Edgar-Allen Church grew up with an abusive father and a mother that didn’t put him first, which led to a rough childhood and a lot of anger. A chance meeting puts Miller Quinn in his life and Miller gives Church the occasional couch to sleep on. When Church inadvertently threatens the foundation of their relationship, Church finds himself on the streets full of rage one moment and then put into the system for assault the next. It’s been five years and he’s ready to try and move forward, yet without a place to go, Church calls Miller. While Church has not spoken to Miller in all those years, the man has never been far from his thoughts.

Miller was brought up by his father who was strongly conservative and Miller had no choice but to live on the straight and narrow. His relationship with Church grew in unexpected ways, but he could never give Church what he wanted. Miller doesn’t even consider himself in the closet, for he would have to acknowledge that a closet even exists. Instead, Miller lives his life running the family hardware store with his sister and doing what everyone expects him to. When Church crashes back into his life, he not only brings back all of the old feelings, but danger as well. While Church really wants to turn his life around, circumstances may make it impossible and the men soon realize that both their hearts and their lives are at serious risk.

What a whirlwind of a book. This is the second book I have read by Sidney Bell and I will say her writing is impressive. Here we have Church and Miller. We catch up on the start of their earliest relationship and then see Church as he makes his way through a residence program instead of prison. Church has a lot of anger, but he’s really working on it and at the age of twenty-two he wants to do better. His relationship with Miller is complicated. Miller was the only person to offer him anything: a safe place to crash, a comforting gesture, and true friendship. Church can barely forgive himself for ruining things, but he’s still in love with Miller and of course there is another side to the story.

Miller is so in denial it’s almost painful to watch. He clearly knew his father’s feelings growing up and he couldn’t handle the thought of his father abandoning him and Miller squashed down his earliest thoughts of being attracted to men until he forgot they were there. He felt things for Church that he didn’t want to understand and now that Church is back his head is a mess.

This book has a lot going on but Bell keeps it all moving along at the perfect pace and it all fits together perfectly. One major part of the story is clearly the relationship between Church and Miller. There were several scenes between these guys that were nothing short of amazing. There is an attraction and a push and pull as Church tries desperately to keep a physical distance from Miller as that’s what he thinks Miller wants. Miller, on the other hand, has no idea what he wants. Well, maybe he does but he can’t admit to even himself. The scenes of the first times these guys have their hands on each other are filled with undeniable chemistry, but also confusion and shame on Miller’s part and true longing on Church’s part. The emotion that Bell pulled from these characters to spill onto the page was superb in its execution.

The other side to this story is Church’s job and man this guy can’t get a break as he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. This all adds up to the tension that is seemingly plaguing Church at every turn and now he’s forced to continue to be involved with a Russian family that would rather have him out of the way permanently. We also meet two other guys, Ghost and Tobias, who were in the same residence as Church. These characters are so well drawn and not only add to Church’s story, but each of them has so much intrigue and mystery on their own and I am definitely looking forward to both of their upcoming stories. Ghost is most certainly in a category all by himself and I can’t imagine anyone reading who wouldn’t be intrigued by the glimpses we are shown of him.

As much as the story line and the writing truly captivated me and there were moments of true writing talent, I will admit to having some difficulty with Miller. He was presented as so bland sometimes. While he was a good friend to Church and made him feel safe, I at times wondered what Church saw in him as a love interest. He also was so caught up in his own feelings and self loathing that he was crushing Church time and again and really didn’t see what he was doing. Overall, he stayed true to his character, but his denial and stammering and avoidance did become a bit much to watch throughout the entire book and even by the end I still had mixed feelings about him.

While there are several storylines running here at the same time, there was an almost perfect balance to it all. The relationship between Church and Miller stays in focus while the larger arc is running alongside and no area overpowered the other. This book is only one part of a larger story as the larger arc and even some areas of Church and Miller’s life were left open at the end. This was a great start to this series and Loose Cannon is a book I would recommend you check out.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book was a sweet love story about two different people who cross paths again after time apart. It was darker than I thought it would be and it took me a bit to get into it, but it was a good read.

This book has been sitting on my kindle for a minute. This is a new to me, highly recommended author but I knew this would be a series I’d want to read without stopping. I also knew these books would not be easy reads, so I had to be in the right frame of mind. I really like Ms. Bell’s writing style and I can tell she’s going to be on my auto-read list indefinitely.

There is a lot going on in this book and it will definitely be a continuation series. The overlapping arc of the books will revolve primarily around Ghost but because of Church and Tobias’ friendship with him they get pulled in to the suspense with the Russian family (I wouldn’t go so far as to say mafia, but it is mafia-like on a small scale).

Church had a horrible childhood which led to a bad decision and his time in Woodbury. But it also led him to Miller. I dare say that Miller was just as messed up by his uber conservative (read homophobic and prejudice) upbringing. We’re given some flashbacks to when they first met which helps establish not only their friendship but how deeply their feelings run for each other. With Church back in his life, Miller is forced into introspection that he is ill-prepared to face and doesn’t handle well. Both men go through some growing pains which is tough to see at times but growing together makes them even stronger together. They are clearly soulmates and I never once doubted they belong together. Their romance is slow to build but oh so satisfying to watch.

I was not a fan of Miller’s sister, but his niece was awesome. The Russian family is hard to keep up with, but the characterization was on the mark. Tobias surprised me with his strength when he seems to be the most vulnerable. The author has some work to do with Ghost for me. I know there’s more there and I know it’s going to be tough but I’m not there yet. I’m almost afraid to work my way through to his book.

Needless to say (probably) this is a hell yeah from me but it’s not an easy, fluffy or light read so you need to be ready for it. And I’m moving on to book 2 now…

What happens when you take one streetwise and angry teenager, add a man eight years his senior, and then turn their unusual first meeting into a friendship? You get Edgar-Allen Church and Miller Quinn and the start of something really beautiful.

I’m going to tell you virtually nothing about this book because every word, every page, every brilliant chapter needs to be experienced without the flailing of one ecstatic fangirl ruining the story for you. Suffice it to say that after reading Sidney Bell’s debut M/M novel, Bad Judgment, I knew I’d stumbled upon a storyteller whose narrative voice and talent for revealing hidden little things which make a character real, as well as finding that elusive chemistry that exists not only between the people on the page but that builds and solidifies between those people and the reader, was significant. If Loose Cannon accomplished any one thing, it’s this: Bell proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will read every single word she ever writes.

Sidney Bell builds her characters into fully formed and multi-layered people with pasts and presents, and then she works towards building a future for them that readers can feel safe in investing every emotion in and pinning every hope on. Church? Well, his life has been supremely shitty, to be blunt—an abusive alcoholic father who has drilled Church’s every inevitable failure into him with his words; a mother who plays into the psychology of domestic abuse and of her abuser; and, on top of that, Church has a tendency to lead with his fists and suffer the consequences later. When Miller catches Church in his apartment, attempting to make off with his television, it begins a back-and-forth of Church showing up and then disappearing again, but Miller always leaving the window open for his lost boy. Miller becomes Church’s safe place to land when life on the street gets too hard. The one thing they have going for them is an easy banter that doesn’t always come naturally to Miller, and when Church finally confesses to Miller that he’s gay, it couldn’t have gone better.

Until it went worse. So much worse.

Miller’s family background isn’t an unfamiliar one—the dichotomy of a devout parent whose faith is grounded in caring so deeply about a person’s immortal soul that he’ll judge and condemn the sin of loving if that love isn’t between a man and a woman. For all his life, Miller had it drilled into him that homosexuality was unnatural and sinful and that it was a one-way ticket straight to hell. Miller spent his life around family who threw out homophobic slurs as a means of insulting his manhood. Miller grew up internalizing rather than externalizing all of that prejudice, though. He knows there’s nothing wrong with being gay. But there’s everything wrong with anyone thinking Miller’s gay. Least of all, Miller himself.

As Sidney Bell begins filling in the details around the opening scene of this novel, we’re introduced to Church and the crime for which he’s served a five year sentence. And soon after, we meet Tobias and Ghost, two Woodbury Boys who not only figured prominently in Church’s story but will continue to shine as this series moves forward, I’m sure—something for which I probably don’t need to declare that I’m chomping at the bit, in a daily internet-stalking-for-details sort of way.

When Church’s sentence is served and it comes time for him to start a new life—serving parole, becoming a productive member of society, keeping his nose clean—he loses one safety net but knows that in spite of what happened between them five years before, Miller will still be there to catch him. At least, Church hopes so. And God, thus begins such a beautiful and poignant love story that just… guh. Left me incapable of moving on to another book until I’d spilled out all my love for this one right here on the page. Church and Miller advance and then retreat, Miller tries and then fails, tries and fails more, and in the midst of it all is life doing its best to sabotage Church’s efforts to walk the straight and narrow. He just wants to be a better man than his father, just wants to be the kind of man who’s worthy of Miller, doesn’t want to live down to his father’s expectations. And Miller? Miller just wants to be the kind of man who isn’t attracted to Edgar-Allen Church. But if Miller won’t come to Church, Church will come to Miller.

Loose Cannon is the shortest 400+ page novel I’ve ever read. Anyone who’s ever read a book that feels as though the page count is growing rather than shrinking knows what a gift it is to get hold of a book that’s over too soon. This book was over far, far too soon. I fell so madly in love with these characters and their struggles and appreciated the realism Bell took the time to craft into their romance—the shame, the awkwardness of their first time together, the worries, the missteps, and finally, the acceptance that there’s nowhere else either of them belongs but with each other. Sheer perfection.

I will admit – when I first started this book, I wasn’t sure at all if I was going to like it. It started out slow and it just didn’t seem to draw me in. Yet at some point within the first 20% of the story, I was completely pulled in and I couldn’t put the book down at all.

The relationship between Miller and Church was one that has a long past – but at the same time, they were building a relationship in the present time. I did like the little flashbacks to their story and how they came to know each other, and become such good friends. And getting to see how everything was progressing for the in the present and future was also good.

Another thing that I did love about it was that it wasn’t an insta-love/jump into bed together story. Yes, you could feel the tension between Miller and Church, yet they were still forging their own way and developing their own adult friendships before things got to a sexual level.

There is a fair bit of drama and suspense that was going on throughout the book, and I am not so patiently waiting for the next book in the series. Because while yes, Miller and Church do get their story told in this book, there was so many unanswered questions about everything else, I can’t wait to find out whats going to happen next.

Overall – a great read. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I read a lot of books each year (around 300) and I only give a handful of them 5 star ratings. This book is one of them.

Church is due to get out of a detention center where he has been incarcerated since he was a teen. His housing falls through and he has no family and only one friend from the past. He calls Miller who he hasn't seen in years to ask if he can stay with him for a bit while he tries to get on his feet.

Miller is a kind man and despite having concerns about the arrangement he agrees. Miller is a man stuck in a rut. He works at the family business and doesn't date often. When he does date it's more out of obligation than desire. Miller is in denial about his sexuality and feels all sorts of complicated feelings about it. Unfortunately for Miller, having Church in his home again is going to raise all of these issues to the surface.

What follows is an angsty and gritty story about two men who. despite their differences, are destined to be together. There is a lot of emotion in the story as Church comes to terms with the abuse in past and the anger that caused him to be incarcerated in the first place. He's also got to carve out a new life for himself. Miller struggles with feelings of doubt and shame and those war with his love for Church.

I felt like the author did a great job with both of these characters. I was drawn in from the very beginning of the story. The way the story is told gives us glimpses in to these two men's past and we see how they met and how they came to be friends. It was a very good storytelling technique and it had me invested from page one. There is an age gap here and the back story could have easily gone in to creepy but it didn't.

Part of the story is the romance and the emotional fallout surrounding it, but another part is a suspense plot involving Church's employer. I found this part to be fast paced and entertaining.

There are a few side characters and I enjoyed them all. Miller's sister and niece were great representations of females and I was glad to see the author gave us this instead of the stereotypical women as shrews as is often common in this genre. I also really liked both of Church's friends and I can't wait till they get books of their own.

I have zero complaints about this book. Everything about it worked for me. I loved the plot, the romance and especially the characters. This is one I highly recommend.

Passionate and Sensual Love Story that will pull on your heartstrings…

Sidney Bell writes with emotion, and energy, that captures the reader's essence. This authors characters are so genuine that they elicit sympathy. The emotional and sexual tension is rooted in credible scenarios. This is a title that should be on everyone’s TBR Pile.
Sidney Bell will become one of my go to authors in M/M Fiction Genre. I have not yet read any other work by her but I can’t wait to get my hands on another one of her titles. The story of Church and Miller pulled so many emotions from me. The pain of youthful lives torn apart, the joy of years of true friendship, the agony of past hurts, the euphoria of reconciliation are all included in this title. Though their story is at times heartbreaking, and incredibly joyful it is also frustrating. The hurdles they have to jump to get to their HEA seem insurmountable at times, and although you know it is going to happen the journey makes you wonder if it can. Thank you Sidney Bell for a great story.
5+ Stars Off the Charts Amazing

Loose Cannon was a good read, though it did feel a tad too long. Granted, I think that was due to the fact that it’s setting up for the sequel. I’m not sure who the sequel will focus on exactly, but my guess is Ghost, who Church knows from a rehabilitation place called Woodbury (the title of the series). Besides this, I was very much interested in Church and his friendship with Miller. Of course, it leads to more, but it’s not easy to for either of them. Church doesn’t feel good enough, and Miller has a lot of ingrained homophobia from his late father – even though he knows there is nothing wrong with being gay and has no qualms about Church being so.

There is a mafia-esque aspect to the story that while still realistic in a sense, brings this story into a different genre than just realistic contemporary. At least in my opinion. All in all though, I liked this one!

This book is gritty, angsty, and oh so romantic.

It takes a while for the romance to get going. Church and Miller tiptoe around the growing attraction between them. Miller's self-denial knows no bounds, which makes for a frustrating read at times.

But even while they keep their hands to themselves, Miller and Church slowly build a life together. They have meals together, talk about their day, and both look forward to watching hockey games together. The two fit each other perfectly.

When the two finally cave, they can no longer ignore what's been building between them for years. It takes a lot of hard work, but Miller and Church slowly work their way towards their happy ending. There are quite a few 'two steps forward one step back' moments, but I wasn't worried. These two were so clearly meant to be together.

There's a pretty significant crime subplot. I've got mixed feelings about it. It kept me interested, but in the end I thought it was gratuitous. That's because it didn't relate to Miller or Church directly, but had more to do with Ghost, a secondary character who I assume will get a book in this series. I just thought Church and Miller were put through the wringer for no reason.

Even so, I really enjoyed 'Loose Cannon'. If you're looking for complex characters, a lot of angst, and a sweet romance, with a side of action, give this book a try!

I'm very likely the odd one out here but I just never got into this story– can't help it :(

There were a bunch of things that personally ticked me off and I'm afraid I didn't like the characters very much :(

Please don't see this as criticism of the author; we merely aren't on the same wavelength when it comes to storytelling, at least in this case.

From the first chapter on we're given a few glimpses into the past (five years ago, one year after..) and what brought Church to where he is now, reconnecting with an old friend.

We then travel back in time yet again to find out what had happened between him and Miller and so on...

I didn't think these jumps were needed or could've been done differently/better, but that's just me. I'm not a big fan of snippets here and there, because I find that interrupts the story flow.

Church seemed all right at first but I wasn't smitten and that never changed throughout the story. He just wasn't all that likable to me, same with Miller. Only he really did get on my nerves at times.

I never had a problem with guys denying they're attracted to other guys, I guess that's quite common and understandable to a degree. I somehow didn't like the way Miller acted and that first scene where he **** that woman... I don't know, it really bugged me somehow. Again, that's just me.

I wish I'd connected with the characters because the story itself wasn't bad, but with my first impression the off-feeling stuck... It was pretty much doomed from the start (for me).

➷

Personally this was more like a 1.5 star read. At one point it became difficult to soldier on, as can be expected when you don't particularly enjoy the cast :(

I appreciate the time and love the author put into creating this book and its characters. I’m certain there are the right readers for Loose Cannon out there; many probably!

So, don’t let my review hold you back: give it a try! :)

▽
Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.

I want more. I need Ghost's story OMW I need more!! This book was fantastic. It is not a run of the mill romance. It isn't all fluffy romance and sweetness. It was so much more! This is about boys who had bad starts to life ending up in bad places but meeting the best friends. Growing up and falling in love some with good and some with not so good people. It is that journey that they are taking that is just riveting! When they finally are 'grown up' and are working on the right way to live that is when this story really gets good. just wow. I loved every minute of it. There is a lot going on that we don't know yet and I REALLY want to know. I am seriously going nuts wanting the next book. These characters all have very different voices so picking them out was not a problem. They were all complete individuals and I enjoyed them immensely. They were so complex and even after reading this book I still don't know everything about them. The plot was so engrossing and I could not put it down. I am NOT giving ANYTHING away, but you need to read this book. It was so good. I very highly recommend this amazing twisty romance.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Kris – ☆☆☆☆
Church is just released from the minimum security facility where he spent the last 5 years rehabilitating. His violent nature hopefully behind him, he needs to find a stable place to stay to fulfill his parole requirements. Having to call the one person he had hoped not to after things went badly, Church decides he has to break down and call Miller. Miller thought he may never hear from Edgar-Allen Church again. The homeless boy who broke into Miller's house and proceeded to weave his way into Miller's heart all those years ago. Miller knows he can’t turn Church away, and Church knows Miller is the one man he can always count on to be there for him.

This story started out like most in the m/m genre and I thought I was reading just a run-of-the-mill romance novel. Well, that wasn't the case at all. Enter the Russian Mafia and you've got yourself some pretty big plot twists and turns. At first, I wasn't sure the Russians were a welcome addition to the book that I expected. But I found they had their place and certainly kept the storyline lively. I loved Church fighting to be the good man he longed to be, trying to overcome his past, and Miller trying to come to grips with who he's always been afraid to become. The novel's side characters keep things rolling right along. With Church's fellow Woodbury boys, Ghost and Tobias, these three boys had a really interesting dynamic that brought the characters right into my heart. Bell really made their backgrounds interesting and I found myself intrigued by them almost much as Miller and Church. The future installments are set up very nicely! Definitely on board for Ghost's book!!


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
Wow. I loved so many of the characters in this story! Church’s quiet, tentative attempts to right his mistakes and start fresh after prison are incredibly moving. Miller’s intuitive support of the young boy attempting to steal his TV made me smile and I love the relationship that develops between Church and Miller over the next decade.

Church and Miller’s story is told in short bursts and from various perspectives as we flip back and forth from past to present. From the truly awful to the merely awkward, their relationship is special. I enjoyed the complexity of their connection. Miller has his own baggage and there are many times when it is Church who supports Miller. Theirs is a gritty story, but there are some wonderfully tender moments and some very sexy scenes in this book.

Miller’s family and Church’s friends from prison add warmth and depth to this book. I loved Church’s relationship with Tobias and his more complex one with Ghost. Miller’s sister and niece made me smile.

I wasn’t as keen on the Russian Mafia storyline that develops later in this story. I understand that this storyline emphasised how difficult it was for Church to go straight after growing up in prison but by the end, this overpowered the gentle coming of age story and the sweet romance that ran beside it. I loved Ghost and I look forward to his story, but the mafia characters were too predictable and not terribly well developed. The later action scenes felt overblown and ultimately, the mafia storyline detracted from the carefully crafted central characters and the gritty realism of the rest of the book.


Erica – ☆☆☆
4 Stars on the plot
3 stars on the execution
3.5 stars overall

Sidney Bell is a new-to-me author.

Loose Cannon was a quick, entertaining read. Even though I didn't have a difficult time connecting and understanding, I didn't enjoy how the story was told – the flow and transition between scenes and time was beyond jarring and disconnecting.

At the start of the novel, the story is 5 years in the past for a few chapters, before continuing on at the present time. This portion of the storyline was intriguing, filled with a ton of potential that isn't quite met. Church and Miller's past is glossed over, Church's situation in the institution is paragraphs of connected inner monologue spanning 5 years, all holding the potential for an amazing read. As I read the novel, I found myself wishing I had more of this time period and less in the current time, or at least developed more. It was jarring in the flow of things how the reader is only given paragraphs of storytelling, then thrust into the present time.

There were many things I wished Loose Cannon had, but I rated it on what it was. My major issue is that the important and everyday scenes weren't tied together in a fluid fashion. It was jarring how from one paragraph to the next, or chapter to the next, months passed without a smooth transition. However, I was thankful that the author denoted the transition with a paragraph break and symbol.

Church is a good, young man who was raised by a wife-beating alcoholic father and an abused, enabler mother. He found himself on the streets, befriended by Miller, and then back on the streets where he made a horrific mistake that cost him 5 years of his life, but the consequences changed his life for the better. Church's story is one of redemption, where you learn from your mistakes and change your life. Church is a Loose Cannon when it comes to his simmering rage, but he's learning to contain it and channel it positively.

Miller is a giver and caregiver. He'd give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. He gave up his hopes and dreams for his family. His personality to please his deceased father even affected his sexuality. There is an innocence in Miller, a sweetness, that Church lacks when he's so much younger. The age-gap isn't noticeable because of their personalities, creating a balance in strength and weakness until the pair are equals.

The main focus is on Church and Miller's friendship and budding relationship. Without spoilers, their relationship had an interesting, original start. Their friendship hit the skids in an even more innovated way. Their coming back together showed the author had talent at propelling the characters together without forcing the plot.

Church's past has consequences, and it was a refreshing take on how he met with his victim. In a way (this is where I say what I wish was and wasn't in Loose Cannon) I wish that half of the plot, which was the bumbling mafia angle, wasn't included at all. I think it detracted from what could have been a poignant read. Bell was able to inject realism and emotion into the character building, and the book had its conflict where it came to Church's victim's family. The mafia plot felt out of focus and over-the-top, and sometimes beyond eye-roll-worthy, and it lessened the emotional impact. Members of organized crime are highly intelligent, especially the heads of the organization, as shown from Mama's point of view, yet everything written was so bad it was comedic, even though it wasn't meant to be.

Where the author shined is in developing Miller and Church's relationship. The emotions involved. It flowed smoothly, and kept me hooked through the other 'offness' in the novel. The heart-tugging, slow-burn romance, the banter, and the scorching between-the-sheets action showed the author's talent. Added to that, the strong connections Church has with Tobias and Ghost, and Miller had with his sister and niece.

The character development shined, so I felt the book was lessened with the bumbling cast of Russian mafia, even though I realize it ties in with Ghost's story (I assume he's getting a book). Mama having narration was out of place, yet I didn't mind her cold, efficient voice. Which was the reason the rest of her 'crew' didn't fit. Mama and her right-hand man were well written, but the rest... There is no way a woman such as Lana had that many idiot sons – the whole lot of them didn't seem to share a single brain cell. That is what made it hard to swallow, not overall – their stupidity. Her organization couldn't run just on her brains alone, or they'd all be in prison and not functioning at all, judging by the actions of her sons.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained, even if I felt threads needed to be fully fleshed out. There were things an editor could have/should have reeled the author in to meet the potential. The bones were solid, the author had amazing promise with the characters, but not so much with the organized crime.

I do highly recommend Loose Cannon to MM Romance readers. While things didn't work for me, much more did, and I'm looking forward to more by this author and in this series.

Sidney Bell is a recent new-to-me author that *blew* me away with her debut Bad Judgment last year. I didn’t even make it through the whole book before I was looking up her name, hoping I would find a huge backlist. Since then I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for this one to come out!

Church and Miller have a lengthy history that is revealed to the reader slowly throughout the first few chapters of the Loose Cannon. Bell has a wonderful handle on suspense with how she manages to both entice us with their past but keep us in the dark as well. Church spent years in a correctional facility as a youth with Ghost and Tobias who he became good friends with. When he gets out the story basically revolves around how Church deals with Miller, Ghost, and Tobias.

There is obviously much more to the story of the suspense part of things as Ghost in particular is involved in some shady dealings. This book is going to be part of a trilogy with Ghost and Tobias’s stories and let me tell you that I cannot wait for those! Church and Miller have an intense chemistry and I loved to see how the two of them grew during the course of the book. They both have a lot to come to terms with and Bell explores both of their stories so adeptly that it felt incredibly realistic to me.

If you like m/m romances you seriously need to read Sidney Bell. Basically everyone who has read her has fallen in love with her writing. I want everyone to read her immediately because I feel like she’s one of those really special authors that started out at the top of her game and will just get better and better. Also, if you just like romantic suspense – either m/m or m/f – this author is for you. Her suspense is so drawn out and paced exactly throughout the book to make you want to know what is going to happen but balanced with the romance. It’s romantic suspense at its finest. I can’t recommend this author enough!

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewer: Melinda

Title: Loose Cannon

Author: Sidney Bell

Release Date: April 3, 2017

Heat-pounding suspense and a wonderful love story!

This is the first book I've read by Sidney Bell and it took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride that I didn't want to end. I started reading this in the early morning and barely stopped for anything all day until I finished it.

If you like books with complicated, meaty plots you need to read this book. At 108,000 words/448 pages this is a story that you can easily lose yourself in. There was so much going on in (but not too much) that I kept wanting to read faster and faster so I could find out how it would all end and yet I didn't want it to be over. More than once my heart was pounding and I was screaming internally no, no, no!

While this story was intensely suspenseful it was also tender in places and a very poignant love story. Church has so much going against him but Miller can see beyond all of the darkness to the man that Church really wants to be. Now if Miller can just get rid of the voices that tell him it's wrong to love another man…

I don't know how many books are planned for this series but there are two supporting characters that I sincerely hope get books of their own. This book doesn't have a cliffhanger as the story for Church and Miller has an HEA but not every question, surrounding a lot of the suspense, is answered and I can't wait to read more books in this series.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

Church has some major anger issues, which is what landed him in trouble in the first place. He had a rough start as a kid, and it was a failed theft attempt which brought him and Miller together when Miller sort of took him in and gave him a safe place to go. Their friendship grew from there until that day when Church took things too far. Now, it is time for his release and Miller is the only one he can count on again.

Miller is a sweet guy who runs the hardware store his father left him and his sister. His father was strict and pretty religious which played a big factor in Miller repressing any ideas of acting on his feelings for other men. When Church calls needing a place to stay, Miller doesn’t hesitate, the same feelings he had all those years ago towards Church (being there for him, helping him out, trying to make his life a little easier to navigate) still remained.

Church has had feelings for Miller since they met all those years ago, and even more so now that he’s grown up. But it is clear that Miller is genuinely confused and struggling with it all. He is a bit confused but cannot deny his reaction to Church. Church treads carefully, even as Miller sends mixed signals. All Church wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and help Miller any way he can to repay him for everything he has done.

Church made two friends while serving his time – his cellmate, Tobias, and the mysterious Ghost. I was as interested in this threesome friendship as I was with Church and Miller, as they help him navigate life back in the real world just as much as Miller. Once they are all out, it is Ghost who hooks Church up with a job, but this is where the story takes a turn. The owner of the shop has ties to the Russian mafia, and it doesn’t take long before that places a major roadblock in Church’s path. Church tries really hard to do the right thing and to protect Miller, but there is only so much he can do.

Add to that Church’s guilt over what he did that landed him into trouble in the first place, confronting that in order to put a stop to things that have been happening. So, there are really three (or maybe more) major things going on in this story. We get some closure here and there, but more doors are opened and lots of questions remain.

I loved watching Church and Miller together as they became more than friends. I just wanted them to be able to work through it all without all the added stress, but in the end, that made them even stronger. While it seemed as though there was a bit too much going on at times, I found this to be exciting and engaging, keeping me on the edge of my seat to the end. Ms. Bell does very well at bringing out the feels in this one, and the writing is fast-paced and solid. I really cannot wait for the next installment to see where things will go next. I sure hope we get more answers about Ghost, because he is a mystery I wanted to solve from the moment we met him.

There are a lot of threads running through this dark, suspenseful romance. It's a mystery equally as much as a story about two men finding their way to each other. Which is the kind of story I like.

Church's life has always been off-track, and his violent tendencies have overwhelmed him in the past. I particularly liked how we spend a bit of time with him in the residential centre - mostly because it was important to also get acquainted with the other Woodbury boys, Tobias and Ghost - since I am pretty certain they will star in future books.

Miller is so far from accepting his attraction to men, I was worried he wouldn't ever acknowledge it. This slow slow process felt genuine to me. But both boys are runners - they take off when things gets tough, and for different reasons which made the story even more emotional.

Look, there are so many feelings running through the stories, and as the tension builds and builds. we know something is bound to explode. I liked its unpredictable journey, and the inscrutable Ghost, and the open, vulnerable Tobias, but especially I loved Miller and Church when they worked together and formed an 'us'. It was a thing of beauty to behold.

But be warned, there's so much before we get there.

Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley and read with thanks. Out today I think. Loved it lots.

Loose Cannon is a friends-to-lovers tender romance, a suspenseful mystery featuring Russian mobsters, a story of redemption for the boy who spends five years in the system for an anger-fueled assault, a tale of a lapsed Catholic who struggles with his sexuality in the shadow of his father's draconian religious views, and it introduces and intertwines the lives and loves of Church, Ghost and Tobias who meet in Woodbury, a juvenile offenders treatment center. Whew ... that's a lot of plot to cover here, but Sidney Bell pulls it all off and makes it appear effortless.

Miller and Church first meet when teenager Church breaks into Miller's house. Rather than call the cops, Miller befriends Church, helping him survive an abusive home life. When Church ends up in juvy, he meets Tobias (“You think I ended up in Woodbury because my heart broke when the singing, animated birdies weren’t available one day to help me get dressed. Right?”) and Ghost ("delicate and ethereal, and surprisingly, terrifyingly young. He looked defenseless as a baby deer or a fairy princess.") Tobias is a sweet guy but no one, and I mean NO ONE, fucks with Ghost.

When Church gets out of Woodbury, he needs a job and a safe place to live as conditions of his parole. Ghost calls in a favor and finds Church a job in a bakery (more about this later) and Miller once again opens his house to Church. Bell beautifully shows us the UST between the two, made more heart-rending because Miller thinks he's straight. And by that I mean Miller's uber-Catholic father convinced him that you love the sinner but hate the sin, and the sin of homosexuality meant burning in hell eternally:

"Their happiness now will cost them paradise, Miller. It’s tragic, but they’ll burn.” [...] But he’d known then that he [Miller] could never tell his father about his realization, his certainty that no loving God would slap his children’s hands for taking an offered happiness.

Miller and Church have a deep connection, friendship and sexual chemistry to burn (and yeah, there's some steamy sex scenes), but the beauty of their story is the way Bell leads Miller to finally connect with that "tiny perfect hum" inside and gives Church the strength to confront his anger and make amends for the damage it has caused.

Oh, and that bakery job? The owner Matvey Krayev is a nice guy, but his brothers Vasily, Seryozha and Grisha are Bad News, and Mama Krayev is the baddest of them all. What does Mama Krayev want with Ghost and why is she willing to bargain with him? That's an issue for the next books in the series, but I admire how Bell gives us the barest glimpse of Ghost's past and tantalizes us with Tobias' history and makes it all fit into Church's story without seeming convoluted. I'm giving "Loose Cannons" 4.5 stars and can't wait for the next book in the series.

I adored this story. I absolutely LOVED Church. The author really managed to bring him to life right before my eyes. He felt so real, like I could reach out and touch him. I believed the words that came out of his mouth were his, like he truly told me his story.

I liked Miller, but he was frustrating and I wasn't sure what to think of him at first. I kind of wanted to slap some sense into him, but I could also empathize with why he kept his sexuality so deeply buried. He was so deep in the closet HE didn't believe he could be gay. In that respect Miller's acceptance of his sexuality seemed realistic.

I loved getting to know both Church and Miller. They were both complex and interesting characters. I loved watching as the layers were peeled away and they found themselves, as well as each other.


The mystery/suspense part of the story was exciting, angsty and intriguing. It kept me turning the pages and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.

The secondary characters added depth to the story and I'd love to get to know Ghost and Tobias much better. I think they have a story to tell. *hint hint nudge nudge*


This was an enjoyable read, packed with mystery, angst, excitement, friendship, family and love. This is my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be scoping out their past works on Goodreads and looking forward to more in the future. Highly recommended!!

*Copy provided to me by the author/publisher via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*

Gripping

Sidney Bell is a new to me author and-spoiler alert-I'm impressed with her writerly skills. Within the first few pages I began to feel the first tingles of that romancelandia magic spell being woven that I love so much.

Loose Cannon is the first in The Woodbury Boys series and Church's story. I'm not sure how many books are planned but his two friends from Woodbury Residential Center are Tobias and Ghost who I'm hoping each get their own books. I'll come back to Ghost in a minute.

Church ends up at Woodbury for assault. Long story short-shitterific childhood with crappy parents combined with a bad night when he let his anger get the best of him. Church is by no means perfect and that's precisely what I loved about him. Bell did a phenomenal job crafting a gritty character. I loved being inside his head and experiencing his struggle to control his emotions. To say that I admire him sounds condescending but makes it no less true. He's one of the most perceptive, honest and fundamentally generous characters and it was a pleasure watching him evolve. He did a shitty thing as a kid that shouldn't define him for rest of his life and the more time I spent inside his head the more amazing he became.




Church has been in love with Miller since he made him scrambled eggs after catching him with one foot out the window with his TV. They meet prior to Church being sent to Woodbury and there are some flashbacks as both he and Miller fill in their backstory. Their relationship is rife with the kind of sexual tension that back builds and doubles over on itself.




Miller is slightly older and... I hate to say closeted because, quite frankly, I don't think he really knows if he's bi or gay because he thought he was straight. Until Church moves in, that is. Church is no longer a kid. He's all grown up and Miller keeps reacting to him in unexpected ways. Loose Cannon, through Miller's internal dialogue and characterization, examines in an insightful, poignant and thoughtful manner the tangled web that is human sexuality. It really shouldn't matter who he's attracted to, but he's been indoctrinated by a fire and brimstone family so he doesn't know what to think or do or say. He shouldn't have to "come out" over and over again. He shouldn't have to worry that people are judging him or worse for something he has no control over. But he does. It's not easy for him to accept what's happening between he and Church. Being honest with himself is a challenge so voicing what's going on in his head to someone else? Yeah, no. Which I found realistic and made me want to hug him, but if you need your MCs to communicate effectively, tread carefully.




Both of these characters are complex and expertly drawn and their romance is the kind that I find most satisfying. There's nothing I love more than two people who are not only are crazy about each other but who are good for each other. Church and Miller are and we're shown how good they are for each other again and again. Bell even threw in some cosseting. I ❤️ a good cosset. They have an innate connection and their witty banter highlights it and provides levity.

There is angst and they have to work to be together but that difficulty and struggle is what makes this read so worthwhile, IMO. Miller's got so much baggage to unpack and make sense of before they can really get to the sex. There is some and their first time was passionate and funny and did I mention Miller's the bigger of the two? *eyebrows* It's probably the most relatable sex scene I've ever read because what's better than being able to laugh during the sexy times with your lobster?




Now, Ghost. Ghost is a living, breathing, lethal enigma wrapped in a paradox, cloaked in a femme physique, boy shorts and guyliner. I have a feeling his story is going to break me and I honestly cannot wait to be broken. Bell struck a great balance between the romance and the suspense. The suspense storyline is not complete and Ghost is going to be instrumental in it. There is a Russian crime family that Ghost arranges a job for Church at one of their legit businesses. Naturally, something bad happens then one of the brothers becomes fixated on Church. This is really the only plot point that I struggled with a time or two because Vasya is an untrustworthy and volatile dumbass. I don't know why his brothers would follow him but whatevs, it certainly made for some edge of my seat reading.

Lena is the matriarch of this family and she's as cold as ice. And she wants Ghost for something. Alls I'm saying is if she fucks with my boy I will Gogo her fictional ass.




I don't wanna. But I will so don't test me, Lena.

Recommend to all romance and suspense fans, but fair warning you'll be hooked on a new series.






A review copy was provided by NetGalley.