DNF so will not be rating or reviewing. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title.

What a spectacular cliffhanger! Seriously, the ending alone made this book. Oh, and if I can toot my horn so to speak...I CALLED IT!!!!!!!!!

Okay, enough of that….and onto the good stuff. Please keep in mind that his is a Mystery/Suspense story with a bit a romance mixed in. Also, said romance is a slow burn. Like there is no contact until Chapter 15, where out of distress a kiss takes place, and then it is all downhill from there.

Layla Raine, does a wonderful job with the details in this book. I cannot imagine the amount of time she put into researching biomedical engineering, computer science and cyber intelligence. Then to take all that information and develop it into a captivating story and instilling said knowledge into the characters. Seriously, hats off to you. The story mesmerized me and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what the endgame could be. IMO, it felt like a PG version of the TV series 24.

I absolutely fell for Whiskey and Irish. I am a sucker not just for the 12 year age gap, but for second chances. I enjoyed the give and take of these two, and how well they work together despite all the baggage they carry. In the end, Whiskey and Irish are newly together; however, I have a feeling things might explode between them in the next installment given the terrible position Mel put Whiskey in. Even if the end justifies the means, Irish will not see it that way.

I cannot wait to see how the author plays out this series. Even though we are left with a cliffhanger, I believe everyone that reads this will love the ending that the author left us with.

When I started reading Single Malt I thought it would be one of those stories I personally find difficult to enjoy and review. Why? Mostly because it started out slow with a bit of an all over the place feeling. I took a liking to Aidan right from the start, so that was a point for my *YES keep reading* list.

I also totally dug Jamie— former basketball pro turned cyber nerd and hobby hacker, I mean, come on!— and I really liked the vibe we got from the guys when they were together. It wasn’t a smooth start, not at all :)

Aidan is extremely attracted to Jamie (who wouldn’t be!) but he’s just lost his husband a few month prior in a car accident that somehow spared his own life. Now, partnered up with the sexy, and quite frankly irresistible, computer pro he’s more than just a little prickly. Jamie takes his new partner’s harsh tone and testing of his skills in stride and gives as good as he gets.

➷

For a while the plot was very unclear, perhaps for the first twenty to twenty-five percent, but I enjoyed the writing style and dialogue a lot; the characters were entertaining— superb! The thirty-something percent mark as a definite turning point for me and I started to truly LOVE the story.

Looking back at it, the plot (once it picked up and became clear) was pretty intense and highly entertaining. I liked what the author did, how everything's somehow connected. There’s suspense and emotion, wonderful dialogue and extremely sexy sexy-times *wink wink*

The romance felt real and intense, the chemistry palpable— one of the best.

➷

If you know me, you’ll be pointing at Jamie right now, saying: "That guy! He’s soooo your favorite!" — Yes, he definitely is!

I love, love, love Jamie.

There’s something extremely sexy about someone who knows his computers in all the legal and illegal ways. He’s smart but not a show-off and has this sweet, playful and caring side! Swoon-worthy.

I don’t have anything negative to say about Aidan. He’s interesting, but also broody and a bit self-hating, feeling like he's betraying his late husband with this newfound affection for someone else. As a character, he’s great though, I like his voice (just prefer Jamie, personally, heh).

➷

Sadly the book ends with a cliffhanger of sorts.

Just when the story starts to get super interesting we reach THE END.

For now.

There’s a second installment in the making, THANK HEAVENS.

I CAN NOT WAIT TO READ IT.

I hope we will get to know more about Jamie and his past.

Single Malt,  Layla Reyne

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, LGBTQIA

 I couldn’t find any other books by Layla, so was hesitant about requesting this – I hate writing reviews where the book/author style and I just don’t gel, so try to choose carefully. The synopsis of this really drew me in though, and I usually enjoy Carina books so I took the plunge...and I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next two.

Aidan, still grieving after the senseless death of both his husband and his work partner in the same car accident, is moved into a new position at work, with a  new partner to train as a field agent.
Jamie is a tech whizz, former basketball star and 12 years younger than Aiden, yet from the first look there’s that magic sizzle of attraction between them despite Aiden’s grief, that draws the reader in.
Thing is, I want more than just a romance, I want a story that keeps me reading and this book delivered all that and more.

There’s quite a few tech references here and yet they’re written in such a way that non tech people like me can still grasp the importance, what part the knowledge plays to the plots, and that was perfect.
I needed to be able to follow some of the tech trail as it plays such a huge part in how the plots work out, how people are tracked, how the FBI have info on what’s likely to happen. That works for me, I hate this anonymous CI info that often gets used in novels. I reckon with serious crimes the FBI and other agencies need more to go on than some vague tip from someone who may or may not be telling the truth.
Computers can lie – its all in the programming but clever hackers ( hush my mouth, clever IT specialists who wouldn’t dream of illegal hacking.....) can get past that and lay trails of their own. Clever things Computers, and the people using them need to be several steps ahead. Its a skill you either have or haven't and Jamie definitely has.

I love the personal bits too, the way Jamie has been watching Aiden from the shadows for three years, and now is partnered up to his crush? Attraction? Well, the guy he’s been lusting after anyway.
Then when they’re together there’s more than just that visceral attraction, they like each other, feel like friends, respect each others skills. All things that make a longer term relationship work. Are either of them ready for that though, do they want it? Aiden at least is still struggling with his grief and now feeling attracted to Jamie hits his guilt switch too.

There's some sex in here, but its very muted, and the adage Less is More really fits. Its perfect for the plot, perfect for the two guys and because so much is build up, when it does come it feels right, rather than in so many where its shirts off, trousers (men wear trousers, not pants....) hit the floor on page six and downhill from there.
I want story first sex second and this book hits that really well, with the sensuality feeling inevitable rather than plugged in for titillation...

The novel has lots of good secondary characters too, Aiden’s brother Danny, who works in the family shipping firm, and his dead partner’s sister who’s also his boss. Then a host of characters at the other part of the investigation where they're called in to help in a case that makes up the mainstay of this book.

I enjoyed the way the story wrapped together relationships and of course the usual employment unwritten rules against them at work, family dramas and the issues they bring, and a cracking story, complex enough to keep me gripped reading, and yet with enough info to let me follow the tech side without getting lost.
Kept me glued right to the end. And then there’s some surprises come out just when you think its all died down...
And the ending! Its not a cliff-hanger as such but there are some shocking revelations come out that are going to be the core of the next book(s). I can’t wait!
 
Stars: five, cracking read that has me drooling for more.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Single Malt follows Aiden 'Irish' Talley, a 42 year old FBI agent still reeling from the loss of his partner of fifteen years and the loss of his husband in the same 'accident', and Jameson 'Whiskey' Walker, a 30 year old rookie who is well known in the public eye due to his days as a basketball player, and is more than he appears to be on the surface.
Aiden and Jamie have been attracted to each other for years, but have never spent considerable time with each other, until they get partnered together, and quickly find themselves falling into trouble, both professionally and personally.

I love cop shows. I watch a ton of them. I love the dynamic between partners and the high stakes and the action. When I heard about Single Malt, I couldn't wait to read it. For me, this book didn't really disappoint. There's action, there's hacking, there's betrayal, and the physically (and possibly emotionally) strongest character of them all is a woman of colour (side note: we didn't see nearly enough of her so I hope this is fixed in the upcoming books).

Single Malt takes place over the span of about four weeks. Aiden and Jamie work together in the cyber division, and after quickly closing a paedophile ring case, and rescuing some kidnapped children, they are assigned to the case which will take up the majority of the series. Essentially, Single Malt is a book about a seemingly bio-terrorist plot, but as Irish and Whiskey uncover, there is more to it than originally seems.
Everything about this book is fast paced (which includes the romance) which made it pretty easy to read. It was definitely enjoyable and fun to follow the investigation and see how at some turns, the main characters were misled. It wasn't particularly easy for them, and that made it slightly more realistic.

Now, the main romance.
Aiden acknowledges his attraction to Jamie, mostly, but thinks he's straight when they're first partnered together. I'm fairly certain he only thinks this as to make it absolutely impossible for them to ever be together. Other characters pick up on the chemistry between them, it's obvious and absolutely there, but because Aiden is still grieving Gabe, and thinks even looking at another man is betraying the memory of him, he's basically seeing what isn't there so he doesn't go after something he thinks he can't have. Things happen though, Jamie outs himself to Aiden, then they're involved in a couple of situations where they almost lose each other, and the flirting and the looks and the attraction building between them leads to more. It feels inevitable. The book was always going to lead to them hooking up, but with the decision that they make at the end (or more like Aiden's idea that Jamie kind of goes along with), (view spoiler) there's still roadblocks for them which will complicate their partnership in their future.
The scenes between them are pretty hot though, so I'm not gonna complain. I'm fairly certain all the issues between them will be cleared up by the end of Barrel Proof (the third and final book of the series due out in August) and they will be a fully fledged couple at the end, so if possible romantic cliffhangers like this put you off then don't let it in this instance.

I love Jamie. I really really love Jamie, but did anyone else get the feeling that he knew how to do just slightly too much. He's an ex basketball pro, so he has a lot of stamina and strength. He grew up near a NASCAR track, so he knows how to handle cars incredibly well. His family was poor so he had to work in a cafe to make ends meet, so he knows how to cook incredibly well. He aced his classes in college and knows how to hack better than most other hackers. He's gorgeous and smart and charming and understanding. Basically the full package.
Do men like this truly exist? It made it easy to fall for him as a character, but there's definitely secrets lurking under the surface, there has to be. I have a feeling Cask Strength (book number two) might deal with this, which is something I'm definitely looking forward to, but it was just something niggling at the back of my mind whilst I was reading this.

I like that the book ended on a cliffhanger (view spoiler) and it certainly draws you back in for the sequel, which is luckily due out soon. This book isn't perfect, but it's definitely fun and a great read with a promising plot and romance.

DNF at 63%

I really tried. But I couldn't cope with this writing style. I found it artificial, scattered and difficult to enjoy.

I noticed that I couldn't concentrate on the story-line and had to go back again and again to re-read what I hat read. It is normally not my art to read a book, and I blamed the story itself first, but it was most certainly the writing.

Besides, I have to confess that the case the both FBI Agents were working at and the way they approached it, was not very convincing and their investigation methods appeared amateurish, IMO.

Í failed to connect to the MCs. Maybe I should to avoid romance books where one of the MC has recently lost his partner/husband/lover. And 8 months is damn RECENTLY to fall in love again.

When reading became a chore I decided to give up.


If you can manage all this, then you probably would enjoy this book.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Single Malt is the first book of — what I assume will be — Agents Irish & Whiskey romantic suspense series. I assume it will be a trilogy, since currently there are three titles being listed; all will be released this year. I feel like I need to include advisory that Single Malt ends in sort-of cliffhanger situation. Not exactly related to the main characters’ life and death context, but there is a newly-surfaced information that will definitely play a SIGNIFICANT role to the development of the main arc.

After losing his husband, Greg, as well as his professional partner of 15-years, Tom, FBI Agent Aidan “Irish” Talley is now off undercover job and being transferred to Cyber. He is partnered with Jameson “Whiskey” Walker, twelve-years his junior, former two-time NCAA champion who turns to be a whiz in computer and hacking. Aidan’s boss wants him to train Jamie to be field agent, but at the same time, to work together to solve the accident that took away Greg and Tom’s lives.

I thought Layla Reyne — a new-to-me author — was able to write a balanced romance and suspense/action in this book. The chemistry between Aidan and Jamie is apparent. At the same time, the big case that they are dealing with, a hack threatening a high-security bio-containment facility which leads to potential deadly dirty bomb attack, is engaging. I enjoyed both part equally, even if sometimes the technobabble — oops, sorry Jamie — I mean, technical jargon went over my head.

For me, both men were likeable. Although I might be more attracted to Jamie. I couldn’t help it. There was more than meets the eyes with him. Jamie might used to be famous as basketball star, but he clearly knows his way around computers, and man, I love brainiacs. When Jamie shows his set of skills with hacking codes? So sexy! *grin*

There might be times when I thought Reyne was more “telling” than “showing” though; especially dealing with Aidan’s situation: his guilt over feeling attracted to his younger partner, and the fact that it has only been 8 months since his husband died. I felt that there could be a lot of tension, and feels, and hurt/comfort moments that weren’t fully materialized. But maybe I will get more of that in the next two books. There are still a lot of room for the relationship between Irish and Whiskey to progress. For a beginning, it was enough.

Like I said in the beginning, there is a cliff-hanger situation. I felt like I should’ve seen the twist coming. It is kind of a familiar “thing” in mystery/suspense genre. But I didn’t, not at all. So that was a good kind or surprise.

Bottom line, I enjoyed this. Can’t wait for book #2 coming in May.

** I was sent this book by NetGalley and Carina Press in return for an honest review. Thank you so much! **
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Thriller, Cop Fiction, LGBT
Synopsis:
Aidan Talley is back to at work after a horrible accident that took his partner Tom and the love of his life Gabe. SAC Cruz is Aidan’s boss and also was Gabe’s sister and they still have a very close relationship and constantly look out for one another. Cruz and Aidan both believe that the accident that took Tom and Gabe was not an accident and have vowed to get to the bottom of the attack and put whoever is responsible for it behind bars.
Upon arrival back to his detective work, Aidan finds himself with a new partner, “Whiskey” or Jameson Walker, an ex-pro basketball player. The attraction for both men is mutual from the beginning of their partnership and both have to try extremely hard not to give into temptation or give a clue to the other partner about their underlying feelings.
Quickly the partners gain a mutual respect for each other in their respective fields and even donned adorable nicknames for each other and partook in adorable yet sexually frustrated witty banter. Whiskey and Irish were asked to come to Texas to follow up on a cybercrime against a major nuclear facility that faced a major break in their security system. Over the course of a few weeks, many departments come together to investigate different employees and staff to see if they can get to the bottom of who is behind the attacks and what their ultimate plan is.
When Aidan and Jamie start getting close to finding out who is behind the attacks things heat up both criminally and physically. Both agents are put to their limits in all aspects and a life or death scenario forces the two men to come together to solve this crime and finally come clean about their feelings.
**SPOILERS**
Characters:
Aidan: When the book first started I pictured him as an old washed up detective, overweight and not attractive- until the scene was set and they divulged how delicious and handsome he actually was. He quickly changed to my second favorite character, behind Jaime of course, and we got to see the pain behind his soul and saw what it took to make his heart begin to heal.
Jamie: Um.. Yum. Why can’t we have a Jamie in all our lives! I love how his young age is displayed in his sassy dialogue and his ability to calm and read Aidan is fantastic. He shows that there is more to the athletic side of college and professional sports and even puts a highlight on the hard times that they have to go through to keep their personal life out of the spotlight or take the risk of being yourself.

This book was amazing! This book doesn’t come out until the end of February and I already want the next, I am hooked! I mostly picked this book because I am trying to diversify and read more LGBT literature, but this was a fantastic surprise. The story was gripping and intense where the relationship was more of a cherry on top of the already sweet surprise. This book left off on a cliff hanger and I am DYING to know what happens between Jamie and Aidan and also see what else they can uncover about the accident.

3.5 stars

Adrian is just coming back to his job as a FBI agent after his husband and work partner (2 different people) were killed in a car accident. His boss partners him with a younger agent, Jaime, who works in cyber crimes. The two men are immediately attracted to each other but Adrian is not ready to move on and is still struggling with his grief.

The guys get sent to Texas to work a case where someone is trying to hack into a school filled with biohazards. While Adrian keeps talking in his head about how he can't get involved with Jaime, he does little to stay away from him. Their tongues are in each other's mouths pretty quickly. I liked them together but I felt like much of the chemistry between them was just ok. The plot had the potential to be filled with feelz and to have a big hurt/comfort trope but really it had neither. There was more telling than showing.

The case they worked on interesting enough but there were some twists that were a little too unbelievable. They definitely pushed the boundaries on what real FBI agents would/could do. Although this is not noted as being part of a series there is a plot twist at the end that would indicate there will be more books about these two coming.

This was a new author for me and despite my minor complaints I did enjoy this. I will definitely check out the next book in the series.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
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