This is a very enjoyable M/M romance that is full of suspense and mystery giving lots of twists and turns to the story that kept me flipping page after page. This is a spin off from Guarding Mr. Fine but can definitely be read standalone. Alec Drummond is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. When he discovers Gaige Owens trying to hack his systems something tells him he could learn something from this guy. It may not be all business when it comes to Alec and Gaige thought!

A very well done book and one I recommend to any who likes a little steam with their suspense!

this book was a miss for me. the plot was way too confusing and i just couldn't get into it to figure out what was going on. the relationship between the two wasn't that great and didn't seem very believable. i finished the book but was skimming a lot of it towards the end

I want to be a HelenKay Dimon fan. I LOVE QUEER ROMANTIC SUSPENSE. But I just don't think she does enough plot or character development. There's too much instalust & unsatisfying sex to sustain these novels. Not for me. Again.

3.5 stars

This started off slow for me and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. It really picked up for me about half way through and was full of action till the end.

This is a romantic suspense that follows Gaige who is a computer hacker and Alec who runs a billion dollar business that involves putting seeds into one of the worlds's doomsday seed vaults (these really exist and are super interesting to google if you've never done so). The two are brought together by Seth from Guarding Mr. Fine. (I haven't read GMF yet and I was fine understanding this book. I will say this book doesn't paint a very flattering picture of Seth though. He's an ass through most of this book.)

It followed a traditional romantic suspense plotline and was both fun and sexy. I enjoyed it and will go back and read some of this author's others books now.

**ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley**

Dirty Deeds
HelenKay Dimon
3.5 Stars ✨

This was a suspense romance that was mainly about security, CIA, and a seed vault.
I felt this book to be very wordy and difficult to understand at times especially since I don't have a security or computer background.
I liked the personal parts, like the relationship between Gaige and Alec. There were a few sexy scenes but I felt myself skimming through the heavy parts of the book.

Back
Description
No dirty deed goes unnoticed in a seductive game of cat and mouse. But for Alec and Gaige, the wrong move could get them killed.

Alec Drummond didn’t make his billions by playing nice—or by playing much at all. When it comes to pleasure, Alec only has time for whatever’s quick and easy, which is exactly what he gets from his company’s hot new computer genius. But Gaige Owens isn’t some pushover. He pushes back, and it’s giving Alec a rush. The question is, could Gaige be the one who’s leaking trade secrets? Just to be safe, Alec keeps him close at hand . . . night and day.

Gaige never thought he’d roll over for a man like Alec again, but who could resist sex this mind-blowing? Then there’s the draw of Alec’s mysterious side: his cutthroat ambition, his covert CIA connections, and the murder in his past. For Gaige, a deeper look proves an irresistible temptation. But when Gaige and Alec are stripped of their defenses by an unseen danger, everything they don’t know could bring them closer together—or tear them apart. Only one thing is certain: Before it’s all over, someone’s going down.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I liked Gaige and Alec individually. Alec's big bad billionaire attitude was cool. Gaige's geek came out more as smart than nerdy. But that was ok. It took me a while to warm up to them as a couple. The insta-lust didn't make sense to me at the point where it happened.

I like mysteries and suspense stories. This one took a while to ramp up. I was pretty lost the first 30-50% or so with regards to the crime mystery.

Honestly, I would have liked a more intense beginning. I needed more of each MCs thoughts and emotions early on so I could connect with them. I didn't like being on the outside looking in to both characters. It just made it hard for me to invest early on.

A good book. I only wished for more intensity at the beginning.

I absolutely loved this book. It was intense, fast paced and filled with humour and emotion. I couldn't put this one down, just kept me glued to my iPad. Would totally recommend

This book wasn't for me, I found it too slow, it really did not hold my interest. AAAnd i did not feel the connection.

Wow, I really liked the story line of Dirty Deeds. This was a great start for this series. I've not read anything by Helen Kay Dimon, but am looking forward to in the future.

Trigger warnings: Suicide


My review:

Dirty Deeds is the first book in The Dirty series which is a spin-off of HelenKay Dimon’s Tough Love series. Filled with action, steamy sex scenes and exotic locations, I was kept glued to the book until it ended.

Alec was introduced in Guarding Mr. Fine as Rick’s ex-boyfriend. While he was only in Guarding Mr. Fine in small bits, he had me intrigued. So when I saw that HelenKay Dimon had started a new series and he was going to be one of the main characters, I was pretty pumped. The more into the story that I got, the more I liked him and the more I felt bad for him. During the scene where he told Gaige about his family and the trauma of finding his sister after she committed suicide, I felt awful for him. I also felt awful for him when he revealed his relationship with his father and uncle and I thought to myself “No wonder he keeps everyone but his brothers at arm’s length“.

Gaige, I had a tougher time liking. I don’t know why but I had a really hard time connecting to him at first. I think it was the circumstances in which the reader was introduced to him. I did eventually warm up to him by mid-book after he saved Alec’s life and I got more background on him. I really thought what his ex did was awful but what Seth was doing to Gaige was worse. By the end of the book, I liked him. He definitely more than made up for my first disconnection from him.

The attraction between Gaige and Alec was immediate and guess what, there was no Instalove!! While I felt that the sexual part of the relationship was a bit rushed, the “L” word wasn’t even mentioned until later in the book….after the events at the seed vault. With great attraction comes mind-blowing sex and these two were like bunnies throughout the book. The sex scenes were page burning hot.

Now the plotline about the seed vault was pretty original and I liked how it tied into Alec’s job. But I was very disappointed in how Seth was portrayed. He came across as a huge jerk who enjoyed needling both Gaige and Alec. It drove me nuts because I remember him being a different way in Guarding Mr. Fine. I just wish that he was written to be less of a jerk. Honestly, his interactions with both Gaige and Alec kind of ruined parts of the book for me.

Back to the plotline. I was pretty surprised who the bad guy turned out to be. Very surprised. It was a twist that definitely took me by surprise. The end of the book, after the twist, was pretty standard with an HEA. I am pretty excited to read Finn’s story next and see who is his perfect match!!

How many stars will I give Dirty Deeds: 3

Why: While I liked the story, the romance, and the sex, I had a hard time connecting to Gaige in the beginning. Couple with Seth being a jerk and it brought the rating down for me. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading the book.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

HelenKay Dimon's latest MM spy romance is so thrilling I couldn’t put it down. Two strong men determined to protect their interests are forced to work together to uncover a dangerous secret. Alec Drummond isn't the trusting type, he isn't built for relationships either, but there is something about Gaige that gets under his skin and forces him out of his comfort zone. Determined to figure out who has used his company and for what purposes, he is set to bring Gaige to his side and to his bed. Gaige Owens is in this jam because of trouble he didn’t cause. He is paying for the sins of his ex, who not only betrayed him, but set him up for the fall. Gaige knows Alec's type, the strong, unyielding, take charge type that will do things his way and have everyone else follow his lead. Too bad Gaige can't do that. With a CIA agent hot on his heels, Gaige has to do what he's ordered or risk life in prison. But when Alec enters the picture, Gaige's loyalties will be tested and soon he will have to decide whose orders to follow. With a battle between strong wills and even stronger hearts, these two men are destined to fall and save each other while saving the world from a crazy extremist that no one ever saw coming. An exciting, hot as hell read, with an ending that will surprise nerds, millionaire CEO's and spies.

"<i>I have two words for you--</i>"
"<b>I can guess them.</b>"

Considering this is only my second read by Dimon, I clearly picked the right book to start with as there is some character overlap from GUARDING MR FINE that pops up in DIRTY DEEDS. Now, do you need to have read the former? I can't say for sure. Definitely the backstory is hinted at but the dynamic between the relevant characters is totally spelled out for the reader, so I'd almost be willing to say you could start fresh with <i>The Dirty</i> series.

"<i>This feels like a boyfriend conversation and I'm not really into that.</i>"
"<b>Since you're going to be inside me before the night is over, I think you can share this detail.</b>"

Similar to my experience with my previous Dimon read, though, I found the characters and the emotional connections that cemented the relationships between our leads to be the best part. The author writes great snarky banter usually in a hate-to-lust flavour, gives us strong but generally stunted leads to root for, and definitely steams up the pages. Alas, I didn't really care for the background noise about seeds and Doomsday Vaults (though the fact that it's a real thing is super cool). And, again, like that previous read, I also guessed the villains of the piece. Dimon did a really neat job about laying down the groundwork for this mystery without making it obvious and yet still allowing for your brain to jump around and make connections. Plus, I mean, there was a great tie-in that may annoy some people.. but I actually really liked.

"<i>He clearly inherited all the tact in the family.</i>"
"<b>That's why I don't bother with that skill.</b>"
"<i>Really? That's why?</i>"

I never did get around to backtracking through her first series but I definitely plan to read on in this one. Both because I see it's Finn's, Alec's brother, story next -- and I'm pretty happy to see more bi-men feature in queer romance -- and I really liked what we saw of him, plus the action in that plot sounds a little more interesting, too. Here's hoping!

3.5 "not shooting you in my sever room when I had the chance was the best decision I've ever made" stars

Was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story surrounding these two guys! It turned out the mix of hacking, international agriculture business, and the doomsday vault worked really well! (Who'd have thought?!) Just enough suspense, some fun action sequences, a bit of fun sex. Maybe the emotions felt a *tad* rushed at times but in the grand scheme of things, this worked.

This is a new series with characters from the "Tough Love" series which I loved. Unfortunately I was unable to connect with this book, but I feel like it's a case of "me, not the book" so please take my comment with less than a grain of salt.

***3.5 Stars***

I am a sucker for every cloak and dagger stuff I can get my grabby hands on. Mysteries, spies, organized crime, you name it...

Dirty Deeds seemed to meet my desire to a T. I was rubbing my hands in glee, when I found out that it also deals with industrial espionage in the food sector, since this is a bit different from all the other books I normally read and I love it when authors take a chance at something new. The story examines some dark deeds around the world in more detail from a different angle and I thought it would be refreshing to get to know more about it.

*Drummond supplies food and food hybrids across the world. We're involved in alternate fuel sources and some other side projects that Seth and his people care about." "All of that food, those seeds, that information and intel, moves across the world," Tony explained. "There are people who would prefer if their opponents --rebel factions, demonstrators, groups they don't like-- didn't have food." "The concept of starving people out." Now that sounded like power to Gaige. Scary fucking power.*

However, espionage can be a bit tricky and confusing for me, and I have to admit this was also the case here sometimes. I had to read a few passages twice to understand what was going on and I'm still not sure I really understood everything in the end.

Alec Drummond is the CEO of Drummond Enterprises, a family business in the food sector, the FBI has taken aim at in being the initiator of some shade business dealings concerning some dubious, off-the-books deliveries to a Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, which actually exists, by the way. By infiltrating Gaige Owens, a tech nerd and wizard when it comes to hacking into computers, into the company, FBI-Agent Seth Lang tries to find out who is responsible for said manipulations. Gaige has been coerced by Seth into accepting this job in order to redeem himself of any suspicion in taking part in some deceptive practices by his former lover.

When Gaige's cover is blown immediately during a break-in, Seth makes Alec and Gaige work together by force on figuring out what is really happening, but it is obvious neither of them wants to lay his cards on the table.

Needless to say, Alec as a uncompromising businessman with a somewhat mysterious aura and a once-burnt-twice-shy past, is not overly thrilled with the idea of having someone snooping around in his business and decides to keep a very close eye on Gaige twenty-four-seven. Well, that does not really help to keep the mutual attraction both men instantly feel at bay and soon enough they find each other head over heels not only in a relationship that threatens their resolve of keeping it no strings attached, but also fearing for each other's lives when things are heating up...

This book can be read as a standalone, although it is a spin-off from the Tough Love Series which I haven't read so far, and overall this was quite an enjoyable -albeit sometimes a bit confusing- read. I loved the setting, even if I was anxious at the beginning when I found out that it primarily takes place in Germany. For me as a German, these kind of stories mostly end up being a bit disappointing because of wrong translations etc., but kudos, Ms. Dimon, except for one term of address I can't see anything wrong with it. The setting itself was described with such a passion for detail without getting too overstated, that I had a feeling I would be right there in Munich with the characters.

I had a bit of a hard time to warm up to Alec in the beginning, but once I got to know him better and his more "human" side, I really liked him. Gaige, on the other hand, I loved from the start. I loved his humor...

"Do you want a hug?" Alec joked. Gaige's eyebrow lifted. "It is tempting to say yes just to see you panic."

... which he often used to cover up his vulnerability and him being such a nerd but radiating some quite bad-ass vibes in defending himself was exactly the type of guy I like to see in my books. Their sex scenes were steamy and hot and to be honest they made me add a half star to my rating.

The reason why I did not give it more stars was once again the whole insta-love stuff. Believe me, I'm really tired myself to say it again and again in my reviews, but most of the story takes place over a span of one week and sorry, but no... just... no. It is so not believable, especially since Alec is described as a man who does not trust easily and who really jumps to some weird conclusions why he can trust Gaige.

"Do you need anything before we go?" Gaige stopped. "I don't even understand the question. Like what?" "There's a shopping area beneath us." Gaige looked down at his feet. "Really"? The reaction eased the disquieting sense Alec had of being played. Gaige didn't pretend to know things he didn't.

Seriously? Sorry, but for me this really did upset the applecart regarding his allegedly hardass image. And Gaige gathered some not quite positive experience in the love department, either, so all in all it happened way too fast for my taste. Thank goodness, at least the L-word was not mentioned explicitely. Well, it was, but this was a scene that occured a bit later and was sweet enough to conjure a smile on my face. Someone who rather conjured a constant scowl on my face was Seth. Bloody hell! I hated his guts. What an asshole!!! Like I already said, I don't know the Tough Love Series yet, but said Seth got his own book in there and to be honest, right now I don't really feel compelled to read it. :(

The next book will be about Finn, Alec's brother, and although I had a few niggles about Dirty Deeds, I will definitely read his book, too.

3* Wanted to love this tale, but tbh, it read more like a MF novel with MM characters.

I got this book based on the author's name and my enjoyment of the previous tales in her SAD (don't laugh) series, and I suspected that Alec Drummond, the 'save the day' guy from the last book, might be the lead here. He was, but, I can't say that he came over as he did in his first appearance.

Reading this, I was reminded of 70s Mills and Boon books, where the male lead was bigged up and the female lead always inferior, lusting after the male, who eventually realised that she was his opposite, and complemented him: soft where he was hard, giving where he was a taker and so on. Alec was painted as the bigger character, the alpha, the one who invented those cliché expressions (yes, he actually says something about coining some expression or other in one scene) and Gaige as the lesser, despite Gaige being a hacker extraordinaire. I didn't like Gaige's reaction when Alec offered to bottom - he was quick to agree, but somehow had to express his incredulity. How about making the leads equally strong?

The reason for the tale was rather lost, but it was about checking into what was actually lodged in a seed vault in Svalbard. Yes and yes. I couldn't bring myself to get excited about the ins and outs, but, Gaige's hacking and tech skills did sound quite impressive, though why he wasn't employed by governments, I didn't quite get.

I also didn't get the ending, where Alec tells Gaige that he'll be in love with him in three weeks. No, not that he's falling in love with him, but that he'll be in love with him in three weeks. Didn't get that - not why Alec said it, not why the author wrote it and not why the editor didn't find that a little strange.

Still, it's an OK read as a one-off. I'm pretty sure there will be a couple more in this spin-off to the SAD series, as we get introduced to Alec's bisexual brother and told about their older one, who was made to sound a little mysterious by not appearing in this tale.

ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Action packed read.
I did struggle,initially,with the story line but once I got into it I really enjoyed it.
The two main characters had great chemistry and once they got together the sex scenes were smoking hot..This book is a spin off from the Tough Love series but can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
Recommended.

Alec Drummond is a billionaire tycoon whose companies supply seeds around the world. The seeds are also included in the seedbank in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway—a Doomsday vault set up to protect seeds for future agriculture needs if/when radioactivity destroys all we have now. As a quick aside—the author includes a note telling readers this information is real.

Alec’s company is global but his operating base is in Munich, which is where he meets Gaige Owens, a computer genius forced on him by Seth Lang, whom we met in Guarding Mr. Fine. Seth is now heading a covert operation under the auspices of the CIA, supposedly, though that is thrown in doubt throughout the story when it appears that Seth is not backed by the organization.

The book started slowly for me, with the author getting all the background information we’d need later laid down in small increments, so at times I was a bit bored. But by 35% in, the story picked up and went on to get more exciting so I just had to keep going. The complexity of what’s involved is much more than I could begin to describe in a review, but suffice it to say it would be highly appealing to those who like brain-twisters, covert ops, and/or complex and complicated plots providing excitement and adventure both in and out of the bedroom.

Gaige and Alec explode together when they decide to give in to their primal urges and pursue a “no strings attached” relationship. But do they trust each other? Certainly not—at least not at first. Alec holds trust very dear to him and only allows a few people into his inner circle. He was betrayed by his father and uncle when he was younger so is suspicious of most others except for his two brothers and two employees who have been with him for years. The author cleverly throws most of them under the bus as she romps through this tale leaving little breadcrumbs of clues—some fake, some not—and then brings the drama to a head in the exciting last chapters, which take place in Norway.

I almost solved the mystery by guessing the top troublemaker, but I missed that person’s partner in crime by a mile. Ah well, figuring out one of the bad guys was enough to make me happy in this mystery/espionage thriller. If you like your MM romance to start out with hot men who come together in lust before they realize they might be heading for love, and if you want to add a heck of a lot of mystery and intrigue, attempted murders, betrayal, and international espionage into the mix, then you should certainly pick this one up.

Apparently this book is a spin-off of the "Tough love" series, which I have not read. This book can be read as a stand alone, but I do have to say that I was pretty confused the first couple of chapters. It felt like I had missed something important.

Thankfully things cleared up after a while and I really got pulled into the story.

Alec is a billionaire, who runs a company, which is food based. This was one of the parts that was really confusing to me, and I'm still not quite sure what he does exactly. I do know that his company helps with storing important seeds in a "Global Seed Vault", which is meant to help mankind in case of hunger etc.

Someone has been using his company to cover up some shady bussiness involving " The Seed Vault". This is where CIA agent Seth comes in and demands that Alec work with computer genius/hacker Gaige, to find out what exactly has been going on. Since it seems like an inside job, Gaige is supposed to do his thing and find the leak.

Since Alec doesn't trust Gaige one bit, he is determined to be the man's shadow.....Which also means, that Gaige will be staying with him at his home, for the duration of this investigation.

What he didn't take into consideration however, is the extreme attraction that lingers between the two of them. Being this close 24 hours a day won't make things any easier. They succumb to the temptation pretty fast ....

The first half of this book was a bit confusing and it started of a bit slow. I felt like there was too much telling, and not enough showing. The MC's spend a lot of time in their heads, when I would have preffered them interacting a bit more.

This changed a bit during the second half and things got a bit more exciting. eeven though the whole "Vault" thing was a bit confusing at times, I did like the mystery part in this one. The sexy times were also very entertaining ;)

I especially liked Gaige's character. He may have been a computer geek, but he sure had some moves and I loved that he saved Alec's life more than once.

Seth however, I didn't care for one bit. I found out he has his own book in the "Tough Love" series, but I don't think I will be reading that one, since I really despised the guy in this book.

The reasons I can't give this book a full 4 stars, is because the storyline was just a bit too confusing to me. These two also go from hating each other, to moving in really fast. They didn't actually use the word "love", though it is implied in one of their converstations (which was actually a really cute conversation). I also really missed an epilogue. I am a sucker for epilogues and I always feel bereft when there isn't one.

Should there be a next book about Finn, I would definitely read it. He seemed like the more laid back brother, so I am very curious about his story.

I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great read if you like a MM romance mixed with action filled suspense. I really liked this book, it was so exciting, hot sexy encounters, and lots of suspense. I would recommend this book to my friends. I will be looking into other books by HelenKay Dimon.