Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: Six Degrees of Separation

SERIES: By Degrees: Book Two

AUTHOR: Taylor V. Donovan

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 350 Pages

BLURB:

2nd Edition

FBI team leader Samuel Shaughnessy and bar manager Machlan O’Bannon are exploring a new phase in their non-relationship. The intention is to take it slowly, but power plays are still their favorite activity, and it isn’t long before lines begin blurring. After ending their friends with benefits agreement, no rules are left in place to guide them, and soon the only thing that’s clear is that neither man is fighting hard enough to reestablish the boundaries.

Their situations haven’t improved in the three months since their first encounter. Sam is still focused on his immediate family issues, and everything indicates Mac will have to go to war with his own family before he can reclaim his freedom. The last thing they need is additional complications.

But when the opening of a nightclub brings Mac to New York City and a break in the Leviticus investigation leads Sam to Houston, they discover how closely their worlds have been connected from the beginning. Hiding from the life-altering collision is not an option. They can take the easier road and go their separate ways or come to terms with their pasts and take a chance on each other.

REVIEW:

Well, this book was…I’m not even sure what to say. I was thrown into the story and was taken on such a wild ride that I was surprised when it ended.

So, this book picks up directly after the first book ended with Sam and Mac enjoying the last night/day of their holiday together. They are moving their relationship is progressing quite nicely. Throughout the entire book, it was a pleasure to see their relationship continue to grow. That Sam could finally admit to himself just how much he loved Mac and really wanted to be with him. How Mac was able to finally say the words that he’s wanted to say.

There was the mystery/suspense going on that actually had me really intrigued with finding out who it was. You think you knew what was happening and then…BAM…not what you thought was happening. Bit by bit and piece by piece…Sam and his team were unraveling the mystery of who this guy was. I have to say that Taylor really knocked it out of the park with the clues given and the way she kept you guessing as to what was happening and making you work for it, just like Sam and the Gang had to. I love that, the guessing and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Loved It!

Now the were a bunch of characters going on in this book and again…I was like…Who ARE These People?!?! However, as the story went along…I figured everyone out and that made it a whole lot confusing. I was however SHOCKED that these people never put who the other person was. It was totally ridiculous that I made the connections who everyone was and I’m surprised as all get out that these intelligent people couldn’t do the same and were SURPRISED when it all started coming to light. I just shook my head at the silliness of it all.  However, it’s a really good play off of the title.

Now the stories of Sam and Mac when they weren’t dealing with their relationship to each other and actually dealing with their families…now that was some good stuff. I liked how Mac was ready and truly willing to put it all on the line, not just for his kids, but for his relationship with Sam. I liked how Mac was finally ready for war if need be in dealing with Amy and his mom regarding his kids and the fact that he’s finally ready and able to FINALLY be free to be out and proud!! Sam…now I really felt for him. He’s taken on the responsibility for his nephew as his sister was in an abusive relationship and is suffering from the conditioning that she’s been through. She’s not being a very good mother as she’s wallowing and her son is paying the price. Sam is trying his very best to keep the home fire burning and keeping everyone healthy and moving forward, yet it’s trying at times. Sam is also working this case that is just full of questions and answers are coming slowly but surely.

This is the second book in the Six Degrees series and it was a whooper!! I didn’t read the first book so, it was a race to kind of catch up on what had occurred in the previous book. I would say that even though I got the gist of what had happened in the first book, this is not really a standalone book, the first book would have made reading this book easier as I would have already known the characters and understood what was happening.

I have to say that I’m not a big fan of cliffhangers in stories as I want to finish a book and have everything be finished. I don’t mind if the same characters are about, but I want whatever is happening in the book to come to some sort of conclusion. This didn’t happen that way. There is just too much going on in order for that to happen and I get that…however, it’s a personal pet peeve of mine.

Overall, this was a really wonderful book filled with wonderful fully dimensional characters that leapt off the page. There is a really intriguing mystery happening and trying to solve it is really a full on challenge. I LOVED IT!! I would suggest reading the first book as this is the second in the series and I’m sure that the large cast of characters would make more sense coming in as well as the relationship between Mac and Sam.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner press

Amazon

ARe