Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Hunter

SERIES: Brawlers #4

AUTHOR: J.M. Dabney

PUBLISHER: Hostile Whispers Press

LENGTH: 198 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2018 2nd edition

BLURB:

Welcome to Brawlers Bar…

If there was a way to destroy his life, Hunter Black could do it. He was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Survival was his only priority and having to leave his old life behind that meant a job of the legal variety. He’d found one as a bartender at Brawlers Bar and a safe place in a huge house with the rest of the bar crew who quickly became the family he’d never had. The one thing Hunter didn’t need was his old life tracking him down.

Deputy Wren Gramble hated his job and his weekend assignment of staking out a bar in the middle of nowhere waiting for drunks. Although he’d heard the homophobic and racist jokes going around about the crew and customers, he kept his head down and stuck to his job and nothing else. He despised being driven back into the closet, but he’d reached the end of the line and what he’d do if he earned another transfer he didn’t know.

Linus Trenton was considered the normal one in his family and according to the weird ones that meant he should be punished daily. He never came out one way or another, if he found someone attractive he was attracted. His life was complicated enough having a crush on the sweet and awkward Hunter but now he had to throw Wren into the mix. Linus didn’t have time for dating or romance, most of the time he didn’t even think about having a sex life, although, Wren and Hunter were ruining his calm.

Hunter was in lust with the handsome deputy the minute the man pulled him over, but a man like that wouldn’t give him the time of day. His friend, Linus, was another matter altogether. Hunter wanted both. His bosses made it work with their man, why couldn’t he? Could Hunter prove he wasn’t as much of a screw up as he appeared or would he have to call in backup to claim his men?

NOTE: THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF HUNTER HAD FORMATTING ISSUES. THE NEW VERSION IS CORRECTED AND THE UNEXPLAINED NUMBERING OF PARAGRAPHS HAS BEEN REMOVED. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISTAKE. THANK YOU.

REVIEW:

I was always a bit curious about Hunter, ever since I laid eyes on him. He was a part of the Brawlers, yeah, but he wasn’t really a fighter. He was the brains. But he was always quiet and every time you turned around he was injuring himself on something. So we get to see his story in this one and it’s a whopper.

Hunter, lately, has been feeling a bit jealous. Every time he turns around someone is screwing someone else somewhere. If it’s not Crave making Twitch scream to the skies, it was Psycho screwing Ben outside for everyone to see, and now Bull and Gregory. What was so wrong with him that no one would love him….The problem is, Hunter doesn’t see there are two men watching him. One has been watching him for a long, long time, but was trying to be slow and easy, knowing Hunter was skittish. But Linus was in love with Hunter, hands down. And now Wren, the newest cop, was making a move on Hunter and Linus may have lost his chance. Until he gets drunk one night and kisses the dickens out of Hunter. Well, Hunter knew he had to tell Wren and then Wren and Linus both discussed what it would be like if all three could form a relationship. If Linus was game to it. Well, Linus is very much interested and the three of them start something that is very explosive. But when Linus is injured in an op, Hunter is the last to know and he’s pissed. And Wren isn’t happy either, because everyone thinks Linus has a death wish and he’s not going to allow it. They are in this together and if Linus makes this out alive, they are all going to have a serious talk. The talk got put on hold, though, for another op. But in passing a comment was made and Hunter is now pulling away. Linus and Wren have to get to the bottom of this before they lose the one man that made all this come together and keep them glued together.

I should have mentioned this earlier, but this does deal a bit with physical abuse. Hunter was physically abused as a child and two other children were found abused later on. It doesn’t go into great detail so there shouldn’t be any trigger problems, but to be on the safe side, it’s here for you to know ahead of time. 

I love all the guys in these series, but there are certain ones that have just hit me a little harder than the others. And that’s saying a lot, considering what pretty much all the guys from all the crews have been through some ordeal or another. Hunter is one of those that hit me a little harder than the others. Even before this story, there was just something about him. He was determined to make himself invisible, even though he’s a damn good bartender. But he keeps to himself for the most part and is super quiet. Just the way he always acted, I knew something was up from his past. And when he was so down on himself being surrounded by all those couples, it nearly broke me in half. So I was so happy when Wren made a move. Even though it made Linus mad at first. And then I was even happier because both decided to stake their claim on him. Hunter needed that. He needed not one but two men to make him constantly feel loved and adored each and every day. It’s a big job, because of his past. And Linus and Wren were determined to make it known every day. And I loved them even more for it. Hunter needed love and affection. Someone that didn’t care about his past or that he has a bit of a soft belly or was hairy as hell. He needed someone that loved every inch of him for the way he was and boy did he get it. In double doses.

I’m so ready to see how the next series in this batch takes off. From what I can see, Ghost will be the next one up. He’s Gregory’s cousin, if you haven’t figured that out and also from what I can see, the only m/f of the bunch. So we will see. Damn I love these crazy ass guys.

RATING: 

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