Sex in Seattle Series Spotlight!

 As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them?

This 101 page story is about a who-done-it mixed in with an insta-lust, love. Tony is a retired police officer now a P.I hired by what is thought suicide victim family. Jack is a doctor, retired Army hurt in the line of duty now working at a Sex therapy clinic. 

Tony is following a lead that Marilyn, the suicide victim, was a patient at the clinic and decides to fake being a patient to see if he can get any information from her Doctor, Jack. It just so happens that Tony actually does have a real problem and ends up talking to Jack about it while solving the who –done-it case. Jack is a wreck since coming back from the war, he almost lost his arm and basically this is the only job he could get. Although he enjoys he’s work he is still having issues, mentally and physically. Both men believe because of these issues no one will ever want them. But it’s amazing what a little sex therapy can cure.

This was a quick fun read. No heavy thinking, no heavy plot lines, just good fun. When an author uses a phrase like “picky dick” you know you’re in for a treat. I enjoyed the growth of both these MC’s. And learned something new, glad the bad guy was caught at the end. My only complaint was is I do like a little more depth to my reading. But if you are looking for a light hearted book to make you smile, than these two MC’s is it.

 

I really enjoy Eli Easton’s books. Unwrapping Hank was the first one I read and this is the second. There are books you love to read and enjoy because of the depth and the connection to the characters and then there are the books you love to read because they are just fun and easy reading. Easton’s are part of the latter group.

Tony DeMarco is a PI and has agreed to investigate a young woman’s death. The only problem is the man he investigates is the best looking guy he’s seen in quite a while. Jack Halloran, doctor and sex therapist, feels his life was cut off after shrapnel took a huge bite out of him in Iraq. Feeling attracted to a new patient was not in the plan.

Don’t expect a lot of depth in Easton’s stories, but you can expect to laugh, root for the two heroes, and come out of it with an incredible desire to read it again along with every one of her books. One of the highest compliments I can pay is to say there is not any angst in her stories and for that alone she’d get two thumbs up. The one thing this story missed is I actually would have loved even more interaction with Tony’s Italian mother back in Brooklyn. She was a great character and we only heard from her twice. One last thing – if you are looking for melt-your-panties off sex, this isn’t going to do it for you. The sex scene was okay, but nothing truly exciting.

There is one thing I will bring out – only because this is the second time I’ve seen it in a book in as many days. A person does not have another think coming. They have another thing coming. For that, I blame editing. As I have found the same mistake in two books by the same publisher, I think their editors need to look for that.

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Business tycoon Daniel Derenzo lives for his work until his dying father reminds him life is short. When Daniel starts to reevaluate his world he experiences a startling revelation—he’s attracted to his business partner and best friend, Nick, even though Daniel always believed himself to be straight. In typical type-A fashion, Daniel dissects his newfound desires with the help of the experts at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic. He goes after Nick with the fierce determination that’s won him many a business deal.

Nick Ross was in love with Daniel years ago, when they were roommates in college. But Daniel was straight and Nick patched his broken heart by marrying Marcia. Two kids and fourteen years later, they go through the motions of their marriage like ships passing in the night. But Nick’s kids mean the world to him, and he’s afraid he’ll never get joint custody if they divorced. If he can trust his heart to an awakening Daniel, they all might find their way to a happily ever after.

This is book two in the Sex in Seattle series. And I have to say, I goofed and read Michael’s book as book two. Reading them out of order didn’t do anything to confuse me or lessen my opinion in anyway. All of these can be read as stand alone.

This one has lots of players, Daniel, Daniel father Frank, Daniel business partner and best friend Nick, Nick’s wife Marcia and their two children and Marcia’s mother.  Daniel and Nick are at a business meeting in Hong Kong when Daniel at age 34, has his first gay sexual thought about Nick. This freaks him out and he seeks the help of Dr. Halloran and Expanded Horizons. After discussing the issue and getting guidance from Michael, Daniel now believes, he’s GFY with Nick, he just needs to prove to Nick that this is not a one night thing, that Daniel loves him and wants a life with him and Nick’s kids. Nick has always known he was bi-sexual. But years ago, he’s wife found some gay porn on his computer and ever since then has been toeing the line, so she doesn’t take the children away from him. Now Daniel has opened his eyes to a bright new world, can he really believe it’s true?

 My one HUGE issue with this book, too much whiny female in my male/male book! If I wanted that much whine I would pick up a MF book (which I stopped reading for that very reason). I get that Daniel is now discovering himself and GFY, I get that Nick is married and needs out of that relationship first, even though we did get slip and they did cheat. But Marcia doesn’t need to be the focus of MM story.  I did enjoy that Daniel tried to build a relationship with the kids, knowing they would be a big part of Nick’s world.  I liked that Frank and Daniel bonded and forgave at the end of Frank’s life. 

 

And we have a hit out of the park for Enlightenment of Daniel. Second book in Eli Easton’s Sex in Seattle series – which brings the characters together in an upscale sex therapy clinic – this story hit all the right notes.

This is a multi point of view story – most of it from Daniel and Nick’s POV,  but the author added a third point of view, which usually I dislike but I have to admit worked perfectly here.

Daniel, in trying to deal with his father’s coming death, also suddenly has to deal with feelings for his best friend that shocked him. Was he gay? Or did he just need to get laid? After seeing Dr. Halloran *from the first book in the series The Trouble with Tony* Daniel soon is very sure of his sexuality and the one person he wants more than anything is his best friend Nick, who is bisexual. One huge problem. Nick’s married with two kids.

In many books, this could be a major bad thing, but it’s obvious Nick and Marcia’s marriage is a sham and going downhill fast. When it comes out that she is using their children to keep Nick in the marriage, well, as a reader, I was completely behind when Daniel, his father, and their lawyer effectively go to war to get Nick divorced from Marcia without her destroying his life. (Which incidentally almost brought tears to my eyes.)

When the boom is lowered into Marcia’s lap, I love how Ms. Easton played it. The actual reason Nick’s Ex signed the papers made so much sense because even though we were not told in so many words, as a reader I knew what Marcia had to be thinking when she read a letter from her deceased father. That the author then brought everything and everyone important together in the epilogue… well, I was one very happy person.

A Definite 5 stars and I can hardly wait to jump into the third in the series, The Mating of Michael.

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Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it's cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his spare time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise.

James Gallway’s life is slowly but inexorably sliding downhill. He wrote a best-selling science fiction novel at the tender age of eighteen, while bedridden with complications of polio. But by twenty-eight, he's lost his inspiration and his will to live. His sales from his J.C. Guise books have been in decline for years. Wheelchair bound, James has isolated himself, convinced he is unlovable. When he is forced to do a book signing and meets Michael Lamont, he can’t believe a guy who looks like Michael could be interested in a man like him.

Michael and James are made for each other. But they must let go of stubbornness to see that life finds a way and love has no limitations.

Oh this book was simply amazing!  The characterization was so well done that I felt like I knew both of these men.  Michael is such a sweet man who embodies the spirit and purpose of nursing.  It was so wonderful to read a book where nursing is portrayed as someone’s passion and true calling in life.  But while he truly loves nursing it is his work as a sexual surrogate that brings him the most emotional fulfillment and the most ridicule as a result of this he doesn’t share this part of himself with many.

James is such a sweet man and so troubled.  He is ashamed of being wheelchair bound and feels like he doesn’t have anything to offer someone who is “whole”.  James and Michael are two people who need the other in order to feel truly accepted.  Watching these two men battle their inner demons so they can truly accept one another was painful at times but so worth the emotional turmoil.

I loved the story of James and Michael but I also loved the book that J.C. Guise wrote in honor of Michael.  I would love to read that story so if I there can’t be another book containing James and Michael then I would like that one please! Overall a wonderful book and while I did not read the other books in the series and was not lost I would still read them because I am sure they are just as good.

This is the third one in the series, Sex in Seattle. Michael’s story

We met Michael in the first book, The Trouble with Tony. And yes we have cross over and yes I just got done reading that book, I feel like you could read this one, The Mating of Michael as standalone and be ok.

Michael is a nurse, he has a day job as a home health care provider and on occasion he provides a unique service, Sex Surrogacy. Even though he loves this job, it has cost him a few relationships. Guys just don’t understand that’s its clinical not sexual. While Michael was at a surrogacy patient’s home, they gave him a clipping to an Author signing he and his mother thought he may be interested in. James has been hiding behind his authors pen name and disorder for over ten years, and finally he’s publishers and his PR friend have told him, for him to continue he must start doing events. Since he lives in the Seattle area, he’s heading to a local book store for his first public appearance.   Michael is over the moon that he is finally meeting the man he has secretly had a crush on for ten years. But the first meeting doesn’t go so well, nor does the next. Finally Michael breaks down James defenses and they start dating. But on big secret let out at the wrong time will have this come crashing down.

Where’s as book one was light hearted and fun this one was very much dramatic, dark and deeper. I liked the fact that the author didn’t sugar coat or gloss over the harder details of how difficult life can be, wheel chair bound. The mental anguish that James goes through just having to deal with going to someone’s house for the first time, Michael having to not revert to his nurses training and just be a boyfriend. Makes you think. I liked the sub story of the continuing cases for the surrogacy clinic.

The first thing I must say is that I wish I hadn’t given the Enlightenment of Daniel, #2 in Ms. Easton’s Sex in Seattle Series, 5 stars –not because it didn’t deserve it, because EoD definitely deserved 5 stars. It was a fantastic book. No, the reason is because The Mating of Michael was even SO MUCH BETTER! Wow. Simply. Wow.  (I kind of feel like Michael reading one of James’ books.)

Ms. Easton has outdone herself. This dual point of view story takes us through the romance of Michael Lamont, nurse and sexual surrogate and James Galloway, sci-fi author, recluse, and man with severe trust issues. She has let us into the heads of these two so that while each side is in the right and has been wronged, as a reader, I just felt for both of them. James, a polio victim from the time he was 6 years old, with no use of his legs. Michael, a man with enough heart for 10 people who just wants to help out.

But it wasn’t just the lead characters that we got to know. No, I also fell in love with Marnie, one of Michael’s nursing patients: in her eighties, brash as all get out, and such a wonderfully painted character. Tommy, the severely burned 21-year old and his mother. Even both of Michael’s and James’ mothers. Man, I even adored James’ agent.

But as if this amazingly wonderful love story wasn’t more than good enough for 5 stars, the author gave us a taste of something else. A sci-fi romance that James writes toward the end of the novel, based on the love that emanates from Michael. She gives the readers bits and pieces all the way along to a sci-fi/romance book titled Sentimental Cyanide. All I can say is: Ms. Easton, your fans need that book! And the sequel, too. *wink*

As I said, this story deserves the highest rating we can give it, so 5-stars will have to do.

As a strange aside, there is one scene I would have LOVED to read. It wasn’t needed for the story and may have not even been written. But the scene where Marnie comes to James’ home and effectively dresses him down for the pain Michael is in – oh, I would love to read that scene. She’s so forthright and in your face. But, that’s just a pie wish. So not needed when all’s said and done.

The Mating of Michael – an intensely wonderful, fantastic, mind-boggling, stick-your-butt-to-the-seat-because-you-can’t-stop-reading novel.

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