A Shot of Fear

Vasquez Inc #2

by Lou Sylvre

Jackie Vasquez knows he needs to submit to a Dom he can trust—just as much as he needs to manage his own life. He found the right Dom in Brian Harrison, and then romance beckoned them both beyond bindings and safewords. They take the first steps toward a life together in London, where Brian is pursuing his dream career at Scotland Yard, and Jackie is working toward a master’s degree. Their private hours deep in the night brim with both heat and beauty as Brian’s artful vision for bondage makes a masterwork out of Jackie, body and soul.

But time together becomes scarce as a series of horrific gaslight crimes keeps Brian at work and out of reach for Jackie much of the time. Though Jackie is faithful, he isn’t the type to sit and wait for his lover’s attentions. His self-assured ways and his geocaching hobby lead him to a dangerous discovery—all is not as it seems at the University. Trapped in the Gaslighter’s web, he’ll need to use every trick he knows to stay calm and buy time. But will Brian unravel the knot of mystery in time to save the man he loves?

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2019

About the author

Lou Sylvre loves stories and likes to conjure them into books. When the stories are about love, the sweethearts on her pages are most often men who end up loving each other and likely saving each other from unspeakable danger. As if you’d want to know more, she’ll happily tell you that she is a proudly bisexual woman—a mother, grandmother, and cat-herder (with a dog). Her love of languages is no doubt a result of her interestingly mixed up heritage. Her over-the-top love of her rainbow-colored demi-tasse set cannot be adequately explained. She also loves music coffee, chocolate, and wild roses. As a writer, she works closely with lead cat assistant Boudreau St. Clair. Lou grew up in the Los Angeles area, where barefoot was always best for a kid. She now lives in the lush, rainy part of the Pacific Northwest, and hearing from a reader unfailingly brightens the dismal weather. Her email is louwrites@rainbowgate.com.

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(and she’s pretty sure she still has a tumblr account…)

Reviews

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the sequel to the newly released A Shot of J&B, which was an expanded retelling of only the first half of the original book by the same title. So this is the expanded retelling of the second half of the original A Shot of J&B. My point is, if you haven't yet read the newest version of A Shot of J&B, stop here and go read that first. This isn't a stand alone and the first book needs to be read first.

For those who HAVE read the first book, you know it is mostly centered around the romance between Brian & Jackie, and only a little bit about Brians "Gaslighter" case. This book however is just the opposite. This book is more about the "psychological thriller" aspect than the "romance" aspect. Between Brian constantly being called in to work long days, forays into the psyche of the "Gaslighter" villain, and Jackie adjusting to a new University, living in a new country,and trying to make new friends, the romance tends to get "benched" quite a bit. The romance IS still there, it's just consigned to the back burner, frustrating both men, until the end of the book and it's ultimate HEA.

So does this mean it's a bad book? No of course not! Not so long as you like psychological thriller romances. The story gave me chills at times, thanks to the twisted psyche of the villain! And yes, while the romance is for the most part sidelined, the guys DO manage to get together a few times for some hot D/s action! (and 1 of those scenes has Jackie learning something that helps save him later!) So yes, it's a good book, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Lou Sylvre takes us from here in the Vasquez Inc series!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was absolutely delightful to get tied up in the plot of this novel! Jackie and Brian are two men who enjoy BDSM in the dark of their bedroom, but who by the light of day realize they might be falling more deeply into a relationship that is FAR more tantalizing than just Dom and Sub.

Beautifully descriptive sensual scenes mixed in with a mysterious string of crimes leave the readers on the edge of their seats with anticipation! Jackie and Brian as characters are developed so nicely within the 131 pages, their personal lives growing together steadily as the crimes in the novel start to escalate. The side characters created their own interest in me as a reader, and I found myself enjoying their quirks just as much as those of the main characters.

In between the remarkably sexy scenes where we find Jackie bound intricately to pieces of furniture, Lou Sylvre also delivers some really sweet moments that ring true in Jackie and Brian’s unfurling relationship. But sweet loving was not the only thing making my heart race while reading this novel. Knowing that any moment the other shoe would drop, following along from the perspective of the criminals as their stories race forward to meet with the lovers, made putting the book down nearly impossible!

A Shot of Fear is the second novel in the Vasquez Inc. series, and I would say that although this novel could be read on its own, reading the first novel to learn a little bit more about Jackie and Brian would be an absolute pleasure. All in all, this book FLEW by and I would absolutely consider giving it another read!

[Elizabeth Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picks up where A Shot of J&B leaves off so it’s important to read this series in order.

I adore this couple, Brian Harrison and Jackie Vasquez (nephew of Luki Vasquez from the Vasquez and James Volume 1 series). They have their own lives, goals and interests, yet still work hard at being a couple. They manage to keep their relationship alive, grabbing the little hours a week they have together, and we’re treated to some wonderfully hot scenes between them. While they think about each other and worry about each other, neither sits around pining away when they’re not together.

In the previous book we were introduced to a truly, deliciously evil foe. Now we find out this foe has a partner, which was a nice surprise.

One of the things I adore about Lou Sylvre’s mysteries is the reader knows all along who the bad guy is, but the characters do not. This gives her books that creepy don’t open the door type vibe. These are among my favorite types of mysteries. It’s so interesting to see how the characters find out how much trouble they’ve gotten into only when it’s too late!

Watching as Brian and Jackie are pulled farther into a vicious murder scheme and don’t even realize it until they’re in so deep it looks as if they can’t escape creates a incredible sense of excitement. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Their smarts and bravery shines through and they survive, but not without scars and changes to be made.

The supporting characters are diverse and lend depth to the main characters and the story.

There isn’t the same amount of guns and fists type action in this book as readers of Ms. Sylvre’s previous series might expect. The action is more in the ‘cat and mouse’ category, which creates more of a psychological thriller. Brian and Jackie are in London where the cops don’t routinely carry guns and some procedures are different. Since Brian hasn’t been in the field much in London this creates some frustration, and then outright danger for him and Jackie despite being qualified and skilled with firearms. I really enjoyed watching him work through protecting Jackie and carrying out his duties without some of the tools he was trained to use.

Jackie is eight-ish years younger than Brian and has gone through extensive trauma in his life. Woven into the story are details of his ongoing recovery. He’s very self-aware for someone in his early twenties which was refreshing. Jackie isn’t needy but he does need and want Brian’s support, as well as that of his family. He’s not shy about asking for that support, which is also refreshing to see in a romance. Brian is a natural protector and caretaker. I loved how he steps into that role without reservation, and sometimes imperfectly, when it comes to Jackie and his wellbeing.

This is a great series and I’m excited to read more!

This book was provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review.

[Sadonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This review and much more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews

Note: This is the second book in this series and as such, it builds on the first book and starts right after the last night in the first book. Not recommended as a stand alone.

Jackie Vasquez and Brian Harrison have just enjoyed a beautiful evening of love. But then Brian is called upon to do some research for the outstanding case he’s been working on in London for Scotland Yard. So Jackie decides to enjoy the day in Denver. But then he does something he’s told both Brian and Luki that he won’t do anymore as he hasn’t let anyone know and doesn’t have any kind of safety net. When Brian catches up with him, he’s scared and then that morphs into anger. Jackie is terribly unhappy and they spend their last night in Denver miserable. Brian takes Jackie back home, but things are not the same.

Brian returns to London and he’s very unhappy about how things ended on the surprise trip with Jackie. He does eventually try to get in touch with him after speaking to the Dom he’s been training with, but it seems that he’s been unable to reach him. Jackie for his part has been extremely unhappy about how things were left as well. He’s been waiting for his grad school acceptances – particularly for a placement in London and he hasn’t had the heart to even tell Brian that he’d applied there. When they both finally get to the point that they communicate, the air is cleared and Jackie decides to take the placement in London and see where things go.

In the meantime, Brian is still working on his “gaslighter” case. It’s getting a bit more strange and then a bunch of things conspire for him to have to spend a lot of hours working. But he and Jackie are doing well in their relationship and Jackie seems to be enjoying his schoolwork. Jackie goes back to his geocaching hobby with some fellow students. He never goes alone, but he’s feeling less and less comfortable with his fellow students. Then after a particular gruesome night with his geocaching friends and their find, he really feels uneasy. But he doesn’t just let it lie – he reaches out.

Brian is still trying to trace the “gaslighter” cases and then some strange coincidences start to come together. While Brian is pursuing some expert help on the latest incident, things come together. And a phone call from the US puts Brian on alert and he’s certain that Jackie is now in danger and he’s got to find him. Time is of the essence.

Whew! This one is a nail biter. The mystery and the relationship both develop pretty quickly and as a reader we have a real sense of dread that Jackie is walking a very fine line and is being reeled into the villain’s web. Brian is doing well in his job, but he’s concerned about the amount of time he’s spending at work and he misses time with Jackie. Jackie is sort of settling in to his London home, but he’s more comfortable with Brian. They have gotten past their issues at the beginning of the book and have moved into a good place. Brian continues to worry about Jackie but more because he loves him and wants him to be happy. And it turns out that the things he’s been teaching Jackie come in really handy when the chips are down when Jackie has to deal with a psychotic killer. I was really nervous for Jackie and since he’s already lived through a lot of trauma, I didn’t want to see him hurt any more than he already has been. What he shows us here is how strong he’s grown and how much he has absorbed the lessons and work that he’s done to heal himself. I honestly cannot wait for the next chapter for these two men! Highly recommended especially for fans of mystery and crime solving, here with a bit of a British twist 🙂

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing and entertaining read, it’s not my usual genre but this story is so good. The plot is brilliant and drew me in immediately. Reading the first book would definitely be an advantage and make this book two easier to follow and understand. The characters are great and interesting. This is a really enjoyable book to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maria E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the continuation of the story that was told in Volume 1. Jackie and Brian are trying to make a go of their relationship but there are a few obstacles in their way (aren't there always, in romance stories), not the least of which is the Gaslighter case which Brian has been working on. Did I mention that he worked for Scotland Yard? This book kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire time. On to Book 3.

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

good sequel.. keeps going from the last one. you need to read the first to fully understand this one.. the characters are good.. i enjoyed this one a bit more then the first.. plus i enjoyed the thriller aspect to this one.. very good

[AL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both the love story and the crime part of the plot are elevated here, compared to the first book! I really liked the evolution of the MCs’ relationship and how it complements the story. Well done!