Review: Steamy, Sexy, Smart; romance & mystery with a stylish flair!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2013
I adored this spectacular whodunit mystery set in the first quarter of the 1900s Ireland. Lighthearted, enigmatic, and riveting, the riddle of the mystery almost played second fiddle to the sexy and tantalizing cat and mouse chase between its two male leads.Handsome, earthy and seemingly Irish-American, Michael McCree is going about his daily work at his newspaper when he is love struck by a customer looking to place an advertisement. The customer is an upper-class Irishman, well-educated, and brusque to the point of rudeness as dictates his instructions. He then has the gall to accuse Michael of charging too much.Suppressing his grief from a recent tragedy, Simon Hart barely notices the big guy behind the counter as he places an ad for the now vacant room in his apartment. But when Michael's taunting tone demands an outrageous sum in payment, his upset escapes his control and he finds himself drawn into a wager. He will fight the strapping newspaperman, any where, anytime...for the cost of the ad.And so begins the sparkling and passionate story of two men who are practically opposites, as they slowly find out that they have more in common than not.This is a fantastic story! There is a mystery: who killed Simon's partner in his investigation firm? There is romance: will Michael, who is far too knowledgeable to be the lower-class lout he appears, win the heart of reluctant, closeted, grieving Simon? There are motorbike rides, captures and rescues, a femme fatale, and a lovely pair of pint-sized helpers that brought to mind the gang of pickpockets in Oliver Twist. But best of all there is a skillful, beautiful reveal of the hidden charms and talents of each of the lead characters, that caused me to fall in love with them, as they navigate from fury to fragile trust to tenderness and love.Michael and Simon are without a doubt one of the best pairings I've come across in a while and I'm so glad that Erin O'Quinn has penned a sequel to this story. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the period scenery supports the story fully, bringing to mind an almost steampunk atmosphere with dank alleys, gaslit streets, foggy rains, and crisp greenery. I swear I could smell the smoke and whiskey saturated air of the Silver Hind, the Irish pub above which the two men reside. The sex was hot, frequent, and very much lent an air of realism to this captivating and wondrous tale.Thank you, Erin O'Quinn, for creating this exquisite pair of lovers and this adventurous, swiftly-paced mystery. "Steamy, Sharp, Sexy!"