Barrel Proof

Barrel Proof (2017) Layla Reyne

(finishes previous book)

(literally scrambles to start this book)

Don’t even bother reading this if you didn’t read the previous two. You have no reason to read this without the others, and you shouldn’t, because she does a fabulous job building the characters and their relationships and everything in the previous two books, that get us where we are here.

As you may (or may not) have remembered, I had issues with the first book, in that Jamie and Aiden are partners, which is a big no-no. And Mel (their boss and Aiden’s sister-in-law) is essentially running a private investigation without letting her higher-ups know.

All of these things are problems, and those issues are acknowledged in this book, as well as the side issue of Jamie continuing to hack on the side. For work, yes, but that doesn’t actually make it better in a legal or ethical sense. There are other ethical issues that come up (some of which reinforce why partners should NOT be romantically involved) and those are addressed as well, which I really appreciated.

This book moves FAST. If I’d been able, I could easily have torn through all three books in a single sitting (alas, I must work). So the mystery was good, the pace was unrelenting, and the romance was good–with problems that stemmed from the choices both men made and having to come to terms with those decisions.

I really liked this series.

Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: 9/10

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