Review: "Sticks & Stones" by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
And the fangirling continues...
Sticks & Stones is the second book in the Cut & Run series by the duo that was Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux. Here we find our favorite partners against crime, FBI Special Agents Ty Brady and Zane Garrett, being forced to go on vacation by their superior, Assistant Director Richard Burns. Ty invites Zane to visit his family in his hometown of Bluefield, West Virginia, hoping for some much needed downtime for both of them. Naturally, where Ty and Zane go, trouble is sure to follow...
Ty's family, composed of his parents, Earl and Mara, his younger brother, Deacon aka Deuce, and his grandfather, Chester, is a close-knit one but there are still certain things that have been left unsaid, one of which is Ty's sexuality (although Deuce knows about that particular tidbit). Ty also has one particular reason for taking Zane with him--Deuce is a psychiatrist and Ty hopes Zane will feel comfortable enough to talk to him about his issues.
As part of their vacation plans, Ty, Zane, Earl, and Deuce follow the trail up the mountains, and while Zane is a little out of his element, they begin to notice certain things that seem off. They then stumble upon a group of treasure hunters who are hellbent on getting what they're looking for. The four men are forced into a life and death situation that bring out the best and worst in them.
The conversations between Ty and Deuce were some of my favorites. The love, respect, and trust between the brothers can clearly be seen, and even though Ty has his secrets, it seems that Deuce is one of the very few that Ty would turn to, knowing that they will always have each other's backs. It's also obvious that Deuce's gift of observation gives him the ability to come up with his special insight on what's been going on between Ty and Zane.
Now, about Ty and Zane... There were moments where I felt my chest tightening while reading this book. It was a good kind of chest tightening, usually a sign that I'm deeply affected by whatever it is I'm reading, and they had to do with realizations that Ty. By the end, I fell even more in love with him...and with Zane too, of course! I love these guys as individuals AND as a couple. ^.^ Warned you there was going to be fangirling!
As for my rating... Well, it shouldn't really come as a surprise anymore, right? I'm giving Sticks & Stones five stars. Now, go and get yourself a copy. I don't care if it's digital or traditional. Just get one and see why this series is so loved and has such a loyal fan following. Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux did it again! ♥
Date read: 18 August 2014
Grab a copy of Sticks & Stones and Ms. Urban's and Ms. Roux's other books at: Amazon (MU) | Amazon (AR) | Barnes & Noble (MU) | Barnes & Noble (AR)
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