When the going gets tough, the tough turn to Chris Chapey. As the right-hand man to a group of take-no-prisoners mercenaries, Chris can organize a top secret rescue mission with his eyes closed. But when it comes to his personal life, Chris is the one who needs a little help.
His problem: Matt Houser. Chris can’t deny his attraction to Matt, but Matt has no idea what Chris’s job really entails and how much it means to him. Matt challenges Chris to change his life—and make a place for him in it. Can Chris risk telling him the truth?
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I'd been looking forward to reading Chris' story since he graced the pages of Lori Foster's first book in the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series and while I enjoyed the characters I was left disappointed overall with what could've been. Chris has always been the go-to guy, the dependable and loyal one to handle everything and not expect praise. He's quiet and unassuming and doesn't like to be the center of attention. The work he does is vitally important but he can't tell anyone which causes a problem in his budding relationship with hairstylist, Matt. Matt's the opposite of Chris in many ways. He's flamboyant, always put-together, and owns his own shop. He's self-made and feels that Chris is just latching on to others. This issue of Matt's beliefs and reality was a superficial roadblock that seemed silly though when in the dramatic world these men inhabit. Had Matt been worried over Chris' safety, that roadblock would've been understandable. But he's insinuating Chris isn't good enough which rubbed me a bit wrong.
As a reader who reads a lot of romance books in the m/m genre, the romance in this was almost non-existent. Beyond flirty glances, a kiss or two, and a sexless morning-after scene, there was no sexual connection between these two. Matt and Chris have supposedly been together for awhile before this story starts but I felt no deep connection between them. They feel more like friends than lovers which was another disappointment to a believable HEA.
I did enjoy seeing all the characters from the previous books in the series and the family-feel this created. They all truly cared about both Chris and it was sweet how they warned Matt about hurting Chris because of his importance to them. It reiterated yet another reason why Chris stays and was a subtle epilogue to the character's final outcomes.
With such a memorable character as Chris I was hoping for better. While I'm happy the author let his story be told I wish the telling had been more satisfying.
My rating for this is a C.
*I bought this book with my own money for my personal library.
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