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Assassin/Shifter #1
A Marked Man
alternate edition of ASIN B006WBJDLI
Mateo Esposito loves his job. Hired assassin for the U.S. Government, he takes lives and he kicks ass with no mercy. When a job lands in his lap that's just not quite right, Mateo finds himself questioning for the first time in his career. Who would have known he'd be undone by a purple hippo...
Riley Flynn is CEO of Flynn Electronics. Deep in his closet, Riley wonders what it would feel like to be with a man. When his path crosses with Mateo's, their lives will never be the same.
Because Riley is Mateo's next target.......
Be aware....Hot guys making love, Satan on TV and anal beads are just a few of the things guaranteed to make you spit your liquid on your monitor. Enjoy!
Mateo Esposito loves his job. Hired assassin for the U.S. Government, he takes lives and he kicks ass with no mercy. When a job lands in his lap that's just not quite right, Mateo finds himself questioning for the first time in his career. Who would have known he'd be undone by a purple hippo...
Riley Flynn is CEO of Flynn Electronics. Deep in his closet, Riley wonders what it would feel like to be with a man. When his path crosses with Mateo's, their lives will never be the same.
Because Riley is Mateo's next target.......
Be aware....Hot guys making love, Satan on TV and anal beads are just a few of the things guaranteed to make you spit your liquid on your monitor. Enjoy!
214 pages, ebook
First published January 10, 2012
55 people are currently reading
1207 people want to read
About the author
Sandrine Gasq-Dion
79 books1,346 followersI have been blessed in this life to not only have parents that support me, but kids that do as well. I grew up in a loving but "Old School" French household. My parents worked for the airlines (TWA) so I was able to see a lot of Europe as a kid. I moved to Seattle Washington at the age of 22 and stayed there for twelve years before moving to Alaska for a little over two. Fairbanks, AK was one hell of an experience and I wouldn't hesitate to go back! I spent a little over a year in South Carolina before moving back to Arizona. I then left for Kansas for five years and now reside in Arizona. I've been connected to the military in one way or another for over half my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. Writing has become my full time job and I've never been so happy doing a job I love and being able to do it in my jammies. I plan on writing until I dry up and die. Hopefully, that won't happen soon!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
August 4, 2015
I've enjoyed this author's Men of Manhattan series and can say with conviction that her writing has come a long way.
A Marked Man is Gasq-Dion's second published novel (released January 2012), and the writing is atrocious: flat, full of editing errors, with nary a complex sentence in sight.
See NancyOgg's review for examples.
There is no character development. The insta love is ridiculous.
Mateo falls in love with Riley because Riley gives great blow jobs. And Riley, who successfully runs a multi-million dollar company at the age of 24, acts like a scared child, not a grown man.
The plot ... I can't even. It's so full of plot holes and impossible coincidences, I was laughing and groaning.
Of course, Mateo only kills the bad guys. Cause the U.S. government has such high ethics and morals.
This was a painful read. You know it's bad when I start skimming through the sex scenes. (This one's dirty, but even the sex was boring.)
Perhaps some of the newer books in this series are better, but I'm not sure I'll be testing that hypothesis.
A Marked Man is Gasq-Dion's second published novel (released January 2012), and the writing is atrocious: flat, full of editing errors, with nary a complex sentence in sight.
See NancyOgg's review for examples.
There is no character development. The insta love is ridiculous.
Mateo falls in love with Riley because Riley gives great blow jobs. And Riley, who successfully runs a multi-million dollar company at the age of 24, acts like a scared child, not a grown man.
The plot ... I can't even. It's so full of plot holes and impossible coincidences, I was laughing and groaning.
Of course, Mateo only kills the bad guys. Cause the U.S. government has such high ethics and morals.
This was a painful read. You know it's bad when I start skimming through the sex scenes. (This one's dirty, but even the sex was boring.)
Perhaps some of the newer books in this series are better, but I'm not sure I'll be testing that hypothesis.
August 23, 2020
Riley looked into those hazel eyes and almost sighed. An assassin sure, but a caring one nonetheless.
Mateo Esposito, a skilled assassin, who never kisses, never hangs around, and avoids even the tiniest commitment, now falls in love with his newest target, Riley Flynn.
No wonder, as Riley is the most beautiful, innocent, open, cheerful, and irresistible man he has ever met.
Mateo picked Riley’s hand up gently, and kissed his fingertip. Riley moaned softly and nestled into Mateo’s side. Crap, cuddling. Warmth from Riley settled into Mateo’s bones and he closed his eyes.
A Marked Man is a pretty enjoyable erotic story, with steamy scenes, is mediocre in plot and in character delineation, and unrefined in writing style.
He looked at Riley’s lips, slightly parted, waiting to be licked and played with. Groaning, Mateo took Riley’s mouth again. God, he’d never wanted to kiss anyone, and now he couldn’t stop.
I hope the writing style improves in the following installments.
Oh, and I really enjoyed the secondary characters...
Josh sighed and leaned back on his elbows. “God, I hope you know what you’re doing Mat. When you find love, you have to hold onto it and never let go.”
Mateo arched a brow. “Titanic?”
“Fuck you.” Josh smacked Mateo. “My Mom said that.”
“I like her.” Mateo sat back on the dirt. “She always makes me cookies.”
December 21, 2013
**4.5 A-FUCKING-MAZING STARS**
"Oh for fuck's sake." The first words to come out of Mateo's beautiful mouth, had me hooked and glued all the way! OMG what a thrilling ride. From awesome, funny characters, to heart racing missions...this book blew me away!!
"You had me the minute you kissed me."
Sweet, innocent, yet so so sexy...Mateo and Riley are adorable together. The perfect fit. Mateo an assassin, hired to kill Riley, never expected to hesitate on the job. But there's something about Riley, that makes him question the target his been given.
"Shhh... Mateo kissed him and bit his lips softly. "Relax and let me in."
Mateo has only ever needed a quick fuck on the run and never asked for more. But things change when he spends time with the inexperienced and sweet Riley and begins to care for him. His always fought to never let anyone too close to him, not wanting to chance being hurt again.
"I have everything I could ever possibly want."
Riley has known he was gay since he was nine years old. But unfortunately has forced himself to hide his feelings and true nature from his homophobic father. As the CEO of Flynn Electronics, Riley is always scrutinized at every angel. Especially who he's dating. So the only way to explore who he truly is, is through
And I'll leave it at that...
Even when I felt it was a tad rushed, I still loved it. There wasn't a boring moment in this fast paced book. I'm not sure where the PNR fits in here. I honestly didn't see any of it here. So if your not a PNR fan, well I think its safe to say you can read this one.
Mates a series I will definatly recommend and continue reading myself. So it won't hurt to give this a try xx
Pressie from my sweet Bev!!
This was his job.
He was a hired assassin.
"Oh for fuck's sake." The first words to come out of Mateo's beautiful mouth, had me hooked and glued all the way! OMG what a thrilling ride. From awesome, funny characters, to heart racing missions...this book blew me away!!
"You had me the minute you kissed me."
Sweet, innocent, yet so so sexy...Mateo and Riley are adorable together. The perfect fit. Mateo an assassin, hired to kill Riley, never expected to hesitate on the job. But there's something about Riley, that makes him question the target his been given.
"Shhh... Mateo kissed him and bit his lips softly. "Relax and let me in."
Mateo has only ever needed a quick fuck on the run and never asked for more. But things change when he spends time with the inexperienced and sweet Riley and begins to care for him. His always fought to never let anyone too close to him, not wanting to chance being hurt again.
"I have everything I could ever possibly want."
Riley has known he was gay since he was nine years old. But unfortunately has forced himself to hide his feelings and true nature from his homophobic father. As the CEO of Flynn Electronics, Riley is always scrutinized at every angel. Especially who he's dating. So the only way to explore who he truly is, is through
And I'll leave it at that...
Even when I felt it was a tad rushed, I still loved it. There wasn't a boring moment in this fast paced book. I'm not sure where the PNR fits in here. I honestly didn't see any of it here. So if your not a PNR fan, well I think its safe to say you can read this one.
Mates a series I will definatly recommend and continue reading myself. So it won't hurt to give this a try xx
Pressie from my sweet Bev!!
December 30, 2014
Another author on my long list of authors I need to get to finally crossed off. For my first Sandrine Gasq-Dion, it was okay.
Truthfully this premise is nothing new, I read stronger written stories with this same theme before. It's sort of like a tepid Zero at the Bone mixed in with easily solvable plots and a lot of declarations of "fuck the shit out of[insert whatever body part or name you want]".
There's an assassin who tried to get stuck with the good guy schtick.
Listen, the job title is ASSASSIN and last time I checked, there wasn't a special category for assassins that only killed bad guys or whoever they deem bad. The job requirement for an assassin is to kill, so no matter how you try to pretty it up, you're still doing wrong. Just own it. Don't sugar coat it to make it palatable for me.
I have an affinity for bad motherfucking heroes (*flirty waves at a few of them* Hi boys!) so Mateo was just okay. I've read better assassins.
Riley was okay. A butt virgin who kind of sluts it up when he finds his man, could be a result of penis sorcery.
The story was somewhere in the 2-3 star range. Simple, fluffy with a heavy amount of sex thrown in. Oh and I have to note that penis sorcerers made a visit a time or two. In case you don't know what a penis sorcerer is, it's a main character who can come five times in an hour with more cum to spare, a main character with a magical penis that can be erect for long periods of time and ready for action after...they've acted and fucked enough times to make a porn site crash.
I'd read more from the author because I'd like to see how the writing has progressed since this first book. If it's still like this now, then I probably won't read more. I'll round up to 3 Stars.
S'alright. *shrugs*
Truthfully this premise is nothing new, I read stronger written stories with this same theme before. It's sort of like a tepid Zero at the Bone mixed in with easily solvable plots and a lot of declarations of "fuck the shit out of[insert whatever body part or name you want]".
There's an assassin who tried to get stuck with the good guy schtick.
Listen, the job title is ASSASSIN and last time I checked, there wasn't a special category for assassins that only killed bad guys or whoever they deem bad. The job requirement for an assassin is to kill, so no matter how you try to pretty it up, you're still doing wrong. Just own it. Don't sugar coat it to make it palatable for me.
I have an affinity for bad motherfucking heroes (*flirty waves at a few of them* Hi boys!) so Mateo was just okay. I've read better assassins.
Riley was okay. A butt virgin who kind of sluts it up when he finds his man, could be a result of penis sorcery.
The story was somewhere in the 2-3 star range. Simple, fluffy with a heavy amount of sex thrown in. Oh and I have to note that penis sorcerers made a visit a time or two. In case you don't know what a penis sorcerer is, it's a main character who can come five times in an hour with more cum to spare, a main character with a magical penis that can be erect for long periods of time and ready for action after...they've acted and fucked enough times to make a porn site crash.
I'd read more from the author because I'd like to see how the writing has progressed since this first book. If it's still like this now, then I probably won't read more. I'll round up to 3 Stars.
S'alright. *shrugs*
April 2, 2017
This is how I feel after reading this book
I really thought there would be shifters in this book ?? This series is called Assassin/Shifter right ??
So I thought there would be...I don't know...assassin shifters in this one !! Nope, no shifters...let's carry on.
This is about Mateo, who is an assassin (not a shifter !!). One day he get's a text about his next target...Riley. He goes to investigate Riley, not able to find anything wrong with the guy. You see, these are good assassins, who only kill the bad guys. They are a team (the no-A-team), who work for the government. On the day Mateo is supposed to take Riley out, somebody else tries to take a shot at Riley...and him. He protects Riley and they flee together.
They find out there has been a leak somewere, and Riley is not really a target for the no-A-team. What was once an assasination job, now turns into a babysitting job. Mateo is very attracted to Riley and vice versa. Difference is, Mateo is out and proud, Riley is deep in the closet. The only sexual experience he has, is sucking a guy of in the backroom of a dark gay club. Now here comes the banger....the guy he sucked off, was indeed Mateo.
Anyways...they start a sexual relationship, fall in love and all the while Riley is in danger.
This book wasn't great. It lacked character development, the writing was rushed, the editing was bad and the plot wasn't really that interesting either. Still I enjoyed reading it...I'm funny (or crazy) that way.
;) The steam was pretty good and I actually liked Mateo. Riley was oke, but he didn't really do it for me personally.
I am however quite curious about the rest of the books in this series, so I will definitely give them a try. I hope there will be shifters !!! I'm so confused....
2,5 - 3 stars from me....Still pissed about the shifters !!!
I really thought there would be shifters in this book ?? This series is called Assassin/Shifter right ??
So I thought there would be...I don't know...assassin shifters in this one !! Nope, no shifters...let's carry on.
This is about Mateo, who is an assassin (not a shifter !!). One day he get's a text about his next target...Riley. He goes to investigate Riley, not able to find anything wrong with the guy. You see, these are good assassins, who only kill the bad guys. They are a team (the no-A-team), who work for the government. On the day Mateo is supposed to take Riley out, somebody else tries to take a shot at Riley...and him. He protects Riley and they flee together.
They find out there has been a leak somewere, and Riley is not really a target for the no-A-team. What was once an assasination job, now turns into a babysitting job. Mateo is very attracted to Riley and vice versa. Difference is, Mateo is out and proud, Riley is deep in the closet. The only sexual experience he has, is sucking a guy of in the backroom of a dark gay club. Now here comes the banger....the guy he sucked off, was indeed Mateo.
Anyways...they start a sexual relationship, fall in love and all the while Riley is in danger.
This book wasn't great. It lacked character development, the writing was rushed, the editing was bad and the plot wasn't really that interesting either. Still I enjoyed reading it...I'm funny (or crazy) that way.
;) The steam was pretty good and I actually liked Mateo. Riley was oke, but he didn't really do it for me personally.
I am however quite curious about the rest of the books in this series, so I will definitely give them a try. I hope there will be shifters !!! I'm so confused....
2,5 - 3 stars from me....Still pissed about the shifters !!!
July 16, 2017
This book was just... no.
It so obviously wasn't edited. Even I, with a serious lack in using the English language, could grasp that changing from 3rd to 1st person perspective in the middle of a paragraph is baaad. The book also could have been a lot shorter if the writer didn't insist on saying the same thing in two different ways every few pages. In the same paragraph.
Exploding at maximum speed? Really?
I would like to say that the plot redeemed the bad writing, but it didn't. It was porn with just enough plot so it isn't PWP. And it was insta-love. And you'd think the assassin would know all kinds of cool assassiny things, like not to go camping/hiking when you know someone's trying to find you and kill you.
I'm just gonna stop here and say that this book was, in my honest opinion, a waste of time and money. Too bad I've bought the second book when I was buying the first.
It so obviously wasn't edited. Even I, with a serious lack in using the English language, could grasp that changing from 3rd to 1st person perspective in the middle of a paragraph is baaad. The book also could have been a lot shorter if the writer didn't insist on saying the same thing in two different ways every few pages. In the same paragraph.
His mind drifted back to the guy in the curtain room, and he felt his dick twitching in his pants. Riley was daydreaming about meeting the mystery man in the curtain room again.
...Mateo let loose as his own orgasm ripped through him and into Riley. Exploding at maximum speed, Mateo let out a loud groan and collapsed across Riley...
Exploding at maximum speed? Really?
I would like to say that the plot redeemed the bad writing, but it didn't. It was porn with just enough plot so it isn't PWP. And it was insta-love. And you'd think the assassin would know all kinds of cool assassiny things, like not to go camping/hiking when you know someone's trying to find you and kill you.
I'm just gonna stop here and say that this book was, in my honest opinion, a waste of time and money. Too bad I've bought the second book when I was buying the first.
December 5, 2014
This was a fabulous quick read. I can't wait to read more. Thank you Mish for the Br and helping me finish my snowman
January 25, 2013
Not overly impressed by anything in his book. Expected more because of the high reviews but to be honest I found it to be mediocre at best. There is no sign of any shifters, so I was left wondering why as this seems to be the first of a series with shifter in the title and I also thought that the sex (which ok was quite sexy and hot but soon became repetative and longwinded ) overtook the story and took away the excitement of the assassin falling for his mark and the aftermath caused by it. That part of the story was rushed at every point it was introduced in favour of the ' instalove ' between the two main characters that resulted in the book losing most of its excitement for me. What could have been a dark and gritty story became just another formulaic same sex romance that is being churned out at the moment. Don't get me wrong I love m/m romance and appreciate that the sex and chemistry between its MC's, plays a large part in the enjoyment of this genre, but I have found some great books out there, that as well as being sexy as hell still manage to tell a brilliant story without the love scenes being the main focus. For a really wonderful example of this "assassin/ mark" trope try Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville and see the difference. Overall not the worst book I've read but it hasn't made me want to check out any more in the series yet three people gave it 5*s and absolutely loved it. Go figure! Passable but not my scene.
October 21, 2013
3 Stars! Lots of sex, not much substance!
It's the first book in the series, so we'll see how the next one goes. I liked the 2 main characters well enough and how they went from killer and target, to lovers, but once they hooked up, it was all about the sex. A little suspense at the end, but I was hoping for more. What the heck is up with the 'Shifter' reference in the series title? Unless I missed a bunch a pages, no one transformed into anything other than a sex maniac and last I knew that wasn't a type of shifter!
Let's see what happens...
May 25, 2017
Re-read May 23-24, 2017 because (1) this is now available on audiobook, (2) it's narrated by Greg Tremblay, and (3) I plan to continue on with the series. (at least until we get to the shifters!)
It's funny how our tastes change and evolve over time. I read this book almost 4 years ago and gave it 5 stars. Now I'm kind of shaking my head at my old self. What was I thinking? It's not a bad story, but it certainly doesn't compare to other stories I've rated 5 stars. This time around I'd say it's more like 3.5, but I'll round up for excellent narration.
***********************************************************
Read July 29-30, 2013...5 stars...I can already tell I'm going to LOVE this series! A group of ex-military alpha males who work for the government as assassins taking out low-lifes like rapists, murderers and pedophiles. Oh yeah, and several of them are gay :) This book was filled with all sorts of MM deliciousness from Mateo and Riley. I loved them!! Bring on the next book!!
It's funny how our tastes change and evolve over time. I read this book almost 4 years ago and gave it 5 stars. Now I'm kind of shaking my head at my old self. What was I thinking? It's not a bad story, but it certainly doesn't compare to other stories I've rated 5 stars. This time around I'd say it's more like 3.5, but I'll round up for excellent narration.
***********************************************************
Read July 29-30, 2013...5 stars...I can already tell I'm going to LOVE this series! A group of ex-military alpha males who work for the government as assassins taking out low-lifes like rapists, murderers and pedophiles. Oh yeah, and several of them are gay :) This book was filled with all sorts of MM deliciousness from Mateo and Riley. I loved them!! Bring on the next book!!
July 22, 2014
4 "Wham, Bam, Thank You Man" Stars
I thought this was awesome. And here's why:
1) This was my first Kindle Unlimited book to start off my 30 day trial - so it was free (in theory). In fact, the only reason I saw this is because I was perusing the KU gay romance options and this popped up...along with its gazillion sequels (all of which are also available through KU? SOLD)
2) Hot military men.
3) HOT sex.
4) Short, sweet, and right to the point of the story right out of the gate.
Of course, one of the caveats to point #4 is that, as a result of it being short, sweet, and to the point, the story isn't the deepest and the characters (while charming and engaging) are not deeply developed.
But if you are looking for a quick, deep, m/m screw, with a decent plot and cool characters then this one's for you.
I thought this was awesome. And here's why:
1) This was my first Kindle Unlimited book to start off my 30 day trial - so it was free (in theory). In fact, the only reason I saw this is because I was perusing the KU gay romance options and this popped up...along with its gazillion sequels (all of which are also available through KU? SOLD)
2) Hot military men.
3) HOT sex.
4) Short, sweet, and right to the point of the story right out of the gate.
Of course, one of the caveats to point #4 is that, as a result of it being short, sweet, and to the point, the story isn't the deepest and the characters (while charming and engaging) are not deeply developed.
But if you are looking for a quick, deep, m/m screw, with a decent plot and cool characters then this one's for you.
September 14, 2013
DNF'd at 50%
Suspension of disbelief, in my opinion, is required for paranormal and Sci-Fi. There's also the fact that fiction is just that, fiction. So there's always a bit of doubt that things could happen as they do in fiction, but one ignores most of it for the sake of entertainment.
There is no ignoring the unrealistic shit that goes on in this book. The dynamic between the MCs at the State Fair? The unbelievably fast resolution of the "lost parts" issue at Riley's business? The insta-love and ridiculous behavior? Come on!
But what really took the cake was this line, by Riley, as he walks out of the bedroom after having sex with Mateo for the first time: “I get it okay? You fucked the virgin and now you’re
done. Just let me go. I’ll sleep in the other room.”
If this had been a Harlequin M/F, I might have expected that line. But it's not! It's an M/M! This is one of my biggest pet peeves in this genre; the author writes an m/f romance, changes the name of the female to a male name and voila! An M/M romance ready for the publisher. If I wanted to read this kind of garbage, I'd be reading M/F.
I tried this one because I've always heard this author mentioned as one of the ground-breakers in M/M, and lots of the long-time readers love her stuff. Well, I just confirmed it's just not for me.
If you like your romance full of stereotypes, of the "Me, Tarzan. You, Jane." kind, this is the story for you.
Suspension of disbelief, in my opinion, is required for paranormal and Sci-Fi. There's also the fact that fiction is just that, fiction. So there's always a bit of doubt that things could happen as they do in fiction, but one ignores most of it for the sake of entertainment.
There is no ignoring the unrealistic shit that goes on in this book. The dynamic between the MCs at the State Fair? The unbelievably fast resolution of the "lost parts" issue at Riley's business? The insta-love and ridiculous behavior? Come on!
But what really took the cake was this line, by Riley, as he walks out of the bedroom after having sex with Mateo for the first time: “I get it okay? You fucked the virgin and now you’re
done. Just let me go. I’ll sleep in the other room.”
If this had been a Harlequin M/F, I might have expected that line. But it's not! It's an M/M! This is one of my biggest pet peeves in this genre; the author writes an m/f romance, changes the name of the female to a male name and voila! An M/M romance ready for the publisher. If I wanted to read this kind of garbage, I'd be reading M/F.
I tried this one because I've always heard this author mentioned as one of the ground-breakers in M/M, and lots of the long-time readers love her stuff. Well, I just confirmed it's just not for me.
If you like your romance full of stereotypes, of the "Me, Tarzan. You, Jane." kind, this is the story for you.
January 22, 2013
Fun quick read. Bad ass assassin falls for innocent guy he was supposed to kill. Mateo didn't spend too much time holding out on Riley, but I enjoyed watching them together. There was quite a bit of sex, but also mystery, suspense and action. Neither had very good childhoods, but it was fun to see Riley's innocence and wonderment with the littlest things, and Mateo indulging him made me smile.
I am looking forward to seeing some of the other guys on the team get their stories, as well as see how this plays out into a paranormal.
I am looking forward to seeing some of the other guys on the team get their stories, as well as see how this plays out into a paranormal.
November 18, 2013
Original review:
Not quite a three.
It wasn't bad despite my not-quite-three rating. It was just, that everything about it was so very mediocre. The writing, the plot, the romance, the characters, the sex. And bored me a bit to be honest. I think the only character I truly rooted for was the General and his failing romance.
-sigh-
I honestly don't know whether I'll continue this series.
-------------------
Edited 18/11/2013: Reread. I wasn't feeling as generous. Amusing in its stupidity.
Improved Rating: Not quite a 2
Not quite a three.
It wasn't bad despite my not-quite-three rating. It was just, that everything about it was so very mediocre. The writing, the plot, the romance, the characters, the sex. And bored me a bit to be honest. I think the only character I truly rooted for was the General and his failing romance.
-sigh-
I honestly don't know whether I'll continue this series.
-------------------
Edited 18/11/2013: Reread. I wasn't feeling as generous. Amusing in its stupidity.
Improved Rating: Not quite a 2
January 6, 2015
*** 4 adorable sweet stars!***
If you're not into a sweet assassin who fall in love with a cute adorable CEO who loved purple hippo doll, then back off!, this one is not for you.
I loved Riley and Mateo so much. First kiss at Diabolique leads to a true love! Awww....sweet!
And sometimes, you've just to trust what a fortune teller told you, right?
All the love Riley and Mateo shared, I hope the whole team can get their very own, just like them.
Headed to Josh book!!!
January 6, 2015
This was a good read; it started off strong and had engaging characters. The writing was smooth and the story line kept me anxious for an HEA. Was thinking there would be shifters but since there weren't, I'm assuming they are to come in the following books. Intriguing side characters and a plot twist at the end that I definitely didn't see coming! Nice start to a promising series!
September 11, 2016
No just no. I can't suspend reality that well for this series.....
January 20, 2014
Not a great start to this series, mostly due to writing weaknesses.
Viewpoints are a free-for-all, which is terrible here since this simultaneously employs deep POV, wherein character thoughts shape the narrative text. Supremely confusing.
Further, this is expositional to the extreme, plus more summary-style than scenes, interspersed with thoughts about sex in one way or another. Really, structurally this isn’t all that good. It needs tighter editing, too, since some bits are massively redundant.
And punctuation is a terrifying mess, even for someone who’s not all that strict about the rules to begin with.
There are plenty of unfortunate snippets (mostly regarding meaning), such as the following few:
Hm. That one’s new. Telescope cock? Or is he all smooth like a Ken doll when not aroused?
Um, given that it was anal sex that’s a really unfortunate way to phrase it.
What? His eyes do… What?
I’ll grant you, there’s a certain charm to a story told in summary by someone who clearly cares. But the way it’s presented makes for disjointed reading and, to be honest, the characters remain distant and flat. Empathy does not really happen for me. Not until the sex scenes really start up, at any rate, since those are the only times we actually get to experience who these people are, other than being informed.
I appreciate that they do not jump into sex the first chance they get . Even though it’s summarized there’s an effort made to show what makes them grow interested in each other. (Besides their perfect bodies, I mean. That bit is being repeated ad nauseam throughout the story.)
That first full sex scene is not half bad. It certainly managed more in the way of endearing the characters to me than any of what went before.
Still, since the only detailed writing in this occurs in the sex scenes, it kinda feels as though that’s all the author was really interested in – and the rest was about getting from point A to point B for another round of putting C into D or maybe E.
And don’t be misled by the beginning. Half of this book depicts the tale of a romantic getaway – not of an assassin and his almost-victim on the run from other assassins. Most of this is sex and sightseeing and mushiness as though nothing was wrong with the world.
As for the whole, er, thriller plot thingy… I don’t get it.
Going off on a wild tangent for a second.
Okay, I am not a guy and certainly not a guy who’s had sex with another guy. But I need to know this one thing since it keeps coming up in a variety of books.
When having face-to-face anal sex, how is it possible to have “their balls slapping against each other”? Given the arrangement of the anatomy… that seems impossible to me. But obviously I don’t have personal experience with this so… someone please enlighten me.
Maybe if they’re extremely saggy?
Ah, god, this question will end up forcing me to research via watching gay porn. I’m feeling so sorry for myself. >_>
Back to the book. Another thing I noticed favourably was a few visceral descriptions of the weather. Not a huge deal but apparently enough to catch my interest.
There’s potential for something good, but I just don’t see it realized in this book. Maybe the later volumes will make it happen? I definitely hope for that.
Viewpoints are a free-for-all, which is terrible here since this simultaneously employs deep POV, wherein character thoughts shape the narrative text. Supremely confusing.
Further, this is expositional to the extreme, plus more summary-style than scenes, interspersed with thoughts about sex in one way or another. Really, structurally this isn’t all that good. It needs tighter editing, too, since some bits are massively redundant.
And punctuation is a terrifying mess, even for someone who’s not all that strict about the rules to begin with.
There are plenty of unfortunate snippets (mostly regarding meaning), such as the following few:
His cock went from zero to seven inches in seconds.
Hm. That one’s new. Telescope cock? Or is he all smooth like a Ken doll when not aroused?
The man had just fucked the shit out of him. Now he knew where the expression had come from.
Um, given that it was anal sex that’s a really unfortunate way to phrase it.
The last thing Mateo needed on his hands was a stressed out Riley Flynn. God, Riley’s blue eyes entranced his ass every time. Mateo leaned in and their lips met softly.
What? His eyes do… What?
I’ll grant you, there’s a certain charm to a story told in summary by someone who clearly cares. But the way it’s presented makes for disjointed reading and, to be honest, the characters remain distant and flat. Empathy does not really happen for me. Not until the sex scenes really start up, at any rate, since those are the only times we actually get to experience who these people are, other than being informed.
I appreciate that they do not jump into sex the first chance they get . Even though it’s summarized there’s an effort made to show what makes them grow interested in each other. (Besides their perfect bodies, I mean. That bit is being repeated ad nauseam throughout the story.)
That first full sex scene is not half bad. It certainly managed more in the way of endearing the characters to me than any of what went before.
Still, since the only detailed writing in this occurs in the sex scenes, it kinda feels as though that’s all the author was really interested in – and the rest was about getting from point A to point B for another round of putting C into D or maybe E.
And don’t be misled by the beginning. Half of this book depicts the tale of a romantic getaway – not of an assassin and his almost-victim on the run from other assassins. Most of this is sex and sightseeing and mushiness as though nothing was wrong with the world.
As for the whole, er, thriller plot thingy… I don’t get it.
Going off on a wild tangent for a second.
Okay, I am not a guy and certainly not a guy who’s had sex with another guy. But I need to know this one thing since it keeps coming up in a variety of books.
When having face-to-face anal sex, how is it possible to have “their balls slapping against each other”? Given the arrangement of the anatomy… that seems impossible to me. But obviously I don’t have personal experience with this so… someone please enlighten me.
Maybe if they’re extremely saggy?
Ah, god, this question will end up forcing me to research via watching gay porn. I’m feeling so sorry for myself. >_>
Back to the book. Another thing I noticed favourably was a few visceral descriptions of the weather. Not a huge deal but apparently enough to catch my interest.
There’s potential for something good, but I just don’t see it realized in this book. Maybe the later volumes will make it happen? I definitely hope for that.
May 7, 2012
I picked up this story because I noticed part of this series is contemporary romance while part of it is paranormal romance. I was intrigued by that aspect and wanted to see how the series could incorporate both contemp then pnr. I haven't gotten that far yet into the series but what I've read so far I've liked.
I enjoyed the characters a lot. Riley's enthusiasm towards the littlest things was both entertaining and endearing. I loved how Mateo, this big strong assassin, was so enamored with Riley he was willing to do anything for the man. The two together are adorable. There are a few extremely sweet moments in this story where all I could do was say, "Awww", they were just that cute.
The book has a few suspenseful parts that keep the reader engaged and a somewhat mystery that I didn't really see coming. I enjoyed the story although there was too much sex for me. I'd say half the book is full of smut. I also kept getting dragged from the story by the bad editing and head-hopping which was pretty bad to where we actually got both sides of a phone conversation when the speakers were on opposite sides of the country, within just a few paragraphs.
With that said, I did really like the story. I'm still intrigued on how it will transition from contemp to pnr and I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing the rest of the team get their HEAs.
I enjoyed the characters a lot. Riley's enthusiasm towards the littlest things was both entertaining and endearing. I loved how Mateo, this big strong assassin, was so enamored with Riley he was willing to do anything for the man. The two together are adorable. There are a few extremely sweet moments in this story where all I could do was say, "Awww", they were just that cute.
The book has a few suspenseful parts that keep the reader engaged and a somewhat mystery that I didn't really see coming. I enjoyed the story although there was too much sex for me. I'd say half the book is full of smut. I also kept getting dragged from the story by the bad editing and head-hopping which was pretty bad to where we actually got both sides of a phone conversation when the speakers were on opposite sides of the country, within just a few paragraphs.
With that said, I did really like the story. I'm still intrigued on how it will transition from contemp to pnr and I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing the rest of the team get their HEAs.
July 14, 2016
Overall book review: 3.8
Audio book: Greg Boudreaux - 4
Book Cover: 3.5
Me, after finishing this book
Oh hell. I'm in a cheesy mood. So sue me. I enjoyed the overall idea and the story. But...there is a lot of stuff in here that is just borderline funny. (Not referring to funny in a good way here)
I know what the author is shooting for here, but thing is sometimes it just that little tad over the top? I'm not going to post snippets, if you read it you'll know exactly what I am referring to.
I still enjoyed the idea around it though. And the characters were fairly likeable. Combine that with my current "cheesy" mood and I'm ready to get some popcorn and dive into the next one. I need funny okay? :-)
And the Purple Hippo was sweet. You gotta admit that.
Audio book: Greg Boudreaux - 4
Book Cover: 3.5
Me, after finishing this book
Oh hell. I'm in a cheesy mood. So sue me. I enjoyed the overall idea and the story. But...there is a lot of stuff in here that is just borderline funny. (Not referring to funny in a good way here)
I know what the author is shooting for here, but thing is sometimes it just that little tad over the top? I'm not going to post snippets, if you read it you'll know exactly what I am referring to.
I still enjoyed the idea around it though. And the characters were fairly likeable. Combine that with my current "cheesy" mood and I'm ready to get some popcorn and dive into the next one. I need funny okay? :-)
And the Purple Hippo was sweet. You gotta admit that.
January 8, 2014
I really enjoyed this first book in this series and can't wait to start the next book. It's the typical, out guy falls in love with the in the closet guy but those just happen to light me up. There's also suspense and adventure, a lot of childish play and lots and lots of sex. Definitely my kind of read.
March 21, 2014
TOO MUCH SEX! And if that's not enough, the last 3 pages feature anal beads!
Read
July 30, 2020I got the box set of this series because on KU it had a big label of Assassin shifters, alas there was no shifters at 7% and since that was the reason I got it, I got to bounce.
It sucks at 7% though, I find that I have grown weary of Assassins that always say they only kill the bad guys when they don't actually know why they are killing whoever they are told to kill. I am starting to enjoy anti hero assassins, the ones that find redemption along the way. Matteo was told to kill Riley, he follows Riley and tries to gain intel, he ends up saving Riley from another assassin. My thing is that, if Riley had not been hot and Matteo was not interested in him, Matteo would have killed him no question about it, he only didn't because he was lusting after Riley and was hesitant to pull the trigger.
Riley who is the owner of a huge business that supplies parts to the military acted like a child. I don't know how he's got to where he is without someone trying to push him out of his business.
No rating.
It sucks at 7% though, I find that I have grown weary of Assassins that always say they only kill the bad guys when they don't actually know why they are killing whoever they are told to kill. I am starting to enjoy anti hero assassins, the ones that find redemption along the way. Matteo was told to kill Riley, he follows Riley and tries to gain intel, he ends up saving Riley from another assassin. My thing is that, if Riley had not been hot and Matteo was not interested in him, Matteo would have killed him no question about it, he only didn't because he was lusting after Riley and was hesitant to pull the trigger.
Riley who is the owner of a huge business that supplies parts to the military acted like a child. I don't know how he's got to where he is without someone trying to push him out of his business.
No rating.
February 4, 2014
”You had me the minute you kissed me.”
It is so fun to watch a bad boy assassin fall in love. Best thing ever!
Yup, there is no doubt about it. Whatever this formula is called this is the formula for me. It works for me every time. I think I really like shoot em’ ups and kidnapping and rescues and mysteries with hot assassin/military/law enforcement type men. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the romance and the super, freaking hot action! So f’n good. Not sure why it is called the Assassin/Shifter series but I guess I’ll figure it out because there is no way I am not reading the rest of this series. Read.
It is so fun to watch a bad boy assassin fall in love. Best thing ever!
Yup, there is no doubt about it. Whatever this formula is called this is the formula for me. It works for me every time. I think I really like shoot em’ ups and kidnapping and rescues and mysteries with hot assassin/military/law enforcement type men. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the romance and the super, freaking hot action! So f’n good. Not sure why it is called the Assassin/Shifter series but I guess I’ll figure it out because there is no way I am not reading the rest of this series. Read.
January 2, 2014
Is this the worst book M/M book I've ever read? Definitely.
Just.. wow. Can't believe I finished this.
Just.. wow. Can't believe I finished this.
April 14, 2016
E-book review December 2012...
Openly gay assassin Mateo Esposito has the perfect life. He kills people for a living and doesn't even think twice as he pulls the trigger. His targets are murderers, rapists and pedophiles; so the fact that he doesn't loose any sleep over them is no surprise. Until he stumbles upon Riley Flynn.
Riley Flynn is the CEO of Flynn Electronics. Not so openly gay, Riley stays safely behind the doors of his closet. After his mother died when he was a teenager, Riley was raised by his homophobic father. Riley is also Mateo's next target.
Character developement was precise as we watch Mateo go from predator to protector. The relationship that develops between the pair is amazing, even as they fight it, then give in to it, only to come across yet another road block. Gasq-Dion definitely laid the ground work for many more books and promising storylines with the side characters as well. My personal favorite would be General "fuck it" Derek and Pruitt, I do so hope they get much more page time in the coming books.
This is a M/M erotic love story that is sensual and steamy! It is also fast paced and action packed with several twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Audio book review April 2016…
It’s always a joy when a favorite narrator breathes life into one of your favorite books. Boudreaux truly brings Mateo and Riley to life with tone, inflection and sometimes not so subtle nuances. I especially liked the desperation I could hear in his voice during a more dramatic part in the story. I’ve probably read this book a dozen times or more so I knew full well how these two met, fell in love, were torn apart and the dangerous road travelled to bring them back together. Listening to the events unfold gave me a new insight into the story. You can read a book and imagine how something sounds or feels, Boudreaux was able to bring those sounds and feelings out for the characters with the voices he gave them.
I highly recommend this series to anyone that reads the genre. Whether you like shifters, paranormal, romance, passion, angst, you can find just about anything in this series. And now we have the promise of hearing the escapades and sexcapades of this Motely crew of men that make up the Skull Blasters and Shifters. Very exciting!
Openly gay assassin Mateo Esposito has the perfect life. He kills people for a living and doesn't even think twice as he pulls the trigger. His targets are murderers, rapists and pedophiles; so the fact that he doesn't loose any sleep over them is no surprise. Until he stumbles upon Riley Flynn.
Riley Flynn is the CEO of Flynn Electronics. Not so openly gay, Riley stays safely behind the doors of his closet. After his mother died when he was a teenager, Riley was raised by his homophobic father. Riley is also Mateo's next target.
Character developement was precise as we watch Mateo go from predator to protector. The relationship that develops between the pair is amazing, even as they fight it, then give in to it, only to come across yet another road block. Gasq-Dion definitely laid the ground work for many more books and promising storylines with the side characters as well. My personal favorite would be General "fuck it" Derek and Pruitt, I do so hope they get much more page time in the coming books.
This is a M/M erotic love story that is sensual and steamy! It is also fast paced and action packed with several twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Audio book review April 2016…
It’s always a joy when a favorite narrator breathes life into one of your favorite books. Boudreaux truly brings Mateo and Riley to life with tone, inflection and sometimes not so subtle nuances. I especially liked the desperation I could hear in his voice during a more dramatic part in the story. I’ve probably read this book a dozen times or more so I knew full well how these two met, fell in love, were torn apart and the dangerous road travelled to bring them back together. Listening to the events unfold gave me a new insight into the story. You can read a book and imagine how something sounds or feels, Boudreaux was able to bring those sounds and feelings out for the characters with the voices he gave them.
I highly recommend this series to anyone that reads the genre. Whether you like shifters, paranormal, romance, passion, angst, you can find just about anything in this series. And now we have the promise of hearing the escapades and sexcapades of this Motely crew of men that make up the Skull Blasters and Shifters. Very exciting!
March 5, 2020
2-2020
LOVE! Same thoughts as before.
1-18-2014
Wow, this was better than I thought it was going to be. Is that bad for me to admit? I did think there was too much sex, but I just skimmed over those. The action was more than enough to make up for it. The twists and turns were great and some were so unexpected, while others I called from the word Go!. Mateo and Riley were so great together.
I loved how Riley was loaded but never showed it. I loved how down to earth he was. I would have liked more of a showing of their relationship after the chaos, like how Riley handled Mateo being away.
Great start to this series. I will be keeping an eye out for Derek, James, Josh, Sam, and Troy's stories all next.
"You are my love"
LOVE! Same thoughts as before.
1-18-2014
Wow, this was better than I thought it was going to be. Is that bad for me to admit? I did think there was too much sex, but I just skimmed over those. The action was more than enough to make up for it. The twists and turns were great and some were so unexpected, while others I called from the word Go!. Mateo and Riley were so great together.
I loved how Riley was loaded but never showed it. I loved how down to earth he was. I would have liked more of a showing of their relationship after the chaos, like how Riley handled Mateo being away.
Great start to this series. I will be keeping an eye out for Derek, James, Josh, Sam, and Troy's stories all next.
"You are my love"
April 24, 2012
Even though I thought this book was going to have some shifter assassins it was still a good book. Riley and Mateo stole my heart. Mateo being the assassin bachelor that didn't want to be in love and Riley being a smart, rich, in the closet young man. There relationship came together easily after the assassination attempt. Lots of sex. The story had a little bit of a mystery and was a surprise at the end. The supporting characters were engaging and amusing, as well.
The shifters are later in the series so I will keep reading.
The shifters are later in the series so I will keep reading.
May 20, 2019
That was not good. See all 2 and 1 star reviews.
Warning: NO SHIFTERS. This is not a paranormal read. However there is a laughable attempt at an earth-shattering fortune telling. The whole 3 paragraphs of it. Not enough to excuse any of the fantasy/paranormal tags.
Warning: NO SHIFTERS. This is not a paranormal read. However there is a laughable attempt at an earth-shattering fortune telling. The whole 3 paragraphs of it. Not enough to excuse any of the fantasy/paranormal tags.
July 1, 2013
Was going to give it 3 stars but dropped my rating to 2 stars because of the last maybe 30-40 pages of the book. They made no sense.
Also there was no shifters in this one. Why?
Also there was no shifters in this one. Why?
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