Second chance love is one of my favorite tropes so I have relatively high standards. Damage Control failed to meet or exceed those. I really struggled in finishing this book due to the pacing.

When a woman is found murdered in Parker Livingston's apartment, the first person he turns to for help is his lawyer ex-boyfriend Jackson Kane whom Parker left five years ago when he decided to run for the Senate and thought keeping himself closeted was the way to go.

There's a lot of unfinished business between Parker and Jackson, Jackson in no way wants to rehash the terribleness that happened between them five years ago, but he also can't turn Parker away when he shows up at his office begging Jackson to represent him should Parker be arrested. He didn't kill the woman, and his alibi is pretty airtight, but that just means there's a murderer on the loose, and without knowing their motive, Parker has a target on his back.

I really enjoyed this second-chance suspense-lite romance. I say it's suspense-lite because while the mystery surrounding the murders did have a few interesting components to it, the real main part of Damage Control is the past relationship between Parker and Jackson, and their present feelings towards one another. I thought Kate McMurray did a wonderful really making that emotional connection with the readers in regards to the Parker and Jackson before, in opposition to the Parker and Jackson after break-up. We're mainly seeing Parker's journey finding out if he can take that step and come out within the Republican Party knowing there's a chance that doing so could effect his career. Years ago he chose his career, thereby ending their chance at happiness. Seeing Jackson again has brought things into perspective for Parker. You can feel Parker struggling with this conflict, and unfortunately it's plausible.

There are quite a few hints floating around this read regarding secondary characters. I'm interested to see what form these take in the next book in the series.

Damage Control was on okay read for me, but only just. To be perfectly honest, I was bored a lot of the time. Maybe not even so much bored, but this story had a hard time keeping my interest. I'm not suer if it was the political nature of the story, a gay republican running for office, or the second chance love that was wrapped up in it.

For the second chance love, I had a difficult time really seeing the attraction. Partially because they both have very different political views. But also because any other things they had in common seemed to be few and far between. As for the mystery of the story, that was interesting until it was really clear who it was who murdered a woman in Parker's home.

Had Parker and Jackson had a connection I could feel, a story that maybe was shortened a bit and moved at a faster pace, I could have liked this more. I'm not saying I didn't like it, just that there was too much there that I didn't. I'm sure others will enjoy this a lot, it just didn't work for me.

Kate McMurray is a new-to-me author, and I couldn't wait to pick up Damage Control. I'm a big lover of m/m suspense, and it's mash of politics and second-chance romance with an additional murder mystery side plot intrigued me. It just didn't keep my attention as much as I had hoped.

Parker Livingston is running for State Senate and can't afford any scandals. Lo and behold, however, he finds a dead woman in his apartment. After everything he has already given up for his political career, is it too late for him to save it?

This one started off pretty good. The writing was engaging, and you could feel the past bubbling up between Parker and his ex (and hopeful lawyer in the murder mystery plot), Jackson Kane. Parker gave up the love of his life to fulfill some lofty political goals, but he has had to keep himself in the closet. Fast forward five years and Parker has a murder on his hands and needs representation.

Jackson isn't ready for Parker to come back into his life and representing Parker has all of these ethical issues popping up. That, and Jackson can't seem to keep his attraction to Parker at bay. But Parker still isn't willing to give up his career, and there's so much keeping them apart.

I really liked the integration of politics here, even if I'm not big on them in general. It sets this romantic m/m suspense apart from others I've read. The problem? About 30% through the book, I just became...bored.

Parker and Jackson rehash the same conversation over and over again. They're both so wishy-washy, and I just never warmed up to Park. Also? The murder plotline kind of just flat lines. The big reveal didn't feel complete either, and I was kind of let down. The biggest thing, however, was that I kept putting the book down. I simply didn't enjoy it or feel emotionally invested.

I think if you're fan of m/m suspense it will hit some of the right notes, even if it doesn't leave you completely satisfied.

3 stars.

Sigh ... I'm putting on my CrabbyPatty crabby kitty hat for this review, because while I like so darn many things about this title, there is one huge, major, massive, gigantic (okay, you get the idea) issue I have with the story. I hope this review provides a balanced view of the book, and I leave you to make your own determination.

Jackson and Parker met in college and were together for eight years - years where they deeply loved one another, went from inexperienced boys to men who knew how to draw the greatest pleasure and joy from one another, shared their home, friends and family and planned to share their lives together. Until Parker made a unilateral decision that changed everything and set them on their separate ways. They are brought back together when senatorial candidate Parker needs attorney Jackson's help in proving he is not a murderer.

Kate McMurray does a masterful job of showing the love and <i>longing</i> the men feels for one other and how they each struggle with the way their relationship ended. Jackson and Parker deeply love one another, and at times it's agonizing to see their separate lonely lives when they are so clearly meant to be together. And the reason they are apart?

SPOILER!!!!!

Parker decides that he wants to enter New York state politics .... as a Republican. Parker makes his decision - without consulting Jackson in any way - and overnight their eight-year relationship is over. Jackson asks how Parker can support a party that wants to deny gay rights, etc. but Parker refuses to answer, other than to state he wants to bring about change from the inside. I really struggled with Parker's decision throughout the book, especially since he shoves himself back in the closet, complete with a beard/girlfriend and going out of his way to be noncommittal about social issues. In addition, Parker's advisers act like no one is ever going to learn of this relationship, despite their social imprint (family, friends, perhaps Facebook?), and the various legal documents they signed together (leases, etc.) This seemed overly optimistic and unrealistic IMHO.

While the personal relationship between Parker and Jackson really works for me (and their chemistry is <i>outrageous</i> hot), the murder/mystery element of this story seems unrealistic and the villain cartoonish. In conclusion, I liked Parker and Jackson, but the mystery element did not work for me, and I could not get past Parker's decision. My rating is 3.25 stars, but if my "issues" about the book are not yours, I think "your results may vary!"

This is a fantastic M/M second chance romance. Jackson and Parker are both strong passionate characters and I just wanted them to find a way to make things work. Unfortunately a few years ago Parker made a decision that put his political aspirations above their relationship. Now he finds himself in trouble and he's certain no one will defend him the way Jackson will. Being around each other is difficult though. They didn't break up because they didn't love each other and it's clear they still care regardless of what they say. Now dealing with the past seems to be the easy part. The future is not as clear.

I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it.

Four stars

This story had an interesting premise and fantastic characters. I'm not a fan of books so steeped in politics so it was a bit much for me. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

3.75 Stars

This is not relevant to the book, but I don’t think I’m a fan of someone [US] Republican be it in real life or fiction. That it didn’t took me long at all to sympathize with Park, the Republican senate candidate in this book, was a nice surprise. Heck, I liked both main characters in this book with all their differences. In fact, that’s among the things I loved about them, they weren’t particularly agree on every single things [politically] but they supported each other. Kind of like unity in diversity outlook of things.

“Damage Control” is a foolishly heartrending second chance romance. I said foolishly because at times I felt like the character himself caused all the heartache in the first place by severing the ties in the name of bloody good intention. Now, usually I have no patience for this kind of situation; but somehow Park just tweaked my heart or something that I couldn’t help to feel for him. I also liked - despite the history between them - how very adult Jackson being. The alternate POVs between them allowed us into their mind and what they really felt, outward appearance notwithstanding. One of the reason this story compelling to me was the strong pull these guys had toward each other even when circumstances seemingly unbridgeable; that as oppose to the other’s political view they could still support one another. There weren’t many explicit [physical] trysts between the guys here; but boy the UST smoldering beneath the surface... I just felt it leaping off the page.

Witnessing Park’s and Jackson’s priority shifted during the course of the story was endearing AND frustrating. Mystery-wise, it wasn’t that gripping and even somewhat cliché. Personally I wish the mystery part could be explored more as to give more oomph to the overall story. But then again, “Damage Control” focused more on restoring relationship between Park and Jackson than the murder mystery itself.

As the first entry to the “Laws of Attraction” series, this installment set an interesting premises and equally intriguing characters. For me, I just can’t wait for a certain police detective and lawyer to tell their piece. From the glimpse I saw of them in this book, that would be one heck of a piece to tell.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

¸.•´¸★*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.★¨*.¸¸.•`★¤Politics and Love.¤★¨*.¸¸.*ˑ˞★

Was I so in love with this book that I could not live without it? Nope. But there was something that seemed to draw me to it when I saw the premise. I don't know if it was because I was familiar with Ms. McMurray's work, or the whole setting of political drama just sets me on edge when coupled with LGBTTQQIAAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual) and I need to know that HEA can exsist in this forum. But I find myself gravitating toward it generally and always liking it. So yeah, I really liked this love story and congratulate the author on such a good tale.

The Gay Repubilican

That within itself is an oxymoron if ever there was one. But that was Parker. Rich, talented, businessman. Ready to step into politics even while costing him his life. Shoved farther in the closet, he lost not only himself, but the man he loved.

The hopeless romantic.

Defending the not so innocent has always been Jackson's job. Now here he was, confronted with the past while defending his future. With eight years behind them, Jack and Park should have been able to work together to clear Park's name when a murder hit to close to home. But with unresolved issues and chemistry sparking at every meet, there was no way they could escape unscathed.

Told with some flashbacks to fully understand their relationship, this fast paced story had a lot of action and come to Jesus moments. I dragged it out over days as I found myself edgy and uncertain. It was clear that surrounding all the push and pull, the real story WAS Jack and Park.

I enjoyed every secondary character who graced the pages, even Dee and Dum. But who stood out is Jack's ex, police officer Gavin and Jack's business partner Reed. Oh, from jump street I saw a story and despite the fact that Reed is both straight and married, there is that little voice whispering, IS anyone 100% straight?

Senate candidate Parker Livingston chose his political dreams over a future with the man he loved. He lives with constant regret about not having Jackson Kane in his life. Or in his bed. And when a strange woman is found dead in Parker’s apartment, Jackson is the only person Parker trusts to help clear his name.

Jackson never forgave Parker for the way their relationship ended. He moved on, built a name for himself as a criminal defense attorney, and swore he’d never let heartbreak back in. But when Parker shows up on his doorstep, wild-eyed and handsome and desperate for his help, Jackson can’t say no. Parker is a lot of things, but he’s no murderer.

I absolutely loved the characters in this story. Each was well-developed and their personality was spot-on with their role in life, up to and including Parker’s campaign manager, Martha. Neither Jackson nor Parker is a yes man to the other. They disagree on politics and the economy and aren’t afraid to debate their ideas, opinions, and experiences. I wanted to dislike Parker because he basically just walked out on Jackson after they’d lived together for a few years, but because of the author’s time and patience in developing his personality and making him a living example of his political ideals, I was able to see why he left. Jackson was strong and yet the wounded one in their initial relationship—always thinking of the best ethical next step and questioning his moral judgment—a very likable character.

The host of secondary characters were also important to the plot and the underlying mystery and suspense added to the drama that culminated in the crisis in the latter portion of the story. The resolution for the question of whether or not Parker would come out and put Jackson ahead of his campaign was not one that was easily guessed by this reader. Without giving spoilers, suffice it to say that mystery was kept tight-lipped to the end.

I also appreciated the author’s depth of knowledge, and the obvious research she did, on economic topics and the political aspects of both parties—those that are more conservative and those that are more liberal. Health care, the economy, law—all were well-structured and supported in the story. In other words, it was evident the author took time to get facts and didn’t just enclose the MCs in a bubble that focused only on the couple themselves. The romance was there and the sex scenes were hot, but it was expertly woven in to a politically astute and dramatically intriguing story.

Very highly recommended.

3* Not a bad intro to this author, but, I didn't at all like Parker.

I won't rehash the blurb on this tale, as it pretty much tells it like it is, other than the passion part and the pining part - it didn't really feel like the leads were passionate about each other, or that Park had been pining for Jackson or vice versa; both had moved on since their split and had had other relationships.

Obviously the leads had a past, but what got revealed made me not like Parker, due to his arrogance and his selfishness, despite having been with Jackson for 8 years when they parted. And, what was revealed to be in his possession at the end of the tale, really, really didn't ring true with his MO.

That aside, it's a tale that's pretty predictable and I saw the outcome at the time when a certain unimportant character got page time. I did feel that the leads had unfinished business that made their relationship rekindle, but I didn't like that Jack went on about the possibility of being disbarred and yet still had sex with Park, whilst Park was still his client and still a person of interest in the case. OK, they had feelings for each other, but there were really no sparks and the sex was (really) lacklustre and more than a little irresponsible, and said irresponsibility did not tie in with the lac of passion, tbh. I'm glad that there was only 2 instances of sex in the entire tale.

There was unfinished business with part of Park's past at the end of the tale, which possibly could have been tied up, as it'd have been another victory for him and would have finally made him a success in his own right, without any ties, but that's a small enough detail. I did have a lol moment when Parker ended up with a twisted wrist and needed to wear a sling for it...

There will be a second tale in this series, and that wasn't hard to guess, as the author went on a little too much and too obviously about a couple of characters, but that could turn out rather interesting due to one's personal circumstances.

ARC courtesy of Carina Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

This was a pleasant surprise - I found it on Netgalley in the general romance section rather in m/m, so despite the description I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it.

When Jackson, a successful lawyer, learns senate candidate Parker Livingston is suspected of having murdered a young woman in his appartment, his first thought is that Parker is innocent. Because Jackson once knew Parker better than anyone - and when Parker comes to him to ask for his help with the case, Jackson agrees, even though he knows it's a mistake, considering he and Parker used to be lovers. And so they not only have to figure out what happened and prove Parker's innocence - they also have to deal with the fact that they both still have feelings for each other - but with Parker running for senate as a Republican, and Jackson unwilling to go back into the closet, can there be a future for them?

There was a lot about this that I loved - so much so that I was a lot more forgiving when it came to the things I didn't love than I usually am. I'm in the mood for lists, so here are the pluses and minuses:

+ Two very likable characters over thirty
+ getting back together is one of my favourite tropes (as long there is no cheating involved, and there very much isn't), and I loved the way they were unsure about each other yet knew each other at the same time
+ Parker's conflict was genuinely interesting and I liked the way his political position was presented (even though I don't agree with most of it)
+ Even though Gavin and Reed were a bit clumsily being set up for the next book, I suppose, I really liked the supporting characters. Especially Martha.


Stuff I didn't like as much or feel mostly neutral about:

- the showdown was extremely unrealistic and felt 100% set up. The characters act in ways no one would only in order to create the kind of situation that is needed. That was the single most frustrating thing for me
-I think the murder mystery had a bit more potential - there was very little question as to what the police was going to do, and whenever the focus was on that part of the plot it always fell a little flat for me. Then again, it was neither a thriller nor a mystery, so I probably shouldn't complain. But it felt like lost potential.
- While I liked the way Jack and Park reconnected, the bed scenes weren't very memorable. Then again, those kinds of scenes aren't a priority for me.
- The writing was a bit clunky at times - not horribly so, but some bits of exposition could have been smoother, and the one scene in the appartment with the box (keeping it vague because of spoilers) was a bit over the top and unnecessary.
- For about 2/3 of the book, they keep having the same conversation over and over again. I actually didn't mind that that much - it felt realistic, in a way. But I could see it being annoying for some
- Because of the subject matter, there is a lot of talk about politics. Considering the state of the world, this may not be something everybody wants to read about. As I mentioned above, I found Parker's position interesting, and overall he is the kind of conservative politician I could live with. I appreciated the matter-of-fact tone in his and his opponent's campaign, but sadly I don't know how realistic it is.. then again, that is what fiction is for.

I've read other books with similar problems that I liked a lot less - there was something about Parker and Jackson that really struck a nerve somehow. I do think it's a good book either way, if you're interested in stories involving politians and lawyers. It could have been a great book with a bit more subtlety and a better showdown - but I had a lot of fun reading it either way, and would absolutely love to read another book in this story universe.