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Stealing Dmitri

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Rory MacLellan, AKA the Highlander, may be the most successful interstellar art thief in the Known Worlds, but he still has a conscience. So when he runs into a suicidal museum worker during his latest job, he has no choice but to stun the man and rescue him from certain death.

Dr. Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a disastrous dig left his career in tatters. Hungry, broke, and desperate, the last thing he expected was a dashing thief to come along and save his life.

Thrown together by accident and with interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?

Note: This book was previously released by Evernight Publishing in 2014 under the title Two to Tango. The Belaurient Press edition has been re-edited and expanded.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2014

5 people are currently reading
140 people want to read

About the author

Nicola Cameron

28 books138 followers
Nicola Cameron is a married woman of a certain age who really likes writing about science fiction, fantasy, and sex. When not writing about those things, she likes to make Stuff™. And she may be rather fond of absinthe.

While possessing a healthy interest in sex since puberty, it wasn’t until 2012 that she decided to write about it. The skills picked up during her SF writing career transferred quite nicely to speculative romance. Her To Be Written work queue currently stands at around nineteen books, and her mojito-sodden Muse swans in from Bali every so often to add to the list, cackling to herself all the while.

Nicola plans to continue writing until she drops dead over her keyboard or makes enough money to buy a private island and hire Rory McCann as her personal trainer/masseur, whichever comes first.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for ~Nicole~.
851 reviews410 followers
May 14, 2023
Well, this was better than I expected and I must say I debated if I should round up or down. Eventually I rounded down because the insta everything was too blatant and I’m not a fan. Also it was a bit on the light and funny side and I would have liked something more serious and I missed a bit of tension here and there too. But,hey, it was pretty good and I had a lot of fun. I had no idea it would be sci-fi and I was smacked in the face with it lol but the world building was so entertaining, imaginative and fun if a bit all over the place .
Profile Image for Gerbera_Reads.
1,703 reviews155 followers
July 8, 2019
This was a lovely mix of sci-fi and Scottish tartans, modern space Robin Hood with a heart of gold and a exoarchaeologist brought so low that he sees no way out. Two men hurting from the loss of their dreams, their lives inescapably entwine to become one grand adventure.

Rory MacLellan aka the Highlander is an easy man to get along with. He loves what he does and he is very good at it. During one of his heists he encounters a man who will not only heal his broken heart but make him want to be happy again. I loved Rory. He was such a positive character. Everything he did for Dmitri was above and beyond a mere acquaintance, but that's just the kind of man he was - funny, smart and good with his hands. But there is more to him than just being a thief, and it will be up to Dmitri to trust Rory and see whether what they have can be something more.

Dr. Dmitri Grigoryev worked hard to be his own man. He was almost at the height of his career as an exoarchaeologist, but a mistake in judgement and lust for wrong people brought it all crushing down. Now being at the dregs of society, he sees no other choice but to end it all. But Fate intervenes and brings him into the hands of a man who will teach him to forgive and will show him the galaxy. I liked Dmitri for his resilience. Even though he was dealt a bad hand, he embraced Rory and all he gave him. And together they could be partners in work as well. But all is not so easy when it comes to both their families. Suspicions and unwanted jealousy nearly break them apart.

The twists about Dmitri's family were so good. I loved it. No spoilers for you! Nah ah! Despite many heavy topics mentioned, this was a light-hearted, s*exy and fast-paced tale of friendship, love and finding one's own path. The tidbits Ms Cameron gave us built the world full of different creatures both rich and living as outlaws. I liked this book a lot. I recommend it! Copy provided for my honest and unbiased review
Profile Image for M'rella.
1,465 reviews173 followers
August 29, 2015
I am editing my review and changing the rating because the author took her time to read through my not so friendly writing and decided to take into account a few corrections.

I will come back and re-write this properly when I have more time on my hands.

For right now:

Five stars for all the fun and adventure and the easy, humorous writing. Perfect amount of sex, too.

Half a star off for almost identical Rory and Dima's families. What are the odds? But - hay! - stranger things happen ;)





Profile Image for L.D. Blakeley.
Author 15 books135 followers
July 2, 2014
What. If. I. Said. Yes.

There's a reason Nicola Cameron has used this particular tagline in promoting Two To Tango. And the reason is: HOLYHELLHOTNESS! Yeah, okay, so that's not actually a word. But it should convey meaning, nonetheless.

When Dr. Dmitri Grigoryev, career & pride in tatters, collides (quite literally) with Rory MacLellan (the interstellar art theif infamously known as The Highlander) he has no idea the change in tack his life is about to take. This sexy Russian and hot Scot spark off each other almost instantly. And their snarky banter and smouldering-hot chemistry make this fantasy heist story a rollicking good read. Nicola Cameron wonderfully melds a sci-fi universe (complete with a smart-assed ship AI and cleverly named planets) worthy of any nerd's respect with some of the sexiest, erotic man-sex out there!

At the risk of sounding greedy: sequel?
Profile Image for J1B.
243 reviews25 followers
July 29, 2019
Colors had been assigned to different
points along the spectrum for easy identification; heterosexuals were Blue, homosexuals Red,
asexuals White, demisexuals Grey, pansexuals Purple, and bisexuals Yellow.
Hetero/homoflexible and romantic asexuals were assigned stripes in their secondary orientation,
and people could switch categories at will by petitioning to be reclassified in their chosen
orientation.


Good God. This is the future that tumblr wants. I wish I could assume the words "easy identification" were included for satire's sake, but I strongly suspect the author actually buys into this as "easy!" Imagine unironically thinking that. "Secondary orientation" may win the award for "most ridiculous thing I've seen in 'MM' romance" 2019.
Profile Image for K.
1,607 reviews82 followers
June 10, 2016
Pick it for me challenge book June 2016

Set in the 23rd Century, Rory, aka The Highlander, a master international art (and just about anything else) thief, breaks into a museum to steal a valuable jewel just before it is due to be blasted with a chemical cleaning process that will eliminate anything living. He's shocked to find Dimitri, who is using the cleansing to end what he feels is the failure of a life, and on the spur of the moment rescues him.

The pair get to know each other on board Rory's ship - where he lives along with Molly, an AI technological being who runs the ship (and Rory's life) and a strange little tree like creature who is the ship's engineer. Their relationship moves quite quickly in the close confinement of the ship, before they head to Rory's home in futuristic Aberdeen for a meeting with his ailing father.

Then, when a job goes wrong in Russia, it's up to Dimitri to return to his own family to rescue Rory. There is a nice HEA as they head off into space.

I really enjoyed this one
Profile Image for Scott McQ.
279 reviews7 followers
July 6, 2014
Total transparency here, I know the author and consider her a dear friend, but I'll try to remain unbiased. I LOVED this book! I've not been much into science fiction, but this is a great read! She's really worked the history of this futuristic setting into something very believable. The two main characters are quite charming to read about and I was totally swept away by their romance. The twists and turns of their time together was exciting as it unfolded. This is a series I would love if it was continued. I'd be into further adventures of the Highlander like an art thief on a Monet!
Profile Image for Наталья.
529 reviews4 followers
February 14, 2015
Легкое забавное чтение.

Герои приятные, второстепенные персонажи интересные, и приключения на месте.

Минус звезда за русский контент - перепутаны мужской и женский род, путаница с именами, и неужели авторам так сложно поискать другие имена, кроме Дмитрия, Бориса, Василия, Федора да Андрея? Эти имена используются всеми!

И, действительно, такое количество совпадений в семьях героев неправдоподобно. Я старательно закрывала на это глаза.
Profile Image for Taya:).
499 reviews45 followers
September 22, 2014
Bozhe moi! I love this book. This was another surprise hit for me this month. I like to watch sci fi not so much reading about it. This story was hot, funny and very well done. I love Rory and Dimitri together. I would so be recommended this book in the future. (4.5 stars)
Profile Image for Jody.
2,090 reviews61 followers
October 21, 2014
As a fan of the sci-fi genre this story kept me fully engrossed in the action and romance of two men running from their pasts. With steamy interludes, witty banter, fast-paced action, and a vividly depicted meshing of future technology and old world living I couldn't put this book down. The characters, both main and secondary, won me over wholeheartedly and kept me rooting for their HEA.

Dmitri's life is on a downward spiral ever since he was made the scapegoat on an archaeological dig gone wrong. He lost his career, his reputation, and while trying to clear his name he loses the only menial job he could find. Not wanting to return home a failure he sees no other option but suicide. Fate has other plans for him though when a self-professed criminal saves his life and gives him the chance to work in his field again. Not only that but he offers him love and comfort that's been missing from his life since that fateful day. Dmitri is untrusting when Rory first meets him. He's been screwed over before and is leery of what Rory offers him. It's not long before the charming Scotsman wins him over and they go forth on a mission to meet each other's families as well as going after yet another historical piece that leaves Rory in danger and Dmitri begging for help from the family he left behind.

Rory has a lot of emotional pain in his past courtesy of a domineering father who groomed him from birth to take over the family business. Feeling stifled, and believing his father a true villain in ruining his happiness, he leaves his past behind and becomes a gentleman thief. When an easy retrieval of an artifact goes wrong he ends up saving a man who he's immediately drawn to but senses is lost. Their relationship teems with sexual tension as Rory tries to win Dmitri over with his immense charm. They take their time getting comfortable with one another before giving a glimpse into their lives by returning home for visits. Seeing their families you see how far they've both come in remaking themselves. They're two opposites who are perfect together and willing to put their lives on the line for the other in a sweet yet highly sensual romance. Rory is utterly delectable and confident in his charm and good looks. He's sweet with a sense of honor that shows in his early dealings with Dmitri. I felt sympathetic for his losses early in life and the feelings of never being good enough for his father that leave him snarky in his father's presence. He's the highlight of the story for me and I enjoy his romantic chasing of Dmitri that put a smile on my face.

This was an immensely entertaining story that was sweet and sexy. The romance between Rory and Dmitri was cute with witty banter and playful and erotic sexual interludes. Rory is larger than life while Dmitri is quietly supportive but strong when he really needs to be. They come from very different backgrounds that we get introduced to as the story progresses and which causes emotional turmoil for them as a couple with outside forces trying to pull them apart. Along with a memorable main couple there's delightful support from Rory's AI Molly as well as his ship's engineer Phaalan. Both are very human in their actions which endeared them to me but with looks that set them apart. They're both loyal and add to the sci-fi nature of the story and lit up every scene they were in, offering a sense of family to both Rory and Dmitri. From start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed this intensely emotional and action-packed story and am impressed by the talent on display in the telling of this tale and highly recommend this to other fans of sci-fi and the m/m genre!
Profile Image for Cocktails and Books.
4,149 reviews322 followers
July 3, 2015
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Reading "Two To Tango" was the most pleasant surprise I've had a ages. I've read a few stories from Nicola Cameron, so I expected to like this one, but I was completely unprepared by how much I FREAKING LOVED it!!

I don't want to go into too much detail here. The basic premise is that Rory is a very successful art thief. He's been everywhere, seen everything, and stolen quite a bit of it. He's entered a museum to steal a huge precious stone, and he's got to do it quickly. The museum runs a security procedure like no other. At a certain time, all of the doors and windows seal, and a poisonous gas is pumped in ready to kill any would be thieves.

However, he notices a person sitting in an office. Dmitri is a disgraced scientist whose career is over, and he's lost his job at the museum. So, he decides to commit suicide by sitting through the gassing of the museum. Well, Rory may be a thief, but he's also a nice guy, and he decides to save the scientist and bring him on board his ship.

Everything really takes off from there. Dmitri thinks he has been kidnapped, and he's not really happy to be out in space with the man he thinks took him. Slowly, they get to know each other, and then they fall in love. It's a beautiful thing to watch. Rory doesn't want to scare or push Dmitri, but Dmitri comes around soon enough. Their union is...and I don't want to seem like I'm overly gushing or anything, but...it's magicical. Their sex is amazing, but the obvious love they feel for one another makes it even better.

Of course, nothing goes smoothly. Our men have to go through some tribulations before they can have their happily ever after. There is some angst, but not too much. It moves the story along, but doesn't make you want to crawl into a dark closet and cry. THere are people who don't want them to be together, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to separate them. There is a lot of intrigue and a bit of violence, but it's all spaced between a lot of humor. I laughed a lot reading "Two To Tango". Rory is charming, the ship's engineer, and alien who looks rather like a shrub with tentacles is hilarious with the Scottish accent that Rory gave him through the translator, and Molly...oh Molly. She's the ship's AI, and she's almost more human than humans.

All of this together makes the perfect read. I had an absolute blast reading it. I sat up until 4:30 am because I didn't want to put it down. I was exhausted the next day, but it was so worth it. I recommend this book to anyone who is into MM romance and sci fi adventures. It's smart. It's unique, and it's a fantastic way to spend your day.

Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
Profile Image for Alison.
896 reviews31 followers
July 6, 2016
Enjoyable. This is an easy and light sci-fi adventure romance that's full of energy. It's definitely more of a romance than a sci-fi adventure, but it was pleasant, entertaining, and easy to read. It's action-packed, both outside of the bedroom and in. The writing is fine, but there was an enormous use of "the thief" and "the archaeologist" instead of their names, which is not something I care for, but it's not a big deal. This has likeable characters, though I didn't really connect with either of them. All in all, it's good, easy fun.
5,704 reviews39 followers
July 16, 2019
interesting and entertaining.. good story.. good characters.. and sexy guys lol. overall i enjoyed it.
Profile Image for John-Torleif  Harris.
2,725 reviews13 followers
November 18, 2020
Fun romantic sci-fi

I liked that, while this was a romance novel, the sci-fi was pretty good. We had some typical science jargon, but I was impressed that it was all used correctly.

Between the two main characters, Dimitri definitely had the better family, even if he didn’t agree with them. It was interesting to see how these two, very different, men found how similar they truly were - and how good for each other.
Profile Image for Shannon.
2,163 reviews46 followers
November 20, 2017
I'm not a huge sci-fi fan but this book really surprised me. Yes, it had some world building but it wasn't confusing or ott in any way. Definitely some interesting characters but Dmitri and Rory were fairly normal guys if a bit lonely. The smexing was great and bringing both families into play gave us a better look into their lives. Action packed and fun to read, this one is a keeper.
Profile Image for Joël.
136 reviews
March 9, 2019
Here's my review:
While it had some clichés and such that I normally don't like, this book was very enjoyable.
There was though one very minor thing, for the story, that just really doesn't sit well with me:
ASD is not a(n un)curable disease, it's the brain that is wired differently than the accepted norm. Sound familiar?
Profile Image for Trip .
921 reviews30 followers
April 28, 2020
A fun, fast paced and easy read I went through this in one sitting it just grabbed me from start to finish. Its got an interesting pot and fascinating world/space building considering its short. I loved the twist and turns, learning about Dmitri and Rory along with their relationship was great. The situation is crazy and there's a lot of humor too between them which just added to the adventure.

Considering it's length it managed to build a lovely story, with an enjoyable plot and well developed characters that I adored. From the two mcs, along with Molly and Phallan who were fascinating and brought a lot to the story. Also seeing into Dmitri and Rory's history's, how its made them who they're and they have amazing chemistry. Overall this was such an entertaining and unique read that I loved every minute off, I'd be up for seeing more of their adventures but it also has a perfect ending all on its own.
Profile Image for Xanthe.
2,542 reviews47 followers
June 29, 2019
Such an entertaining read! There's a lot of fun, snark and attitude from both our MC's, Rory and Dmitri. The circumstances in which they come together are so random but leads to a story that takes us to a variety of places and as this is set in the future an includes space travel, there's different life forms, terrain and civilisations. Along with the AI, Molly, and engineer Phalan, they journey through the universe and both manage to get into some situations all whilst building a relationship on an attraction that was clear from the start.
I loved the writing style of Nicola Cameron. I was drawn into the story straight away - Dmitri not in the best place mentally, financially and feeling so alone while Rory is running a heist to steal a precious item but things don't quite go according to plan. Molly may be an AI but she's really interesting and has her own personality. Both men have a secretive history and have got a very different life than they had planned but it all adds to energy of the writing and building of the story. The story kept my attention and I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend and would love the chance to see the guys have more travels and see how their relationship develops along with some of the other characters.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
Profile Image for Dixiecowgirl.
1,437 reviews25 followers
July 14, 2019
Complex plot with terrific characters create a memorable read. I really enjoyed the story-line and the world-building was awesome. I enjoyed the blend of space age robin-hood adventure and romance between two great characters. I thought that the AI for the ship was outstanding and a complex character in her own right. I really enjoyed the MC's and liked how they became friends, lovers and then soul mates.

These characters have so much in common that you only see as the story unfolds and i love how they really get to rescue each other during the course of the story. My favorite character was Rory who is this amazing man who lives with so much positive energy and talent. I really enjoyed seeing his heart of gold and how he gave so much of himself to Dmitri.

i would love to read another book with these guys as their relationship develops and they have more adventures.

I was gifted this book from the author and i freely give my review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,005 reviews8 followers
July 16, 2019
A space story that is centuries in the future, but still using old earth culture. Russian and Scotland meet in space as Dmitri, a exoarchaeologist and Rory aka "The Highlander," a Scottish thief meet. Dmitri is going to commit suicide as he has nothing to live for. Rory is stealing a artifact from a museum. Not able to leave Dmitri behind, Rory takes him on board his ship where he and his crew help Dmitri recover from near starvation. Dmitri is more than meets the eye, but then, so is Rory. As the men get to know each other, they fall in love. There is violence , mobsters, evil people, love, a spaceship that controls everything, arguments, and love. Salvation is in the hands of the two men as they save each other from death as they give each other love. An excellent swashbuckling story that fantasy and sci-fi lovers will appreciate. I Voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC story.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
517 reviews
October 17, 2019
Its insta-love. That’s a quick “No” in my book of “No’s”

Weeks of just knowing each other and Dmitri was already meeting Rory’s family. Like wtf. In normal circumstances, maybe 3 weeks in real life its alright but these two are not even in a proper, actual relationship. So the “meeting the parents” thing was extra as hell.

The thing that I hated the most? We never get to see or know what happened to the asshole couple that betrayed Dmitri at the beginning. This was such a crucial and important part of Dmitri’s being and becoming who he is now and the author decided to just gloss all over that. We know Rory talked to Dmitri’s brother to make them pay and he agrees but...what happened? We don’t know. This massively pissed me off.

I am giving it 2 stars because 40% and under was actually a bit entertaining.
Profile Image for Diane Dannenfeldt.
4,032 reviews78 followers
June 2, 2015
Solid 4.5 stars - I did enjoy watching these two fall in love. There was more to Rory that meets the eye and you find out the real him by the end. I didn't like his father at all, he made me so angry with his actions and the things he tells Dmitri. I would have liked an epilogue to see how they were doing a little farther down the road. I will be looking at more books by this author. I'm happy that I was given this story as a challenge read otherwise I don't know if I would have found this story or author.
Profile Image for Enirehtak  Melas.
746 reviews34 followers
June 27, 2019
This was super different. I felt like I would have rated this higher if not for the fact that I felt like there was a book before this one that I missed. I also skipped the MFM sex scene because it did nothing for the story and Helene and Joss stopped being mentioned pretty quickly after Dimitri and the Highlander (as I like to call him) got together. The whole color spectrum concept for sexuality was interesting, but I was confused with the world building. There was a lot going on with the different species and worlds and it was a lot.



*ARC in exchange for honest review*
Profile Image for P Leslie.
3,210 reviews17 followers
June 28, 2019
*I voluntarily read this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's*

3 stars

I had mixed feelings about this one. The world building was ok but could have been better.

The engineer and AI were interesting; I enjoyed the way they both interacted with Rory. The banter and sarcasm lightened the mood and provided good entertainment.
Profile Image for Joscelyn Smith.
2,307 reviews17 followers
July 8, 2019
Rory and Dmitri were interesting and likable characters, the storyline was engaging (how often does a thief kidnap someone to save them from themselves) and I had no problem getting into it. All in all a very enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book*
Profile Image for Bran Zesti.
293 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2019
What a story, could not put it down. The ups and down are soooooo good. The whole story is good, now I don't give spoilers, but I will say. There is nothing like a man in a kilt!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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