Jackie Vasquez knows he needs to submit to a Dom he can trust—just as much as he needs to manage his own life. He found the right Dom in Brian Harrison, and then romance beckoned them both beyond bindings and safewords. They take the first steps toward a life together in London, where Brian is pursuing his dream career at Scotland Yard, and Jackie is working toward a master’s degree. Their … Their private hours deep in the night brim with both heat and beauty as Brian’s artful vision for bondage makes a masterwork out of Jackie, body and soul.
But time together becomes scarce as a series of horrific gaslight crimes keeps Brian at work and out of reach for Jackie much of the time. Though Jackie is faithful, he isn’t the type to sit and wait for his lover’s attentions. His self-assured ways and his geocaching hobby lead him to a dangerous discovery—all is not as it seems at the University. Trapped in the Gaslighter’s web, he’ll need to use every trick he knows to stay calm and buy time. But will Brian unravel the knot of mystery in time to save the man he loves?
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This book picks up where A Shot of J&B leaves off so it’s important to read this series in order.
I adore this couple, Brian Harrison and Jackie Vasquez (nephew of Luki Vasquez from the Vasquez and James series). They have their own lives, goals and interests, yet still work hard at being a couple. They manage to keep their relationship alive, grabbing the little hours a week they have together, and we’re treated to some wonderfully hot scenes between them. While they think about each other and worry about each other, neither sits around pining away when they’re not together.
In the previous book we were introduced to a truly, deliciously evil foe. Now we find out this foe has a partner, which was a nice surprise.
One of the things I adore about Lou Sylvre’s mysteries is the reader knows all along who the bad guy is, but the characters do not. This gives her books that creepy don’t open the door type vibe. These are among my favorite types of mysteries. It’s so interesting to see how the characters find out how much trouble they’ve gotten into only when it’s too late!
Watching as Brian and Jackie are pulled farther into a vicious murder scheme and don’t even realize it until they’re in so deep it looks as if they can’t escape creates a incredible sense of excitement. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Their smarts and bravery shines through and they survive, but not without scars and changes to be made.
The supporting characters are diverse and lend depth to the main characters and the story.
There isn’t the same amount of guns and fists type action in this book as readers of Ms. Sylvre’s previous series might expect. The action is more in the ‘cat and mouse’ category, which creates more of a psychological thriller. Brian and Jackie are in London where the cops don’t routinely carry guns and some procedures are different. Since Brian hasn’t been in the field much in London this creates some frustration, and then outright danger for him and Jackie despite being qualified and skilled with firearms. I really enjoyed watching him work through protecting Jackie and carrying out his duties without some of the tools he was trained to use.
Jackie is eight-ish years younger than Brian and has gone through extensive trauma in his life. Woven into the story are details of his ongoing recovery. He’s very self-aware for someone in his early twenties which was refreshing. Jackie isn’t needy but he does need and want Brian’s support, as well as that of his family. He’s not shy about asking for that support, which is also refreshing to see in a romance. Brian is a natural protector and caretaker. I loved how he steps into that role without reservation, and sometimes imperfectly, when it comes to Jackie and his wellbeing.
This is a great series and I’m excited to read more!
This book was provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review.
It was absolutely delightful to get tied up in the plot of this novel! Jackie and Brian are two men who enjoy BDSM in the dark of their bedroom, but who by the light of day realize they might be falling more deeply into a relationship that is FAR more tantalizing than just Dom and Sub.
Beautifully descriptive sensual scenes mixed in with a mysterious string of crimes leave the readers on the edge of their seats with anticipation! Jackie and Brian as characters are developed so nicely within the 131 pages, their personal lives growing together steadily as the crimes in the novel start to escalate. The side characters created their own interest in me as a reader, and I found myself enjoying their quirks just as much as those of the main characters.
In between the remarkably sexy scenes where we find Jackie bound intricately to pieces of furniture, Lou Sylvre also delivers some really sweet moments that ring true in Jackie and Brian’s unfurling relationship. But sweet loving was not the only thing making my heart race while reading this novel. Knowing that any moment the other shoe would drop, following along from the perspective of the criminals as their stories race forward to meet with the lovers, made putting the book down nearly impossible!
A Shot of Fear is the second novel in the Vasquez Inc. series, and I would say that although this novel could be read on its own, reading the first novel to learn a little bit more about Jackie and Brian would be an absolute pleasure. All in all, this book FLEW by and I would absolutely consider giving it another read!
Both the love story and the crime part of the plot are elevated here, compared to the first book! I really liked the evolution of the MCs’ relationship and how it complements the story. Well done!
So this is the sequel to the newly released A Shot of J&B, which was an expanded retelling of only the first half of the original book by the same title. So this is the expanded retelling of the second half of the original A Shot of J&B. My point is, if you haven’t yet read the newest version of A Shot of J&B, stop here and go read that first. This isn’t a stand alone and the first book needs to be read first.
For those who HAVE read the first book, you know it is mostly centered around the romance between Brian & Jackie, and only a little bit about Brians “Gaslighter” case. This book however is just the opposite. This book is more about the “psychological thriller” aspect than the “romance” aspect. Between Brian constantly being called in to work long days, forays into the psyche of the “Gaslighter” villain, and Jackie adjusting to a new University, living in a new country,and trying to make new friends, the romance tends to get “benched” quite a bit. The romance IS still there, it’s just consigned to the back burner, frustrating both men, until the end of the book and it’s ultimate HEA.
So does this mean it’s a bad book? No of course not! Not so long as you like psychological thriller romances. The story gave me chills at times, thanks to the twisted psyche of the villain! And yes, while the romance is for the most part sidelined, the guys DO manage to get together a few times for some hot D/s action! (and 1 of those scenes has Jackie learning something that helps save him later!) So yes, it’s a good book, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Lou Sylvre takes us from here in the Vasquez Inc series!