Precious Gems Bundle by E.M. Lynley

e-m-lynley-precious-gems-bundle-coverTitle: Precious Gems Bundle

Series: Precious Gems Books 1 to 4

Author: E.M. Lynley

Genre: Gay Erotic Romance, Mystery, Suspense 

Length: Novel (941 Pages) 

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 12, 2016)

Heat Level: Low 

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.75 Hearts

Blurb: When gay romance writer Trent Copeland runs into handsome American Reed Acton—seemingly by chance—while vacationing in Thailand, it sparks off an irresistible affair. Follow their globe-trotting adventures in the Precious Gems books as they negotiate a relationship while solving crimes in Bangkok, Rome, Tokyo, and Istanbul. 

ISBN: 978-1-63477-618-9

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/precious-gems-bundle-by-em-lynley-7357-b

Reviewer: Lisa 

Review: Now at first I wasn’t really sure if I would like these stories. What changed my mind were the characters themselves. Although Reed really didn’t rock like he should have, I did enjoy Trent quite a bit. I love how it was he who really solved the cases. Reed did become a favorite at the end though.

Rarer Than Rubies ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
When Trent Copeland runs into Reed Acton at a Bangkok airport, he thinks the handsome American is too good to be true. Why would someone like Reed be interested in a quiet, introverted gay-romance writer? After all, even an obvious tourist like Trent can see that there is more to Reed’s constant unexplained appearances in his path than meets the eye.

Reed Acton has one mission and one mission only—he needs to get the map that was accidentally slipped into Trent’s bag and keep the mobsters who want the priceless artefact from taking deadly revenge. Trent Copeland is a delicious and damned near irresistible diversion, but Reed can’t afford distractions right now, especially if he wants to keep Trent safe.

From Bangkok’s seediest back alleys to the sacred north, the two men will fight to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and learn that the only treasure worth finding is… each other.

Sent on a vacation so that he could get his muse back, almost gets him killed instead. To top it off he meets up with one sexy man. I loved how he had no clue if the guy was good or bad, but his heart was leading the way. Or maybe it was another part of his body.
I got a kick out of this story and can’t wait to read the next story. This one hit pretty high up there in points for me. 

Italian Ice 
♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
In this exciting sequel to Rarer Than Rubies, gay romance author Trent Copeland and former FBI agent Reed Action head to Italy for a Roman holiday. What should be a relaxing and romantic vacation is interrupted when Reed’s not-so-former boss asks for his help with a case. Trent’s shocked to discover in the six months they’ve been living together in LA, Reed hasn’t been completely honest about his “retirement.”

Reed heads for Sicily on the trail of a suspected antiquities-smuggling ring and to find Peter Isett—a former FBI partner he also hasn’t been completely truthful about. Stung by Reed’s dishonesty, Trent questions what else Reed might be hiding. But when he overhears something that tells him Reed’s life is in danger, Trent follows Reed to a remote chain of ancient volcanic islands off Sicily’s northern coast. Soon Trent is caught up in the smugglers’ web, and Reed must decide between his heart and his mission—a decision complicated by his past with Peter. Reed’s position is perilous: unless he can learn to put the past behind him, he risks destroying everything he’s built with Trent.

Maybe the man should trust his partner just a bit more. It seems Trent is pretty damn good at solving the mysteries they come across. Although I still can’t really get into Reed at all. He seems like a total tool to me and not trust worthy. 

Other than that this story rocked. I had a lot of fun reading it and look forward to the next book.

Jaded 
♥♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Gay-romance writer Trent Copeland finds his life in a rut while his boyfriend, Special Agent Reed Acton, is away on an undercover mission. After attending a special course at FBI headquarters in Quantico, Trent’s eager for another challenge. He jumps at the opportunity for a trip to Japan to oversee appraisals of two art collections to be sold at the gallery he co-owns. But the trip isn’t all cherry blossoms and Hello Kitty. When one of the collectors he meets—rumored to be the head of a Yakuza gang—turns up dead, Trent is accused of the murder and thrown in jail.

Reed drops everything to help find out who really committed the crime. He’s in unknown territory in Japan, forced to navigate Tokyo’s sex underworld to unravel the truth and save Trent. He poses as a “host” at a seedy late-night club. When Reed’s undercover activities place him at a ruthless Yakuza leader’s sex party, he must be willing to go to any lengths to secure Trent’s safety and freedom. But trusting the wrong people brings both Reed and Trent to the Yakuza leader’s attention. If they are ever to have a happy ever after, they’ll first have to call on every skill just to stay alive.

The only part that I hated about this story and brought it down was when Reed was with Shindo. Even though all that happened was kissing and most of it was because of the danger, that was a no for me and I stopped reading this particular story. It is a pet peeve of mine and I am afraid that this story was knocked down because of it.

24-Karat Conspiracy ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Former Ranger turned FBI agent Reed Acton faces his biggest challenge yet: a Christmas visit from partner Trent Copeland’s parents. He’s less equipped to handle hugs and holidays than the Taliban or international art thieves. When he’s assigned to track down a set of gold Babylonian artefacts looted from the Iraqi National Museum after the fall of Baghdad, things start to look up.

This time, Trent’s part of the mission, takes them to exotic Istanbul. The crowded streets and labyrinthine markets fascinate Trent, but soon murder is on their trail. The investigation continues as Reed goes undercover at a US Army base, with Trent masquerading as his spouse. Surprisingly, fastidious and ever-fashionable Trent fits into base life right away and soon takes one of the suspects’ wives under his wing when domestic abuse rears its head.

Their faux marriage leads Reed to appreciate Trent in ways he never expected, strengthening their bond—until Reed has to confront the worst demons from his past: his relationship with his estranged family. 

This one was the best of all the stories, but that is because of the happy ending. I was so shocked to find out who was the bad guy and who was the ass. This was a pleasant ending to a wonderful collection. I enjoyed reading this and look forward to seeing what other stories this author has out.

Overall ♥♥♥♥♥ 
I enjoyed reading this complete series all rolled into one nice package. It caught my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end. I have to admit that it is a slower pace then I normally read but for this series it worked out pretty good. I can usually gage where a story is going but I had to just keep on reading because I wanted to know for sure. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.