Title: Vodka & Handcuffs

Series: Mary’s Boys 02

Author: Brandon Witt

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 26, 2017)

Length: Novella (112 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: Vahin Arora, Hamburger Mary’s sexy bartender, plays the flirtatious role so well even his closest friends—his chosen family at Mary’s—don’t realize Vahin hasn’t had a hookup in months. Then Tall, Dark, and Handsome steps through the door, and Vahin’s libido races back to life.

Being a black cop on the Denver police force is no easy job—Marlon Barton can’t imagine adding being gay to the equation. And while Marlon loves his work as an officer, his life has taken a turn for the hellish because of his new partner, the nephew of a senator.

Fleeing his partner’s company one night, Marlon stumbles into Mary’s for the first time… and wakes up with a hangover in the bartender’s bed. The one-night stand heats up into a budding romance, but not without stress as Marlon’s partner’s actions threaten Vahin’s livelihood and Marlon’s future on the force. Can Vahin and Marlon face the challenges and hold on to the love, friendship, and family they’ve found?

ISBN: 978-1-63533-433-3

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/vodka-handcuffs-by-brandon-witt-8349-b

Reviewer: Lisa

Review:  Each book in the Mary’s Boys collection features a new romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order.

Marlon is one very sexy cop but he is having the worst time of it.  First off he is black and the second is he is gay.   He has a partner who is not only racist but a homophobe.  Me thinks one doth protest too much, if you get my drift.  Anyhow our sexy police officer needs a good old fashion drink.  Too bad he doesn’t remember drink so much and waking up next to the hot bartender.   Too bad it brings trouble to Vahin and Mary’s boys.

The story starts off pretty damn good, but I am afraid that it also feels like the author just rushed the whole story.  There were so many chances to make it into not only a longer book but to give us something to sink our teeth into.  There is hot sex, but you don’t see it.  There is absolutely no heat between these guys, so no steamy parts either.  There is no passion between these two, or I should say Marlon doesn’t really have any.  He is the one that comes off a bit strange to me.  That’s not saying he isn’t a good character, but with how short the story is, well you get my point.  He just comes off rocky and not a follow thru type of person.  Then there is the ending, well it just seems to stop all of a sudden.

Now the story to me was still cute and I did like the guys.  However it came off a bit like the author was trying to meet a deadline with this particular book.  I also feel that if it had been made into an actual longer book we would have seen a lot more to it.  For now this book failed on many different steps for me to truly love.  It had great potential but for now I am not sure about the rest of the series.