Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne
Series: Trouble Brewing #1
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook/Audio – July 23, 2018; Print – July 31, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): 272 pages
Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense
To order:
Carina: http://bit.ly/2JQWIOF
Book blurb:
Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
Teaser Excerpt 1:
Nic was silent a long minute, the building tension heavy in the small space. “This is why you’re not supposed to get involved with colleagues.”
Finally, an opening. Cam closed the distance between them, winding his arms around Nic and hugging him from behind. Body warm, despite the cool night, Cam wanted to get even closer to it. They might both get burned, but he was done watching the fire from a distance, holding himself back from the heat.
“Technically, we’re not,” he said.
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
“If it wins the argument with you, yes.”
Nic chuckled, hanging his head, and Cam skirted his nose and lips along the nape of his neck. Nic’s quiet laughter died on a breathy gasp.
Teaser Excerpt 2:
“Turn around, baby,” Cam whispered. He stepped back, only far enough for Nic to rotate, then pulled him close again. “We’ve been dancing around this for months,” he said, walking them back toward the desk, Nic bumping up against it. “You want this as much as I do, if the two kisses we’ve shared are any sign. Unless I read them wrong?”
Chin down, Nic glided his hands up the outsides of Cam’s arms and over his shoulders, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “You’re not wrong.”
It was a miracle Cam had held out this long. This close to what he’d desired for months, the wild part of him desperately wanted to break free, wanted to play rough and hard with Nic. “Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “You came to my place the other night. You made that move.”
“A lot can change in forty-eight hours,” Nic said, angling his face away.
Cam didn’t let him get away with it, trapping Nic’s chin between this thumb and forefinger and righting his gaze. “The way you feel about me?”
“This is messy, Boston, for a number of reasons, the least of which is you could get killed tomorrow.”
Nic’s blue eyes swirled with a stormy mix of lust and hesitation, the former on the cusp of winning out. Cam just needed to push a little harder.
4.5 Stars!
Imperial Stout is book 1 in the Trouble Brewing series, a spin-off from Ms. Reyne's Agents Irish and Whiskey series and I definitely suggest reading that series first, not only is it amazing, but we met Cam and Nick and the rest of the gang there, so it might come in handy to know most of the characters.
I loved Cam and Nick, they've been dancing around each other ever since they met and it was great to see why it's taken them so long to make a move and to get to know them better. They've both had difficult pasts, Nick being disowned at 18 and then joining the Navy and then the SEALs, until ending up as a prosecutor. And Cam having followed in his brother's footsteps and nearly ruining his life because of it, only to find his calling as an FBI agent. They were strong, mature, self-reliable men, at a stage of their lives in which they wanted more than they'd had before and finding it in the other. They had amazing chemistry and rapport and I adored that they didn't jump into anything despite their obvious attraction for each other and damn, once they give in to their desire, it was just as hot as I could have ever imagined.
It was great catching up with Aiden and Jamie, Mel and Danny and Lauren, and have them feature so prominently in this story.
The heist storyline was well thoughtout and detail-oriented without being overwhelming and it kept my interest and the parallel plotline with Nick's father was equally captivating and I can't wait to see how it will develop in the next installments.
Overall, a fantastic start for this new series, engaging, intriguing, fast-paced and action-packed. I can't wait for more!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
About Layla Reyne:
Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
Connect with Layla:
Connect with Layla Reyne: Twitter | Instagram | FB Page | FB Group | Newsletter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway:
Win a signed set of paperbacks from Layla Reyne: Imperial Stout and Blended Whiskey!
Winners in the USA will receive paperback copies of the prizes; winners from outside the contiguous USA, will receive Amazon gift card of equivalent value. Enter here:
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