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The Assignment
by Evangeline Anderson
190 Page Trade Paperback, Original Publication 2006
The first in a series of adventures of Detectives Valenti and O'Brian
Detective Nicholas Valenti, tall, dark and stoic, has been best friends with his partner, Sean O’Brian for six years. The two men have seen each other through divorce, disaster and danger and saved each other’s asses more times than Valenti can count. Exactly when he started seeing his blond, intense partner in another light, Valenti isn’t really sure. He only knows that he wants O’Brian in a way that had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with possession. It is a desire he will have to hide forever because O’Brian is undeniably straight.
Just as Valenti is coming to grips with his new, unacceptable feelings for his partner their police Captain puts them on a new case that could blow Valenti’s cover once and for all. He and O’Brian are going undercover at the country’s largest and most infamous gay resort to bust a notorious drug lord and stop the shipments of poison cocaine that are flooding the gay bars all over the city.
Now Valenti will have to make a choice between friendship and desire. He and O’Brian will play the roles of gay men that will push the limits of their relationship to the breaking point. Will their time at the RamJack forge a new bond between them or destroy their partnership forever?
COVER ART
by April Martinez
• Generic. Where is the crisp mat of red blond chest hair? Cute and fuzzy! The cross necklace is the only hint as to who is who.
NORMALITY
• Detectives
• Drug Dealers
• Goons
• Daddies & Boys
SEXUALITY
• M/M
• Gay Resort
• Exhibitionism
REVIEW
• This one went so fast! I didn't want to put it down, not to shower, not to work, not to eat.
• This Gay-For-You story goes both ways. A nice twist that strings out the mental hurtles of the protagonist's thoughts we inhabit, Nicky.
• Nicky has a hell of a time coming to terms with his love for his partner. We missed the near death experience that triggered this epiphany, but we are waist deep in the fall out. And just when I'm sure Sean reciprocates, Nicky flips it all around in his head and jumps into a downward spiral that I'm willing to agree with (for the moment.)
• Quite angsty (if you couldn't figure that out from the above bullet) and probably a good thing the story isn't longer. I might have felt the need to kick Nicky in the head a few times.
• One spot totally didn't make sense to me at all - Nicky falling asleep in the glass bedroom. It doesn't matter how tired I am, that shit ain't happening in those circumstances.
• My copy has the next short story in the series, I'll Be Hot For Christmas. A pseudo-kidnap fantasy that digs deep into some relationship problems. Overall, a lovely addition to the story but not anything that stands alone.
PERSONAL LURES
• Cops!
WANT MORE?
Read a Tuesday Teaser with a butterfly.
Read an excerpt as they check out their cushy rooms at the RamJack
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