Genre: Contemporary, Dark Romance, Mystery & Thriller, Suspense
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Bi
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Rian Lassalle
42, Muscle Daddy, enjoys putting Brody in his place and showing him who the real alpha dog is on this crew.
Running from your past can be painful. I moved to Jersey, hoping to find some peace and perspective. Instead, all I found was an annoying man-child who thinks that he’s God’s gift to women. Seriously, the arrogance of this man is astounding. If he thinks he can continue to disrespect people while I’m around, the boy clearly doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. There’s a new Alpha in town, and I’m about to show Brody what I do to those who misbehave.
Brody O’Connell
32, work for the O’Brien Crew and have my own auto shop. Oh, yeah, and I’m tough, muscular, and sexy as sin.
Don’t hate me cus I’m hot, and my biceps are bigger than your head. I’m an Alpha. A top dog. Women want to lay with me, and guys want to be me. It’s a simple fact. Some of us have it, some of us… well, that’s not my issue to worry about. Everything was going great until my boss decided I needed a… partner? A boss? A glorified babysitter? I don’t exactly know what Rian’s role is supposed to be. All I know is that he thinks he’s the top dog. Just because his muscles are slightly bigger than mine, and he happens to be a head taller, he seems to think that I’m going to lay down on my back and let him take me… any way he wants… ordering me around. Come to think about it, why do I keep getting turned on whenever he gives me an order? Perhaps, I’ll keep that last bit of information to myself…
This is an MM Dark Romance involving bad men doing bad things.
Content Warning: Violence, alcohol abuse, foul language, and loads of steamy scenes.
The Review
As a young boy, Brody O’Connell, always needed recognition. He felt alone and neglected, as his father had deserted him and his mom. In school, he played soccer on the Jersey Vipers. His mother Margaret (Big Mamma B) always tried her hardest – she was a single mom, working three jobs and giving her son the best life she could.
Now, Brody is thirty-two, owner of an auto repair shop, and a captain with the Micky O’Brien Crew. He runs the pub, Ye Old Pint, with barback Cillian, another member of the crew. He also has more of the O’Brien crew working at the shop – Oliver and Sven.
Brody also has a big heart that others don’t usually see. He volunteers as a coach for after-school programs, along with Dominic Rossi and the crew. It helps out neighborhood families, and Brody has always wanted to teach the kids to play and to be there to protect them. Despite his charity work, he’s often seen as a screw-up and a braggart, especially when it comes to his exploits with women.
When a big, muscled man named Rian Lasselle pulls into Brody’s garage to have his car checked out, Brody finds himself in a dilemma. Mickey hired Rian as a new crew member. The man is forty-two, and takes very good care of himself. He moved to Jersey, needing a change of pace from his past life. At the age of sixteen, he lived on the streets, kickec out because he was gay. He had taken up with a gang and worked for them. As time went, on he built his own clientele and made it on his own. Now he’s been brought into the O’Brien Crew.
There’s trouble for Brody when Mickey brings up that his quadrant issn’t bringing in the money that it should. Brody has to explain that many regulars have found another dealer. Brody again feels that he’s screwed up, and now the pressure is on to find out why this is happening. Even worse, he has to team up with Rian to do it.
Brody can’t believe he has a babysitter, as he and Rian start butting heads. His bragging and smart mouth doesn’t impress Rian at all. But there’s something about Brody that Rian likes, and he’s out to teach Brody a few new lessons in life.
When trouble comes calling and it involves children, Brody is ready to jump into action. Rian is right by his side, along with the rest of the O’Brien crew. In the process, Ruan sees Brody’s caring and loyalside. and realizes how big his heart is.
Dante finally gives Brody the stage in Obeying Orders, book six in the “Rough Edges” series. I felt sorry for Brody. He didn’t get the recognition he looked for as a child and it lead him to always having to pat himself on the back, which gave others a bad impression of him. He still has that lonely little boy still deep inside.
Rian is right – Brody is a man-child, and he’ was going’ll to do what he can to straighten him out, even when it’s frustrating. Rian also has his own issues to deal with, but having Brody to talk to helps. Mamma B is sweet, and has always done her best for Brody. I like how she and Rian make a good connection, and that Rian needs a mother’s love, too.
As always, there’s excitement, suspense, grit and danger when the O’Brien Crew get involved. There are also moments of bantering and humor, and lots of heat between Brody and Rian.
Thank you to Matthew Dante for Mickey O’Brien’s Crew and the Better Half’s Club, and all the excitement, humor and love that they bring to every “Rough Edges” story.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
