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Pulling Strings

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Devon Donaldson doesn’t know how a folio of stolen corporate secrets found its way into his bag, and he certainly can’t think of anyone who’d want to frame him. The trouble is, he has to convince Powers McPherson. Devon’s firm hired Powers to investigate the theft of a new banking system, and so far Devon is his only lead. While Powers’s gut tells him Devon is innocent, he has no intention of letting Devon out of his sight…for more than one reason. Working together to get Devon’s life back leads to feelings far beyond cooperation. But before they can act on them, they need to find the group of thieves intent on ruining Devon’s reputation.

240 pages, ebook

First published September 10, 2019

44 people are currently reading
187 people want to read

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Andrew Grey

250 books1,990 followers

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Shin Mon Thway.
663 reviews1,695 followers
September 12, 2019
Review By….(Shin Mon Thway)….Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
 
Name of Book: Pulling Strings, Long, Novel
Series: Name and Book #
Author: Andrew Grey
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release date: unknown
Page Count: unknown
Genre: Suspense, Thriller,
Rated: Mature
 



Undoubtedly, Andrew Grey is one of the powerhouses in our beloved MM genre. He also has a lot of great books under his belt. I have read some of his books before and loved them but I have never read a suspense, thriller-ish novel from Andrew. 😌 Usually, they are sweet, fluffy and charming. So what a great way to be introduced to an exhilarating and enigmatic industrial espionage story from Andrew Grey. 👏

Devon has lived a dull, monotonous and somewhat productive life. He’s one of the little cogs in a huge corporation company and he has only been working there for six months. All he wants to do is to work hard, to keep his head down at work and live a peaceful life. But his life turned a 180 degree when he was unceremoniously and unexpectedly involved in an industrial espionage that’s been happening in his firm.

There’s an envelope full of stolen classified data and a flash drive in his bag. And he has no idea when, how or who put it there. Private investigator Powers McPherson is on the chase to find out who’s been stealing and trying to sell the firm’s top secret new software. When McPherson finally finds some breadcrumbs to follow, it ends up at the bag of firm’s new golden boy, Devon Donaldson. Devon said he knew nothing about the stolen envelope in his bag and miraculously, Powers believe him. He doesn’t think a man as innocent as Devon is capable of doing such an evil thing. But Devon is the only clue in this “needles in the hay stack” enigma of industrial espionage and Powers need his help to find out who’s the real theif. And if Powers is honest with himself, he isn’t ready to end the meeting with cute and charming Devon. Devon might not be the mastermind behind stealing the firm’s top secret software but he sure stole Powers’ heart.
😉

Okay. I like that I had no idea about who’s the real criminal until it was revealed in the end. Seriously, I didn’t see that coming. 😱 That was some major jaw-dropping twist and I loved it. The attraction between Devon and Powers is instant but it took some time for these men to start exploring their attraction to each other. The romance is slow, sensual, loving and romantic. ❤️ Aside from the fact that they are both struggling to find out the real mastermind behind the theft, Devon has been hurt quite badly in the past. 😭 He’s vulnerable, insecure and afraid to love again. And Powers was very patient, loving and protective towards him. 😍 There was some angst about two-third thru the book but it was resolved quickly. I liked that there’s some angst in it because it definitely made the story more realistic and fascinating. The secondary characters in this story was very powerful and interesting too. 😌 I was fascinated with both Lucy, Power’s sister, and Alexander, Devon’s friend. I could easily see this turning into a series. The ending was lovely too. Overall, this was a very satisfying and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their romance with a healthy dose of mystery/thriller. 😉 I think this book has the perfect balance of romance and suspense/thriller aspect to it and it isn’t an easy thing to juggle. So kudos to Andrew Grey. 👏



4.5 You stole my heart and now you have to keep it forever stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫








Disclaimer: An advanced review copy of this book was provided by the author via “Paranormal Romance Guild” for an honest and unbiased review.
Profile Image for Joseph.
784 reviews4 followers
December 26, 2020
So, I love Andrew Grey. Ive read many of his books, and was excited at the premise of this one. A private detective falling for a guy he suspects initially as one of the employees trying to steal a new banking system. Sounds good, right? Well, somewhere after the initial page or two, it feel off. I did finish the book as it is easy to read, but it really fell short. Halfway through the he book I wondered who was the private detective? Devon or the actual detective? It all just seemed a little hokey for me. The writing, the situation, everything - just fell short. Oh well! You can’t win every time!
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
8,881 reviews509 followers
September 10, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars


I love Andrew Grey’s books. He’s a go to for me, and several of his stories are what I consider “comfort reads.” So, when I saw Pulling Strings was available to review, I jumped on it. I am not disappointed.

Let me begin by talking about Devon and Powers. I liked both men immediately. Even though Powers is rough in the beginning because he thinks Devon might be the thief, that showed me he was honorable and wanted to get to the truth. Devon is a bit shy, and I really enjoy shy characters. It seems as if they’re the ones who are necessary to how the story ends. Together they make a good team.

Their personal relationship is nice and works really well for me. It’s a bit of instalove, but I don’t mind. The attraction is instant, and it could be felt as early as the ball. Their coming together was sweet, but sexy. The fact that Powers, who is portrayed as a tough guy, is a total romantic makes my heart melt.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.

Profile Image for Anke.
2,504 reviews97 followers
nope
December 24, 2019
The blurb sounded interesting, but the sample was rather stupid.
Thank you amazon for saving me money:)
Profile Image for Kirstin.
1,948 reviews18 followers
September 6, 2019
This was very different than what I've read of Andrew Grey's work in the past. This was more mystery and intrigue than romance, but it had plenty of both to satisfy the die hard slow burn lovers.

Devon has lived his life under the radar. And he likes it that way. He gets his work done, gets along well with his coworkers, and makes enough to pay his bills. He likes his boring, nondescript life. Until a James Bond-esque spy shows up at a work function and his life is upended.

Powers investigates people, situations and scenarios and has made a living doing so. He relies on his gut and this time, after meeting Devon, his gut is fluttery.

Powers and Devon are so very different, yet compliment each other so thoroughly. There was something about the dialogue between them that just felt so genuine to me. I enjoyed that they had actual conversations about things, not just quick one lined back and forths.

The mystery wasn't revealed until the end and I was guessing the entire time. I love it when a story can cause me to keep guessing until end and make it plausible at the same time. Very well done.

This is a bit more intrigue, but I liked it a lot. For sure one I'd recommend reading.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*
Profile Image for Claudia.
2,982 reviews38 followers
September 3, 2020
This book wasn't for me.

I found the plot laughable and with more holes than a Gruyère cheese, and Powers was absolutely inefficient when trying to solve the case. I think even I, without any Intelligence background, would have done a way better job. Hell, Devon has no background and he DID a better job.

I didn't see the romance at all, didn't see any connection between the characters. And, to be honest, I ended skipping almost all dialogue not case-related because I found it either clichè or boring :/

I must confess that the only reason why I didn't DNFed this was because I had it posted in a challenge.

Profile Image for Becca.
3,153 reviews43 followers
September 11, 2019
This was a really good book. Really was. It's not a murder mystery but there's a mystery to solve. Corporate theft and espionage, and a lowly programmer and a PI with his twin sister, who is a hoot, to figure out who is stealing specs and setting someone else up.
Devon works hard. He's only been with the company 6 months but he works so hard. This is his first gala and he's as nervous as can be. It doesn't help when tall, dark and broody, (Powers) seems to keep following him around the place. Then he finds out why when Powers comes banging on his door and accusing him of stealing corporate plans to sell them to someone else. But Powers starts to believe Devon is innocent when he starts having several panic attacks. No one can act that good. Or can they? Either way, if Devon isn't the one who's done it, then someone is setting him up. And they quickly find out that's the case. Stuff is planted on him, his apartment broken into and set up to kill him, his computer stolen, and programming set up or him to take the fall. So between himself, Powers, Lucy (Powers's twin) and a friend of Devon's, they have to devise a plan to trap and capture the culprit. But then Powers is kidnapped and Devon is listed into the trap. Now they not only have to have the guy arrested for what he's done, but make it out alive.
Quiet, shy, nervous Devon. Sure he was lonely and a little down on himself from asshole exes, but he's such a sweetheart. He's just a quiet guy. He tries so hard to push himself to do more and be better but it's hard. So when all this happens and Powers enters his life, he really feels like a loser. Panic attacks, being scared to death. Of course, I'd be scared too, if someone was robbing and trying to kill me. But what I love is that Powers saw the real strength in Devon. Sure, Devon was scared and all but he kept getting up and kept trying. He kept going. And even when things turn heated between him and Powers, once he realizes Powers is actually enjoying being with him, he lets loose and it's like a whole new Devon.
What made the book funny though, was Powers's sister. She is no holds barred and has no filter and it is hilarious. But she's loyal as hell and handy to have watching your back because she doesn't take any crap from anyone. I love her.
This is a really good book you guys need to read. It's been a blast.

http://lovebytesreviews.com/

Profile Image for Jay.
383 reviews65 followers
September 25, 2019
Mystery and intrigue captivate you in Pulling Strings by Andrew Grey. The mysterious Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody is paying close attention to Devon Donaldson when he attends the annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society event his employer Coopers, Littman, and Mauer is sponsoring. What Devon can’t figure out is why… and it has him on edge.

Devon, the shy introvert, has set a goal to talk to at least ten people he doesn’t know at the event. But, Tall, Dark, and Broody, a security guy maybe, causes his skin to prickle and his insecurities to surface. What is up with this guy and why does Devon find himself interested in the mystery man? Devon is just an average guy living a pretty dull and colorless life. However, his dance moves do garner him a bit of attention. All Devon truly seeks is to work hard and maintain a peaceful and low-profile existence. Well, all is about to change!

Powers McPherson, aka Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody, is currently investigating a bout of industrial espionage that centers on the new banking system that Coopers, Littman, and Mauer has under development. He finds the shy, somewhat geeky Devon captivating, even distracting, and toys with him during the stuffy black-tie event he’s attending for the case.

Powers is thrust into Devon’s humdrum life when evidence points to the golden boy being involved in the theft. But enough on that, I don’t want to give away the plot twist that completely blindsided me. It doesn’t take long for Devon and Powers to team up, even with the distrust palpitating between the two of them. What isn’t lacking, however, is the heat and attraction sizzling away. The slow-build as they navigate the murky waters is endearing and tantalizing.

Mystery and intrigue captivate you in ‘Pulling Strings’ by Andrew Grey.

Having read a lot of Andrew Grey’s work Pulling Strings deviates slightly from the fluffy and sweet romance he is known for. With Pulling Strings he embarks on a suspense/thriller and does an excellent job building the intrigue and hiding the perpetrator. Don’t get me wrong, his Hearts Entwined Series has a bit of a mystery, but Pulling Strings takes things to a whole new level.

The secondary characters we meet are strong and very well could turn Pulling Strings into a series. Especially notable are Lucy, Powers’ sister, as well as Devon’s friend, Alexander. Several of Devon’s co-workers play a significant role so, maybe resolving the tension between these folks is another direction the sleuthing team will take.

While reading Pulling Strings I kept thinking about Ty Herndon and his recent album release, Got It Covered, but in particular the song “Living In A Moment” which he originally released in 1996 and Herndon is re-releasing with new pronouns to better reflect the man he is.
Profile Image for Jake.
295 reviews16 followers
February 23, 2020
Boring, not sexy, and while the mystery wasn’t predictable, it wasn’t interesting. So glad I got it through the library.

I’ve read other Andrew Grey books that I really liked. This was a disappointment and I can’t believe I didn’t DNF this.
Profile Image for Marine Laurent.
73 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2024
J'ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec cette romance à suspense qui est plutôt feel good.

Je l'ai lu en quelques heures seulement (même si saccadé en plusieurs fois à cause du boulot) car le format est assez court avec moins de 250 pages.

J'ai cependant trouvé la plume de l'auteur légèrement moins fluide à lire, il y a certaines répétitions qui cassent un peu le rythme, mais je ne sais pas si cela est dû à la traduction ou à sa façon de faire comme c'est la première œuvre que je lis de lui (il en a quand même écrit 163 le monsieur 👀).

J'ai bien aimé l'univers contemporain que l'auteur à mis en place, le déroulement de l'enquête et la résolution de l'histoire même s'il ne faut pas s'attendre à une tension et des plots twist à vous retourner le cerveau.

C'est pour cela que je considère cette romance comme feel good, si jamais vous rechercher une histoire d'enquête sans prise de tête, ce livre est fait pour vous.

Les personnages principaux : Devon, Powers, Lucy et Alexander sont assez attachants pour nous décrocher des petits sourires mais pas développés suffisamment à mon goût (passé juste effleuré, peu de détails...), mais en même temps pour seulement 234 pages c'est compréhensible.

Devon à tout de même une belle évolution au fil de l'histoire, lui qui est "invisible" apprend à s'affirmer dans son comportement et dans ses décisions de vie grâce à, mais aussi avec Powers.

Powers est typiquement le personnage taciturne qui donne froid dans le dos s'il vous fixe trop longtemps (pratique pour son job) mais qui cache en réalité son côté protecteur avec consentement ++ en prime.

Lucy et Alexander sont choupinous même si on effleure juste la surface de leur relation et point bonus car Lucy est une femme forte et intelligente (et on aime ça).

En résumé, une bonne lecture rapide et feel good avec une pincée de tension, de suspense et de spicy.

J'espère que cela vous donne envie ❤️
Profile Image for Jenn.
1,157 reviews7 followers
September 13, 2019
4 - 4.5 Stars

It's no secret that I love Andrew Grey, he is one of those authors I can always count on to bring me a story I'm going enjoy and he's done it again with Pulling Strings. I really enjoyed the suspense angle of this book, Andrew Grey kept me guessing right up until the end! And, when you add in these great characters, it is definitely a win for me! 

I liked both Devon and Powers right from the start, both are good men just trying to do their job. Powers come off a bit gruff, but it's easy to understand in the circumstances, and you see the kind of guy he really is pretty quick. Devon is just a genuine, wonderful guy and I just wanted to hug him. Together, they are just fantastic. They have a great connection but they are very caring as well. I really appreciated how Powers reassures and builds up Devon when it's needed. 

This book is a really great mix of drama/suspense and romance with a dash of angst that made it so I just had to keep reading. I really did love how the twists kept coming, keeping me guessing and then it all came together in a great ending! I also have to bring up Lucy, who is Powers' twin sister, she is an intriguing character all on her own and brings a lot to this story! Overall a great read I enjoyed from start to finish! Another winner from Andrew Grey!
Profile Image for Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews.
2,698 reviews138 followers
September 12, 2019
Andrew Grey's Pulling Strings is a fun thriller romance. If you're used to Andrew's books, you'll find this one is different from his other works.

When Devon finds himself innocently caught in a dangerous situation, Powers shows up to protect and help him. What follows is a sweet romance while the two men try to solve a mystery and fight for their lives.

It doesn't take long for Powers to become personally invested in keeping Devon safe. It's a fun conflict of interest as he's combining business with pleasure. Both men are likeable, and they work really well together. I love how different both are. The author does a great job in developing these two multi-dimensional characters.

Their story includes danger, action, and a whole lot of suspense. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery, and the surprise reveal. It also includes some great side characters, especially Powers' sister who will have you laughing a lot.

I definitely recommend Pulling Strings to anyone who's looking for romance mixed with intrigue.
Profile Image for Gavin Stephenson-Jackman.
1,607 reviews
November 28, 2020
Devon finds himself caught in the middle of a corporate espionage plot and the security firm tasked to stop the theft before it happens. Powers spots Devon at a corporate gala and is fascinated by him. Devon notices Powers as well but their first encounter is stressful at best. Someone has slipped information relating to the theft of corporate secrets into his bag and Powers confronts him about it. Devon manages to convince Powers of his innocence in the matter and agrees to help solve the mystery. Devon is shy, but the hyper masculine Powers is just his type. Powers wants to protect Devon, but to solve the mystery may put him in harms way. As Devon works with Powers he discovers an inner strength that brings the two together in very powerful ways. Love and intrigue meet in this tale.
Profile Image for Hannah.
197 reviews
December 1, 2020
I feel like this novel relies too much on the reader suspending their disbelief. I could be completely wrong, but I just didn't think a lot of what happened would or could happen. Other than that though, I think the real problem with this book was me. It includes too many things that I know I don't like:

- The dynamic between the characters: Powers was hypermasculine, Devon wasn't, and while this dynamic can be done well, I didn't like it too much here
- Everything was incredibly dramatic
- They knew each other for a week! I repeated this to myself so many times while reading this, I was so irritated by how quickly they were moving forward.
- There was a lot of showing vs. telling in the character arcs
Profile Image for Ziggi Chavez.
247 reviews6 followers
October 16, 2021
While it did take me 4 chapters to get into the grove of the Character interactions, and for the action to truly start picking up, the second half of this book reads quite well. I found the sensual scenes to be really well written; to not be overly explicit, but somehow also sharing just enough to get my imagination going to feel that connection of characters. In the end, I appreciated the backstory given in the first few, slow-going chapters, as it made the triumphs and suspense developed in the end chapters, that much more meaningful. If that same energy could be given to the primary chapters to set up the plot, I would see this as a 5star. Would definitely read more by Grey in the future.
Profile Image for Aerielle Bondi.
620 reviews2 followers
September 6, 2019
Its no secret that I am a big fan of Andrew Grey!! I found Pulling Strings to be an entertaining romantic mystery. Andrew Grey is great at creating characters full of depth. Devon and Powers are both very well written characters. The other stand out character is Powers twin sister Lucy. She provides a lot of comic relief, which keeps this book from being to heavy. There is a little angst, but it resolves quickly. This book had me guessing the whole time. I had no clue who the bad guy would end up being. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great romance with good dose of sleuthing and mystery.
Profile Image for Debra Guyette.
1,670 reviews59 followers
September 17, 2019
Pulling Strings was not quite what I thought it would be based on the cover. It was though very enjoyable. Devon grew so much during the telling of the story. He become so confident and it was surely with Powers help. Their interaction was fun to read. Unfortunately trust issues interfered. The plot was relevant to today's issues. IT issues and security are something increasingly problematic. I really enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Carrie.
1,012 reviews25 followers
November 16, 2019
Great characters and chemistry, but I didn't really get Powers' professional appeal. Personal appeal I do get, he was a very patient and generous boyfriend. Maybe he was a good bodyguard, but as a P.I. he was a bit weak. It felt like Powers' twin sister Lucy, Devon, and Devon's hacker friend Alex were doing all the work. And in the end.
265 reviews3 followers
March 14, 2022
This was a fun read. 5 stars.

Devon get caught up in a corporate espionage game. He's caught by the man who was hired to figure out what was going on. Powers has to save him I have to figure out together what is going on and who is pulling the strings. A wonderful fun joyful book with a few tense moments
Profile Image for MariF.
856 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2019
I have missed author's writing as Dirk Greyson and this book has fixed that for me. I loved the pace, intrigue and romance. Supporting characters were great as well, so it was a joy to read.
Excellent job, Mr. Grey.
Profile Image for Barbara Lampron.
297 reviews2 followers
September 12, 2019
Wow Andrew!

What a great book! It had intrigue, love between the two(even though they didn’t know yet), and a good plot! I loved it! Keep up the good work Andrew!
3,099 reviews3 followers
September 29, 2019
This one is a miss for me. I started skimming halfway through and would have DNF'D it except that it is Andrew Grey. Bored with the "mystery" aspect and the romance is meh.
1,787 reviews26 followers
October 9, 2019
Incongruous Couple & Plot

This one is a bit different than most Andrew Grey works, but it's just as satisfying, exciting and sexy as most of them. The cover will let you know how different it is likely to be: Powers McPherson is a hot mid-30s private security hunk who's confronted somewhat milquetoast Devon Donaldson in what appears to be a mistaken attempt to thwart a corporate theft.

That Devon and Powers forge a tentative, then comfortable, then intimate, bond to solve a mystery which has many suspects is one of the comfort factors you expect from Mr. Grey and despite some pretty hefty forays into computer technology he accomplishes what you expect. (Say this about Grey: He is an avid researcher and all of his books reflect that he gets to know the milieu pretty thoroughly).

This is not one of those can't-put-it-down books, but I could not put it down because I was comfortable every step of the way. Another winner from an author who never strikes out.
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