Review: Fantastically Dark and Edgy with a side of Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2013
4.5 stars.  This story is a spinoff story from the ICoS series which was re-written to fit with the events taking place here. Given that I have not read any of ICoS, though it has been on my TBR forever, I was able to read this with a clear mind about the characters involved.I'm not a huge fan of futuristic type stories, but I was quickly sucked into this world where the people are trying to live after WWIII ravaged the country. I fell in love with Gordon right away. He is a survivor, and though he doesn't always seem to make the best choices, it is hard not to feel for him. He has been through so much and does what he needs to get by, barely. The only one who seems to be on his side is his best friend, Carla, and even they have their problems. Carla got him a job dealing drugs through her connection with kingpin Chance, and Chance's interest in keeping Carla by his side is the only reason he barely tolerates Gordon.Adam is also doing what he has to in order to survive, though in a different manner. He is an operative/assassin/merc for a company that doesn't exist and which there is no walking away from. So, he is in a bit of a spot, especially since he has been failing at his most recent missions. He really should have taken Gordon out at their initial meeting, but had a change of heart that set things in motion with him and Gordon that remain complicated to the end.This is not the typical romance. It is edgy and a bit dark, and while Gordon and Adam are the main "couple" here, they never really get on the same page until the end. While they have numerous hot encounters throughout, Gordon spends most of his time talking about other conquests. He has been pretty free with his body up to this point, is somewhat of a drug addict himself, and really quite a mess. But he gets to Adam in a way no one has before, and even though a lot of things need to be ironed out between them, I found myself wanting them to make it happen in the worst way.There is quite a bit going on here with Adam's missions and with other groups wanting to start a drug war against Chance. They all tie together, but there are a lot of bad people involved, and sadly, Gordon gets caught in the middle. Everyone thinks he has information that he simply doesn't have and things get a bit brutal at times because of it.Gordon is mouthy, sexy and vulnerable and I wanted to protect him myself at times, while at others, I wanted to knock some sense into him. Adam is lethal, mysterious and also sexy. He struggles to do what's right, even going against orders that could get himself killed. I loved the last conversation these guys had where they were finally truthful with each other. Unfortunately, that's where this story ends. I was left wanting more and had many questions left unanswered. I would really love to read a follow up story to this tying up those loose ends.