Josh Lanyon

4 Stars!

Poor Kit. He just cannot catch a break - a break from finding dead bodies, that is. He and JX have made that ultimate relationship step and have newly moved in together, but a murdered victim found in one of their packing crates is not a great way to start their new life together.

As with this particular series, Kit is ever the neurotic fussy guy, full of insecurities and a tendency toward introversion, all of it marked with sarcastic humor and a fatalistic attitude that lends itself to some very entertaining moments. Though I would've preferred to have more on page JX time, it is actually their relationship that takes center stage this time, in and around the murder shenanigans. Despite their best efforts, these two are still on shaky ground due to Kit’s fears. Though frustrating, I enjoyed seeing him argue with himself and trying to overcome his own personal roadblocks, wanting a happy ending with JX, but not quite sure how to achieve and maintain that. JX in return is solid, but also desperately trying to hang on by any means possible.

Always interesting, smart, and full of that wry and sardonic wit that can be so prominent in a lot of Lanyon’s works, I often found myself suddenly snorting or bursting out in laughter. This was good reading, as yet again, Kit solves the murder whether he wants to or not. He’s quite the unconventional hero, but there’s definitely something there that makes you want to be in on the inside jokes with him; his “brilliant criminal mind” notwithstanding. This series is never overt in the smex, but what little we got quite satisfies (though I will never turn down more), and delved deeper into the romantic and intimate, vulnerable dynamic between these two complete opposites. Luckily we get another entry to this great series, and I’m definitely looking forward to it!… (more)

4 Steady Stars!

A really great series showcasing Lanyon’s knack for seamlessly weaving romance with mystery. This time around things get personal. Very personal.

As Elliot desperately races against time to figure out who’s helping an infamous serial killer exact revenge for his incarceration, what Elliot holds dear is shockingly stolen from him. Does he have the smarts and the fortitude to do the most important thing he’ll ever do?? Things seem hopeless, but thankfully this is fiction and luck is on his side.

Though I definitely missed the on page time between Tucker and Elliot due to various plot developments, what little we did get was intense and romantic and swoony. I’m still charmed over and over by how far these two have come and how secure they are in the other. I just love this duo, and I’m not-so-secretly hoping for further future stories.

Of note, this series is one of the smexiest of Lanyon’s works, and I’m so not complaining. Also, I’m deliriously happy to say that this ended very very satisfactorily, and if you’ve read many a previous Lanyon review from me, that’s quite the hard-to-come-by win.… (more)

4.5 Stars!

Really, never mind the missing person storyline interwoven into this nice novella and just simply concentrate on the love.

It’s been 6 months since Jake and Adrien reunited and though things have been great, there’s still insecurity and doubt and guilt especially on Jake’s part, and it floored me to see the depth of his feelings, feelings we didn’t get very much of from past books. Never fear, Adrien did not shirk at all in return, and I loved the dynamic between these two - intense, poignant, vulnerable, and oh so sexy.

Just wow. This definitely made the turmoil these two went through a lot less hard to bear. I’m a very happy reader.… (more)