Six Degrees of Lust by Taylor V. Donovan (2nd Edition)

Taylor V. Donovan - Six Degrees of Lust Cover sTitle: Six Degrees of Lust, (2nd Edition)

Series: By Degrees #1

Author: Taylor V. Donovan

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (350 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 2, 2017)

Heat Level: Low  

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: New York City FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy lives for his immediate family and his job. After a marriage gone wrong, he sticks to a firm rule when it comes to relationships: he doesn’t have them. Sexually active and emotionally unavailable keeps him satisfied, especially now that he is in hot pursuit of a serial killer targeting gay men.

Former firefighter Machlan O’Bannon now manages a successful sports bar in Houston, and after years of waiting, he’s ready to stand up and be the man he always wanted to be: out, proud, and drama-free. His politically aligned family wants to keep him locked in the closet, but Mac just wants to meet the man of his dreams.

One man is as high-strung as the other is laid-back. A chance meeting brings them together, and one night of passion ignites a fire neither can fight. Their lives are not only miles apart, but as different as day and night. They don’t want to get involved, but they might not be able to keep apart.

ISBN: 978-1-63533-517-0

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/six-degrees-of-lust-by-taylor-v-donovan-7958-b

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: When I picked this book up it was because of the blurb.  I love mysteries and if the characters are gay then it is a hit with me.  Although I have to say that going from different points of views was a bit confusing and drawn out.  The plot of the story was my main focus but it had so many twists to it that I actually lost focus and that is never a good thing for me.

Sam is a federal agent who is trying to find out who is killing gay men.  He had been married for less than a year and lost a baby girl.  His marriage was a mistake from the beginning.  He is bi-sexual but men do it for him more than women.  However after his divorce he stuck to the one night stand plan, that is until he met Mac.  Now Sam is a hardass, pretty much a jerk and not one of my favorite characters, he was hard to like and that is saying something.  Although he is a great uncle and friend to those around him, his ex-wife is a major bitch.  

Mac was a fire fighter from Texas till he decided he would rather manage a sports bar instead.  He has been in the closet for most of his life, but a run in with a sexy man has him looking at coming out.  He is sweet as hell, protective and very laid back in my eyes.  

I found that the story focused more on them then the actual murders which was a major downfall for me.  Now these two meet at the airport, take one look at each other and then after one night, which nothing happened, things get a bit strange for me.  Sam wants a friends with benefits and Mac agrees, but you can tell that Mac wants something more.  

Now it felt like these two had friends who knew each other and were interlinked.  The large cast of characters were hard to follow for me and took away from the story itself.  Although if you want the truth the action between our two sexy men took away from the mystery.  Then to top it off the story just stops.  You have to read the second book just to find out if they catch the killer, which you already know who it is.  

So overall the mystery is not solved by the good guys, the characters are still friends with benefits, and the story just went downhill for me.  I wanted a good mystery with a side of romance and got the opposite.  Which I have to say is a bit strange for me because who doesn’t want some hot sex, but they don’t go anywhere.  It is like they are stuck in limbo with their relationship and the murders.  I hate to admit that the story held such promise but failed to deliver for me.  That is just me though; I guess I will have to read the next book to find out what happens next.

Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor, V. Donovan, 2nd edition

25408760Title: Six Degrees of Separation, 2nd edition
Series: By Degrees, #2
Author: Taylor V. Donovan
Genre: Contemporary / Murder / Mystery
Length: Novel (344 Pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (May 22nd 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Blurb: FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy and bar manager Machlan O’Bannon are exploring a new phase in their non-relationship. The intention is to take it slowly, but power plays are still their favorite activity, and it isn’t long before lines begin blurring. After ending their friends with benefits agreement, no rules are left in place to guide them, and soon the only thing that’s clear is that neither man is fighting hard enough to reestablish the boundaries.

Their situations haven’t improved in the three months since their first encounter. Sam is still focused on his immediate family issues, and everything indicates Mac will have to go to war with his own family before he can reclaim his freedom. The last thing they need is additional complications.

But when the opening of a nightclub brings Mac to New York City and a break in the Leviticus investigation leads Sam to Houston, they discover how closely their worlds have been connected from the beginning. Hiding from the life-altering collision is not an option.

They can take the easier road and go their separate ways or come to terms with their pasts and take a chance on each other.

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6394

ISBN: 978-1-63216-659-3

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: I couldn’t wait to read Six Degrees of Separation after Six Degrees of Lust. I love a good mystery/suspense and this one has so many interlocking pieces, or so many little degrees of separation between the characters as the author intended. So many puzzles to solve, so many intriguing ways to link the characters together, to try to figure out who the serial killer is and why he’s killing.

Wow! I thought I had my thumb on the right suspect and Taylor keeps throwing new grenades over the literary fence.

As for the chemistry between Sam and Mac? Intense and hot as always….but Mac knows how to handle Sam….give him just enough line to snag himself. It’s not a big hook and a strong jerk that will reel Sam in, it’s letting the line out and ever so slightly leading him in the right direction that finally lands Mac his man.

Living their relationship by Sam’s “rules” seems to work, until Mac finds the right moments to break them, or allows Sam to break them all on his own. The two become more intimate, sharing their troubles as well as their vacation time. This book shows us Sam’s growth from hot and heavy sex with Mac to making love for the first time.

Throughout Six Degrees of Separation, we see the lives of Mac and his Texas boys overlapping with Sam and his New York serial killer case. Hint and clues keep getting dropped and more and more we see connection between Sam’s past and Mac’s current friends and business partners.

Of course we also get to know Sam’s team even better. I so want a book just for Logan! So many of the supporting characters have intense back stories, interesting identities, and I want to know how they got there, how their minds tick…Logan front and center.

I know I’m all over the place, back and forth with this review, but that is kind of how the book plays out. We are volleyed from New York to Texas, from Sam’s FBI team to the drama happening to Mac’s family and friends. Back and forth the web is woven until it gets so tight all the characters confront one another and the action gets crazy. The big chase to catch the killer brings in another character, Detective Callahan, who I hope gets more interaction with Logan…

There is a great twist and interesting surprise regarding the UNSUB at the close of the book that was strongly hinted at in the beginning, kind of a tell….but I can’t say more…I don’t want to spoil the action, the fun, the intensity that is the By Degrees series!

I can’t wait to read more…because yes, there will be more…I HIGHLY recommend to those readers who love a good puzzle and a mystery to solve.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *