You know, the typical middle book in a trilogy is a little slow. This is not a typical middle book. I guess I've read "too many" action stories, because I guessed some critical things, but it doesn't matter. At the end I still made an inarticulate sound. Now I have to wait for Barrel Proof! ( )

This was a pretty good follow-up to book one. I said in my review of that book that I wanted to see more from Jamie's basketball backstory and we definitely got that here. I just wanted a bit more of the issues of non-communication to be cleared up.

Because this relationship is spread over four books, this is a pretty slow burn relationship. I did like the way it developed here but I wasn't a huge fan of all the jealousy. It's just not a favorite of mine, especially when some of it stems from a lack of discussion around feelings. There's also just the fact that Jamie is still keeping big things from Aidan and I'm just not super excited to see that finally boil over.

I liked the plot of this book. As I said, I was excited to see more of Jamie's past as a basketball player and I was satisfied with what we saw. We saw a bit of Jamie bonding with a few of his players but I did want a bit more of that. I also would have liked to have seen a bit more of Aidan being undercover as an agent. I liked what we got but a lot of that got swept away when the action started to pick up.

I think I'll continue with this series but it's not a priority. In my review of book one, I said I was going to read book two soon but it's been a full year since I read book one so who knows. I definitely enjoyed reading this and I am a bit interested in seeing what happens next. ( )

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!?!?! I don't know if my heart can take this series anymore! Well, of course it will, and I will continue chugging along because DAMN if Whiskey and Irish aren't so freaking adorable, sexy, charming, smart, and amazing. I was so mad at Aidan when this book started off. His fear of his feelings for Jamie (which I totally get by the way) made him pull back and try to distance himself emotionally. Newsflash for Aidan--yeah, nice try dumbass. Jamie is so deep in his heart it isn't funny. I was so glad to see Aidan realize his feelings and my heart swelled 50 times when they said those magic words to each other.

The story line/case that the guys were working on in North Carolina was pretty cool. I loved getting a glimpse into Jamie's life before San Francisco with basketball. The mystery was great, too. I had most of the bad guys figured out, but I loved that there was still a little surprise in that for me. So much great writing in this series.

I am not looking forward to seeing the backlash when Aidan finds out about Jamie's investigation into Gabe. I think my heart might break a little again. The only thing keeping me going is that they are going to get their HEA and that there are more books coming with the Trouble Brewing series.

I listened to the audible narration, and Tristan James once again knocked it out of the park. I finished my ride with only 1 chapter left and I couldn't wait until tomorrow to finish the book, so I ended up reading the last chapter by ebook. While it was still amazing, I found that I love Tristan's version so much that I don't want to read the next book--I want to listen to it. ( )

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

This is the middle book in a gay male romance series that is one continuous story, so I can forgive the serious cliffhanger ending, especially since the main story of the book is resolved. Aidan and Jamie advance their relationship as well, though they are far from a permanent happily ever after as their situation is much too complex for a simple resolution. Each discovery seems to open up a bigger gulf between Aidan and Jamie. I’m still not keen on the explicit gay male sex scenes, but they are no more detailed than the straight sex scenes in contemporary romances, and the relationship struggles are very strong, as is the overarching story that carries through the whole series. It’s this that pulled me back into the series, and kept me reading through to the end.

The main story for this book brings up some complicated situations for both of them, though a bit more for Jamie as his past comes back to haunt him in ways he hadn’t really expected. The FBI arranges his cover as a coach back with the team he’d left, claiming career-ending injury rather than having his sexual orientation revealed. This decision led him to the FBI and work he loves, not to mention the only way he’d have met Aidan, but he didn’t realize how much he missed being in the thick of things in college basketball, something pickup games with his coworkers can’t provide.

There are unresolved issues with his first love as well, which tie nicely into both the romantic and professional tangles. It’s this more than anything else that brings Aidan’s situation to a head. Aidan is terrified of letting Jamie in only to lose him the way Aidan’s married died with his husband. He’s pretending their connection is casual sex when both of them know that’s not true, but Aidan refuses to admit it. Meeting the man who held Jamie’s heart before points to the risks he’s taking in pushing away the one man who makes Aidan whole again.

The story dovetails with the overall series plot in several ways, but none more pressing than Jamie’s decision to withhold damaging information from Aidan until he’s uncovered all the facts. It’s a matter of timing, and timing is rarely with the two of them.

Like the first book, there’s tension on both professional and personal sides. I found this one more balanced as far as the random hooking up because it didn’t seem like everyone, male or female, was on the make. Most people were going about their business, legally or illegally, and while the emotional connections were critical, they were more realistic, showing an improvement over the first book.

Ultimately, this is how I found myself reading a gay male romance series. The story is strong, the relationship crises feel real and are never simple, and it both points to the dangers homophobia creates while demonstrating how a relationship is a relationship regardless of the gender mix involved. That, plus well-written characters and a strong family connection made me not want to see the end of this story just yet, despite having decided to pass on the later books. Had I held to that decision I would have missed some solid storytelling.

P.S. I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. ( )