REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: Roped
Series: Guards of Folsom Book 4
AUTHOR: SJD Peterson
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 210 pages
Blurb:
Life has been known by a series of constants. Violence, anger, drugs, sex, death, heartbreak, pain, fear and the most common, hunger. Always hunger. Not the kind that can be satisfied with food, but the kind born of circumstance. The kind that not only claws within a gut, but settles into a heart, consumes a mind. Deeper. Encircles, penetrates the soul. Hunger for something more, something better, safer. Always just out of grasp.
Craving. Starved.
It’s part of me.
Who I am.
Born of blood and violence, hunger is my fate.
Yet, the slightest things can change the directions of a life. An unplanned circumstance, random act—a connection—a chance event, like a lightning strike, fate trumped.
Jamie is my lightning strike.
Tek Cain
Tek Cain was cultivated from birth to lead the motorcycle gang, Crimson Eight. Jamie Ryan, his best friend, is destined to be his second. But forbidden desires have them questioning everything they know, and an undeniable bond makes them want more than their supposed brotherhood can provide. Their love could get them killed, but they are bound to each other—from the cradle to the grave.
Review:
I have to say that I was very excited to read this book from SJD Peterson. I’ve read all the other books in the series and have loved every single one. The men of Folsom are amazing people and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them all.
Tek Cain and Jamie Ryan are no different. Best friends since birth, they have spent their whole lives together, taking care of each other and learning about life as a team. It’s natural to be close after all that time, but Tek and Jamie are like two halves of the same whole and it takes a horrible act of violence for them to finally admit what it really means to both of them.
Once they figure it out, they are closer than ever but it puts them in a bad position. The life they live is full of danger and because of the love they have for each other, the danger comes from friends as well as enemies.
I loved the character build up in this story. Ms. Peterson outdoes herself in making Tek and Jamie into people that I became completely enamoured with. Right from the beginning, the devotion the two men have is attractive and compelling and I found myself cheering out loud for them.
The fact that we get to see some of my favorite characters from the other stories was a wonderful bonus, although not unexpected as their lives are all so intertwined.
The sex scenes are smoking hot (I think my hair might still be smoldering) but full of love and tenderness as well.
I did have one problem with this book though. Throughout the whole thing there was this wonderful building of tension and emotion and I kept waiting for something to happen. Something big…and nothing ever does, at least not what I was expecting.
The writing is marvelous and I love these characters, but in a way, I feel like someone handed me the first half of a novel and said “you can have the other half later.” And yes, I know this is leading into the next book in the series, but I just thought it would be a little more self-contained like the other books were. Once the first third of the book was over, there was no real angst…the perfect, slow build-up I enjoyed immensely, but the ending sort of left me feeling cheated.
Of course I will be the first in line to buy the next book in the series because I can’t wait to find out what the author has in store for the Tek and Jamie and all the rest of the men of Folsom.
Rating: 
Buy Links:
Thanks for the review. Looking forward to reading this. I have it on my kindle, just waiting for me to find some time (probably won’t be for a few weeks, though, what with my review schedule for the next couple of weeks). Hoping the warning will help me pace myself, though part of my kinda wants to wait till the next one comes out to read this one. Arrgh! Choices, choices…