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911 #3
Turn the Other Cheek
In this sequel to the popular Cheek to Cheek, Mallory and Will have moved past dating, though it's still a race to hit the sheets every time they look at each other. Trouble is brewing, however, since hitting the sheets is a no-no for firefighters who work together. Will is ready to move forward, to tell the world that they're together, but Mallory is still trying to keep their private lives to themselves. With their careers on the line, Will's brother pushing his own agenda and Mallory's keen desire to live on his own terms, choices have to be made. Their work situation needs to change, and so does Mal's attitude, or he'll lose the one thing he wants more than anything in the world -- Will. Can a change of schedule save Mallory and Will's relationship and send them dancing into their future, or will tension and frustration tear them apart forever when Will's had enough? Find out in Turn the Other Cheek!
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2010
2 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Chris Owen
101 books908 followersI live and write in eastern Canada. I went to a bunch of schools, learned a lot of things, and now make stuff up because not to do so is unthinkable. I'm fond of fountain pens, Levenger's Circa system, and Steampunk fashions.
I'm inspired by the day to day minutia of life, and find beauty in the way words go together. I like texture and richness of experience. I'm not shy. I'm happy, I'm learning, I'm living.
I'm inspired by the day to day minutia of life, and find beauty in the way words go together. I like texture and richness of experience. I'm not shy. I'm happy, I'm learning, I'm living.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 10, 2010
If the first volume of Will and Mallory's story (Cheek to Cheek) was all about the initial meeting and beginning of their relationship, this second volume was like their coming of age. Relationship-wise, that is.
Mallory is still struggling with this "commitment thing", even though his issues with it now seem limited to the few occasions that some outsider or an event reminds him of it. It takes him a long time, and Will putting his foot down, to actually confront his own fears. When he does, I like the results.
Will shows the patience of an angel throughout the whole ordeal. If he didn't truly love Mallory as much as he apparently does, he would have run for cover a lot earlier, I imagine.
All in all this was a great sequel to Cheek to Cheek, and one I liked a lot more. Not least because the characters acted a little more like adults (especially Mallory)!
Mallory is still struggling with this "commitment thing", even though his issues with it now seem limited to the few occasions that some outsider or an event reminds him of it. It takes him a long time, and Will putting his foot down, to actually confront his own fears. When he does, I like the results.
Will shows the patience of an angel throughout the whole ordeal. If he didn't truly love Mallory as much as he apparently does, he would have run for cover a lot earlier, I imagine.
All in all this was a great sequel to Cheek to Cheek, and one I liked a lot more. Not least because the characters acted a little more like adults (especially Mallory)!
May 2, 2015
Overall, I still liked it. I was not expecting the climax and the eventual ending. And to be honest, this was drawn out a little long. I got bored with some parts. But thank goodness the last 25% made up for it.
A feel good follow up!
3 STARS.
May 5, 2014
I bought this ages ago I was so pleased to be able to get to it and re-visit Mal and Will the fire fighters who are now an established couple.
In this second book Mal and Will are working through the implications of their relationship and the impact of this on their work and family life. It isn't just about coming out as gay but it is also about finding time for each other, having to work different shifts and also having to plan for one of them to move to a different station.
After the beginning of the great and passionate romance comes the reality of day to day life and working to make their relationship a stable one.
This presents different challenges for each of them. Will is black and really wants to have a career in the fire service and the couple don't know how their coming out at work will affect this in the future. Mal is quite happy with his day to day role but he is a reserved person and doesn't see why he should have to share so much of his private life with the fire crew.
Thankfully the love they have for each other is solid and enduring and able to get them to a new kind of normal, new life as a couple and of course the couple are still dancing together.
So this is a lovely sequel. It isn't dramatic or angsty but is just right, just an enjoyable and solid sequel.
In this second book Mal and Will are working through the implications of their relationship and the impact of this on their work and family life. It isn't just about coming out as gay but it is also about finding time for each other, having to work different shifts and also having to plan for one of them to move to a different station.
After the beginning of the great and passionate romance comes the reality of day to day life and working to make their relationship a stable one.
This presents different challenges for each of them. Will is black and really wants to have a career in the fire service and the couple don't know how their coming out at work will affect this in the future. Mal is quite happy with his day to day role but he is a reserved person and doesn't see why he should have to share so much of his private life with the fire crew.
Thankfully the love they have for each other is solid and enduring and able to get them to a new kind of normal, new life as a couple and of course the couple are still dancing together.
So this is a lovely sequel. It isn't dramatic or angsty but is just right, just an enjoyable and solid sequel.
September 10, 2010
A perfect, mushy romance with well fleshed out characters and just enough conflict to keep things interesting. Highly recommended.
December 8, 2010
3.5 Stars
Turn The Other Cheek is the sequel to Cheek To Cheek in which Chris Owen picks up Mal and Will’s story several months into their relationship.
As with the first book, Turn The Other Cheek is well written and told from Mal’s point of view. One of the distinguishing traits of this author is her ability to dig deep into her characters and provide rich character perspectives and this is exactly what she does with the character of Mal. Chris Owen delves into this character to provide the reader with an intimate glimpse of who he is and his evolution since Book 1.
The complete review of Turn The Other Cheek by Chris Owen can be found at Indie Reviews.
October 13, 2010
Much more entertaining than the first Will and Mallory book, Cheek to Cheek, as it has more depth in it and a very interesting look into the difficulties of managing a career as a firefighter and a relationship with a colleague at the same time. I love Chris Owen's writing - always have - and I'm so glad she's published this sequel because I've missed her writing quite a lot since Acquired Tastes.
October 30, 2015
Loved these books. Loved these characters. Owen writes very nuanced characters and relationships. The writing also has a low key sense of humour. I am now chasing down her other books - but won't be reading no incest books.
January 8, 2015
A sweet continuation from the previous book. Nice, but not quite as good as the others.
June 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this wonderful sequel to Cheek to Cheek.
I loved seeing Mal and Will's relationship develop. They convinced me to believe in them as a couple, and I even came to like Mal a lot more than I did while reading the first book. There's no added drama here—the plot is driven by inner conflict, mainly Mal's struggle to accept that he really does want to commit to Will, even though he went into their "arrangement" with an entirely different attitude. I liked that the book was truly only about them and that the author refrained from adding extra conflict from the outside. They do struggle with finding acceptance among some of their co-workers and family members, but it never comes across as too much; the book's focus remains on Will and Mal's relationship.
Mal and Will get their happily ever after, of course, that was never really in doubt, but following their journey was fund and enjoyable.
There are also several cameos from faces readers familiar with 911 will recognize, and once again, I loved seeing them pop up here and there. (It even made me wish to read some more about Drew, Scott, and Eric and how they're doing).
I loved seeing Mal and Will's relationship develop. They convinced me to believe in them as a couple, and I even came to like Mal a lot more than I did while reading the first book. There's no added drama here—the plot is driven by inner conflict, mainly Mal's struggle to accept that he really does want to commit to Will, even though he went into their "arrangement" with an entirely different attitude. I liked that the book was truly only about them and that the author refrained from adding extra conflict from the outside. They do struggle with finding acceptance among some of their co-workers and family members, but it never comes across as too much; the book's focus remains on Will and Mal's relationship.
Mal and Will get their happily ever after, of course, that was never really in doubt, but following their journey was fund and enjoyable.
There are also several cameos from faces readers familiar with 911 will recognize, and once again, I loved seeing them pop up here and there. (It even made me wish to read some more about Drew, Scott, and Eric and how they're doing).
January 25, 2011
3.5 Stars
This is the follow-up to Cheek to Cheek. Mal and Will have fallen into a comfortable relationship but they finally realize they have to tell their boss as it's against the rules to have couples working on the same shift. Mal's not thrilled as he keeps his personal life private, but they have no choice. In general people are okay with it, although Will's brother still seems to hate Mal for being white. When it's time to take the next step, Mal freaks and does something hurtful. Will's enforced "break" forces him to really decide what he wants from the relationship. There's no huge crisis here beyond a short break, but you see the relationship move from Mal denying it's anything but fuck buddies to serious status and you get to know Mal's family who were non-existent in the other book. You also get to see Drew (and Scott and Eric) from 9-1-1 which was fun as this overlaps with there 9-1-1 ended. A nice finale if a bit sweet for some people.
This is the follow-up to Cheek to Cheek. Mal and Will have fallen into a comfortable relationship but they finally realize they have to tell their boss as it's against the rules to have couples working on the same shift. Mal's not thrilled as he keeps his personal life private, but they have no choice. In general people are okay with it, although Will's brother still seems to hate Mal for being white. When it's time to take the next step, Mal freaks and does something hurtful. Will's enforced "break" forces him to really decide what he wants from the relationship. There's no huge crisis here beyond a short break, but you see the relationship move from Mal denying it's anything but fuck buddies to serious status and you get to know Mal's family who were non-existent in the other book. You also get to see Drew (and Scott and Eric) from 9-1-1 which was fun as this overlaps with there 9-1-1 ended. A nice finale if a bit sweet for some people.
February 8, 2011
Great ending to a wonderful series. Now that Mal has overcome his commitment issues he and Will can finally get on with their lives. Makes me smile!
Both
and this book are told mostly from Mals POV. I would have liked to know why Will let his brother Don interfere with he and Mal's relationship when he did, and just a little more of what Will was thinking. I also had one tiny problem with the author's memory. I could've sworn that in the first book Mal and Trish were MARRIED and split up when they realize that they are no longer in love. Throughout this whole book Mal refers to Trish as his ex-girlfriend. I don’t know why this has been such a sticking point with me but it has. Of course I could just be remembering what I want and they never were really married.
Anyway, very good 4.5 star read IMO.
Both
and this book are told mostly from Mals POV. I would have liked to know why Will let his brother Don interfere with he and Mal's relationship when he did, and just a little more of what Will was thinking. I also had one tiny problem with the author's memory. I could've sworn that in the first book Mal and Trish were MARRIED and split up when they realize that they are no longer in love. Throughout this whole book Mal refers to Trish as his ex-girlfriend. I don’t know why this has been such a sticking point with me but it has. Of course I could just be remembering what I want and they never were really married. Anyway, very good 4.5 star read IMO.
October 2, 2013
I'm glad their HFN ending turned into a HEA in this book.
I wondered how Mal would adjust. Because let's be honest. I was barley believing the HFN ending from the last book.
This book almost read as a gay episode of Chicago Fire. Lots of in depth on to the shift work of a fireman. Most of the time their jobs get lost within the story. This takes center stage.
It was good to watch them work at getting it right. I have to say I was shocked by the ending. The thought of it never even crossed my mind. Mal is just way too flakey. Plus he spends years with a lover to end up leaving. I just wasn't seeing what was so special this time around. What made him go from fuck buddies to the one? Since that fuck buddies fight was what lead to the end. There is no way he would of ever did it if he wasn't making a mistake right.
Let's talk about that god awful middle name. Oh. Boy. That goodness for the last minute John in there. LMAO. :P
I wondered how Mal would adjust. Because let's be honest. I was barley believing the HFN ending from the last book.
This book almost read as a gay episode of Chicago Fire. Lots of in depth on to the shift work of a fireman. Most of the time their jobs get lost within the story. This takes center stage.
It was good to watch them work at getting it right. I have to say I was shocked by the ending. The thought of it never even crossed my mind. Mal is just way too flakey. Plus he spends years with a lover to end up leaving. I just wasn't seeing what was so special this time around. What made him go from fuck buddies to the one? Since that fuck buddies fight was what lead to the end. There is no way he would of ever did it if he wasn't making a mistake right.
Let's talk about that god awful middle name. Oh. Boy. That goodness for the last minute John in there. LMAO. :P
September 24, 2014
This is the conclusion of Mal and Will's story. We watch Mal struggle in this book with his feelings for Will. He wants Will, just not the label of a boyfriend(this word nearly chokes him to say).
Mal and Will continue to work together, but as the relationship gets more serious and the words "I Love You" are spoken, it's time for one or the other to transfer. How will there co-workers take the news of the couple?
This was a great conclusion to the story. I enjoyed getting to see Drew, from book one healthy and back at work.
I thought the sex was plentiful in the Cheek to Cheek, but let me tell you, it was nothing compared to the smoking hot sex we get in this book. The chemistry between these two guys is off the charts! The ending was perfect. I will definitely be looking at more books by this author!
Mal and Will continue to work together, but as the relationship gets more serious and the words "I Love You" are spoken, it's time for one or the other to transfer. How will there co-workers take the news of the couple?
This was a great conclusion to the story. I enjoyed getting to see Drew, from book one healthy and back at work.
I thought the sex was plentiful in the Cheek to Cheek, but let me tell you, it was nothing compared to the smoking hot sex we get in this book. The chemistry between these two guys is off the charts! The ending was perfect. I will definitely be looking at more books by this author!
April 28, 2011
At 233 pages, this follow-up to the popular Cheek to Cheek by Chris Owen delivers on its promise to give us more of the main characters and answer some of the issues raised by the first novella. If you've liked Cheek to Cheek then I definitely recommend picking up Turn The Other Cheek without even reading the rest of this review: Chris Owen's writing is so consistent that the transition between the two books is seamless. You won't even realise you've picked up another book, as opposed to just further chapters! To read the rest of this review, please visit http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=...
January 6, 2011
Firefighters *sighs* how sexhay! I love the way Chris Owens writes! This takes place in the 911 universe, so if you haven't read that one or Cheek to Cheek, you will be lost. I HIGHLY rec 911 (delicious 3some!).
More Will and Mallory. This time their relationship gets deeper and more involved. They are still not 'out' at work yet, and that's just fine with Mallory. But Will sees their relationship in a different light. Not that he thinks everyone should know, but he doesn't want to hide from anyone.
Awesome story between hot and sexhay firefighters! You definitely want to read!
More Will and Mallory. This time their relationship gets deeper and more involved. They are still not 'out' at work yet, and that's just fine with Mallory. But Will sees their relationship in a different light. Not that he thinks everyone should know, but he doesn't want to hide from anyone.
Awesome story between hot and sexhay firefighters! You definitely want to read!
October 12, 2012
I loved this sequel for Mal and Will! In fact, one of the things that really struck me was how subtly the story approaches the fact that this is an interracial couple. It’s not something that’s in your face – they are just two guys first and foremost – but, I loved that diversity could be shown in such a positive light. They’ve come a long way in being together and out to others. Their passion for dance and for each other just made my heart happy. A great ending for a great couple. Loved it!
May 15, 2018
Love, love, love this series! You don't have to read the 1st book in this series, it's about 3 different MC's, but it's hot, hot, hot and just lovely (and they make appearances in this story too) so I highly recommend it. These MC's are in the last 2 books of the series and they should be read in order "Cheek to Cheek" and "Turn the Other Cheek."
There is also a very brief Valentine story (3.5) with the MC's from the first book 911.
Chris Owen writes unique characters, interesting and entertaining stories and hot, hot, hot scenes!
There is also a very brief Valentine story (3.5) with the MC's from the first book 911.
Chris Owen writes unique characters, interesting and entertaining stories and hot, hot, hot scenes!
August 8, 2011
This book was a sweet, satisfying conclusion to Cheek to Cheek. It lacked some of the emotional events that intensify my very favorite books. Most of the conflict was internal, with Mal not able to sort out exactly what he wants and needs and can live with. This books handles that better than most, precisely by making it an obstacle but not deep, traumatic angst. It fit the man and the story, and resulted in a warm, sometimes funny, very believable love story.
September 16, 2012
This was a very enjoyable follow-up to Cheek to Cheek. I almost didn't read it because the description looked like the MC's, Mal and Will, were going to spend most of the story in angst-induced hurt. That was not the case, however. This story builds on the relationship started in the original and takes them to the ultimate HEA. I'll be reading their story, both books, again in future.
February 22, 2015
This was as good as book 2, its more of Will and Mal, and them realizing that alot of things are going to change. Mal has some serious decisions to make about where he wants to work and how commited he is to Will and their relationship. These two really are a fun couple, they're hot and very loveable. The boys from the first book are in here as a cameo, but it was nice to see them that way. Good book.
November 4, 2014
Just exactly right. Doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't, but thoroughly takes the reader on a delightful, lighthearted, romantic journey. There aren't many who do this sort of story better than Chris Owen. Turn the Other Cheek strongly reminds me of another one of her novels, Shady Ridge and the Neon Sky. I gave that one five stars too.
October 13, 2010
Chris Owen wrote some of my favorite m/m romance novels. "Turn the other cheek" is a continuation of "Cheek to cheek" and a spin off of "911". I would recommend this series highly. For those who like tame m/m this is not your series. There are many sex scenes, but they have a purpose. That's right a plot and great characters.
four stars.
four stars.
December 2, 2010
Another superfabulous book by Chris Owen! I absolutly LOVE Mal and Will. The last book was good, and this one got better. I can not get enough of reading about the two of them. And we got little appearances but Drew, Scott, and Erik. Mal struggles with commitment, but in the end love always wins. If you enjoyed the first two, you are sure to enjoy this one.
September 22, 2011
In this sequel to Cheek to Cheek, the author continues the story of Will and Mal. Honestly, I think Cheek to Cheek and Turn the other Cheek could've been one book with a lot of editing. There really wasn't enough in it, in my opinion, to merit a separate story. Again, not a bad story, just not enough substance for me.
June 11, 2012
I think the actual plot in this book could have easily been included in the previous installment. There were some nice, plot-moving, character building moments for the couple which I enjoyed but mostly, this was them shagging(which became a little repetitive after a while and I ended up skipping over a fair chunk of the story). Nice ending to their story, though.
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January 24, 2023This 3rd book in the 911 series concludes the story of Mallory and Will. As per Cheek to Cheek, it lacked any real excitement and felt a bit flat. It had a lovely happy ending but this seemed a bit forced as Mal went from fearing commitment to overnight without any real explanation of why.
February 8, 2011
Loved the "what'd I do?" moments for Mal, and the process of Mal and Will deciding what they want from each other. The fact that this is set in Canada makes me sad, tho....I'd love it if more stories set in the US could have the same ending.
November 12, 2013
This was a good sequel to Cheek to Cheek. In fact, I liked it better than the first book.
October 13, 2012
See the previous book, Cheek to Cheek, for my review!
April 14, 2014
Great ending for this wonderful couple. Mal finally grew up and stopped acting like a scared kid when it comes to relationships. Loved the ending. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews