chymerra
Written on Jul 12, 2017
Alec was introduced in Guarding Mr. Fine as Rick’s ex-boyfriend. While he was only in Guarding Mr. Fine in small bits, he had me intrigued. So when I saw that HelenKay Dimon had started a new series and he was going to be one of the main characters, I was pretty pumped. The more into the story that I got, the more I liked him and the more I felt bad for him. During the scene where he told Gaige about his family and the trauma of finding his sister after she committed suicide, I felt awful for him. I also felt awful for him when he revealed his relationship with his father and uncle and I thought to myself “No wonder he keeps everyone but his brothers at arm’s length“.
Gaige, I had a tougher time liking. I don’t know why but I had a really hard time connecting to him at first. I think it was the circumstances in which the reader was introduced to him. I did eventually warm up to him by mid-book after he saved Alec’s life and I got more background on him. I really thought what his ex did was awful but what Seth was doing to Gaige was worse. By the end of the book, I liked him. He definitely more than made up for my first disconnection from him.
The attraction between Gaige and Alec was immediate and guess what, there was no Instalove!! While I felt that the sexual part of the relationship was a bit rushed, the “L” word wasn’t even mentioned until later in the book….after the events at the seed vault. With great attraction comes mind-blowing sex and these two were like bunnies throughout the book. The sex scenes were page burning hot.
Now the plotline about the seed vault was pretty original and I liked how it tied into Alec’s job. But I was very disappointed in how Seth was portrayed. He came across as a huge jerk who enjoyed needling both Gaige and Alec. It drove me nuts because I remember him being a different way in Guarding Mr. Fine. I just wish that he was written to be less of a jerk. Honestly, his interactions with both Gaige and Alec kind of ruined parts of the book for me.
Back to the plotline. I was pretty surprised who the bad guy turned out to be. Very surprised. It was a twist that definitely took me by surprise. The end of the book, after the twist, was pretty standard with an HEA. I am pretty excited to read Finn’s story next and see who is his perfect match!!
How many stars will I give Dirty Deeds: 3
Why: While I liked the story, the romance, and the sex, I had a hard time connecting to Gaige in the beginning. Couple with Seth being a jerk and it brought the rating down for me. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading the book.
Will I reread: Maybe
Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe
Age range: Adult
Why: Sex, violence, and language
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**