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Flesh #1
In the Flesh
Reno Detective Cristian Flesh lives his life by a strict set of personal rules, preferring one-time flings and anonymous encounters to committed relationships. His rules work for him... until his life is turned upside down when first, a former lover, a famous televangelist, is attacked, and then one of his one-night stands is murdered, making Cristian the prime suspect.
When handsome lawyer Colby Maddox takes his case, Cristian finds himself wanting to break all his rules about relationships. The instant attraction between them is undeniable. But before they can contemplate any kind of future together, they’ll have to clear Cristian’s name by finding the real murderer.
When handsome lawyer Colby Maddox takes his case, Cristian finds himself wanting to break all his rules about relationships. The instant attraction between them is undeniable. But before they can contemplate any kind of future together, they’ll have to clear Cristian’s name by finding the real murderer.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2010
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657 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
October 27, 2013
I'm in the minority here, folks. This book just didn't work for me.
Oddly, I didn't mind the writing style at first. As another reviewer put it, it kind of reads like a "laundry list", which is a very accurate description. There is constant factual over-sharing, like I think he described how long it took him to fall asleep each time he went to bed (at least 6 times that I can recall off the top of my head). Though the approach is... different... I kind of got into the dry, matter-of-fact writing style. However, then the details of the story began to bug me.
I had some major issues with the main character. I thought that Cris was both too fixated on his rules and also too quick to give them up. He reenforces over and over again that he doesn't break any of his rules (which are numbered, by the way, which struck me as really immature), but after a short time knowing Colby, he is willing to throw many of them out the window. I just didn't get a feeling of consistency from Cris. In this vein, That just bothers me every time.
I also disliked how the "mystery" was handled. I had the killer pegged from the get go and I'm not a mystery reader. It felt almost silly it was so obvious to me. I wanted that aspect of the book to be way, way, way better.
What happened was that because I was getting irritated with Cris and the plot, I grew irritated and nit-picky about the writing style when it didn't bother me before. I left the book feeling unsatisfied. I didn't dislike it but it was just mediocre for me.
Oddly, I didn't mind the writing style at first. As another reviewer put it, it kind of reads like a "laundry list", which is a very accurate description. There is constant factual over-sharing, like I think he described how long it took him to fall asleep each time he went to bed (at least 6 times that I can recall off the top of my head). Though the approach is... different... I kind of got into the dry, matter-of-fact writing style. However, then the details of the story began to bug me.
I had some major issues with the main character. I thought that Cris was both too fixated on his rules and also too quick to give them up. He reenforces over and over again that he doesn't break any of his rules (which are numbered, by the way, which struck me as really immature), but after a short time knowing Colby, he is willing to throw many of them out the window. I just didn't get a feeling of consistency from Cris. In this vein, That just bothers me every time.
I also disliked how the "mystery" was handled. I had the killer pegged from the get go and I'm not a mystery reader. It felt almost silly it was so obvious to me. I wanted that aspect of the book to be way, way, way better.
What happened was that because I was getting irritated with Cris and the plot, I grew irritated and nit-picky about the writing style when it didn't bother me before. I left the book feeling unsatisfied. I didn't dislike it but it was just mediocre for me.
August 28, 2010
I think the summary is sufficient for this book, so I'm just going to post my opinion.
I'm a bit torn whether to put this as m/m mystery or romance. Colby doesn't enter Cristian's life until about page 90-something. However, about second half of the book, it is focused more on Cristian and Colby and how Cristian breaks his rule one by one because Colby is starting to take a special place in his life. The murder investigation pushes back a little bit. BUT, since it starts around a murder case and how Cris's is being framed, I guess I will put this in my m/m mystery shelf.
ANYWAY (I'm babbling *lol*) I enjoy this VERY MUCH. My first 'experience' with Ethan Stone's was his short story "Being Taught" and I had a feeling that I would like his writing. This story goes smoothly -- and I really like Cris as a character. This story uses 1st POV (some of you might hate it, but I LOVE 1st POV, it never bothers me) so you know how Cris is thinking. You know how he keeps those rules to keep people away from him and how he slowly breaks the rules for Colby. There are still things that Cris won't share about his past life and why he makes the rules, but for us the readers, we can slowly formed how Cris's life used to be before he became a Reno detective. I also like all the supporting casts (Cris's partner, Cris's young friend).
How about the mystery itself, you say? I must admit that it's pretty formulaic. I can guess who is the mastermind from the first time the mastermind enters the picture. I can guess the motive from a million miles away so I don't feel any surprise in the end. It's not that type of heavy mystery book. Doesn't mean that it diminish my enjoying it.
It's a solid book ... and I definitely will keep an eye on Ethan Stone's next books. I have a feeling I will love them.
I'm a bit torn whether to put this as m/m mystery or romance. Colby doesn't enter Cristian's life until about page 90-something. However, about second half of the book, it is focused more on Cristian and Colby and how Cristian breaks his rule one by one because Colby is starting to take a special place in his life. The murder investigation pushes back a little bit. BUT, since it starts around a murder case and how Cris's is being framed, I guess I will put this in my m/m mystery shelf.
ANYWAY (I'm babbling *lol*) I enjoy this VERY MUCH. My first 'experience' with Ethan Stone's was his short story "Being Taught" and I had a feeling that I would like his writing. This story goes smoothly -- and I really like Cris as a character. This story uses 1st POV (some of you might hate it, but I LOVE 1st POV, it never bothers me) so you know how Cris is thinking. You know how he keeps those rules to keep people away from him and how he slowly breaks the rules for Colby. There are still things that Cris won't share about his past life and why he makes the rules, but for us the readers, we can slowly formed how Cris's life used to be before he became a Reno detective. I also like all the supporting casts (Cris's partner, Cris's young friend).
How about the mystery itself, you say? I must admit that it's pretty formulaic. I can guess who is the mastermind from the first time the mastermind enters the picture. I can guess the motive from a million miles away so I don't feel any surprise in the end. It's not that type of heavy mystery book. Doesn't mean that it diminish my enjoying it.
It's a solid book ... and I definitely will keep an eye on Ethan Stone's next books. I have a feeling I will love them.
July 26, 2011
3.5 stars
It's very hard for me to rate this one because of various reasons and I honestly wish GR had half star options right now because it's neither a three or four star for me and I didn't really want to choose between which one to use. But I was forced to *dramatic sigh*
Anyway, I never warmed up to either MC. Flesh is just an asshole slut. He's extremely stupid and idiotic. Reminds me a lot of Jory from A Matter of Time except for even worse because he's more of a slut. Colby, I'm not really sure if I like him. I mean, I do but I don't. I wished he would have been more demanding on some things with Flesh or at least admitted it hurt when Flesh did certain things. But he didn't so that made me not like him.
For one thing, everyone who knows me knows I don't like to read about a crap load of sex and this book had a crap load of sex and it was very hard to just skip over them because as I found out early on, it might have been important to the mystery! Which sucked so many monkey balls it's not even funny. I could have lived with the overabundance of sex, though, which by the way, I felt didn't need to be there. (I mean, just stating for the record that Flesh is a slut is more than enough, add in the little confessions about having done this judge or that cop or that prostitute is more than efficient.) I didn't appreciate reading about Flesh sucking and fucking every guy he came into contact with. So, strike one.
Then there's the open relationship Colby and Flesh now have. Strike two. I wanted Colby to at least show some emotion about it hurting him to think he's not enough for Flesh but all he said was to tell him afterwards so he knows... Um, yeah, buddy. No.
If there had been a strike three, this would have been rated much lower but thankfully there wasn't. What I did like about the book was the mystery and Ethan's style. It was engaging. I thought Flesh was extremely idiotic in his pursuit to completely ignore everyone when they said to stay out of the investigation but it sure was entertaining watching him dig himself deeper into a hole!
I hate Flesh so much it's not even funny. I didn't want to continue reading this book because he's an uber slut but I also didn't want to put it down. That's why I'm having such a hard time rating this. When a book is good enough to keep me interested and keep me up late at night, that deserves a high rating but I just couldn't connect with these characters at all. I didn't like them one bit. I loved the mystery and I loved seeing Flesh fuck himself over but other than that, I didn't like him at all. Oh, and I really like Gabe... but of course, Flesh broke his heart. Fucker.
However (I'm gonna be a hypocrite here so watch out), I have to recommend this book. I'm desperately hoping Flesh gets rid of his slutty ways in the sequel and becomes more mature because I do want to read more about him. Mostly because I love Ethan's writing but also because I'm hoping he does right by Colby... and I want an HEA for Gabe (which I think happens in book 3?) either way, I still hate Flesh but I want to know more about him and his past and I think other people will probably like him. Either way, I grudgingly recommend it.
Oh! Completely forgot about Flesh's rules! I thought those were hilarious!
It's very hard for me to rate this one because of various reasons and I honestly wish GR had half star options right now because it's neither a three or four star for me and I didn't really want to choose between which one to use. But I was forced to *dramatic sigh*
Anyway, I never warmed up to either MC. Flesh is just an asshole slut. He's extremely stupid and idiotic. Reminds me a lot of Jory from A Matter of Time except for even worse because he's more of a slut. Colby, I'm not really sure if I like him. I mean, I do but I don't. I wished he would have been more demanding on some things with Flesh or at least admitted it hurt when Flesh did certain things. But he didn't so that made me not like him.
For one thing, everyone who knows me knows I don't like to read about a crap load of sex and this book had a crap load of sex and it was very hard to just skip over them because as I found out early on, it might have been important to the mystery! Which sucked so many monkey balls it's not even funny. I could have lived with the overabundance of sex, though, which by the way, I felt didn't need to be there. (I mean, just stating for the record that Flesh is a slut is more than enough, add in the little confessions about having done this judge or that cop or that prostitute is more than efficient.) I didn't appreciate reading about Flesh sucking and fucking every guy he came into contact with. So, strike one.
Then there's the open relationship Colby and Flesh now have. Strike two. I wanted Colby to at least show some emotion about it hurting him to think he's not enough for Flesh but all he said was to tell him afterwards so he knows... Um, yeah, buddy. No.
If there had been a strike three, this would have been rated much lower but thankfully there wasn't. What I did like about the book was the mystery and Ethan's style. It was engaging. I thought Flesh was extremely idiotic in his pursuit to completely ignore everyone when they said to stay out of the investigation but it sure was entertaining watching him dig himself deeper into a hole!
I hate Flesh so much it's not even funny. I didn't want to continue reading this book because he's an uber slut but I also didn't want to put it down. That's why I'm having such a hard time rating this. When a book is good enough to keep me interested and keep me up late at night, that deserves a high rating but I just couldn't connect with these characters at all. I didn't like them one bit. I loved the mystery and I loved seeing Flesh fuck himself over but other than that, I didn't like him at all. Oh, and I really like Gabe... but of course, Flesh broke his heart. Fucker.
However (I'm gonna be a hypocrite here so watch out), I have to recommend this book. I'm desperately hoping Flesh gets rid of his slutty ways in the sequel and becomes more mature because I do want to read more about him. Mostly because I love Ethan's writing but also because I'm hoping he does right by Colby... and I want an HEA for Gabe (which I think happens in book 3?) either way, I still hate Flesh but I want to know more about him and his past and I think other people will probably like him. Either way, I grudgingly recommend it.
Oh! Completely forgot about Flesh's rules! I thought those were hilarious!
July 30, 2011
^^NOT JUST FLESH, A WHOLE LOT OF FREAKING SKIN!^^
More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog PANTS OFF REVIEWS
In The Flesh is a hard book to rate and a hard book to love, yet I am infatuated with the story and the characters. Let me tell you, that is no easy accomplishment because these characters are a bit vile and mostly stupid. Yet, it’s a great mystery and crime drama, small on the romantic aspect big on the ‘lets get it on’ all the time with mostly anyone.
Christian Flesh is a gay cop and he does not try to hide it, when he comes under suspicion for murder his life starts to go in the dumps until a certain sexy lawyer comes in and saves the day. What makes the story something kind of special are the incidents and sexual escapades leading up to Flesh being under suspicion. A colourful assortment of characters, add a great and fun mix to the story line.
We have the TV preacher, who goes on and on about homosexuality up on the pulpit, but has boy toys all over the city. The gay cop in hiding, who is a complete asshole because he swears he’s not gay. The street kid, with the heart of gold, and the very sexy lawyer. What all these characters have in common is that all of them have been inside Flesh, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The mystery aspect of the book is well done, but not very hard to figure out. Its one of those domino effect kind of mystery, you hit one, and all go a tumbling. Flesh just does not know when to cool it, but its his stubbornness that eventually lead to good results, or should I say his penis. His sexual escapades make up most of the book, and in the beginning, I did not mind it, until he started to go overboard. It is different to be sleeping around when you are single; it becomes something else when you are starting a relationship.
Flesh and Colby (his lawyer) is quite hot, but I wanted more from both characters. I wanted Flesh to keep it in the pants, and I wanted Colby to stand up and tell Flesh to grow up already.
If someone says to me, “I can’t promise monogamy”. My answer would be “then I can’t promise you, my dick in your ass”. Not some “just tell me about it after”. That shit pissed me off.
I did enjoy reading the book, its entertaining and fast paced. I really liked the interracial love, as Colby being a black man. I just love when different races get together; it makes my heart feel super happy. I look forward to other books in the series, in hopes that Flesh ceases to keep pissing me off.
SideNote- That cover, the person looks like a freaking ALIEN!
More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog PANTS OFF REVIEWS
In The Flesh is a hard book to rate and a hard book to love, yet I am infatuated with the story and the characters. Let me tell you, that is no easy accomplishment because these characters are a bit vile and mostly stupid. Yet, it’s a great mystery and crime drama, small on the romantic aspect big on the ‘lets get it on’ all the time with mostly anyone.
Christian Flesh is a gay cop and he does not try to hide it, when he comes under suspicion for murder his life starts to go in the dumps until a certain sexy lawyer comes in and saves the day. What makes the story something kind of special are the incidents and sexual escapades leading up to Flesh being under suspicion. A colourful assortment of characters, add a great and fun mix to the story line.
We have the TV preacher, who goes on and on about homosexuality up on the pulpit, but has boy toys all over the city. The gay cop in hiding, who is a complete asshole because he swears he’s not gay. The street kid, with the heart of gold, and the very sexy lawyer. What all these characters have in common is that all of them have been inside Flesh, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The mystery aspect of the book is well done, but not very hard to figure out. Its one of those domino effect kind of mystery, you hit one, and all go a tumbling. Flesh just does not know when to cool it, but its his stubbornness that eventually lead to good results, or should I say his penis. His sexual escapades make up most of the book, and in the beginning, I did not mind it, until he started to go overboard. It is different to be sleeping around when you are single; it becomes something else when you are starting a relationship.
Flesh and Colby (his lawyer) is quite hot, but I wanted more from both characters. I wanted Flesh to keep it in the pants, and I wanted Colby to stand up and tell Flesh to grow up already.
If someone says to me, “I can’t promise monogamy”. My answer would be “then I can’t promise you, my dick in your ass”. Not some “just tell me about it after”. That shit pissed me off.
I did enjoy reading the book, its entertaining and fast paced. I really liked the interracial love, as Colby being a black man. I just love when different races get together; it makes my heart feel super happy. I look forward to other books in the series, in hopes that Flesh ceases to keep pissing me off.
SideNote- That cover, the person looks like a freaking ALIEN!
June 10, 2016
Cristian Flesh is a deeply damaged man. As narrator and MC in this story, that reality is both quickly evident, and vital for my ability to read and enjoy this. Because Cris is also at times two of my pet peeves - too stupid to live, and a professional (detective) who acts in very unprofessional ways. But this, which might have made me put down the book and move on, was saved for me by two things - the MC's narrative voice, which felt quirky, unpolished, and yet appealing, and the awareness that his brokenness could explain some of the dumb things he does.
Cristian's past is slowly revealed through the book, but it's clear early on that he has major hang-ups related to sex. In his past, Cris has been a victim of abusive sexual situations. Rather than be turned off or avoid sex, he's made a deliberate decision to enjoy it to the max and pursue as much sex as he can get. He manages to keep today's pleasure separated from yesterday's abuse by a series of rules (no kissing, no overnights, no topping) that avoid his triggers. They also ensure that he has only shallow one-night stands. And because he has divorced sex from the rest of life, and has decided to pursue it constantly, it leads to some really bad decisions (like sleeping with a witness or suspect or lawyer or whomever, no matter how that might impact his cases or his safety. One of which ends up making him a murder suspect.)
When Cris meets his lawyer, Colby, the attraction is strong. But Colby isn't out, maybe isn't interested. For Cris, wanting one disinterested man, and wanting him for more than one hour, is new territory.
I thought Cris gave up his rules with Colby a bit quickly and easily. I'd have liked to see him struggle more with the relationship and changing the habits of years. We saw the way his past and damage deeply impacted his life, but then they impeded him moving forward with Colby in a bit of a fleeting and superficial way. That was partly due to his personality and narrative style, but it took away a little from the intensity of his transition, from broken, isolated man to healing and able to love.
It's tougher to justify a couple of TSTL "don't walk down that dark alley alone" moments, on the part of more than one character, but I can let Cris's loner style perhaps account for some of it. Despite those, the action moves fast and smoothly, the characters are appealing, and the outcomes don't fall completely out of the realm of possibility. Some of the details are unlikely but over all it was a fast and entertaining read, and by the time it was done, I was engaged in the characters' lives enough to want to go on and read the sequel.
Cristian's past is slowly revealed through the book, but it's clear early on that he has major hang-ups related to sex. In his past, Cris has been a victim of abusive sexual situations. Rather than be turned off or avoid sex, he's made a deliberate decision to enjoy it to the max and pursue as much sex as he can get. He manages to keep today's pleasure separated from yesterday's abuse by a series of rules (no kissing, no overnights, no topping) that avoid his triggers. They also ensure that he has only shallow one-night stands. And because he has divorced sex from the rest of life, and has decided to pursue it constantly, it leads to some really bad decisions (like sleeping with a witness or suspect or lawyer or whomever, no matter how that might impact his cases or his safety. One of which ends up making him a murder suspect.)
When Cris meets his lawyer, Colby, the attraction is strong. But Colby isn't out, maybe isn't interested. For Cris, wanting one disinterested man, and wanting him for more than one hour, is new territory.
I thought Cris gave up his rules with Colby a bit quickly and easily. I'd have liked to see him struggle more with the relationship and changing the habits of years. We saw the way his past and damage deeply impacted his life, but then they impeded him moving forward with Colby in a bit of a fleeting and superficial way. That was partly due to his personality and narrative style, but it took away a little from the intensity of his transition, from broken, isolated man to healing and able to love.
It's tougher to justify a couple of TSTL "don't walk down that dark alley alone" moments, on the part of more than one character, but I can let Cris's loner style perhaps account for some of it. Despite those, the action moves fast and smoothly, the characters are appealing, and the outcomes don't fall completely out of the realm of possibility. Some of the details are unlikely but over all it was a fast and entertaining read, and by the time it was done, I was engaged in the characters' lives enough to want to go on and read the sequel.
February 21, 2017
The writing doesn't work for me, the tone is conversational first person but it's quite abrupt all 'I did...' 'He said..' and list-like. Information on people was sometimes given in an odd way; a random sentence such as 'she's married with two children' thrown in unrelated the rest of the paragraph, it felt out of place and no emotion. I appreciated that instead of a big misunderstanding Flesh went straight to his boss to confess knowing the almost victim but it was 'I'll be telling him, I said. So I did.' no pause. No feeling.
Couldn't like the main character, he'd have to be intelligent and driven to reach detective at such a young age yet that's not shown. Instead he appears to be constantly seeking or thinking about hook-ups.
There's no one to connect to so it didn't hold my interest.
Couldn't like the main character, he'd have to be intelligent and driven to reach detective at such a young age yet that's not shown. Instead he appears to be constantly seeking or thinking about hook-ups.
There's no one to connect to so it didn't hold my interest.
July 18, 2012
Something about the emotions, and feelings in this rang hollow to me. It wasn't badly written, but I failed to connect with the characters, and the changes they underwent felt off to me.
April 11, 2013
I wasn't sure whether to rate this book at all, seeing as I didn't--couldn't--finish it. I've been trying, struggling, really, to read In the Flesh for 2 weeks now, but it's going very slowly, mostly because I just can't seem to like anything at all about the book. Everytime I start reading I put it away again shortly after in order to do something else, anything else, just so that I don't have to read anymore... So, maybe it's unfair of me to rate the book when I haven't read the whole thing (stopped reading after ~70%). Well, but I am so very annoyed and really need to let off some steam. It's 1,5 stars, at the max (for me).
I absolutely dislike the way Ethan Stone has written this book. I haven't read anything else by him so far, so I can't really say if it's his writing style all together that I don't like, or if it is just this one book.
Anyway, the narrative style often resembles a simple summary of events, told without any passion, heart, soul. This story is told in 1st person POV, something I usually really like and which gives the author a great possibility to lend the MC a unique, interesting voice. To give the reader great insight into the MCs character. This author didn't manage that at all, IMO. Cristian Flesh tells his story so utterly dispassionate and really so extremely unappealing... Ugh.
First, the sentence structure--the whole way of narrating the story, really--often is rather simple and clipped. In whole passages all sentences start with one and the same pronoun (i.e. "I" or "He"):
I did this. I went there. I did that. Then, I saw that and did that....
That was so immensely distracting and annoying, it made my hair stand on end. You probably know the feeling when something is really bugging you, it might not even be something big, maybe just the buzzing of a fly, but it is just tremendously irritating that there really is nothing you can do but to concentrate on it. And the more you try not to, the less successful your attempts are...
Well, that's exactly how this read was for me:
At some point I couldn't concentrate on anything else besides the aforementioned (quite "striking") sentence structure that I didn't catch any of the content although having read it mere seconds ago. I couldn't even appreciate good or funny parts (there were some) anymore.
I think that this way I've probably dimnished the reading experience all by myself, kind of obsessing over something that isn't (objectively) all that big to begin with... But, well, it really is/was bugging the hell out of me.
This really is so bad it hurts! Grr.
As if that wasn't bad enough already, Cristian Flesh makes for a very bad MC. This guy is extremely - there it is again: annoying and I really did not like him at all. And I might add that this is quite strange, because Flesh has all the characteristics I usually like, scratch that, love in a main character: He's kind of an asshole, doesn't want to let anyone get too attached to himself, well, all in all: Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside...even if rather deep inside.
Cristian Flesh, however, is the first character - who has most of my favourite character traits (in a fictional character) - whom I can't stand one bit. He's a whore (I don't specifically have anything against having fun with different people, but in Flesh it is, for some reason, rubbing me up the wrong way, because the guy literally doesn't have a single thought besides "cock" or "fucking" or "sex" in his head!), he's shallow, he's narcisstic, and he behaves like a total pimp/bitch. He's supposed to be a tough guy but he really resembles more a chick. I don't know how the author managed to do that, but there it is.
He constantly calls his lawyer "big guy" instead of "Colby", which is the guy's name. When he should be worrying about his trial he can only think along the lines: How to get in my (possibly gay) lawyer's pants the quickest way?
And even when he does nice things, like paying the hospital bill for a kid he met a couple of days ago (and fucked twice as often already), I don't buy it.
There are so many points in the book's favour: MC = asshole with soft core, crime plot, mystery elements, police officer/detective, things I really prefer in my books. It really should have been easy for me to like In the Flesh, but instead, I ended up totally disliking everything about it.
I honestly can't name one thing that was to my liking.
And I really can't suffer through one more page, even though I'm remotely positive that the crime/mystery plot is a decent one, even though I'm actually kind of interested in how it will all turn out, but, seriously, it's not worth it. I couldn't care less about the MCs, about Cris Flesh in particular, although I'm kind of rooting for him to end up in prison or dead (Yeah, I really do hate him), and the narrative style doesn't do the book any favours.
In conclusion, it feels very good to get all my resentment and chagrin about the book out of my system, kind of therapeutic...
I absolutely dislike the way Ethan Stone has written this book. I haven't read anything else by him so far, so I can't really say if it's his writing style all together that I don't like, or if it is just this one book.
Anyway, the narrative style often resembles a simple summary of events, told without any passion, heart, soul. This story is told in 1st person POV, something I usually really like and which gives the author a great possibility to lend the MC a unique, interesting voice. To give the reader great insight into the MCs character. This author didn't manage that at all, IMO. Cristian Flesh tells his story so utterly dispassionate and really so extremely unappealing... Ugh.
First, the sentence structure--the whole way of narrating the story, really--often is rather simple and clipped. In whole passages all sentences start with one and the same pronoun (i.e. "I" or "He"):
I did this. I went there. I did that. Then, I saw that and did that....
That was so immensely distracting and annoying, it made my hair stand on end. You probably know the feeling when something is really bugging you, it might not even be something big, maybe just the buzzing of a fly, but it is just tremendously irritating that there really is nothing you can do but to concentrate on it. And the more you try not to, the less successful your attempts are...
Well, that's exactly how this read was for me:
At some point I couldn't concentrate on anything else besides the aforementioned (quite "striking") sentence structure that I didn't catch any of the content although having read it mere seconds ago. I couldn't even appreciate good or funny parts (there were some) anymore.
I think that this way I've probably dimnished the reading experience all by myself, kind of obsessing over something that isn't (objectively) all that big to begin with... But, well, it really is/was bugging the hell out of me.
Here 2 examples [to ensure you that I'm nut a total nut case ;)]:
Excerpt #1:
I wondered how he knew how to get bloodstains out, but didn't ask. I grabbed the clothes and stepped into the bathroom. The bathroom was as big as my bedroom. I stripped my dirty clothes off and opened the shower door. I saw the water knob, but didn't see a spout. Unsure what to do, I turned the knob, and water began spraying out from all over the shower. “Damn!” I stepped into the shower and let the hot water rush over my body. I heard the bathroom door open.
Excerpt #2:
He leaned over me, rubbing his cock on my balls. He tried to kiss me, but I turned my head to the side. He smiled at me, kind of sad like, but it didn't stop him. He kissed my neck and sucked on my earlobe. He grabbed both our cocks and stroked them together. (...) He stood and went into the bedroom. He returned with a condom and a bottle of lube. He slid the condom on and resumed his position between my legs. He prepared to enter me.
This really is so bad it hurts! Grr.
As if that wasn't bad enough already, Cristian Flesh makes for a very bad MC. This guy is extremely - there it is again: annoying and I really did not like him at all. And I might add that this is quite strange, because Flesh has all the characteristics I usually like, scratch that, love in a main character: He's kind of an asshole, doesn't want to let anyone get too attached to himself, well, all in all: Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside...even if rather deep inside.
Cristian Flesh, however, is the first character - who has most of my favourite character traits (in a fictional character) - whom I can't stand one bit. He's a whore (I don't specifically have anything against having fun with different people, but in Flesh it is, for some reason, rubbing me up the wrong way, because the guy literally doesn't have a single thought besides "cock" or "fucking" or "sex" in his head!), he's shallow, he's narcisstic, and he behaves like a total pimp/bitch. He's supposed to be a tough guy but he really resembles more a chick. I don't know how the author managed to do that, but there it is.
He constantly calls his lawyer "big guy" instead of "Colby", which is the guy's name. When he should be worrying about his trial he can only think along the lines: How to get in my (possibly gay) lawyer's pants the quickest way?
And even when he does nice things, like paying the hospital bill for a kid he met a couple of days ago (and fucked twice as often already), I don't buy it.
There are so many points in the book's favour: MC = asshole with soft core, crime plot, mystery elements, police officer/detective, things I really prefer in my books. It really should have been easy for me to like In the Flesh, but instead, I ended up totally disliking everything about it.
I honestly can't name one thing that was to my liking.
And I really can't suffer through one more page, even though I'm remotely positive that the crime/mystery plot is a decent one, even though I'm actually kind of interested in how it will all turn out, but, seriously, it's not worth it. I couldn't care less about the MCs, about Cris Flesh in particular, although I'm kind of rooting for him to end up in prison or dead (Yeah, I really do hate him), and the narrative style doesn't do the book any favours.
In conclusion, it feels very good to get all my resentment and chagrin about the book out of my system, kind of therapeutic...
March 25, 2021
Original rating: 4 stars
Re-read rating: 3 stars
Slight spoilers ahead~
I got stuck at 54% in the re-read and I was dreading going back to the book, so I gave it up.
I'm not sure exactly why I rated it so highly the first time around. All I can say is that right now, for me, this book has nothing going on to keep my attention.
Lot's of soap opera-ish reactions form various characters in the book, lots of bad porn flick moments. And LOTS of inconsistencies.
The MC Christian Flesh is supposed to be a hot-shot detective, very young for the position, yet at every step he shows us it's a wonder he's still alive.
He's supposed to be brutally honest, but he comes off as creepy, immature, and inappropriate.
The more I read the more I was irked by the story. So I'm just gonna quit now. I'm lowering the rating to 3 stars and not 2 because I didn't finish re-reading it, so I'm potentially missing out on some redeeming qualities I just don't have the patience to find out about.
Re-read rating: 3 stars
Slight spoilers ahead~
I got stuck at 54% in the re-read and I was dreading going back to the book, so I gave it up.
I'm not sure exactly why I rated it so highly the first time around. All I can say is that right now, for me, this book has nothing going on to keep my attention.
Lot's of soap opera-ish reactions form various characters in the book, lots of bad porn flick moments. And LOTS of inconsistencies.
The MC Christian Flesh is supposed to be a hot-shot detective, very young for the position, yet at every step he shows us it's a wonder he's still alive.
He's supposed to be brutally honest, but he comes off as creepy, immature, and inappropriate.
The more I read the more I was irked by the story. So I'm just gonna quit now. I'm lowering the rating to 3 stars and not 2 because I didn't finish re-reading it, so I'm potentially missing out on some redeeming qualities I just don't have the patience to find out about.
October 3, 2015
I can't even rate this yet. I'm too irritated by the stupidity of it all. 1.5 stars, I think, but round up or down?
Update: I just finished Force of Law and next to that horrific train wreck, this is a five star book. So we'll be rounding up.
One thing that irritated me: I think he made Colby black at the last minute. Colby did not come off as black at all. For example, Cris runs his fingers through Colby's hair several times. Since Colby works at a very conservative law firm, his hair is going to be really short. It will either be to short to run fingers through, incredibly dense, or controlled within an inch of it's life by gel or something. Most of my many (foster) kids have been black or mixed race and all but one had different versions of black hair. (The one exception is a girl who looks white. No one ever guesses she is mixed race. She looks almost as white as I do. Okay, no, that's not possible--I look like notebook paper--but I'm talking about any that you would look at and see that they were black, as Cris did with Colby. None of them had hair you could casually run your fingers through, not a single one.)
More to come.
Update: I just finished Force of Law and next to that horrific train wreck, this is a five star book. So we'll be rounding up.
One thing that irritated me: I think he made Colby black at the last minute. Colby did not come off as black at all. For example, Cris runs his fingers through Colby's hair several times. Since Colby works at a very conservative law firm, his hair is going to be really short. It will either be to short to run fingers through, incredibly dense, or controlled within an inch of it's life by gel or something. Most of my many (foster) kids have been black or mixed race and all but one had different versions of black hair. (The one exception is a girl who looks white. No one ever guesses she is mixed race. She looks almost as white as I do. Okay, no, that's not possible--I look like notebook paper--but I'm talking about any that you would look at and see that they were black, as Cris did with Colby. None of them had hair you could casually run your fingers through, not a single one.)
More to come.
September 19, 2010
Genre & Keywords:
M/M, Contemporary, Suspense, Murder, Coming out
Storyline:
Gay and out cop Cris is accused of murder. His gay and closeted lawyer Colby breaks down the wall Cris has built around himself with his endless set of rules regarding relationships. While they work on Cris’ case, trying to find the real murderer, they learn to know each other better and better. But Cris can’t yet throw away all of his rules and Colby is publicly still very much in the closet.
My opinion in short:
This was an excellent romantic suspense novel. I loved it from beginning to end and I couldn’t stop reading it, which caused me to miss some hours of sleep. Its narrator, Cristian Flesh, intrigued me immediately with his first line “I live my life by a strict set of rules”. And he continued to steal my heart during the rest of his adventures. With In the Flesh we’re treated to a suspenseful story in which he’s a murder suspect, and what’s more, to a romantic tale full of tension in which he learns to let go of his strict set of rules. Mr Stone presents us a wonderful cast of actors who all play their parts very well, without stealing the show from the love couple, Cris and Colby. This story is well-paced with a good balance between the suspense and the romance, with the emphasis on the latter. It kept me engrossed in it for the entire time I was reading the book and made me heave a contented sigh when I reached the last sentence. This author earned his place on my favorite-reads-list with this fabulous novel.
~~~~~
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
~~~~~
What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Cris is a sympathetic and interesting hero who’s flawed but also has some admirable traits. Colby is a bit more of a mystery, especially in the beginning, but also did a good job of winning my sympathy. Although he deserved to be smacked at some point in the story.
Together these main characters are great. Despite their initial aloofness it was obvious they had wonderful chemistry. The author did an excellent job in showing this with their body language. I particularly loved the scenes in which they played a game of rough-and-tumble. Their playfulness told me so much more about their feelings than a description with words would have done.
The secondary characters were a nice addition to the cast, who brought each their own dynamics into the story. I especially liked Cris’s partner Lex and the role of the young gang member, the kid (as Cris called him).
• POV
This story is told from Cris’ point of view in first person. This makes us see him in all his nuances and layers and therefore it’s easy to understand and like him (despite of his flaws). He’s a nicely fleshed-out character while the other characters on the other hand are less round and developed. But that last part is almost inevitable with this type of POV and it didn’t bother me.
• Plot
The plot is a well-paced, nice mix of romance and suspense, with the emphasis on the romantic storyline. The murder investigation is nicely done with a few well-concocted twists and turns and some interesting side-characters. It doesn’t matter that I suspected who the real-murderer was shortly after he/she was introduced in the story. This whole suspense storyline was a great catalyst for Cris’ and Colby’s romance without it being too obvious.
The romance storyline has good tension too, with a nice touch of angst before reaching the happy ending.
• Smexing
M/M. There’s not only smexing between the two protags in this book, but also between Cris and some other characters. This mainly takes place before Cris and Colby meet, though not solely. In his defense, Cris’ behavior is well explained and made understandable. Moreover, the really good sexy scenes are preserved for him and Colby. They have a subtle but clearly present D/s dynamic going on, without living the lifestyle or anything. It’s just that Colby is physically the stronger partner and Cris likes to submit and be taken in a rough way. This part of Cris seems to have a cause that lies in his past, which wasn’t explored to its fullest in this novel. I’m rather curious how this element of their relationship will develop in the future and it could be interesting to see more of it in a sequel.
A little niggle I had, regarding the smexing, concerns the easy dismissal of condoms in an early stage of their relationship, but at least it was addressed later on.
• Writing style
In short sentences and a lucid style the author tells his story. His writing is not attracting attention to itself, has no tricks to enhance the suspense – it’s just clear, plain and pleasant, interwoven with a lot of dialogue.
Favorite quote:
Linking:
Ethan Stone’s weblog | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy In the Flesh here
http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/201...
M/M, Contemporary, Suspense, Murder, Coming out
Storyline:
Gay and out cop Cris is accused of murder. His gay and closeted lawyer Colby breaks down the wall Cris has built around himself with his endless set of rules regarding relationships. While they work on Cris’ case, trying to find the real murderer, they learn to know each other better and better. But Cris can’t yet throw away all of his rules and Colby is publicly still very much in the closet.
My opinion in short:
This was an excellent romantic suspense novel. I loved it from beginning to end and I couldn’t stop reading it, which caused me to miss some hours of sleep. Its narrator, Cristian Flesh, intrigued me immediately with his first line “I live my life by a strict set of rules”. And he continued to steal my heart during the rest of his adventures. With In the Flesh we’re treated to a suspenseful story in which he’s a murder suspect, and what’s more, to a romantic tale full of tension in which he learns to let go of his strict set of rules. Mr Stone presents us a wonderful cast of actors who all play their parts very well, without stealing the show from the love couple, Cris and Colby. This story is well-paced with a good balance between the suspense and the romance, with the emphasis on the latter. It kept me engrossed in it for the entire time I was reading the book and made me heave a contented sigh when I reached the last sentence. This author earned his place on my favorite-reads-list with this fabulous novel.
~~~~~
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
~~~~~
What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Cris is a sympathetic and interesting hero who’s flawed but also has some admirable traits. Colby is a bit more of a mystery, especially in the beginning, but also did a good job of winning my sympathy. Although he deserved to be smacked at some point in the story.
Together these main characters are great. Despite their initial aloofness it was obvious they had wonderful chemistry. The author did an excellent job in showing this with their body language. I particularly loved the scenes in which they played a game of rough-and-tumble. Their playfulness told me so much more about their feelings than a description with words would have done.
The secondary characters were a nice addition to the cast, who brought each their own dynamics into the story. I especially liked Cris’s partner Lex and the role of the young gang member, the kid (as Cris called him).
• POV
This story is told from Cris’ point of view in first person. This makes us see him in all his nuances and layers and therefore it’s easy to understand and like him (despite of his flaws). He’s a nicely fleshed-out character while the other characters on the other hand are less round and developed. But that last part is almost inevitable with this type of POV and it didn’t bother me.
• Plot
The plot is a well-paced, nice mix of romance and suspense, with the emphasis on the romantic storyline. The murder investigation is nicely done with a few well-concocted twists and turns and some interesting side-characters. It doesn’t matter that I suspected who the real-murderer was shortly after he/she was introduced in the story. This whole suspense storyline was a great catalyst for Cris’ and Colby’s romance without it being too obvious.
The romance storyline has good tension too, with a nice touch of angst before reaching the happy ending.
• Smexing
M/M. There’s not only smexing between the two protags in this book, but also between Cris and some other characters. This mainly takes place before Cris and Colby meet, though not solely. In his defense, Cris’ behavior is well explained and made understandable. Moreover, the really good sexy scenes are preserved for him and Colby. They have a subtle but clearly present D/s dynamic going on, without living the lifestyle or anything. It’s just that Colby is physically the stronger partner and Cris likes to submit and be taken in a rough way. This part of Cris seems to have a cause that lies in his past, which wasn’t explored to its fullest in this novel. I’m rather curious how this element of their relationship will develop in the future and it could be interesting to see more of it in a sequel.
A little niggle I had, regarding the smexing, concerns the easy dismissal of condoms in an early stage of their relationship, but at least it was addressed later on.
• Writing style
In short sentences and a lucid style the author tells his story. His writing is not attracting attention to itself, has no tricks to enhance the suspense – it’s just clear, plain and pleasant, interwoven with a lot of dialogue.
Favorite quote:
He and I trashed around on the bed and ended up with him on top of me, holding me down again. We kissed hard and touched each other everywhere, but it wasn’t about sex; it was about fun.
Linking:
Ethan Stone’s weblog | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy In the Flesh here
http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/201...
September 13, 2010
Cristian Flesh is a young police detective who doesn't believe in hiding the fact that he's gay. He's also a bottom-boy who loves to be dominated and has a rule for just about everything in his life, most especially when it comes to sex. When one of his frequent sex partners, an older, married man with a penchant for 'boys' is attacked and then a one-night stand ends up dead Cristian has to figure out what's going on before he ends up in big trouble. With the help of his partner Lex, and Colby Maddox, a hotshot super-sexy lawyer, Cristian works to clear his name while at the same time trying to make sense of his unexpected, and rule-breaking feelings for Colby.
In the Flesh is the first book I've read by Ethan Stone but it certainly won't be the last. This story grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go of me until the very end. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Cristian's eyes and even though the story is told through his POV only I found all of the main characters to be well-developed and three-dimensional.
Cristian and Colby's relationship is well written and quite interesting. They have to deal with Colby being in the closet and his reluctance to come out and also with Cristian's many rules all while trying to find who the real culprit, or culprits, might be. I loved how over time those rules, 'no sleep overs' or 'shared showers' are a couple of them, lose importance as Cristian's feelings for Colby deepen.
There are many secondary characters in the story, both good and bad, and I found them all to be good additions to the story. I especially liked Lex, Cristian's friend and partner, and Gabe, another of the 'boys' of the initial victim. Gabe is a young, street-tough guy and his ups and downs throughout the story added another interesting layer to the book.
As for the actual mystery I found it to be the weakest part of the story. The 'red herrings' in the story are easy to see through and the actual culprit easy to spot however it worked well in the end as the true focus of the story is Cristian and Colby's relationship. The only issue I had with this story is my pet peeve of no condoms. The second time Colby and Cristian have sex it's a scorching hot scene in which neither man even mentions them. They address the lack of condoms the next time but quickly agree they are both "clean" and that it's not a problem. This seemed a bit off to me especially given Cristian's tendency to engage in lots of casual, anonymous sex.
Despite that I thoroughly enjoyed reading In the Flesh. Ethan Stone has written a fast-paced story with complex protagonists whose well-written and interesting relationship held my attention throughout. The plot is dynamic and flows well and even though the mystery element is a bit weak overall the story is very engaging and I loved it. The strength of In the Flesh is Cristian and Colby and their relationship and I was sorry to reach the end. I hope that at some point the author revisits Cristian and Colby and shares more of their story with us. Highly recommended.
In the Flesh is the first book I've read by Ethan Stone but it certainly won't be the last. This story grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go of me until the very end. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Cristian's eyes and even though the story is told through his POV only I found all of the main characters to be well-developed and three-dimensional.
Cristian and Colby's relationship is well written and quite interesting. They have to deal with Colby being in the closet and his reluctance to come out and also with Cristian's many rules all while trying to find who the real culprit, or culprits, might be. I loved how over time those rules, 'no sleep overs' or 'shared showers' are a couple of them, lose importance as Cristian's feelings for Colby deepen.
There are many secondary characters in the story, both good and bad, and I found them all to be good additions to the story. I especially liked Lex, Cristian's friend and partner, and Gabe, another of the 'boys' of the initial victim. Gabe is a young, street-tough guy and his ups and downs throughout the story added another interesting layer to the book.
As for the actual mystery I found it to be the weakest part of the story. The 'red herrings' in the story are easy to see through and the actual culprit easy to spot however it worked well in the end as the true focus of the story is Cristian and Colby's relationship. The only issue I had with this story is my pet peeve of no condoms. The second time Colby and Cristian have sex it's a scorching hot scene in which neither man even mentions them. They address the lack of condoms the next time but quickly agree they are both "clean" and that it's not a problem. This seemed a bit off to me especially given Cristian's tendency to engage in lots of casual, anonymous sex.
Despite that I thoroughly enjoyed reading In the Flesh. Ethan Stone has written a fast-paced story with complex protagonists whose well-written and interesting relationship held my attention throughout. The plot is dynamic and flows well and even though the mystery element is a bit weak overall the story is very engaging and I loved it. The strength of In the Flesh is Cristian and Colby and their relationship and I was sorry to reach the end. I hope that at some point the author revisits Cristian and Colby and shares more of their story with us. Highly recommended.
September 22, 2010
In the Flesh is a good mix of mystery and romance that is very likely to please fans of the publisher/genre. The characters are interesting and Flesh has a lot of texture and strength. He’s not an easy character to like, yet the real star of the book is the writing. Ethan Stone has penned a fast paced, slick story that grabs you while developing and maturing the murder and the main characters. The voice used is a curious mixture of wit and a dry recitation of events yet remains interesting with a distinctly masculine feel to the first person narration.
The main detective, Cris Flesh, is not always a nice guy. He’s unrepentant about wanting no strings sex – he’s always a bottom, never a top – he wants to be dominated and humiliated during the encounter and that’s it. He has more rules than you can keep track of to avoid intimacy and protect himself. He has a mysterious past filled with some kind of abuse, but since the narrator is first person that abuse is only hinted at but never really explained. Flesh refuses to talk about his past so the story never delves too deeply into his background. Instead it gives him free reign to have sex with anyone that catches his eye while following his actions as a cop.
Flesh often makes stupid, ridiculous mistakes that make you want to slap him. What keeps you reading is his self awareness. Flesh knows they’re stupid mistakes but he’s so arrogant and self destructive, he honestly doesn’t care. Over the course of the story he matures and changes from fearing intimacy and commitment to opening himself up to love and emotion. His romance with Colby covers the later half of the story while the murder mystery is the focus for the first half. There is a loose thread that keeps the story going at the end while the romance resolves with the typical tension, drama, issues, and happy ending. The mystery for the most part is pretty good – although I guessed the culprit very early on – but the actual mystery is a decent combination of slightly ridiculous heroics and good police work.
The writing is what really struck me with this offering and it makes me want to read more from the author. The characters and mystery itself sometimes bothered or frustrated but the unique feel to the voice and tone of the writing always drew me back. The crisp, clean prose keeps the descriptions concise and interesting. The good mixture of romance and mystery delivers a solid story that is sure to be a hit with readers. There are numerous unanswered questions though so this promises to be a series and one I think fans will really enjoy.
The main detective, Cris Flesh, is not always a nice guy. He’s unrepentant about wanting no strings sex – he’s always a bottom, never a top – he wants to be dominated and humiliated during the encounter and that’s it. He has more rules than you can keep track of to avoid intimacy and protect himself. He has a mysterious past filled with some kind of abuse, but since the narrator is first person that abuse is only hinted at but never really explained. Flesh refuses to talk about his past so the story never delves too deeply into his background. Instead it gives him free reign to have sex with anyone that catches his eye while following his actions as a cop.
Flesh often makes stupid, ridiculous mistakes that make you want to slap him. What keeps you reading is his self awareness. Flesh knows they’re stupid mistakes but he’s so arrogant and self destructive, he honestly doesn’t care. Over the course of the story he matures and changes from fearing intimacy and commitment to opening himself up to love and emotion. His romance with Colby covers the later half of the story while the murder mystery is the focus for the first half. There is a loose thread that keeps the story going at the end while the romance resolves with the typical tension, drama, issues, and happy ending. The mystery for the most part is pretty good – although I guessed the culprit very early on – but the actual mystery is a decent combination of slightly ridiculous heroics and good police work.
The writing is what really struck me with this offering and it makes me want to read more from the author. The characters and mystery itself sometimes bothered or frustrated but the unique feel to the voice and tone of the writing always drew me back. The crisp, clean prose keeps the descriptions concise and interesting. The good mixture of romance and mystery delivers a solid story that is sure to be a hit with readers. There are numerous unanswered questions though so this promises to be a series and one I think fans will really enjoy.
November 15, 2016
So I started the book Confessions, and was lost in a weird and totally unrelated discussion of the name 'Leif' (the MC in 'Confessions').
Then the lovely 'Beth doesn't write' made me aware that 'C' was a spin-off of this series, and since I am anal about reading things in order, and really couldn't get into 'C', I decided to give this one a go.
Have you ever met one of those little yapping dogs, that just keeps going and going and going? They are fast, like really fast and they yap, yap yap.
Reading the beginning of this book was kind of like that. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on it, but I sped (we're talking supersonic speed-reading) through the first couple of chapters and was left with the feeling of a little dog barking.
I have nothing against any type of dog, and since these books have pretty good reviews and ratings it is clearly a case of: 'It's definitely me, not the book'.
The pace/writing/MC (something????) was so damn fast, and it did not work for me unfortunately.
I think I will just have to accept that Ethan Stone is not an author for me, and it's too bad since the blurbs sound amazing.
Then the lovely 'Beth doesn't write' made me aware that 'C' was a spin-off of this series, and since I am anal about reading things in order, and really couldn't get into 'C', I decided to give this one a go.
Have you ever met one of those little yapping dogs, that just keeps going and going and going? They are fast, like really fast and they yap, yap yap.
Reading the beginning of this book was kind of like that. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on it, but I sped (we're talking supersonic speed-reading) through the first couple of chapters and was left with the feeling of a little dog barking.
I have nothing against any type of dog, and since these books have pretty good reviews and ratings it is clearly a case of: 'It's definitely me, not the book'.
The pace/writing/MC (something????) was so damn fast, and it did not work for me unfortunately.
I think I will just have to accept that Ethan Stone is not an author for me, and it's too bad since the blurbs sound amazing.
July 9, 2016
Well, folks, I'm in the minority again with this one. I disliked the story and the only reason I kept going with it was because Tristan James does a good job with the narration.
Cristian Flesh is openly gay and at twenty-five is one of the youngest to ever make detective. Cristian prefers to live by a strict set of rules that he's set up for himself so as to never get too attached or emotional over anyone, and he is very active sexually, having oral and anal sex with multiple partners as often as possible. He also finds it nearly impossible to be alone, sometimes lasting less than an hour alone before needing to seek someone out for sex.
When televangelist, Joseph Pryor, is stabbed nearly to death Cristian and his partner, Lex, are assigned to the case and it creates a snowball effect of connected events that eventually get Cristian framed for a related murder. Eventually his partner Lex hires lawyer Colby Maddox to save Cristian and the two work together to get Cristian free.
Once he's out from behind the charges, he continues to investigate the other mysteries that mount up until he finally gets all the answers.
I honestly cannot remember reading a story where a character who is supposed to be so smart and capable is so egregiously stupid and short-sighted in his actions. Cristian misses obvious clues, ignores evidence, at one point refuses to hire a capable defense attorney instead initially going with a Public Defender because "he's innocent", screws around at every opportunity, including having sex with a suspect, regardless of any consequences.
But then Cristian meets Colby and everything changes. Colby is rich, handsome and hung. So, of course, Cristian begins breaking all his carefully crafted rules once they begin having sex. Unfortunately, Colby is also deeply closeted with no intention of coming out any time soon, even for Cristian. And there are still mysteries to solve.
It all just didn't add up for me. I didn't like Cristian's decisions and actions, some being so over the top stupid it had me literally pulling my hair at times in frustration. I got really tired, really quickly of all the completely unnecessary sex in this story. There is just so much sex in this story...to the point it frankly got repetitive and boring for me to keep hearing.
I did like how it transitions from straight mystery to mystery with some romance as the story progresses and Colby is introduced, but found the writing style just didn't work for me as a whole. I didn't buy into Cristian's reasons for his behavior, and explanations came too little too late for me. I also didn't feel like I got to know Colby enough to buy Cristian changing all his ways for him so they could have their HEA.
Even though the audio contains my biggest pet peeve with M/M narration (when the narrator mistakenly says "prostrate" instead of "prostate"), I enjoyed Tristan James's narration overall and thought he did well with the various character voices in the story. Like I said before, the only reason I kept going with the story was directly because Tristan James does such a good job with the narration.
BUT! Like I also said at the beginning I am definitely in the minority with disliking this one.
If you're looking for a mystery with strong characters, lots of hot sex, and some romance then you should check it out for yourself.
Audio copy of In the Flesh (Flesh #1) provided by DSP Publications in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
July 12, 2012
Police Detective Cristian Flesh believes that sex is like money -- you can never have enough. Flesh never tops and in In the Flesh he proceeds to fulfill the promise of the title by literally sleeping with anything breathing, two-legged, with a cock. He is single minded in his work and play. Flesh is a damaged soul and protects himself by living by a long list of rules which include no hook-ups twice in a row. Well, that is until he meets handsome lawyer Colby Maddox. Flesh gets implicated as a suspect in a murder case he is investigating (he slept with the victim) and Colby fights to clear his name and win his heart.
I seem to stand with the minority in being underwhelmed by this book. While I liked the development of Flesh’s character and the beginning cracks in the wall he puts up as he slowly breaks rule after rule in order to be with Colby, there really isn’t anything here that I haven’t already read before. Not helping matters is an uninspired writing style -- a dry, flat, laundry listing of events. Yes, Flesh is a somewhat interesting fellow but there’s no ‘ping’ to make him stand out from all the other detective-cops-framed-in-murder-case-working-with-their-lover-to-get-them-off (tee hee)-whilst-having-a-lot-of-sex-along-the-way. GR states that 2 stars equals 'it was ok' and this was just OK for me.
I seem to stand with the minority in being underwhelmed by this book. While I liked the development of Flesh’s character and the beginning cracks in the wall he puts up as he slowly breaks rule after rule in order to be with Colby, there really isn’t anything here that I haven’t already read before. Not helping matters is an uninspired writing style -- a dry, flat, laundry listing of events. Yes, Flesh is a somewhat interesting fellow but there’s no ‘ping’ to make him stand out from all the other detective-cops-framed-in-murder-case-working-with-their-lover-to-get-them-off (tee hee)-whilst-having-a-lot-of-sex-along-the-way. GR states that 2 stars equals 'it was ok' and this was just OK for me.
October 14, 2010
In the beginning this books is factual, dry, a little distanced, just like Cristian Flesh, the first person narrator. It picks up pace fairly quickly, though.
The characters were very believable, particularly Cristian, a genuine flawed hero with a painful past which is never entirely revealed but still hinted at often enough to make his motives understandable. He keeps himself distanced from everybody and has surrounded himself with a fortress wall of rules for nearly every aspect of his life, especially his sex life. It takes a very confident, very strong man to get Cris to break his rules. This would be Colby Maddox, the lawyer who defends Cris when he's accused of the murder of one of his hookups. Although it's only sex in the beginning, Cris comes to realize that he wants more with Colby, or rather that he can't escape the way Colby wants more with him - and what's even more of a revelation for don't-have-sex-twice-in-a-row-with-the-same-guy Cris, that he doesn't even want to escape.
The actual mystery was realistically written, too, with futile research and meeting dead ends, with false solutions and bad evidence, just like in real life.
I liked the little quirks the author worked into the book, like the names: the bible-thumper Pryor, the tough-as-nails partner detective Alexandra "Lex" Luther, the bald, very carnal hero Flesh, or Kismet, the hooker whose clues finally help solving the murder. Also, I very much liked the way the writing changed from the almost cold beginning to passionate emotional passages when Cris finally allows himself to feel again.
There were a few very minor niggles too, little breaks in the logic. For example, why a man who is as promiscuous yet aware of the risks as Cris would allow himself being taken bare when it's still only sex for him, or why he would go back for more sex with the victim, Sanchez, thus breaking one of his rules, when he was still far from that point in his personal development. Also there were some repetitions of phrases the author seemed to be fond of. But these were really very minor niggles, more like "huh?" moments.
Overall, a great read, fast-paced action mystery with a flawed hero who grows and develops over the course of the book, and an emotional, passionate, realistic romance, written with great skill and without a single superfluous word. Definitely a keeper.
The characters were very believable, particularly Cristian, a genuine flawed hero with a painful past which is never entirely revealed but still hinted at often enough to make his motives understandable. He keeps himself distanced from everybody and has surrounded himself with a fortress wall of rules for nearly every aspect of his life, especially his sex life. It takes a very confident, very strong man to get Cris to break his rules. This would be Colby Maddox, the lawyer who defends Cris when he's accused of the murder of one of his hookups. Although it's only sex in the beginning, Cris comes to realize that he wants more with Colby, or rather that he can't escape the way Colby wants more with him - and what's even more of a revelation for don't-have-sex-twice-in-a-row-with-the-same-guy Cris, that he doesn't even want to escape.
The actual mystery was realistically written, too, with futile research and meeting dead ends, with false solutions and bad evidence, just like in real life.
I liked the little quirks the author worked into the book, like the names: the bible-thumper Pryor, the tough-as-nails partner detective Alexandra "Lex" Luther, the bald, very carnal hero Flesh, or Kismet, the hooker whose clues finally help solving the murder. Also, I very much liked the way the writing changed from the almost cold beginning to passionate emotional passages when Cris finally allows himself to feel again.
There were a few very minor niggles too, little breaks in the logic. For example, why a man who is as promiscuous yet aware of the risks as Cris would allow himself being taken bare when it's still only sex for him, or why he would go back for more sex with the victim, Sanchez, thus breaking one of his rules, when he was still far from that point in his personal development. Also there were some repetitions of phrases the author seemed to be fond of. But these were really very minor niggles, more like "huh?" moments.
Overall, a great read, fast-paced action mystery with a flawed hero who grows and develops over the course of the book, and an emotional, passionate, realistic romance, written with great skill and without a single superfluous word. Definitely a keeper.
May 6, 2013
"One finger, then two. More spit, two fingers, three fingers."
This. Omg this. This reminded me of this:
(Lots of lube! One, two, three fingers, go!)
From Lenore's review of Lover at Last (it's under the spoiler tag after "Here, I would like to say a few things about the m/m parts in this book.")
And it's got one of those. Those straight guys who realize they have a gay friend and tentatively ask if the gay friend would have gone for them, then gotten totally offended when he said no.
'kay, obligatory scathing comments aside, this is actually quite intelligently written.
It's quite clear that Cris has some major issues going on, but it's subtle. It's interwoven. It's obvious in the "I should have seen it coming sort of way" (but we do because we're essentially inside Cris' head).
And for some reason, it was surprising when I realized Colby's black. There was a line...
Ah, here it is:
“Exactly. I also get crap because of my race. Other black people say I‟ve turned into a white man just because I‟m a professional.”
I don't know what I was picturing, but given my propensity for not really having a mental picture of characters, it probably was just a list of vague characteristics floating around.
It's good. Quite good. I actually got into the plot, which is unusual for an m/m murder mystery type book.
It gets a bit benign towards the end, but it's still sweet.
And unlike with Melusine (and series), there's still a lot of promised angst in the foreseeable future ^^
For some reason, I feel like the whole is going to come back and bite them in the ass one day...
This. Omg this. This reminded me of this:
(Lots of lube! One, two, three fingers, go!)
From Lenore's review of Lover at Last (it's under the spoiler tag after "Here, I would like to say a few things about the m/m parts in this book.")
And it's got one of those. Those straight guys who realize they have a gay friend and tentatively ask if the gay friend would have gone for them, then gotten totally offended when he said no.
'kay, obligatory scathing comments aside, this is actually quite intelligently written.
It's quite clear that Cris has some major issues going on, but it's subtle. It's interwoven. It's obvious in the "I should have seen it coming sort of way" (but we do because we're essentially inside Cris' head).
And for some reason, it was surprising when I realized Colby's black. There was a line...
Ah, here it is:
“Exactly. I also get crap because of my race. Other black people say I‟ve turned into a white man just because I‟m a professional.”
I don't know what I was picturing, but given my propensity for not really having a mental picture of characters, it probably was just a list of vague characteristics floating around.
It's good. Quite good. I actually got into the plot, which is unusual for an m/m murder mystery type book.
It gets a bit benign towards the end, but it's still sweet.
And unlike with Melusine (and series), there's still a lot of promised angst in the foreseeable future ^^
For some reason, I feel like the whole is going to come back and bite them in the ass one day...
i-give-up
July 6, 2016No rating since I didn't make it beyond chapter 1
Read
January 3, 2015There's an adjective I'd use to describe this book: raw. It fits everything: the narrator, the writing, the story, the sex.
I am not going to summarize the story, because the blurb is enough. It was difficult to warm up to the narrator, detective Cristian Flesh. I have no problems with characters as Flesh: even if he is not open, even if he is reluctant, I appreciated that he doesn't try to win people over. He gets in your reading space and there is no way to find a compromise with him. It's as if being openly gay, uncompromising, with this unquenchable sex drive, is a way to hide and protect himself. If someone gets in your face, you're not allowed to see anything but only a little part of them up close.
The writing style is very simple. Especially at the beginning, the dialog takes up the majority of the story, without little else. The characters talk, then go do something. Cristian Flesh seems unconcerned with the thoughts and reactions of the people around him. For example, when he proposes his cop partner to do something reckless or borderline illegal, she just says "let's do it" and off they go. I expected a little commentary, an observation to have some reference. Nothing. I spent the first 50% of the book wondering if this was a choice by the author or a lack in the writing.
After the first 50% of the book, Flesh begins to recognize he is developing feelings for Colby, the lawyer who is helping Flesh in his case. The writing slowly opens up as Flesh is opening up to his emotions. His relationship with Colby is difficult: while the sex is stellar, Colby is caring and passionate, but he is in the closet. He is the opposite of Flesh, because the cop is out, but almost unable to express his feelings. Colby refuses to reveal his sexuality, Flesh refuses to reveal his heart and mind. When their relationship reaches a point where these differences can't be reconciled, Flesh clams up again and the writing style goes back to being rough and almost simple.
There is a mystery to be solved, which I think was easy to figure out at the beginning and I wonder why Flesh didn't get it at once. Flesh is not a big thinker, sometimes he made choices that were pretty dumb in my opinion, but he is an interesting character and hands down the most enticing mystery of the whole book. I'll read the sequel because I want to know more about him.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4, because I was fascinated despite not wanting to.
I am not going to summarize the story, because the blurb is enough. It was difficult to warm up to the narrator, detective Cristian Flesh. I have no problems with characters as Flesh: even if he is not open, even if he is reluctant, I appreciated that he doesn't try to win people over. He gets in your reading space and there is no way to find a compromise with him. It's as if being openly gay, uncompromising, with this unquenchable sex drive, is a way to hide and protect himself. If someone gets in your face, you're not allowed to see anything but only a little part of them up close.
The writing style is very simple. Especially at the beginning, the dialog takes up the majority of the story, without little else. The characters talk, then go do something. Cristian Flesh seems unconcerned with the thoughts and reactions of the people around him. For example, when he proposes his cop partner to do something reckless or borderline illegal, she just says "let's do it" and off they go. I expected a little commentary, an observation to have some reference. Nothing. I spent the first 50% of the book wondering if this was a choice by the author or a lack in the writing.
After the first 50% of the book, Flesh begins to recognize he is developing feelings for Colby, the lawyer who is helping Flesh in his case. The writing slowly opens up as Flesh is opening up to his emotions. His relationship with Colby is difficult: while the sex is stellar, Colby is caring and passionate, but he is in the closet. He is the opposite of Flesh, because the cop is out, but almost unable to express his feelings. Colby refuses to reveal his sexuality, Flesh refuses to reveal his heart and mind. When their relationship reaches a point where these differences can't be reconciled, Flesh clams up again and the writing style goes back to being rough and almost simple.
There is a mystery to be solved, which I think was easy to figure out at the beginning and I wonder why Flesh didn't get it at once. Flesh is not a big thinker, sometimes he made choices that were pretty dumb in my opinion, but he is an interesting character and hands down the most enticing mystery of the whole book. I'll read the sequel because I want to know more about him.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4, because I was fascinated despite not wanting to.
January 25, 2023
Let see.
Gabe gets hit in the legs MULTIPLE times, and at least once in the head. His injuries? 1 broken arm, and some cuts and bruises. Crap...I know 5 year old who could do more damage with a crow bar.
Same crowbar hits Flesh in the head. Doesn't get knocked out, or suffer an injury.
I kept waiting for some feelz. And waiting. And waiting. The closest I came was Gabe.
Flesh's stupidity. He just couldn't stay out of the investigations. As much as it worked against him, I'm surprised it didn't hurt him more.
I couldn't get over how insistent Flesh was for Cooper to come out of the closet...yet he can't even commit to a relationship. If he can't go full in...then why should Cooper uproot his entire life for a F'buddy with feeling benefits.
I didn't really get Cooper either.
Right nice of Flesh to pay for Gabe's medical bills. Do you know how much a surgery, and multiple day hospital bill costs? Seems WAY out of his income level.
~~~
Re-read
I'm gonna bump this up to 3 stars.
I really enjoyed the first 1/2.
It got a little rocky, but I think in the end, the series is worth another shot.
I think if the next book reverts a little back to feel like the 1st half of this book, I'll really enjoy the series. So I'm gonna give it another go.
Gabe gets hit in the legs MULTIPLE times, and at least once in the head. His injuries? 1 broken arm, and some cuts and bruises. Crap...I know 5 year old who could do more damage with a crow bar.
Same crowbar hits Flesh in the head. Doesn't get knocked out, or suffer an injury.
I kept waiting for some feelz. And waiting. And waiting. The closest I came was Gabe.
Flesh's stupidity. He just couldn't stay out of the investigations. As much as it worked against him, I'm surprised it didn't hurt him more.
I couldn't get over how insistent Flesh was for Cooper to come out of the closet...yet he can't even commit to a relationship. If he can't go full in...then why should Cooper uproot his entire life for a F'buddy with feeling benefits.
I didn't really get Cooper either.
Right nice of Flesh to pay for Gabe's medical bills. Do you know how much a surgery, and multiple day hospital bill costs? Seems WAY out of his income level.
~~~
Re-read
I'm gonna bump this up to 3 stars.
I really enjoyed the first 1/2.
It got a little rocky, but I think in the end, the series is worth another shot.
I think if the next book reverts a little back to feel like the 1st half of this book, I'll really enjoy the series. So I'm gonna give it another go.
January 26, 2013
I decided to purchase this Kindle book on the strength of another author's recommendation. Same author, different genre. This series is a really good, gripping read. The only reason for my 4 x star review and not 5 x star is that I found the sex a bit repetative. Great descriptions and very horny, but just too much of it for me. I tended to skip huge chunks just to get back to the story.
If you like the gratuitous sex, fine, read them all. Great story line to all three novels in this series. Each book made me weep with happiness and sadness. A very talented writer.
If you like the gratuitous sex, fine, read them all. Great story line to all three novels in this series. Each book made me weep with happiness and sadness. A very talented writer.
September 5, 2016
Somewhere between 3.5 -4 stars
Another book that I found very divided. The mystery element was really well done, and I loved the relationship between Cristian and Lex - Cris behavior in the first 70% of the book, where we get snippets of his past, was consistent. His attraction to Colby initially ties on with this behavior as well. Given Cris' apparent history, I found the romantic ending to this book rather rushed.
I really enjoyed the writing style though, and I think that the sequel may add a bit more balance.
Another book that I found very divided. The mystery element was really well done, and I loved the relationship between Cristian and Lex - Cris behavior in the first 70% of the book, where we get snippets of his past, was consistent. His attraction to Colby initially ties on with this behavior as well. Given Cris' apparent history, I found the romantic ending to this book rather rushed.
I really enjoyed the writing style though, and I think that the sequel may add a bit more balance.
May 23, 2015
At first I thought the main character was a total twit and way too obsessed with sex for any sort of normal human being, expecially a police detective, but after a while he grew on me. Even his sophomoric views on sex got to be charming. And as it always does, when he finally got hit in the head with love, it calmed him down considerably. As far as the story goes, I loved it. The writing was excellent, the plot a good one, and the book overall a fun and exciting read.
July 12, 2012
To be fair, I only read up to page 66 and then just gave up. That was enough to figure out who the murderer was, anyway.
The writing style in this book just does nothing for me, the dialog is mostly uninteresting, the whole thing comes off like a list of facts. First this happened, then that, and so on. I imagine reading the phone book might be more exciting.
The writing style in this book just does nothing for me, the dialog is mostly uninteresting, the whole thing comes off like a list of facts. First this happened, then that, and so on. I imagine reading the phone book might be more exciting.
October 30, 2010
I liked it story over all but I didn’t like the two main characters for a lot of the story. By the end they were both alright and I didn’t hate them as much.
I also figured out the mystery early into the story.
I also figured out the mystery early into the story.
Read
April 28, 2011I have to admit that cop novels are not usually my cup of tea, even if I can sympathize with the imaginary seeing a cop like a perfect lover. But this cop in particular, Cristian Flesh, or simply Flesh, is at the opposite of your common idea of a police detective: unapologetically gay, and that is the point I liked the most, he is also pretty open on what he likes and doesn’t like; he likes sex and more is good, and so, probably for the first time in a novel, I found a detective that slept at least once with co-workers, victims, suspects, defensive lawyers… in a way the reader could guess who was involved in the plot by the fact that Flesh has slept with him.
When Flesh is asked to investigate on an attempt murder, he has to renounce to the case since he slept with the victim; then, on a short distance, he sleeps with two of the suspects and when he is framed with a crime, he sleeps with his lawyer (plus other non-important men in the middle). If at the beginning I was wondering if I liked Flesh, one night stand by one night stand I started to realize that, even if it sounds odd, he was sleeping with all these men to take a distance from them. Lowering everything to an “only-sex” level it allowed Flesh to convince himself these men were not touching him.
That is another point I noticed, Flesh has an “untouchable” aura: not only on the physical side (bald head, white skin, no body hairs), he is also aloof and distant; Flesh put everything on plain air, his body, his personal life, so that no one can accuse him of hiding something, but in reality, he is firmly protecting what is most important for him, his heart.
Colby, the lawyer who has to help Flesh, is more or less at the opposite: apparently more open than Flesh, kind and compassionate, warm against the ice that is Flesh, he is instead deep in the closet. For various reason, his job, his friends, Colby doesn’t want to come out and in doing so, he doesn’t allow Flesh to do his “trick” with him; Flesh is not “allowed” to sleep with Colby as soon as they met, and in this way, Colby is able to insinuate in Flesh’s heart a little bit. Once there, it will not take long before the breach will break Flesh’s protective shield.
While the first part of the novel was about sex with strangers, and while good, it didn’t do much for me, once Flesh and Colby start their relationship, the sex turned in very good and hot. Flesh in bed was as complex as he is out of it, strictly a bottom, he was not though weak, and in a way he managed to be in control also in that position. Again it was an odd thing, since usually when someone tries to protect his heart, I usually link it with a refusal for the bottom position, but again the author prepared the scene for a right and good explanation of also this point.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/161581552X/?...
When Flesh is asked to investigate on an attempt murder, he has to renounce to the case since he slept with the victim; then, on a short distance, he sleeps with two of the suspects and when he is framed with a crime, he sleeps with his lawyer (plus other non-important men in the middle). If at the beginning I was wondering if I liked Flesh, one night stand by one night stand I started to realize that, even if it sounds odd, he was sleeping with all these men to take a distance from them. Lowering everything to an “only-sex” level it allowed Flesh to convince himself these men were not touching him.
That is another point I noticed, Flesh has an “untouchable” aura: not only on the physical side (bald head, white skin, no body hairs), he is also aloof and distant; Flesh put everything on plain air, his body, his personal life, so that no one can accuse him of hiding something, but in reality, he is firmly protecting what is most important for him, his heart.
Colby, the lawyer who has to help Flesh, is more or less at the opposite: apparently more open than Flesh, kind and compassionate, warm against the ice that is Flesh, he is instead deep in the closet. For various reason, his job, his friends, Colby doesn’t want to come out and in doing so, he doesn’t allow Flesh to do his “trick” with him; Flesh is not “allowed” to sleep with Colby as soon as they met, and in this way, Colby is able to insinuate in Flesh’s heart a little bit. Once there, it will not take long before the breach will break Flesh’s protective shield.
While the first part of the novel was about sex with strangers, and while good, it didn’t do much for me, once Flesh and Colby start their relationship, the sex turned in very good and hot. Flesh in bed was as complex as he is out of it, strictly a bottom, he was not though weak, and in a way he managed to be in control also in that position. Again it was an odd thing, since usually when someone tries to protect his heart, I usually link it with a refusal for the bottom position, but again the author prepared the scene for a right and good explanation of also this point.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/161581552X/?...
February 18, 2014
I had a predetermined idea in my head of what Ethan Stone's 'In the Flesh' was going to be and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that some of it was very different. Cristian Flesh has a unique "voice", a fast moving, fast talking, homicide detective with a deeply traumatic background of memories that he works very hard at keeping hidden in the far recesses of his mind. This first book in the 'Flesh' series is far more of a romance than it is a murder mystery, and viewing it from that perspective allowed me to ignore some of the police procedure which was hinky, to say the least.
Cristian is an interesting man with a lot of personal rules that dictate quite a bit of his behavior, from no kissing and no overnights, to walking away before fighting unless they give you no choice and then you should kick ass. He's a firm believer in quick, no-name hookups and does many of them. Many, many, many. Cristian doesn't top, ever, and he prefers dominance and a little humiliation with his sex. This part of his personality was fascinating because it wasn't what I was expecting from a main character who is a cop. I figured the author would go with the stereotypical, and when he didn't I was pleasantly surprised.
Cristian is in a whole lot of trouble when he meets Colby. A televangelist who enjoys sex with men and Cristian, was attacked and brutally stabbed by his childhood lover who just got out of prison. Cristian, unknowingly, picked up this childhood lover/ex con and had sex in his motel room where the following morning this gentleman was found murdered. Cristian is the number one suspect when he meets attorney Colby. Now Cristian is immediately attracted to Colby, but he can't get a handle on what team Colby plays for, so in typical Cristian style, he does some stupid things. *grins*
This was an interesting and different story. I'm not actually sure that I've ever seen one person have as much sex as Cristian did. It was almost too much in some instances, and I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth. The whodunit murderer was extraordinarily easy to spot which kind of reduced my enjoyment just a little. Colby and Cristian were really hot together, but both of them decidedly committed some Too Stupid To Live acts which hit me upside the head and sent me straight into one-eightys.
If you like romance with a side of murder, a guy with too many issues to list, and a closeted lawyer, then this might be the book for you. Thanks, Ethan, it was fun.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Cristian is an interesting man with a lot of personal rules that dictate quite a bit of his behavior, from no kissing and no overnights, to walking away before fighting unless they give you no choice and then you should kick ass. He's a firm believer in quick, no-name hookups and does many of them. Many, many, many. Cristian doesn't top, ever, and he prefers dominance and a little humiliation with his sex. This part of his personality was fascinating because it wasn't what I was expecting from a main character who is a cop. I figured the author would go with the stereotypical, and when he didn't I was pleasantly surprised.
Cristian is in a whole lot of trouble when he meets Colby. A televangelist who enjoys sex with men and Cristian, was attacked and brutally stabbed by his childhood lover who just got out of prison. Cristian, unknowingly, picked up this childhood lover/ex con and had sex in his motel room where the following morning this gentleman was found murdered. Cristian is the number one suspect when he meets attorney Colby. Now Cristian is immediately attracted to Colby, but he can't get a handle on what team Colby plays for, so in typical Cristian style, he does some stupid things. *grins*
This was an interesting and different story. I'm not actually sure that I've ever seen one person have as much sex as Cristian did. It was almost too much in some instances, and I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth. The whodunit murderer was extraordinarily easy to spot which kind of reduced my enjoyment just a little. Colby and Cristian were really hot together, but both of them decidedly committed some Too Stupid To Live acts which hit me upside the head and sent me straight into one-eightys.
If you like romance with a side of murder, a guy with too many issues to list, and a closeted lawyer, then this might be the book for you. Thanks, Ethan, it was fun.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 12, 2013
Now this was mighty atrocious. I know it's not a nice thing to say about something that was clearly invested into, but an "at least he tried" approach doesn't really cut it here. The end result caused me a few hours of suffering, and I must do my best to warn others before they are mislead by the glowing top reviews. (Were they paid to do this, or is it that they never read a good book in their life and therefore have no fair comparison material?)
Now, I'm not sure whether it's possible to actually rate a book at 0 on Goodreads, but I decided to award it one star anyway, for the fact that it's about cops. Because cops are nice.
Now, I'm not sure whether it's possible to actually rate a book at 0 on Goodreads, but I decided to award it one star anyway, for the fact that it's about cops. Because cops are nice.
September 2, 2010
This was a very good read it had suspense and a lot of romance. But ultimately I thought this book was about Christian finding out that he is worthy of being loved and I like the fact that Colby took his time and waited for Christian to come to his senses. I would love to say that as soon as I saw the cover I really wanted to read it but I can't however to cover fooled me and it was the words between it that drew me in. I would recommend this book to anyone. The saying is true "Don't judge a book by it's cover"
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