Book seven. It started out with the same trope-y feeling, like the story was getting worse with no redemption in sight, but that didn’t last long. The boys get bullied into taking part in a charity calendar. And I gagged at that. That shoot put them in a mood and they were all ready to devour each other when they were called back to the office. Once they tended to that, they rushed back to the hotel, but were then interrupted by a call from Nick, one of Ty’s Marine buddies, calling to get him out of a jam. Post coitus interruptus, they landed in New Orleans as the cavalry, but were quickly abducted.
So, up until this point, I’m seething and absolutely disgusted because I can’t believe this is what the story has come to. But once they saw the faces of their kidnappers, the mood changed. There was still a bit of revelry to play out and a handful of things that threatened to keep my eyes rolled permanently back, but once Ty woke up the following morning writhing in pain, there was an edge, palpable, almost.
From there, Roux pulled back on the silly and dug deep into the sober. The feeling wasn’t quite the one I’ve been missing, but with the exception a few negligible exchanges–like Roux just couldn’t help herself–the story was tight. Add on the trips down memory lane, and I was completely sucked in. Now, I still felt like I had access to her playbook, but more like I was peeking over her shoulder and less like it was open in my lap.
This was another caper, less the questionably necessary comedy of book five. And it was good. Ty and Zane were at serious odds with each other for the majority of the book, more so Zane than Ty. And it really looked like the chances of them or their relationship surviving the ordeal was nil to none. But, with the help of Team Sidewinder and a few enemies, they did, just barely. Though, right at the end, the story tears your heart out and it was so much worse than what happened at the end of book four.
There are a number of things looming that I am so very interested in seeing in book eight and I’m going to move right onto it. I’m so anxious, saying it took me 15 minutes to write this is generous. So, there are two more books in this series… I’m hoping that Roux can maintain this tone; that’s the only thing that’s going to save the series for me.