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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
This one I liked best in the series. The main characters are evenly matched. They act like adults and talk. They take responsibility for their actions and they still manage to have fun together.
There is so much potential here - but everything is rushed. From the plot to the relationship and everything in between, there's no holding it back from just bouncing quickly through a scene. I really wanted the author to slow down a bit, give things more time, and just ... breathe.
I am SO DISAPPOINTED. I wasn't able to connect with this story at all.
I literally forced myself to finish it. There was skimming involved.
I don't understand how the first two books in this series can be so good and the third miss the mark so widely.
Seth was not the most likeable character in the first two books, but I looked forward to getting to know him better and learning the underlying reasons he is this way. Not only did I not learn anything, I felt as though I were reading about a totally different character.
The entire book had a different feel than the first two. At the beginning there was a lot more steam and sexy times. It was great. We were missing that in the first two books. However, it wasn't long before it fell apart. We went from hot lust to relationship fears and I have no idea how or why.
The banter between Seth and Rick was good at times but confusing more often. I couldn't understand what they were talking about. It was as if there was a hidden storyline that I wasn't in on.
These two guys fell for each other. But again, I don't know why or even how. I didn't feel it and couldn't understand what it was they were feeling.
Last but not least, the action plot of the story was so lame compared to the first two books. It was obvious from the very beginning "whodunit". Plus, it wasn't exciting in the least. The resolution was almost laughable.
Helen and Max's hidden agenda was not very well hidden and was nothing short of utterly ridiculous.
I don't even know what I just read. Some sort of bumbling satirical take on an undercover CIA mission with a cheesy, unrealistic romance theme.
I've marked it up from 1 star to 2 stars because the writing is still good. It's the development of the plot that leaves a lot to be desired. My recommendation is read the first two books in this series because they are really good, but you may want to skip Seth's story in this one.
Review ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I literally forced myself to finish it. There was skimming involved.
I don't understand how the first two books in this series can be so good and the third miss the mark so widely.
Seth was not the most likeable character in the first two books, but I looked forward to getting to know him better and learning the underlying reasons he is this way. Not only did I not learn anything, I felt as though I were reading about a totally different character.
The entire book had a different feel than the first two. At the beginning there was a lot more steam and sexy times. It was great. We were missing that in the first two books. However, it wasn't long before it fell apart. We went from hot lust to relationship fears and I have no idea how or why.
The banter between Seth and Rick was good at times but confusing more often. I couldn't understand what they were talking about. It was as if there was a hidden storyline that I wasn't in on.
These two guys fell for each other. But again, I don't know why or even how. I didn't feel it and couldn't understand what it was they were feeling.
Last but not least, the action plot of the story was so lame compared to the first two books. It was obvious from the very beginning "whodunit". Plus, it wasn't exciting in the least. The resolution was almost laughable.
Helen and Max's hidden agenda was not very well hidden and was nothing short of utterly ridiculous.
I don't even know what I just read. Some sort of bumbling satirical take on an undercover CIA mission with a cheesy, unrealistic romance theme.
I've marked it up from 1 star to 2 stars because the writing is still good. It's the development of the plot that leaves a lot to be desired. My recommendation is read the first two books in this series because they are really good, but you may want to skip Seth's story in this one.
Review ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Review will be posted closer to release date.
I voluntarily chose to read and review this book provided by NetGalley.
I voluntarily chose to read and review this book provided by NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this addition to the LGBTQ romance genre. An impulsive fling gets complicated with lightning speed, and Sean and Rick have to balance their interest in each other with a dangerous, developing diplomatic situation. The book is well-paced, and the lead characters are very relatable. I would definitely read more by this author, and recommend this title to anyone looking for a new read in the genre.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Loveswept for the opportunity to preview!
Guarding Mr. Fine, by HelenKay Dimon. Planned publication date: February 14, 2017, by Loveswept, a digital imprint of Random House Publishing Group. Review originally posted on my blog, Life in the 025.5.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Loveswept for the opportunity to preview!
Guarding Mr. Fine, by HelenKay Dimon. Planned publication date: February 14, 2017, by Loveswept, a digital imprint of Random House Publishing Group. Review originally posted on my blog, Life in the 025.5.
Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-guarding-mr-fine-helenkay-dimon/
Guarding Mr. Fine is the third book in Tough Love series by HelenKay Dimon. Even though I hadn’t read the previous two releases I decided to go ahead and request this book based solely on the blurb. I’m so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic suspense.
Seth Lang and Rick Fine first meet at a club where both are letting off some steam before they each move on to their next assignments. Their eyes connect from across the room, they have a few moments of conversation, and then a steamy encounter in one of the back offices that almost set my kindle ablaze. WHEW fans self. The next time they meet is when they realize their next assignments are one and the same. Rick is in Munich trying to figure out whether the death of the previous Consul General was actually a suicide or if he was murdered. Seth has been assigned as Rick’s bodyguard. They may be shocked to see each other, but don’t worry, they don’t let anything stand in the way of more sexy times.
Man, this author sure sets this book off with a bang. That sex scene at the beginning made me wonder why in the heck I didn’t start this series sooner. I might have stopped reading for a minute or two in order to look up the series reading order and read the blurbs for Mr. and Mr. Smith and The Talented Mr. Rivers. You can bet I’ll be picking those up here shortly. Anyway, back to Seth and Rick. What starts off pretty hot, just keeps getting hotter and hotter as these two realize that yes, they are working together and yes, they don’t care to let that get in the way of them getting their hands on each other again. What does come as a surprise to them is that they connect on a more personal and intimate level as they spend more time with each other.
Seth is an alpha male to the extreme with his growling and over-protectiveness. Rick is more even natured and is pretty turned on by Seth’s sarcasm and snarky comments. I thought the differences in their personalities played off each other perfectly. Despite there being obvious insta-lust between these characters, I liked how this author built their relationship from lust to love. Which is a hard thing to do when the main characters have sex in the second chapter. I also liked that there wasn’t any unnecessary drama between them over their new relationship. Oh, Seth does have an attack of anxiety over whether he can do his job adequately while he’s obviously getting in deep with Rick, but that really only lasts for one night. There is this other thing about a shared incident in their past that only Rick knows about, but even that didn’t become a huge, annoying thing that kept them apart.
Of course, this being a romantic suspense there is a mystery to solve and while it was interesting and held my interest (although, I guessed the identity of the bad guy almost the instant they were introduced), I appreciated that it didn’t overshadow the romance. The suspenseful situations actually lent a feeling that they were growing closer and more protective of each other.
Guarding Mr. Fine was a fast, sexy read that I think will appeal to fans of romantic suspense. I do think it can be read as a stand-a-lone, as I had no problem jumping right in with no confusion. Final Grade- B
P.S. I am hoping Ms. Dimon decides that Alec and his brothers need their own HEAs, because I would one-click those books so hard.
Favorite Quote:
“The glasses used to get me beat up.”
“Now they’re going to get you laid.”
Guarding Mr. Fine is the third book in Tough Love series by HelenKay Dimon. Even though I hadn’t read the previous two releases I decided to go ahead and request this book based solely on the blurb. I’m so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic suspense.
Seth Lang and Rick Fine first meet at a club where both are letting off some steam before they each move on to their next assignments. Their eyes connect from across the room, they have a few moments of conversation, and then a steamy encounter in one of the back offices that almost set my kindle ablaze. WHEW fans self. The next time they meet is when they realize their next assignments are one and the same. Rick is in Munich trying to figure out whether the death of the previous Consul General was actually a suicide or if he was murdered. Seth has been assigned as Rick’s bodyguard. They may be shocked to see each other, but don’t worry, they don’t let anything stand in the way of more sexy times.
Man, this author sure sets this book off with a bang. That sex scene at the beginning made me wonder why in the heck I didn’t start this series sooner. I might have stopped reading for a minute or two in order to look up the series reading order and read the blurbs for Mr. and Mr. Smith and The Talented Mr. Rivers. You can bet I’ll be picking those up here shortly. Anyway, back to Seth and Rick. What starts off pretty hot, just keeps getting hotter and hotter as these two realize that yes, they are working together and yes, they don’t care to let that get in the way of them getting their hands on each other again. What does come as a surprise to them is that they connect on a more personal and intimate level as they spend more time with each other.
Seth is an alpha male to the extreme with his growling and over-protectiveness. Rick is more even natured and is pretty turned on by Seth’s sarcasm and snarky comments. I thought the differences in their personalities played off each other perfectly. Despite there being obvious insta-lust between these characters, I liked how this author built their relationship from lust to love. Which is a hard thing to do when the main characters have sex in the second chapter. I also liked that there wasn’t any unnecessary drama between them over their new relationship. Oh, Seth does have an attack of anxiety over whether he can do his job adequately while he’s obviously getting in deep with Rick, but that really only lasts for one night. There is this other thing about a shared incident in their past that only Rick knows about, but even that didn’t become a huge, annoying thing that kept them apart.
Of course, this being a romantic suspense there is a mystery to solve and while it was interesting and held my interest (although, I guessed the identity of the bad guy almost the instant they were introduced), I appreciated that it didn’t overshadow the romance. The suspenseful situations actually lent a feeling that they were growing closer and more protective of each other.
Guarding Mr. Fine was a fast, sexy read that I think will appeal to fans of romantic suspense. I do think it can be read as a stand-a-lone, as I had no problem jumping right in with no confusion. Final Grade- B
P.S. I am hoping Ms. Dimon decides that Alec and his brothers need their own HEAs, because I would one-click those books so hard.
Favorite Quote:
“The glasses used to get me beat up.”
“Now they’re going to get you laid.”
Well done romantic suspense. I really liked Rick and Seth together. I suspected the villain from the beginning but still enjoyed seeing how the story played out. The conflict of "your perfect, I'm not, so we can't be together" isn't unique and the resolution was fine here, but I've read better versions.
Absolutely loved the book if your looking for a hot sexy read with a thrilling story line then this one is for you a super read that you wont want to put down.Cant wait for more from this author i loved it
Not for gay dudes
Saying this up front. This book is geared toward women with m/m fantasies. It's typical of the type in that it shows these relationships as nothing more than power, control and domination. While such relationships exist, this isn't typical and hardly the in out fantasies. If you're a woman with these kind of fantasies, I'm sure it'll do the trick. If you're a gay man seeking a story that includes actual romance and doesn't see sex as the central point of a relationship, run away.
Saying this up front. This book is geared toward women with m/m fantasies. It's typical of the type in that it shows these relationships as nothing more than power, control and domination. While such relationships exist, this isn't typical and hardly the in out fantasies. If you're a woman with these kind of fantasies, I'm sure it'll do the trick. If you're a gay man seeking a story that includes actual romance and doesn't see sex as the central point of a relationship, run away.
3.5 Stars
I’ve enjoyed this series about covert government agents doing their spy mojo, all the while trying to not fall for a certain someone in their life. Of course, that pesky thing called lust, attraction, and dare we say love, just keeps on getting in the way, and this time around was no different.
Seth is a top agent within a specialized section of the CIA. He’s a bit disgruntled being saddled with a simple babysitting job which is way below his pay grade, but when he discovers his hot-one-night-encounter-in-a-club is his new charge, Seth just can’t believe hisbad luck. He knows he should be professional, but he seriously cannot resist the sexy diplomat in glasses.
Rick is no simple pencil pusher, as he’s been tasked to investigate possible shady business deals involving illegal weapons. Though he should really concentrate on the task at hand, Rick simply refuses to say no when it comes to Seth and his advances. Why deprive himself right? As these two try to do their jobs, their not-a-relationship ups the danger and risk considerably.
Despite some rough sentence structure that was quite a contrast to the previous two books, this still held its own. What’s not to like about a grumpy, cynical, asshat slowly having his walls taken down?? Rick is no pushover, and it was great fun watching him consistently hold his own against the stalwart Seth. So yes, kick ass spies trying to save the day while denying they do have a heart, is just good ole comfort romance reading for me. Admittedly, nothing new or particularly standout in the plot, but this was entertaining and I definitely look forward to the spin off, [b:Dirty Deeds|34848612|Dirty Deeds (The Dirty, #1)|HelenKay Dimon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492059270s/34848612.jpg|56085166]!
I’ve enjoyed this series about covert government agents doing their spy mojo, all the while trying to not fall for a certain someone in their life. Of course, that pesky thing called lust, attraction, and dare we say love, just keeps on getting in the way, and this time around was no different.
Seth is a top agent within a specialized section of the CIA. He’s a bit disgruntled being saddled with a simple babysitting job which is way below his pay grade, but when he discovers his hot-one-night-encounter-in-a-club is his new charge, Seth just can’t believe his
Rick is no simple pencil pusher, as he’s been tasked to investigate possible shady business deals involving illegal weapons. Though he should really concentrate on the task at hand, Rick simply refuses to say no when it comes to Seth and his advances. Why deprive himself right? As these two try to do their jobs, their not-a-relationship ups the danger and risk considerably.
Despite some rough sentence structure that was quite a contrast to the previous two books, this still held its own. What’s not to like about a grumpy, cynical, asshat slowly having his walls taken down?? Rick is no pushover, and it was great fun watching him consistently hold his own against the stalwart Seth. So yes, kick ass spies trying to save the day while denying they do have a heart, is just good ole comfort romance reading for me. Admittedly, nothing new or particularly standout in the plot, but this was entertaining and I definitely look forward to the spin off, [b:Dirty Deeds|34848612|Dirty Deeds (The Dirty, #1)|HelenKay Dimon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492059270s/34848612.jpg|56085166]!