Genre: Thriller, Gaylit
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Seth Richards
24, twink, professional sleuth… Okay, semi-professional helping out a friend.
“It’s perfectly safe! Sit in a bar, have a few beers, report anything suspicious.” Simple enough, right? Then why the heck am I sitting here tied to a chair, about to have my face beaten in by some scary-looking Irish dude? Also, why am I surprisingly attracted to his boss? That’s probably something I should unpack with my therapist at some point…
Mickey O’Brien
31, Irish, professional thug… oh ya, and I’m next in line to take over the O’Brien crime syndicate once my old man kicks the bucket.
There’s something about him. His vulnerability, his fear, the way he puts on a brave face even though he’s secretly terrified. Watching him verbally tear into a thug double his size has me impressed. I want to hold him, protect him, and claim him as my own. But how can I? When you’re next in line to lead a criminal organization there are certain… expectations.
But for now, I have more important things to worry about, like who’s hunting down members of my crew?
The Review
From the “Fractured” series with Marc and Alex, Matthew Dante creates a new series with Seth Richards from book three, Fractured Souls.
Seth Richards was a newcomer to Alex’s small group of friends. As much as Marc hated doing the “social thing,” he still went along because of Alex.
Seth was kind of naive when it came to his crush on Marc, and Alex had to straighten Seth out. But the three have now become good friends. Seth still has issues – he just doesn’t have the confidence, and he still thinks he drives potential boyfriends away, like Ivan. Seeing the relationships Eve and James and Alex and Marc have leaves Seth wanting that kind of love and committment.
Marc becomes intrigued about three strange deaths involving an Irish mob. He and Alex call on Seth to gather some intel on the situation. Seth’s been studying to be a private investigator, and has already done some work for Marc. He’s is pretty stoked about this, because anything Marc contracts him for will give him real world experience.
Seth gets caught at one of the establishments of the New Jersey Irish mob. Little does he realize it’s not the first time Michele “Mickey” O’Brien has laid eyes on him. Mickey is head of the Irish crew in Jersey, and is next in line for taking over his father’s position. Mickey wants to implement some new ideas for his crew, including what they can do to further protect the people and their community.
There’s already chemistry building between the feisty Seth and Mickey. But along the way there are an abundance of ups and downs. Mickey can’t bring himself to commit – je’s faced the reality of being head of his crew and the danger that brings to those around him. As one more tragic death hits Mickey, will Seth and Marc be able to come up with a plan to end the evil that could destroy them all?
“Rough Edges” is a great spin-off from the “Fractured” series. Marc and Alex are still involved, but this is very much Seth’s story. Matthew Dante draws a beautifully detailed picture of both Mickey and Seth, exposing their feelings, concerns and dreams. We learn more about Seth’s life, and the betrayal by and estrangement from his parents.
And Mickey O’Brien brings his French and Irish heritage to the story, along with his love for his mother, Sofia Devoius ,and his ties with the Irish mob through his father, Clive O’Brien.
Even though it’s the Irish mob, the crew itself contains a mix of ethnicities in Patrick, Dominic, Brody, Rian, Shawn, and Ian. I like Joe Murphy, who brings it all together for the crew. And I can’t go without mentioning Marc and Alex – I hope they continue to be part of this series. Marc, especially, brings some odd and interesting cases to the table.
And Anna captured Mickey’s essence perfectly for the cover design!
This new series has a lot of potential. Laying Claim has its share of steamy moments, wrapped up in mystery, suspense, comradeship, danger and action. I can’t wait to see who Matthew Dante has in mind for the next installment.
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.
