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jennifox's review against another edition
I think there's probably an interesting story (or two) in here, but I just can't with the alternating timelines.
divapitbull's review against another edition
5.0
4 ½ stars rounded up to 5 because Where Death Meets the Devil is the best MM romantic suspense story that I have read in a LONG time. Finally, a book with 2 male leads who act like…. men. Their relationship is understated, but there is definite chemistry between them. And it isn’t *just* sex. Emotions clearly become engaged on both sides, but just because they develop feelings for each other – neither MC breaks character. Neither start prancing around like extras escaped from a bad Harlequin romance, suddenly calling each other Darling and waxing poetic about *making love*. What a lovely, much appreciated change of pace!
The story takes place in Australia somewhat in the future, although not glaringly so. Jack Reardon is an ex-military, former SAS soldier; currently working as an asset of the Meta-State in “The Office” (of counterterrorism and Intelligence) - Internal Threat Assessment department. After much annoyance and googling, I’m fairly certain that the Meta-State (a highly guarded agreement between Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and various other Southeast Asian countries to share intelligence and resources regarding terrorism and international threats) is one of those “futuristic elements” and doesn’t really exist. I was hung up on this detail until I realized that neural implants that act like smart phones – only shoved inside your brain – don’t exist either.
We first meet Jack strapped to a chair in the torture shack. It seems that after 15 months undercover with Mr. Valadian’s group of criminals; terrorist wannabe Mr. V. was alerted that he had a spy in his midst. Valadian has brought in Ethan Blade (the very man who outed Jack) to interrogate him and get him to spill the beans. Ethan Blade of the British accent; Sugar Baby eyes and seventh-ranked assassin in the world. From there 2 stories are told and the chapters flip back and forth between Then (the torture shack in the middle of the desert) and Now (1 year later with Jack back at The Office but grounded from duty while he undergoes psych evals and his Director harbors suspicions that he may have turned).
Each story is driven by action and suspense and underneath that the evolving relationship between the soldier and the assassin. Everything is one big exercise in trust as 2 men who should not and do not trust each other – come to begin to trust in spite of the necessary betrayals and cat and mouse games to get their respective jobs done. The alternating chapters work to a point. At first having past and present juxtaposed helps bring clarity to the present. However, as the stories progress and the action intensifies the disruption in continuity starts to get annoying.
The slowly building relationship between Jack and Ethan is a pleasure to behold. Jack sees the rare moments of unguarded Ethan – the car enthusiast, the animal lover (Sheila!), the abused child of a Sugar Addict with the weird pale eyes and the designation of Sugar Baby thought to be a violent sociopath incapable of normal social interaction – who connected with no one because everyone was afraid of him. Jack sees the 2 sides of Ethan; the stone cold killer since the age of 16 with zero remorse and the man who “gets to pick his own targets” because there is a clear moral code underneath the apparent ambiguity. But none the less Jack has to walk away from the man in the desert.
Until 1 year later – Ethan Blade is back. For the job or for the man that cracked his iron clad sense of control? Ethan never leaves a job unfinished – his own personal assassin’s creed. It’s purely coincidence that finishing his job is extremely beneficial to The Office; and serendipity that it leads him back to Jack, the man who treated him like a person not something to be scared of, who argued with him, who made him laugh, who made him lose control. The only man (or woman) he ever had sex with outside of a job.
Where Death meets the Devil was a very enjoyable start to a promising series.
The story takes place in Australia somewhat in the future, although not glaringly so. Jack Reardon is an ex-military, former SAS soldier; currently working as an asset of the Meta-State in “The Office” (of counterterrorism and Intelligence) - Internal Threat Assessment department. After much annoyance and googling, I’m fairly certain that the Meta-State (a highly guarded agreement between Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and various other Southeast Asian countries to share intelligence and resources regarding terrorism and international threats) is one of those “futuristic elements” and doesn’t really exist. I was hung up on this detail until I realized that neural implants that act like smart phones – only shoved inside your brain – don’t exist either.
We first meet Jack strapped to a chair in the torture shack. It seems that after 15 months undercover with Mr. Valadian’s group of criminals; terrorist wannabe Mr. V. was alerted that he had a spy in his midst. Valadian has brought in Ethan Blade (the very man who outed Jack) to interrogate him and get him to spill the beans. Ethan Blade of the British accent; Sugar Baby eyes and seventh-ranked assassin in the world. From there 2 stories are told and the chapters flip back and forth between Then (the torture shack in the middle of the desert) and Now (1 year later with Jack back at The Office but grounded from duty while he undergoes psych evals and his Director harbors suspicions that he may have turned).
Each story is driven by action and suspense and underneath that the evolving relationship between the soldier and the assassin. Everything is one big exercise in trust as 2 men who should not and do not trust each other – come to begin to trust in spite of the necessary betrayals and cat and mouse games to get their respective jobs done. The alternating chapters work to a point. At first having past and present juxtaposed helps bring clarity to the present. However, as the stories progress and the action intensifies the disruption in continuity starts to get annoying.
The slowly building relationship between Jack and Ethan is a pleasure to behold. Jack sees the rare moments of unguarded Ethan – the car enthusiast, the animal lover (Sheila!), the abused child of a Sugar Addict with the weird pale eyes and the designation of Sugar Baby thought to be a violent sociopath incapable of normal social interaction – who connected with no one because everyone was afraid of him. Jack sees the 2 sides of Ethan; the stone cold killer since the age of 16 with zero remorse and the man who “gets to pick his own targets” because there is a clear moral code underneath the apparent ambiguity. But none the less Jack has to walk away from the man in the desert.
Until 1 year later – Ethan Blade is back. For the job or for the man that cracked his iron clad sense of control? Ethan never leaves a job unfinished – his own personal assassin’s creed. It’s purely coincidence that finishing his job is extremely beneficial to The Office; and serendipity that it leads him back to Jack, the man who treated him like a person not something to be scared of, who argued with him, who made him laugh, who made him lose control. The only man (or woman) he ever had sex with outside of a job.
Where Death meets the Devil was a very enjoyable start to a promising series.
baldmarlin's review against another edition
5.0
You ever start to read a book at a Zaxby's at 6pm and finish before 11am the next day, even after sleeping for 7 hours? Because that's what happened with Where Death Meets the Devil. I got sucked in so fast and so easily, I didn't even realize how quickly I was reading the book. I love every bit, and I'm not usually into thrillers or spy/assassin novels.
I really enjoyed the way LJ Hayward set the book up, having the story alternate between THEN and NOW, instead of alternating POVs. It was really interesting watching the story evolve and move forward, even while you were looking back. You see the relationship between Ethan and Jack grow closer THEN, while also realizing there's got to be more to the story NOW.
I think I sent a friend at text at 1:30am yelling that I reached the halfway point and that I was so angry that I was too tired to keep going. I'm so excited to see how the story will progress in the planned sequels!
I really enjoyed the way LJ Hayward set the book up, having the story alternate between THEN and NOW, instead of alternating POVs. It was really interesting watching the story evolve and move forward, even while you were looking back. You see the relationship between Ethan and Jack grow closer THEN, while also realizing there's got to be more to the story NOW.
I think I sent a friend at text at 1:30am yelling that I reached the halfway point and that I was so angry that I was too tired to keep going. I'm so excited to see how the story will progress in the planned sequels!
honeypossum_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
layla87's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this!
This was highly entertaining. I loved that I didn't know when the next betrayal would happen lol.
These two men have great chemistry, bith in and outside the bedroom.
And even though it's a slow burn which I HATE if not done right, I was thoroughly invested and haooy with their relationship..
Also, I love Ethan. That is all.
This was highly entertaining. I loved that I didn't know when the next betrayal would happen lol.
These two men have great chemistry, bith in and outside the bedroom.
And even though it's a slow burn which I HATE if not done right, I was thoroughly invested and haooy with their relationship..
Also, I love Ethan. That is all.
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars for excellent characters and a story that keeps you on your toes as information is revealed in unique and unexpected ways.
I would not recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for time jumps because this is an every other chapter time jump between "now/then".
Ethan is a sweet muffin whose moral grayness only made him more loveable for me.
I would not recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for time jumps because this is an every other chapter time jump between "now/then".
Ethan is a sweet muffin whose moral grayness only made him more loveable for me.
nevclue's review against another edition
3.0
Extremely fast, action packed read. This is an action movie (with m/m romance) in book form, and that is a compliment! I'll definitely read the next book. I have two minor quibbles. The first is that the political structure of this "near-future" world was not very developed. The second is that there wasn't much emotional depth to the romance. Hopefully both of these will be fleshed out in the next one.
haruhazard's review against another edition
5.0
“Here’s a suggestion, though. This time, when you aim a gun at me, make sure you mean to kill me.”
wow wow wow
maybe the best of the year
jaxtongray's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
bookish_notes's review against another edition
5.0
This review is also posted on my blog.
I love this book so much. This book is absolutely brilliant and I don't think I appreciated the story as much the first time I read this. The story is told from one POV, but in alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then". The two timelines are only a year apart, so there is a sense that everything's going to turn out okay eventually when you're reading the chapters set in the past, but there's a thrilling mystery that makes you question HOW. This book is full of intrigue and murder, love and betrayal. There are luxury cars, a camel named Sheila, a half-Indian MC, and a cinnamon roll assassin. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT.
Trigger warnings for violence, mentions of sex trafficking, mentions of child abuse, mentions of drug use, and a fight scene where dingoes are shot and killed.
This book keeps you on your toes. There's a lot of moving parts but I really love how the two timelines play off one another. There's stuff that happens in the past that shows up in the next chapter in the present. There isn't really a huge clue to the whodunit mystery reveal at the end, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding who the main character can trust. And that leaves you guessing throughout the story.
This book is told solely from one POV - Jack Reardon. He's former SAS (Special Air Service Regiment in Australia) and was recruited into a top-secret intelligence organization, simply known as "the Office". Jack got sent last-minute, and with a hasty debrief, into an assignment. At the start of this book, the chapters set in the past are on his 35th birthday and he's been working undercover for 15 months for a Mr. Valadian. Everything about his mission has come apart and this is when he first meets world renown assassin Ethan Blade.
Present-day, Jack's boss questions his loyalty after his last mission, but at least he's back home. Just when Jack thinks he'll never see Ethan again, Ethan shows up in the lobby of the Office asking for Jack, a place no one should know about and certainly not that Jack works there.
This is m/m romantic suspense at its best and I loved every second of this book. Ethan is intense, but strangely soft. I like that this story questions Jack and Ethan's morals and their job. Sure, Jack works for the government and kills who he's told to kill, but does that give him the moral high ground to Ethan, a man who chooses who he kills and gets paid very handsomely to do so? This is enemies-to-lovers, in a way. The two men have their own agendas, and trust is something that must be earned.
As intense as some scenes are in this story, and not knowing if Ethan is trustworthy or not, there's levity between the characters that really helps ease the tension. Some of my favorite tropes are in this book and I am weak for all of it:
-soft cinnamon roll badass who love animals and just wants to be complimented and praised
-sick character needs looking after
-forced proximity
-character who has a death wish by arguing with someone who could very well kill him and argues with said character anyway
This book is fun and there's a LOT packed into this story. The ending is rather abrupt, but the author has written an epilogue of sorts (the "Coda") that's available for free and picks up immediately after this book ends. It does leave this first book in the series with a much more satisfying ending. I do wish there was an audiobook for this story, because I would buy it in a heartbeat so I can re-read this over-and-over again. <3
I love this book so much. This book is absolutely brilliant and I don't think I appreciated the story as much the first time I read this. The story is told from one POV, but in alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then". The two timelines are only a year apart, so there is a sense that everything's going to turn out okay eventually when you're reading the chapters set in the past, but there's a thrilling mystery that makes you question HOW. This book is full of intrigue and murder, love and betrayal. There are luxury cars, a camel named Sheila, a half-Indian MC, and a cinnamon roll assassin. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT.
Trigger warnings for violence, mentions of sex trafficking, mentions of child abuse, mentions of drug use, and a fight scene where dingoes are shot and killed.
This book keeps you on your toes. There's a lot of moving parts but I really love how the two timelines play off one another. There's stuff that happens in the past that shows up in the next chapter in the present. There isn't really a huge clue to the whodunit mystery reveal at the end, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding who the main character can trust. And that leaves you guessing throughout the story.
This book is told solely from one POV - Jack Reardon. He's former SAS (Special Air Service Regiment in Australia) and was recruited into a top-secret intelligence organization, simply known as "the Office". Jack got sent last-minute, and with a hasty debrief, into an assignment. At the start of this book, the chapters set in the past are on his 35th birthday and he's been working undercover for 15 months for a Mr. Valadian. Everything about his mission has come apart and this is when he first meets world renown assassin Ethan Blade.
Present-day, Jack's boss questions his loyalty after his last mission, but at least he's back home. Just when Jack thinks he'll never see Ethan again, Ethan shows up in the lobby of the Office asking for Jack, a place no one should know about and certainly not that Jack works there.
This is m/m romantic suspense at its best and I loved every second of this book. Ethan is intense, but strangely soft. I like that this story questions Jack and Ethan's morals and their job. Sure, Jack works for the government and kills who he's told to kill, but does that give him the moral high ground to Ethan, a man who chooses who he kills and gets paid very handsomely to do so? This is enemies-to-lovers, in a way. The two men have their own agendas, and trust is something that must be earned.
As intense as some scenes are in this story, and not knowing if Ethan is trustworthy or not, there's levity between the characters that really helps ease the tension. Some of my favorite tropes are in this book and I am weak for all of it:
-soft cinnamon roll badass who love animals and just wants to be complimented and praised
-sick character needs looking after
-forced proximity
-character who has a death wish by arguing with someone who could very well kill him and argues with said character anyway
This book is fun and there's a LOT packed into this story. The ending is rather abrupt, but the author has written an epilogue of sorts (the "Coda") that's available for free and picks up immediately after this book ends. It does leave this first book in the series with a much more satisfying ending. I do wish there was an audiobook for this story, because I would buy it in a heartbeat so I can re-read this over-and-over again. <3