Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the … him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go–and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive–to get everyone out alive.
This book is approximately 62,000 words
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Audiobook. I really enjoyed this as I appreciated the US Atty/FBI aspect even more than the romance part, which was excellent. Nic & Cam had great chemistry both personally and professionally.
I knocked a star off because this was a spin off from another series and despite being a new series, it really felt like I was missing a LOT by not having read the previous series. Too many people with history and statements that obviously alluded to jokes/actions/relationships only known to those familiar with previous series.
There’s a book story arc that’s resolved, but there’s also a series story arc that leaves a bit of a cliffhanger. HFN more than HEA. Overall a good start to this new series. I’m looking forward to the next book.
Okay the book title alone was enough to pull me in. I got to be friends with my Spouse over our shared love of stout. We were the only people we knew who would drink the stuff. Add to that little bit of nostalgia two BAMFs with certifiably Tragic Pasts, an actual brewery(!), sketchy mob ties, and murder, and I was sold.
As a side note, it’s a little hard for me to suspend my disbelief that these two guys could pass their background checks given their pasts and their family connections. That said, I didn’t care. That part (and these guys’ background) is sketchier than gas station sushi and it doesn’t matter one little bit. This is a fun romp from beginning to end. Maybe don’t pass it along to your buddy who does work for the FBI, and who did have to sit there while they actually looked up his freshman year roommate to ask all sorts of invasive questions to make sure he was a good moral citizen and all that, but otherwise put your feet up, grab a beer, and enjoy.
Both Nic and Cam are likeable and relatable. I found myself cheering for both of them. This is something I struggle with in my own work, so I tried to pay extra attention to how Reyne managed to create such different characters who I found so easy to relate to.
Without giving away any spoilers, there’s a part in the story in which Cam has to return to his roots. Let me tell you, as someone who’s spent an awful lot of time in that part of the country, it was perfect. I even read it in the accent.
My only issue with the book was a little bit of info-dumping at the end. It was a relatively minor thing and it shouldn’t inhibit your enjoyment of the book in any significant way. I just got a little impatient with it, in a “oh come on no one does this get back to the murder already” kind of way.
I can be kind of single minded, I guess, especially on Sunday nights.
Anyway, picking up Imperial Stout is one of the better life choices you’ll make. It will put a smile on your face.
I made the mistake of reading some other reviews before I started mine. I know better than that but I did it anyway and now I feel like I need to make sure my review includes caveats like “This is a fiction, romantic suspense, and should in no way be measured against procedural-type mainstream novels.” And “While this is a romance, it’s the first in a trilogy featuring the same couple, so there’s not as much romance as there is action in this installment.”
I enjoyed this book. A lot. I didn’t read the previous series but will probably go back and do that later because I enjoy this author’s style, and I like what I saw of the previous series’ characters in this book and those that follow.
* I was provided an arc of this book.*
4 Stars
I really liked Irish and Whiskey series by Layla Reyne, and with mixed reviews I was a little reluctant to start this spin-off. Well, I actually liked these two MCs better. Yes, I enjoyed Cam and Nic’s story more. There was such intensity between them and considering how complex and secretive these two men are I expect it will only get better in the next book.
Dominic Price is a high-powered prosecutor, he is successful and well-connected. And on top of everything else he is a decent man with life lived to the fullest. He has friends, his own business and nothing can be better except to have a loving man at his side. Throughout the book bit by bit Nic’s story is told in little snippets that show what exactly shaped the man.
Cameron Byrne is a dedicated agent, in fact he is one of the best. But what drives him to be best? He has made many mistakes in the past for which he feels he needs to atone. He thinks that he is unworthy of Nic, and Nic in turn thinks that he is not good for Cam. They circle around each other for months, they know what they want but neither takes that first step. It all changes when a case goes haywire, and Cam has to go undercover and resurrect skills buried deep and better left untouched. He has to use cunning intelligence to survive and save innocent lives. He is scared that he will go off the deep end, but Nic is there to pull him out, to be the anchor Cam desperately needs. Together with their team of agents who become their family they uncover a nasty plot and put away the culprits for good.
But in the meantime Nic finds himself in danger from a known criminal due to his past coming to claim what is rightfully his, and Nic will do everything possible to keep the people he loves safe and keep his well-built life crumbling like a deck of cards. The bullets fly, people lie and threats abound and he is forced to ask for help. In the end it’s evident that the threat is more than he can deal with on his own. I loved the action and intrigue of the case, not knowing who was on whose side, the subterfuge was awesome. I loved how Cam and Nic were together, how they struggled and supported each other. And I loved all the characters who came back from the previous series, they made the read great. There were funny, thrilling, tender and steamy moments and it was all well-balanced. I think the next book will be smashing! I highly recommend it!
Great start to another romantic suspense trilogy!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
This is a pure pleasure read. I’ve been waiting for Nic and Cam’s book and it doesn’t disappoint. The tension between the men was hinted at in the past few Agents Irish and Whiskey books and I loved finally getting to know them as leading men in their own right.
I loved Cameron’s murky past and the moral grey areas he is thrown into in the present. I loved the more unbuttoned side of Dominic and the microbrewery was a delight. Both of them have enough family drama to support a series and both of them have just the right balance between hero and antihero for me.
I do have to interrupt my fangirling to admit that I don’t think the plotting in this story is as strong as it has been in previous books. There are some exciting moments but there are also a few scenes that left me a little bit bewildered. The first few books in the series introduced a fresh approach to FBI work but this one rests on some tired and borrowed tropes. The action is still exciting but some of the magic I’ve come to expect from this author is missing.
While this book is marketed as the first in a spinoff series, it really won’t work as a standalone. Readers need to read the Agents Irish and Whiskey books and it would help to also read the shorts.
Veronica –
Imperial Stout is a spin off from the Agents Irish & Whiskey series, which was my favourite series of 2017. This new series sees Assistant DA Dominic teaming up with FBI kidnap specialist Cam.
The story presents us with two mysteries of sorts. The crime that Cam and Nic are trying to solve and a different set of bad guys threating Nic thanks to his father’s shady dealings. The action is well done and the story moves fast and it had me hooked. There is a fantastic scene outside Nic’s brewery that I’d love to see on screen because in my head it was brilliant and showed how kick A$%^ Nic is.
The sexual tension between the two men is totally hot. Working together, they should probably not get involved but it is clear that it is only a matter of time before the one kiss they shared becomes two or three or more. It isn’t rushed and their connection is more than physical.
I love stories that mix action, crime solving, and romance and it is a formula Layla Reyne has down pat. Imperial Stout is another five-star book from Ms. Reyne and she has quickly become a must-read author for me.
Angie –
I have read all the books in the previous series and I was excited for this new series. I have a feeling that I will end up loving this series, but right now this book was too much for me. Too much going on, too much buildup, and not enough of Nic and Cam. I hate wordy books and this one is wordy, but I figured it would be because the first book in the last series was too. This was a good start to the entire plot and storyline but hopefully we will get more of Nic and Cam and them in the following books.
Ruthie –
This is a fabulous start to a new series – and follows on from the wonderful Agents Irish and Whiskey series. In fact, they also appear as important parts of this book, so if you are having withdrawal symptoms this will help!
A full-on thriller, with two very much hot for each other leads, you will be whisked into the mayhem and chaos from the very beginning. It will help if you have some history on some of the team, but they are all introduced as necessary too. Nic is not only fighting his need to be actively involved, when his role as prosecutor is usually more sedentary, but also threats due to his father. This extra dimension makes him behave in ways which are not clear to those around him, as he tries to keep the problem away from Cam in particular.
There is definitely a lot going on and keeping it all straight is a challenge, but well worth it. As the immediate case comes to an end, it is clear that the series is going to have an ongoing and underlying threat running through it, which will ramp up the drama as it affects the people we are growing to care about the most. As the layers are peeled away and we get to see the full extent of the damage done to Nic in the past, I think that Cam will become even more protective, which is definitely a trait he does well. I think they are a great match, and now that they are breaking the rules of public engagement, they are infernally hot!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Imperial Stout (Trouble Brewing #1) by Layla Reyne to read and review.
I haven’t read the Agents Irish and Whiskey series yet, but I still enjoyed this spinoff. Dominic and Cameron were tough and unafraid, fighting criminals and trying to overcome their pasts. The were great together, whether they were arguing, backing each other up at work, or getting intimate. This story was action-packed and left me wanting more. The ending was an HFN for the relationship, and it left some issues unresolved for the next installment. I enjoyed this and have to read the next one to get answers. Plus, it won’t be a hardship to spend more time with Nic and Cam.
*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley and I freely give my honest review.*
I liked this story but I wish I’ve read Agents Irish and Whiskey series so I’ve had the background on all the secondary characters in this book. I feel like I missed out on some of the context in this story because of that. But this was still a good read and an incentive to read the other books.
This is what I liked:
* Good storyline that building up slowly but steadily.
* Thrilling and exiting moments that made me have trouble putting my Kindle down
* Good descriptions of the characters and their struggles.
* No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
* Lots of good dialogues that holds the story together
* Love scenes are sweet and steamy
4 deserving stars
**Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
Imperial Stout is the first book in Layla Reyne’s Trouble Brewing series. Though this is the first book in this series, this series is a spin-off of her Agents Irish and Whiskey series. You probably know what I’m going to say here, but if you’re new to my reviews: You really should read the first series and then move on to this book. Characters from that series are definitely in this book and you will get more enjoyment when you have the backstory. Seriously, I’m a professional, I know what I’m talking about. 😉
One of my favorite characters from that Irish and Whiskey series was Dominic and I was so excited to read this book! Nic has so many secrets and I can’t wait to get to know all of them! Nic is a man of many facets. It was interesting getting to see so many different sides to Nic in this story. Cam did appear in the previous series, but honestly, I don’t really remember him but, I really liked his character. I loved that Nic and Cam already knew each other, worked on cases together and already were attracted to each other, especially in this type of story. The building a romance story works great, but in a book like there where romance isn’t front and center, it’s easier to build the relationship without the getting to know you phase. And that’s not to say they know each other, they have as much to learn about each other as the reader does, but they had a head start.
The focus of this book is the case Nic and Cam are working. It’s action-packed from the very first page through the last page. A lot more than one case is happening and Nic and Cam are pulled in various directions. I thought the author does a great job with this multi-pronged storytelling and so much happening. It never felt like too much was happening and the storyline was easy to sink into. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
As with the Agents Irish and Whiskey series, there isn’t a magically we’re in love and living HEA forever ending. This book definitely has a HFN type of ending with Nic and Cam. The main case in the book was taken care of, but the other issues that happened were left open. But, as a person who hates cliffhangers, I wouldn’t qualify this as a cliffhanger. It ended at a good place for me and left me excited for the next book in the series! So, if you haven’t read Agents Irish and Whiskey series, grab it now and get busy because all of these are fantastic stories with great characters!
Rating: 5 stars!
Cam is a FBI agent. Nic is a prosecutor for the Department of Justice. When the two are working together to protect a Serbian diplomat, things go south. They have to work together to protect a witness to the case. The two are fighting an attraction to each other that can no longer be denied.
The two characters were secondary in the Agents Irish and Whiskey series. Spicy with plenty of intrigue. Well written and plotted. Great resolution for the primary storyline. The secondary storyline is revealed with just enough detail to keep you wanting more. This series is amazing!!!
Imperial Stout is the first book in a spin-off series, but is easily able to stand on its own. I really enjoy Miss Reyne’s approach to romantic action and suspense because she highlights the character development just as much as the suspense and cases, not to mention how quickly her twisted, long running plots pull me in. I can honestly say she once again hooked me with these characters. I enjoyed getting to know Nic and Cam better and see them together, and the little teasers for what’s to come certainly captured my attention.
Having met Nic and Cam in Agents Irish and Whiskey, I was already fairly invested in them as individuals and really happy just to see more from each of them. Admittedly, while I still enjoyed Imperial Stout, I didn’t feel as much a draw to either man as I expected at the start, but I have confidence that will change as the series continues and the characters develop more. As for the action and suspense, I loved that it was a completely different set of circumstances and background than the previous series, ensuring it felt fresh and exciting. The pacing and writing style kept the intensity and excitement ramped up, making it hard to put the book down for very long. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense and law enforcement series that have a longer-running plot as well as concurrent subplots and cases resolved in each book, I’d definitely recommend Imperial Stout.
*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*
Great spin-off from the original AIW world. Nic and Cam’s story definitely sizzles right off the page!