Review: Men of Smithfield: Adam and Holden

Reviewed by Jen
 

I wouldn't call my love affair with the Men of Smithfield "over," but I think maybe this installment took a little blush off the rose.  I didn't really dislike it, but I don't have the urge to gush over it the same way that I did with the first two books.  I didn't laugh nearly as much and the romance was a little less my cuppa tea.

The story centers on Holdon, a rich 40 year-old agoraphobic living in Smithfield.  He's a popular writer with a successful tv show under his belt, but his life fell apart a few years back when his lover outed him on national television.  Now, he sits at home with only his brother and housekeeper for company. Well, that is true until he hires Adam, a sexy new gardener.

Adam is beautiful --and 24.  Holden thinks himself a dirty old man for wanting him, but he can't help it.  Adam has a troubled family history and trouble making connections with people, yet it doesn't take very long for something to spark between him and his boss.

As this new attraction plays out, a body turns up buried in Holden's backyard --and his dubious reputation makes him the town's prime suspect.  Especially when the rumor starts flying that the corpse is Holden's ex.  The story follows the romance between Holden and Adam, the murder-mystery, and Holden's struggle to overcome his fears and deal with his past.

I didn't love Holden. I can't really wrap my brain around his agoraphobia, but even worse, I just didn't like his voice.  The fact that he kept belaboring the fact that Adam was an innocent kid --that he was hired help-- just kind of squicked me out a little.  The fact that Adam looked young enough to be in high school while Holden was 40 bothered me, even though he was legal. And though I know he had an illness, Holden just felt like a skeevy wuss to me. --As for Adam, I never really felt like I knew him, or what it was about Holden that attracted him.  The love declarations came way too early.  And the murder caper was a bit over the top.

I'm not giving up hope on the series, though. I thought the first two were fabulous.  Maybe the next one will ring my bell.

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by Carina Press via NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Men of Smithfield: Adam and Holden

by LB Gregg

Release Date: November 26, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Men of Smithfield: Seth and David

Reviewed by Jen
 

Another great installment in LB Gregg's Men of Smithfield series.  This one features a new couple, but has the same wonderful humor and super-hot sex as the first installment.

The story is told from the perspective of Seth, a 36 year-old gay man who has recently ended a long-term relationship and is raising his late sister's six year-old daughter, Molly.  It's during his weekly massage that he meets David for the first time. The young, free-spirited man is filling in for his regular massage therapist and his fingers are like magic... so much so that Seth finds himself enjoying it a little too much.

Before he knows it, Seth seems to be stumbling across David everywhere.  And when he finally stops fighting the attraction, he discovers David is every bit as interested as he is.  A quick tryst in an alleyway sets a relationship in motion, but it's not an easy path... especially when Molly's dad shows up, Seth's ex reappears, and a blackmailer reveals that dalliance in the alley should have probably happened somewhere a little less public. Can Seth and David's new relationship handle so many obstacles at once?

I have to tell you, I laughed out loud more than once while I was reading.  LB Gregg's voice is just so amazing.  And the sex --(*fans self*)-- is really, really hot.  I enjoyed the story very much.  Though I have to say, Seth is a bit of a dick, and once or twice I found myself wondering what David saw in him.  Fortunately, since we are reading from his first person narrative, we do get to see what's going on in his head enough to know he's got a good heart. He's just... not great at dealing with people. I also wish we could have enjoyed a little more of their HEA, though I guess that's just part of the deal when you're reading a novella.

Though this is part of a series, it is written as a complete stand-alone.  I would definitely recommend these books to m/m fans.  Well done.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Carina Press via NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Men of Smithfield: Seth and David

by LB Gregg
Original Release Date: May 2, 2009
Re-Release Date: October 15, 2012
Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Men of Smithfield: Mark & Tony

Reviewed by Jen
 

I really enjoyed this one.  Mark & Tony is a re-release of LB Gregg's 2009 story, Gobsmacked, the first in her Men of Smithfield series.  And after reading it, I can assure you I will be reading the rest of the stories with gusto.

The main character of the novella is Mark, an ER doctor who has caught his live-in boyfriend cheating.  Things get worse as he discovers the true depths of Jamie's betrayals.  But a renewed relationship with his high-school crush, Tony, helps him move forward.

One of the things I liked best about the story was Mark's voice. The book is told in his first person POV and he was so human and easy to relate to.  I was sold on him from the very beginning, when he assaulted Jamie with a Bible in the middle of church.  His hurt and sometimes immature behavior made him far from perfect, but I was rooting for him throughout.

I laughed a lot while I was reading.  This isn't a comedy, but it definitely has funny moments.  Like when Mark confronts the man Jamie was cheating with:

"Mark, I don't even know what to say except I'm sorry. I don't know how - I mean, it just happened." 

"Just happened?" Disbelief nearly choked me. "What? Oops, there's a dick in my ass?"

Or when Mark and Tony start getting hot and heavy in the kitchen.

"Tony. Stop. We need lube."

He scoped the kitchen and I shook my head. "No way." I wasn't putting salad dressing or some other food item in my ass. Been there. Done that. No thanks.

Come on!! That's funny.

Of course, at its core, it's not about laughter so much as love.  It helps that Tony and Mark have a history to draw from.  And I'm glad there are real feelings on both sides of the relationship.  My only complaint is that so much time was wasted unnecessarily between these two. That and Tony's Bad Decision revealed in the second half of the book... that was a tough pill to swallow.

But overall, it was good.  The pacing was quick and despite the short length, the characters were developed.  Oh yeah... and the sex was hot, y'all.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Men of Smithfield: Mark & Tony

by LB Gregg
Original Release Date: February 7, 2009
Re-Release Date: August 6, 2012
Publisher: Carina Press