Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run, #6) in Riptide Publishing

May 21, 2012 Shirley Frances rated it really liked it

Shelves: mm-read, mm-series, 2012

Well...what do I think? Now, that's a loaded question. You see, Cut & Run was the third book I read when I started reading M/M Romance. I fell in love with Ty and Zane from the start. I loved everything about them. Their sarcastic remarks, humor and reactions. Their hot-out-of-control chemistry and their vulnerable sides. Zane with his personal struggles and Ty with his tough exterior and soft heart. Mostly, I enjoyed how they related to each other and accepted their connection.

As the series ha Well...what do I think? Now, that's a loaded question. You see, Cut & Run was the third book I read when I started reading M/M Romance. I fell in love with Ty and Zane from the start. I loved everything about them. Their sarcastic remarks, humor and reactions. Their hot-out-of-control chemistry and their vulnerable sides. Zane with his personal struggles and Ty with his tough exterior and soft heart. Mostly, I enjoyed how they related to each other and accepted their connection.

As the series has developed, I have learned to love how they have changed. I loved to see how Ty discovers he loves Zane in Sticks & Stones. I even enjoyed Ty's 'submissive' role in Fish & Chips. It came to the point that I wanted to smack some sense into Zane from time to time. I couldn't believe he could be so oblivious. Of course, that changed with Divide & Conquer, which showed a whole different side of Zane. One I came to love too. Now here's where it got so damn confusing and frustrating for me.

In Armed & Dangerous, everything felt screwed up for me. I just couldn't SEE them anymore. Yes, they had evolved as a couple, came together and accepted their mutual love for each other. But did their personalities have to disappear in order for them to do that? That's how I felt throughout the book. I chalked it up to the fact that the writing was not a joint effort and that it would be okay in other installments, since I still got glimpses here and there of what I loved about them.

But now, during and after reading this latest installment, I have to accept that IT has changed and maybe, just maybe, my hardcore, bad-ass, sarcastic couple has become a tamed version of themselves. MY Ty and Zane are gone.

Now you're asking yourself why I gave the book a 4 star rating if I feel this way. Well, I am a romantic at heart and it thrilled me that they are so open with each other and wear their hearts on their sleeves, and now after seeing them being so affectionate in public and experiencing their astonishment that they could be that way and have people accept them, that just put a great, big, goofy smile on my face.

So, to bring it all around. I'll just say that I'm looking forward to the next one and that they are still one of my favorite couples. Maybe they have changed and maybe they are bit mushy, but as long as they keep that hot chemistry between them, their sarcasm and humor and keep on kicking ass, I will still love them. ...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Emma rated it liked it

Note to self.
1 star for mushy, squishy, tooth-decaying sweetcums that made me go nuts and the nonsensical psycho-babble-bullshit called “TIGER”.

4.5 For bringing out Zane from the traumatic fall of the darkness. Justifying his confidence and trust in Ty. For finger-licking good “sex” that made me go yee haw. For the Stetsons. This to me seemed like filler where you give your audience a break before stealing their pop corns and leaving them wondering if they were better off with the tiger story!

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Aug 24, 2012 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-m, cops

So, Zane and Ty are like crack. I was a little worried when Madeline Urban retired from this power house of a writing duo, and some of the tone of the series has changed, but definitely not the level of quality. . . Or the hot feeb-y goodness. Like every other book in this series I giggled with happiness when it came out. I'm a hardcore, ambitious, ladder-climbing young executive playing in a boys club of a job. In general, I do not giggle. I got the publishing date wrong and downloaded the book ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Gwendolyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: law-enforcement, cowboys

This is like a 3.5 and I'm rounding up. Stars & Stripes is a very different book than the first four of the series. (I'd say five but the last book was just weird so I'm skipping it.) I very much liked it but it the guys were way more mushy than normal. I liked the extra romance though. It was time to kick it up a notch.

How many more times can these guys get shot, stabbed, beaten, and broken? lol I was wincing for them.

I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed but Ty and Zane usually take turns ...more

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