early when out of nowhere we are introduced to Oliver Mitchell (foreground, cover) and his best friend, Millie, who has dragged his straight med student ass to a gay bar so she can convince him to apply for a bartender's job there so he can make more money in tips in one night (because of what he looks like) than he can in a month at the conservative steak house he is currently working at. I was slightly taken aback by the conversation they have because we are treated to a psychoanalytic lecture of why Millie had a very slight premonition that Oliver might have had latent, how you say?, gay feelings. Not Oliver, though, who is fairly well portrayed in this chapter, and most of the others where his story develops, as a straight boy from a small town who likes women but has no time for them now that he's busting his butt in school.
This is where I put down the book and said, "Um, where are Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly going to fit into this?" Truth to tell, they eventually fit in, of course (it is the Brandt & Donnelly Capers series, after all). However we are not only going to get Oliver's profile fleshed out, but also similar expositions of Ethan and Gabriel (serious conversation time), Ethan's brothers Liam and Noah (wonderful interplay with Liam and flaming queen Bryce), and most of all for this tale, the story of James Buchanan Whitford (background, cover). James is an obscenely wealthy politician who becomes one of the least likely catalysts for a rollicking adventure-love story you will find in a M/M romance involving one allegedly straight and one unquestionably closeted man.
The kicker here is the way author Mayne weaves the almost parallel universes of Oliver and Ethan through this plot; how he manages to get Bryce into the act early by weaving the same kind of psychological babbling with Ethan's brother Liam; how Gabriel's simple approach to life finds almost a cross-reference to that of James; how Ethan's brother Noah almost has a life-changing experience at the party; and how that potential little weasel Millie becomes lovable after all. Mayne gets this done by developing three-dimensional characters who are not stereotypes, but rather human beings. (Well, except for one character who is a bit stereotypical, but shall remain unidentified here so as to not add a spoiler).
It is obvious as this one unfolds that we are likely to see another sequel in this series, and that one--given the hints herein and the closing line of the book from Gabriel (no spoilers)--should be, like all of these books, both a doozy and a hoot.
November 11, 2016
I have loved all the Brandt & Donnelly books...until this one. I fell so let down so disappointed after reading it. The first book in this series was "officially" B & D's story (Frat House Troopers) and the books that followed had a different couple as the main focus and B & D as supporting characters, usually working a case. In this one B& D weren't around much until almost the very end and I wasn't thrilled with the spotlight couple.
I will try to remember to put spoiler warnings in place as I describe James (J) and Oliver's (O) "romance":
O's town got together to to raise money for him to go to med school. It pays tuition but he still has books, rent, food and utilities to pay so he gets a job as a bartender in a gay club. He is straight but doesn't seem to think it through very well. The employees of the club wear provocative clothing to entice bigger tips and he has issues with it at first then just jumps right in even flirting and rubbing on other employees to get bigger tips. Then he wonders why the customers don't take him seriously and call him "cute" and "cutie". Cue the other MC please...J is a politician and married to a woman but gay. He is also naive to the point of being obliviously stupid and I just cannot see him in politics at all. So, J starts going to the bar on Sundays and flirting with O and O flirts back. I don't want to give away to much but something happens and it hurts and angers O and J is 100% completely at fault. No question. O walks away from J and carries on with life. J comes into the bar on a Wednesday night and while talking to O guys show up looking for O b/c of J. J convinces O to run with him and they hightail it to J's cabin. They end up talking that night and O confesses that he is straight and J is devastated. The next day they eat breakfast, go for a run, go skinny dipping and then fall asleep naked on the sleeping porch. Together. After that they run around naked, say I love you all the time and O embraces his new "normal".
Umm yeah...whatever. The only reason this book got a 2 star rating from me is because Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly share some sexy times. It only lasts about 2-3 pages but was worth 2 stars all by itself!!
I will try to remember to put spoiler warnings in place as I describe James (J) and Oliver's (O) "romance":
O's town got together to to raise money for him to go to med school. It pays tuition but he still has books, rent, food and utilities to pay so he gets a job as a bartender in a gay club. He is straight but doesn't seem to think it through very well. The employees of the club wear provocative clothing to entice bigger tips and he has issues with it at first then just jumps right in even flirting and rubbing on other employees to get bigger tips. Then he wonders why the customers don't take him seriously and call him "cute" and "cutie". Cue the other MC please...J is a politician and married to a woman but gay. He is also naive to the point of being obliviously stupid and I just cannot see him in politics at all. So, J starts going to the bar on Sundays and flirting with O and O flirts back. I don't want to give away to much but something happens and it hurts and angers O and J is 100% completely at fault. No question. O walks away from J and carries on with life. J comes into the bar on a Wednesday night and while talking to O guys show up looking for O b/c of J. J convinces O to run with him and they hightail it to J's cabin. They end up talking that night and O confesses that he is straight and J is devastated. The next day they eat breakfast, go for a run, go skinny dipping and then fall asleep naked on the sleeping porch. Together. After that they run around naked, say I love you all the time and O embraces his new "normal".
Umm yeah...whatever. The only reason this book got a 2 star rating from me is because Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly share some sexy times. It only lasts about 2-3 pages but was worth 2 stars all by itself!!
July 2, 2015
Oliver needs some extra money for med school, his BFF Millie tells him that with his hot bod he should be a bartender at Burn – a gay bar. Though he’s intimidated he gives it a go, and really enjoys the experience.
While tending bar, he meets James, a sad slightly older man with whom he immediately clicks. At first just as friends, but when James ends up in a compromising position, Oliver helps him, and the relationship evolves.
Meanwhile, Brandt and Donnelly explore their sexual relationship, explore what it means to be “gay” or “in love with a man”, plan their ridiculously hilarious bachelor party with the help of our favorites Bryce and Nestor.
This book really emphasizes that labels aren’t helpful. Love is love. The end.
Who a person loves does not define who they are.
As always I was touched by the caring relationships demonstrated here: brothers, friends, lovers, families…in a multitude of ways all showing different types of love.
And the sex was way hot and the humor literally giggle out loud!
My only complaint – small one – is that the two stories were almost separate – like reading two books kinda mashed together. I missed having Brandt and Donnelly more centrally involved in the other love story and hope to see more of them in their wedding book – next? Hopefully, next? Pretty please? I can’t wait for their wedding I just know I’m gonna cry my eyes out!
4.5 of 5 stars
While tending bar, he meets James, a sad slightly older man with whom he immediately clicks. At first just as friends, but when James ends up in a compromising position, Oliver helps him, and the relationship evolves.
Meanwhile, Brandt and Donnelly explore their sexual relationship, explore what it means to be “gay” or “in love with a man”, plan their ridiculously hilarious bachelor party with the help of our favorites Bryce and Nestor.
This book really emphasizes that labels aren’t helpful. Love is love. The end.
Who a person loves does not define who they are.
As always I was touched by the caring relationships demonstrated here: brothers, friends, lovers, families…in a multitude of ways all showing different types of love.
And the sex was way hot and the humor literally giggle out loud!
My only complaint – small one – is that the two stories were almost separate – like reading two books kinda mashed together. I missed having Brandt and Donnelly more centrally involved in the other love story and hope to see more of them in their wedding book – next? Hopefully, next? Pretty please? I can’t wait for their wedding I just know I’m gonna cry my eyes out!
4.5 of 5 stars
June 3, 2015
This books was just all fun and comfort. Plenty to laugh about - especially with Bryce around.
And it was comfortable and relaxing. I just love to have a couple of guys that are just together. Solidly together. They experience whatever happens in each book together without any kind of drama from within their relationship, which is a nice change.
I would still prefer for Brandt & Donnelly to have more page time but I did enjoy Oliver and James's story as well.
And it was comfortable and relaxing. I just love to have a couple of guys that are just together. Solidly together. They experience whatever happens in each book together without any kind of drama from within their relationship, which is a nice change.
I would still prefer for Brandt & Donnelly to have more page time but I did enjoy Oliver and James's story as well.
June 2, 2015
4.5 stars
What crazy, campy fun! These books make me laugh like a fool. I love Xavier Mayne and I love this series! Bring on the wedding, and for the love of all that is right and true, please, please, PLEASE give me more BRYCE!
What crazy, campy fun! These books make me laugh like a fool. I love Xavier Mayne and I love this series! Bring on the wedding, and for the love of all that is right and true, please, please, PLEASE give me more BRYCE!
June 12, 2015
There were a few things that bothered me a bit...so only 4 stars
Still i love Ethan and Gabriel so much and Oliver and James were really cute togehter too :)
Still i love Ethan and Gabriel so much and Oliver and James were really cute togehter too :)
October 28, 2017
So I already read this book once and must not have reviewed it because about 1/3 of the way through, I was thinking, much of this is very familiar. The book was good enough to finish again but it doesn't seem to have the same pull the first few book had. Not sure what it is. With Brandt and Donnelly , I wish they'd just stop thinking and go with the flow. I know I haven't read the 6th book and I am curious to see where this wedding goes.
July 21, 2019
Another rerereread but so worth the effort! It wasn't as disconcerting as I remember the first time I read it as I KNEW Brandt & Donnelly would "meetup" with Ollie in the story. (First time I kept re-checking the title as they were so absent!) I still enjoyed the stories of each couple, there resolutions and the ending of the entirety: EVERYone thinks their story is unique but it's not that different from others, whether straight, gay, Catholic, political, etc, etc.
Read
October 18, 2024This was one of the first MM series and authors that I read, so this series holds a special place in my heart, as do Brandt and Donnelly. This time, we see the guys getting ready for their bachelor party, with help from Ethan's brothers and Bryce! We have another couple as well, and this time it's a closeted politician named James and a bartender named Oliver. It was sweet watching James and Oliver become friends over the bar of Burn and then fall in love.
August 14, 2017
So very earnest. Brandt and Donelly are mostly in the background in this one. There is a lot (A. Lot.) of philosophizing, preaching, discussing, etc. of the blurry areas between gay and straight. It was a bit preachy. I enjoyed it despite that. There is a pretty intense sex scene between Brandt & Donelly
Bought from dreamspinner
Bought from dreamspinner
September 18, 2021
Not my favorite of this series. I just did not buy Oliver and James together, especially after two days alone. I enjoyed the parts with Brandt and Donnelly, but there is very little of them in this book.
December 13, 2017
What more can Brandt and Donnelly get up to, love this couple
June 11, 2015
4.5 stars
With Oliver and James, and with Brand's older brothers organizing the bachelors party I'm back on the high I used to be when reading anything by Xavier Mayne. I was a bit disappointed by the previous installment, Spring Break at the Villa Hermes, and thought, sadly, for a while I would have to give up on the Brand and Connelly series. This is not the case. With the fifth book about our troopers I only want more. And surely there's got be at least one more so we get to see the troopers legitimately married to one another, right?
Bachelors Party started off with Brand having a phone conversation with his older brother,Lim, who wants to give his younger brother a great party. As reader I am immediately pulled into the story, Ethan's and Gabriel's upcoming wedding, it's what I've been waiting for. But Ethan worries; how can you really make a great bachelor party if you have guests who fall on both far ends of the Kinsey scale and every spot in between as well, how is it even possible to make everyone comfortable? Well, it's up to Liam Brandt and Bryce to figure out - and the result is smashingly wonderful, as is to expect when Bryce is involved.
As we've come to expect this book also contains a new couple who falls in love, and while falling in love gets the opportunity to explore their sexual identity. And that is maybe what I associate the most with Mr. Mayne. Each and every one of his books is a statement along the lines that sexuality is not always something we are born with, but at times also something we can choose. I'm not well-versed enough in the modern theories of sexual identity, but I'm not adverse to the idea. Looking back in history it may even seem obvious that practiced sexuality is at times as much a result of culture as it is biology (just think upper class Ancient Greece). But to my un-scholar-ed ears that's what bisexuality is, or those of us who end up somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey scale. I am also aware that saying it is a choice for some is in ways to underestimate parts of victories won by and for the LGBT community over the last century, or half, but I get it now, I don't disagree with you Mr. Mayne, but I don't need to have it written on my nose every time I read one of your books. You can tone it down a bit and still get the message across.
So this time it's Oliver, a straight med student who begins working the bar at a gay dance club, Burn. The tip is so much better, and Oliver is not shy to show and use his looks, in fact he kind of likes it. Soon though he realizes that to the customers he is mostly looked upon as eye candy. Only one patron, James, actually sees him. They start to talk, as in real conversations about the important things in life, adn little by little they connect on a deeper level.
I loved the slowly evolving relationship between Oliver and James, and I loved it even more when it developed into full blooming romance. When the two men are forced to leave the city and the club behind and hide away for a few days we come upon some of the most romantic and hottest scenes I have read recently. The cuddle scene is adorable, and hot. And the first blow job scene so sweet, and hot. And oh, there's a hot rest stop shower sort of scene too, which is hot too. But mostly it's sweet and emotional and if you're not up for that you may want to stay away, but if it's your kind of thing - help yourself.
Over the last couple of books I've come to view Brandt and Connelly's part of these books as something similar to the scenes with Scheherazade and her husband in One Thousand and One Nights, or the group of youths telling one another stories to pass time in Decamerone. They work as a frame story which keeps the other, main story together. They don't tell t, instead they experience it from center and sidelines and sometimes get involved in it themselves. This way I get to experience anew couple falling in love each time I pick up another of Xavier Mayne's stories - and I read romance a lot due to that part - and I get to learn more about the established couple too. Best of two words!
As mentioned in the beginning, I do hope we get to see the troopers at least one more time, but I hate to think that may be the final time. Surely there are many, many more stories to tell?!
With Oliver and James, and with Brand's older brothers organizing the bachelors party I'm back on the high I used to be when reading anything by Xavier Mayne. I was a bit disappointed by the previous installment, Spring Break at the Villa Hermes, and thought, sadly, for a while I would have to give up on the Brand and Connelly series. This is not the case. With the fifth book about our troopers I only want more. And surely there's got be at least one more so we get to see the troopers legitimately married to one another, right?
Bachelors Party started off with Brand having a phone conversation with his older brother,Lim, who wants to give his younger brother a great party. As reader I am immediately pulled into the story, Ethan's and Gabriel's upcoming wedding, it's what I've been waiting for. But Ethan worries; how can you really make a great bachelor party if you have guests who fall on both far ends of the Kinsey scale and every spot in between as well, how is it even possible to make everyone comfortable? Well, it's up to Liam Brandt and Bryce to figure out - and the result is smashingly wonderful, as is to expect when Bryce is involved.
As we've come to expect this book also contains a new couple who falls in love, and while falling in love gets the opportunity to explore their sexual identity. And that is maybe what I associate the most with Mr. Mayne. Each and every one of his books is a statement along the lines that sexuality is not always something we are born with, but at times also something we can choose. I'm not well-versed enough in the modern theories of sexual identity, but I'm not adverse to the idea. Looking back in history it may even seem obvious that practiced sexuality is at times as much a result of culture as it is biology (just think upper class Ancient Greece). But to my un-scholar-ed ears that's what bisexuality is, or those of us who end up somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey scale. I am also aware that saying it is a choice for some is in ways to underestimate parts of victories won by and for the LGBT community over the last century, or half, but I get it now, I don't disagree with you Mr. Mayne, but I don't need to have it written on my nose every time I read one of your books. You can tone it down a bit and still get the message across.
So this time it's Oliver, a straight med student who begins working the bar at a gay dance club, Burn. The tip is so much better, and Oliver is not shy to show and use his looks, in fact he kind of likes it. Soon though he realizes that to the customers he is mostly looked upon as eye candy. Only one patron, James, actually sees him. They start to talk, as in real conversations about the important things in life, adn little by little they connect on a deeper level.
I loved the slowly evolving relationship between Oliver and James, and I loved it even more when it developed into full blooming romance. When the two men are forced to leave the city and the club behind and hide away for a few days we come upon some of the most romantic and hottest scenes I have read recently. The cuddle scene is adorable, and hot. And the first blow job scene so sweet, and hot. And oh, there's a hot rest stop shower sort of scene too, which is hot too. But mostly it's sweet and emotional and if you're not up for that you may want to stay away, but if it's your kind of thing - help yourself.
Over the last couple of books I've come to view Brandt and Connelly's part of these books as something similar to the scenes with Scheherazade and her husband in One Thousand and One Nights, or the group of youths telling one another stories to pass time in Decamerone. They work as a frame story which keeps the other, main story together. They don't tell t, instead they experience it from center and sidelines and sometimes get involved in it themselves. This way I get to experience anew couple falling in love each time I pick up another of Xavier Mayne's stories - and I read romance a lot due to that part - and I get to learn more about the established couple too. Best of two words!
As mentioned in the beginning, I do hope we get to see the troopers at least one more time, but I hate to think that may be the final time. Surely there are many, many more stories to tell?!
January 22, 2022
5 stars, the Bachelor party was better (for me) than the wedding haha
Well this book was nice, after some not this good books I was a little worried, but this booked was pretty nice, I love how Brandt and Donnelly are more open with each other, Brandt worries about the bachelor party were logical and I liked how everything worked really well at the end. I love Brandt brothers and the scene with the oldest one on the club was nice, it get my pulse a little higher haha, I'm gonna read this again for sure and with Brandt and Donnelly stucked on my brain I can read it without going back for the first books
Well this book was nice, after some not this good books I was a little worried, but this booked was pretty nice, I love how Brandt and Donnelly are more open with each other, Brandt worries about the bachelor party were logical and I liked how everything worked really well at the end. I love Brandt brothers and the scene with the oldest one on the club was nice, it get my pulse a little higher haha, I'm gonna read this again for sure and with Brandt and Donnelly stucked on my brain I can read it without going back for the first books
June 9, 2015
5 Heart Review by Roberta
So, these stories just seem to get better and better. I didn’t even read the blurb for the novel, I just saw it was a Brandt & Donnelly story and I requested the book. I’m so damn glad that I did, I love these characters and I enjoy when they are involved in some stuff going down.
Brandt & Donnelly are doing the bachelor party thing and as you know, Brandt is still having issues regarding defining his sexuality. How if he wasn’t in love with Donnelly, he’d still be straight and dating women. He’s wondering how to deal with having a bachelor party. Where do you go if you have some straight guys as well as some gay guys? How do you make sure that everyone has a good time?
Oliver and James’ story….now that one…what do you do when your whole life changes and it’s truly not what you were expecting?
Oliver is going to med school as the town got together to pay for his schooling and all he has to do is pay for his apartment, food, etc. Oliver worked for his family’s B & B growing up. He’s now working as a bartender at a popular steakhouse as well as a coffee shop. Working at Burn will help him be able to give up the two jobs and to be able to study and do his internship. Oliver is nervous because Burn is a gay club and he’s not gay. However, once he gets there and gets over his shyness, it’s game on!! Oliver starts making some serious money. Oliver meets this great guy, James who seems so damn sad and yet, is such a nice guy and he can’t help but enjoy Sunday nights when he comes in. Oliver’s life is about to take a couple of turns that he never even thought about. The question is…can Oliver find the happiness that he grab with his hands and can he overcome James’s wife’s vengeance?
James…were do you start? James is a really nice guy who finds himself in a situation that is of his own making and yet, he’s trying to get himself free or is he? James comes from money and he inherited a bunch when his parents were killed. He went into politics and married this really bitchy woman, Stella who is very ambitious and quite ruthless about getting what she wants. James has known he was gay since he was young and yet, he’s hidden that part of himself. James goes to Burn and meets this really nice bartender with whom he can actually converse with. They never get bored with each other and they can just talk. It’s nice and really kinda sweet.
Now, I was really happy that these two guys had the chance to really spend some time away from work and school and politics and get to know each other. I liked that once Oliver made up his mind regarding James and the nature of their relationship, he was all in. I liked seeing the growth of both Oliver and James. They each had to face their fears as well as make the decision to be happy and then do what it took in order to accomplish it. I liked that Oliver was cute and clueless about his sexuality and it was really wonderful to see these two men who are lonely as well as not very experienced come together.
I like seeing Brandt and Donnelly. I liked seeing the progression of their relationship and the growth that they are making, especially Brandt. He is still having some issues regarding his sexuality, as mentioned above, however, I really enjoy the fact that even with that issue, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he still loves Donnelly and he wants to spend his life with him. I Love It!!
So, we got to meet Liam and Noah, Brandt’s older brothers and they were a hoot!! I loved seeing how they love their baby brother and support him. I love that they are doing this bachelor party for them. Bryce and Nestor made a couple appearances and of course, we had some good laughs. I swear, Bryce makes me laugh out loud and Nestor adding in his two cents…good times!!
This was such a wonderful installment in the Brandt & Donnelly Capers and I can’t wait for the next adventure!! I like how as each caper has our guys in it, yet…they aren’t the main characters. They are there and living their lives, however, you are able to see them and have them meet and help our new characters.
Overall, this is a great book and a great addition to the series. This is a great story that will draw you in and hook you until the very end!! Can’t wait for the next book!!!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
So, these stories just seem to get better and better. I didn’t even read the blurb for the novel, I just saw it was a Brandt & Donnelly story and I requested the book. I’m so damn glad that I did, I love these characters and I enjoy when they are involved in some stuff going down.
Brandt & Donnelly are doing the bachelor party thing and as you know, Brandt is still having issues regarding defining his sexuality. How if he wasn’t in love with Donnelly, he’d still be straight and dating women. He’s wondering how to deal with having a bachelor party. Where do you go if you have some straight guys as well as some gay guys? How do you make sure that everyone has a good time?
Oliver and James’ story….now that one…what do you do when your whole life changes and it’s truly not what you were expecting?
Oliver is going to med school as the town got together to pay for his schooling and all he has to do is pay for his apartment, food, etc. Oliver worked for his family’s B & B growing up. He’s now working as a bartender at a popular steakhouse as well as a coffee shop. Working at Burn will help him be able to give up the two jobs and to be able to study and do his internship. Oliver is nervous because Burn is a gay club and he’s not gay. However, once he gets there and gets over his shyness, it’s game on!! Oliver starts making some serious money. Oliver meets this great guy, James who seems so damn sad and yet, is such a nice guy and he can’t help but enjoy Sunday nights when he comes in. Oliver’s life is about to take a couple of turns that he never even thought about. The question is…can Oliver find the happiness that he grab with his hands and can he overcome James’s wife’s vengeance?
James…were do you start? James is a really nice guy who finds himself in a situation that is of his own making and yet, he’s trying to get himself free or is he? James comes from money and he inherited a bunch when his parents were killed. He went into politics and married this really bitchy woman, Stella who is very ambitious and quite ruthless about getting what she wants. James has known he was gay since he was young and yet, he’s hidden that part of himself. James goes to Burn and meets this really nice bartender with whom he can actually converse with. They never get bored with each other and they can just talk. It’s nice and really kinda sweet.
Now, I was really happy that these two guys had the chance to really spend some time away from work and school and politics and get to know each other. I liked that once Oliver made up his mind regarding James and the nature of their relationship, he was all in. I liked seeing the growth of both Oliver and James. They each had to face their fears as well as make the decision to be happy and then do what it took in order to accomplish it. I liked that Oliver was cute and clueless about his sexuality and it was really wonderful to see these two men who are lonely as well as not very experienced come together.
I like seeing Brandt and Donnelly. I liked seeing the progression of their relationship and the growth that they are making, especially Brandt. He is still having some issues regarding his sexuality, as mentioned above, however, I really enjoy the fact that even with that issue, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he still loves Donnelly and he wants to spend his life with him. I Love It!!
So, we got to meet Liam and Noah, Brandt’s older brothers and they were a hoot!! I loved seeing how they love their baby brother and support him. I love that they are doing this bachelor party for them. Bryce and Nestor made a couple appearances and of course, we had some good laughs. I swear, Bryce makes me laugh out loud and Nestor adding in his two cents…good times!!
This was such a wonderful installment in the Brandt & Donnelly Capers and I can’t wait for the next adventure!! I like how as each caper has our guys in it, yet…they aren’t the main characters. They are there and living their lives, however, you are able to see them and have them meet and help our new characters.
Overall, this is a great book and a great addition to the series. This is a great story that will draw you in and hook you until the very end!! Can’t wait for the next book!!!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
May 30, 2015
4.5 stars
Brandt and Donnelly are back and preparing for their bachelor party. But trying to bring together a complicated group of men that must include Bryce, Nestor and Brandt’s straight brothers isn’t an easy task.
The humour is more subdued in this fifth book. Several very serious conversations might be more suited to a Gender and Sexuality 101 class than a high-camp romp with Brandt and Donnelly. Double entendres, jock strap jokes and a large man in tiny hotpants bring the fun back to the story, but this time the characters are quite serious grown ups.
Oliver is an engaging character. I loved the brain/brawn combination he brings to the story. But the really-hot-and-not-so-straight-guy-has-an-epiphany is the same story played over and over in this series. It is becoming formulaic. By book five, I was hoping for something fresh.
James is fresh. But a closeted politician we are supposed to have sympathy for? Hmm. Maybe twenty years ago. I kept struggling to understand why, at thirty, he was considered so old. He sounded like someone’s grandpa with his comments about how hard it was to be a gay politician when he first started out. What, six years ago? Really?
So, this wasn’t my favourite of the Brandt and Donnelly stories by far. But this is still a Xavier Mayne story. And Xavier Mayne’s writing is fabulous. Always. Brandt and Donnelly are two of my all time favourite characters and I feel more for supporting characters like Bryce or Xander than I do for most authors’ leading men.
New readers need to start this series at the beginning. Fans really shouldn’t skip this one. Our boys may be growing up, but the magic is still there.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
Brandt and Donnelly are back and preparing for their bachelor party. But trying to bring together a complicated group of men that must include Bryce, Nestor and Brandt’s straight brothers isn’t an easy task.
The humour is more subdued in this fifth book. Several very serious conversations might be more suited to a Gender and Sexuality 101 class than a high-camp romp with Brandt and Donnelly. Double entendres, jock strap jokes and a large man in tiny hotpants bring the fun back to the story, but this time the characters are quite serious grown ups.
Oliver is an engaging character. I loved the brain/brawn combination he brings to the story. But the really-hot-and-not-so-straight-guy-has-an-epiphany is the same story played over and over in this series. It is becoming formulaic. By book five, I was hoping for something fresh.
James is fresh. But a closeted politician we are supposed to have sympathy for? Hmm. Maybe twenty years ago. I kept struggling to understand why, at thirty, he was considered so old. He sounded like someone’s grandpa with his comments about how hard it was to be a gay politician when he first started out. What, six years ago? Really?
So, this wasn’t my favourite of the Brandt and Donnelly stories by far. But this is still a Xavier Mayne story. And Xavier Mayne’s writing is fabulous. Always. Brandt and Donnelly are two of my all time favourite characters and I feel more for supporting characters like Bryce or Xander than I do for most authors’ leading men.
New readers need to start this series at the beginning. Fans really shouldn’t skip this one. Our boys may be growing up, but the magic is still there.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
June 10, 2015
FourandHalfStars
Brandt and Donnelly are back and preparing for their bachelor party. But trying to bring together a complicated group of men that must include Bryce, Nestor and Brandt’s straight brothers isn’t an easy task.
The humour is more subdued in this fifth book. Several very serious conversations might be more suited to a Gender and Sexuality 101 class than a high-camp romp with Brandt and Donnelly. Double entendres, jock strap jokes and a large man in tiny hotpants bring the fun back to the story, but this time the characters are quite serious grown ups.
Oliver is an engaging character. I loved the brain/brawn combination he brings to the story. But the really-hot-and-not-so-straight-guy-has-an-epiphany is the same story played over and over in this series. It is becoming formulaic. By book five, I was hoping for something fresh.
James is fresh. But a closeted politician we are supposed to have sympathy for? Hmm. Maybe twenty years ago. I kept struggling to understand why, at thirty, he was considered so old. He sounded like someone’s grandpa with his comments about how hard it was to be a gay politician when he first started out. What, six years ago? Really?
So, this wasn’t my favourite of the Brandt and Donnelly stories by far. But this is still a Xavier Mayne story. And Xavier Mayne’s writing is fabulous. Always. Brandt and Donnelly are two of my all time favourite characters and I feel more for supporting characters like Bryce or Xander than I do for most authors’ leading men.
New readers need to start this series at the beginning. Fans really shouldn’t skip this one. Our boys may be growing up, but the magic is still there.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Sarah
Brandt and Donnelly are back and preparing for their bachelor party. But trying to bring together a complicated group of men that must include Bryce, Nestor and Brandt’s straight brothers isn’t an easy task.
The humour is more subdued in this fifth book. Several very serious conversations might be more suited to a Gender and Sexuality 101 class than a high-camp romp with Brandt and Donnelly. Double entendres, jock strap jokes and a large man in tiny hotpants bring the fun back to the story, but this time the characters are quite serious grown ups.
Oliver is an engaging character. I loved the brain/brawn combination he brings to the story. But the really-hot-and-not-so-straight-guy-has-an-epiphany is the same story played over and over in this series. It is becoming formulaic. By book five, I was hoping for something fresh.
James is fresh. But a closeted politician we are supposed to have sympathy for? Hmm. Maybe twenty years ago. I kept struggling to understand why, at thirty, he was considered so old. He sounded like someone’s grandpa with his comments about how hard it was to be a gay politician when he first started out. What, six years ago? Really?
So, this wasn’t my favourite of the Brandt and Donnelly stories by far. But this is still a Xavier Mayne story. And Xavier Mayne’s writing is fabulous. Always. Brandt and Donnelly are two of my all time favourite characters and I feel more for supporting characters like Bryce or Xander than I do for most authors’ leading men.
New readers need to start this series at the beginning. Fans really shouldn’t skip this one. Our boys may be growing up, but the magic is still there.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Sarah
June 23, 2015
5 stars - Reviewed for The Novel Approach
It is now time for the Bachelors Party! No problems and everything will go smoothly…right? Of course not. It is Brandt and Donnelly after all, and of course, there is going to be some kind of chaos. Brandt, being unsure of how to have a bachelor party that will make everyone feel included, and his feeling unsure about himself because he doesn’t fit into a specific box, made my heart hurt. That was, until he talked to his brother. That may have been one of my favorite scenes I have read in a book in a long time. The idea that as humans you should be able to love whoever it is you love without having to identify it or label it, that you’re falling in love with the person and not that you have to fall in love with a man or a woman, but that you love the person that completes you, is how it should be. I have to say that as much as I love Brandt and Donnelly, I am pretty sure Bryce is still my favorite. I don’t think there has been a moment while reading any of this series that if Bryce was there, I wasn’t smiling. He is so much fun!
Of course, there is a story within Brandt and Donnelly’s story…Oliver and James’s. I think the way Xavier Mayne takes a theme, or an idea, and is able to emphasize and intertwine it between two stories is amazing. Watching Oliver and James let go and fall in love was kind of intoxicating, and I couldn’t put the book down. There is really nothing about this series that I haven’t loved; the entire series, including Bachelors Party, is insightful, funny and super sexy. Can’t wait for the wedding!
It is now time for the Bachelors Party! No problems and everything will go smoothly…right? Of course not. It is Brandt and Donnelly after all, and of course, there is going to be some kind of chaos. Brandt, being unsure of how to have a bachelor party that will make everyone feel included, and his feeling unsure about himself because he doesn’t fit into a specific box, made my heart hurt. That was, until he talked to his brother. That may have been one of my favorite scenes I have read in a book in a long time. The idea that as humans you should be able to love whoever it is you love without having to identify it or label it, that you’re falling in love with the person and not that you have to fall in love with a man or a woman, but that you love the person that completes you, is how it should be. I have to say that as much as I love Brandt and Donnelly, I am pretty sure Bryce is still my favorite. I don’t think there has been a moment while reading any of this series that if Bryce was there, I wasn’t smiling. He is so much fun!
Of course, there is a story within Brandt and Donnelly’s story…Oliver and James’s. I think the way Xavier Mayne takes a theme, or an idea, and is able to emphasize and intertwine it between two stories is amazing. Watching Oliver and James let go and fall in love was kind of intoxicating, and I couldn’t put the book down. There is really nothing about this series that I haven’t loved; the entire series, including Bachelors Party, is insightful, funny and super sexy. Can’t wait for the wedding!
October 4, 2015
In this installment we have a new romance between Oliver, a med student working at a gay bar to earn extra money, even though he's straight. There he meets James, a regular on Sunday nights who always sits at Oliver's half of the bar. They enjoy easy conversation and and it's obvious James likes Oliver, demonstrated by his flirting and huge tips. But Oliver is certainly straight. The development of this gay for you romance was so interesting to watch. Things change so quickly, secrets are revealed and then all hell breaks loose. I just loved these two together and their road to happiness was great fun to watch.
The humor in this story had me belly laughing quite often, this author is so good at that. And of course we get to see Brandt and Donnelley again who have concerns about their bachelor party being appropriate for both gay and straight guests. All in all another excellent read. Love this series.
The humor in this story had me belly laughing quite often, this author is so good at that. And of course we get to see Brandt and Donnelley again who have concerns about their bachelor party being appropriate for both gay and straight guests. All in all another excellent read. Love this series.
June 5, 2015
4.5 stars. I'm always surprised how much I love Xavier Mayne's books. They are always more profound and well written than I'm expecting. I'm not sure why I'm not expecting more. His characters are always so complex and well written. Wrestling Demons was a fantastically beautiful and intense book. The rest of the Brandt and Donnelly books have all been 4-5 star reads for me as well. Bachelors Party was great! There were a couple of little things that annoyed me, hence the 4.5 star rating instead of 5 stars. This book had me laughing out loud several times.
August 22, 2015
4-1/2 Stars
Bachelor parties can lead to so much trouble but can be very entertaining. In this installment, we find old friends once again helping new friends and Brandt's brothers with planning the boys' bachelor party. We also get to meet Oliver, a man not unlike Brandt who has been straight all his life but now through his new job has met a politician and suddenly his life is turned inside out. As usual everything comes together with the help of our beloved officers and their friends, Bryce and Nestor with the welcomed combination of comedy, sexiness, drama, and love.
Bachelor parties can lead to so much trouble but can be very entertaining. In this installment, we find old friends once again helping new friends and Brandt's brothers with planning the boys' bachelor party. We also get to meet Oliver, a man not unlike Brandt who has been straight all his life but now through his new job has met a politician and suddenly his life is turned inside out. As usual everything comes together with the help of our beloved officers and their friends, Bryce and Nestor with the welcomed combination of comedy, sexiness, drama, and love.
July 4, 2015
Hard for me to say, because I love this series, but something was missing in this one. I didn't feel a big connection to James and Oliver and their instalove was not really believable to me.
I'm rounding up to 4 stars, because Xavier Mayne's writing -as always- was good and the book had sexy campy fun, as to be expected
I'm rounding up to 4 stars, because Xavier Mayne's writing -as always- was good and the book had sexy campy fun, as to be expected
May 19, 2016
I wasn't too sure about this series but I had a 18 hour flight to Europe so I thought it would be a good time to try it on my e-reader - I was certainly glad I did! I was thoroughly engaged and did not want to sleep on the flights! I was perfectly happy reading through all the adventures these State Troopers encountered. Seriously sexy and very entertaining!
June 16, 2015
Another excellent book . I love Brandt and Donnelly.
June 15, 2015
I want more Brandt and Donnelly in action!
June 9, 2015
It was great! Very interesting. Cant wait to read what's next.
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