Reviewed by Donna
SERIES REVIEW: Diversion Series #5 – #6
AUTHOR: Eden Winters
PUBLISHER: Rocky Ridge Books
BOOK #5 TITLE: Redemption
LENGTH: 238 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 8, 2015
BLURB:
Living is the easy part.
Agent Lucky Lucklighter and his partner escaped Mexico alive, only to plunge into bureaucratic fallout from their mission. Hell, maybe Lucky should have stayed south of the border. Especially when the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau places Bo into rehab, and Lucky’s facing both therapy and an inquiry into a fatal shooting. Watching over his shoulder for a vengeful drug lord or a cartel don calling in favors leaves his scarcely able to imagine a future for them as agents, or as lovers.
Bo Schollenberger once had a vision for their life together, but he’s bowed by the weight of his undercover work. Lucky’s hanging on by his deeply chewed fingernails, clinging to hope by making Bo’s dream of a home into reality. The last thing he needs is a phone call from a dangerous man who knows too much, summoning him back to Mexico for “An early Christmas present.”
Not when the SNB brass asks tough questions like “How well do you really know your partner?”
REVIEW:
I think that this might be my favourite book of the series. The tone is very different from all of the previous books. To me it felt as though for the first time, Lucky and Bo’s relationship was the focus, rather than a case.
At the end of the last book Bo was admitted to rehab after being pumped full of drugs during his undercover work. But despite the fact that they are once again apart I felt that Bo and Lucky were never more together. Well, after Bo got his head sorted out, anyway.
This book is all about the love for Lucky. We’re post Mexico and dealing with the fallout of that operation. Lucky’s finally admitted to himself that he’s committed to Bo and is ready to move forward with their relationship. For once it’s Bo that is pulling away, but Lucky isn’t one to give up on what he wants. Lucky changes so much in this book, not just in regards to his relationship, but also with the way he interacts with the world at large. He begins to open up to other people, particularly Johnson, who is my favourite secondary character and more than a match for Lucky’s snark.
Funnily enough, one of my favourite aspects of this story was the fact that Lucky bought a house. That house is like a symbol of how far Lucky has come, and I got a little teary when Bo finally sees the house for the first time.
And the ending of this book…oh, the ending! I feel like I finally got the answer to the “Victor” question that I’ve been wanting from the very first book. And kudos to the author – I couldn’t have imagined anything so perfect as this.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it yet, but these books have to be read in order, beginning with Diversion. It will only take that first book to get you hooked. I’m about to start reading the sixth book, and I’m actually sad that it will be my last Bo and Lucky unless the author releases another story.
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BOOK #6 TITLE: Reunion
LENGTH: 296 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2017
BLURB:
Reunions can be murder.
A dial tone instead of a human voice announced Lucky’s ousting from the Lucklighter clan over twelve years ago. After living a life of crime. After testifying against his drug lord lover. After receiving a ten-year sentence. Ah, hell. Lucky would’ve disowned himself too.
Now life’s better. He’s done his time and earned a place in the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau’s Department of Diversion Prevention and Control. He has a house. He has Bo, his partner both on and off the job. And pets. But not his folks. The worst part? He’s not sure exactly why they disowned him. Too late now—they think he’s dead.
Now his father needs a gift only Lucky can give. And Lucky’s family has something that may destroy all he believes:
The truth.
REVIEW:
This is the story that all fans of this series MUST love. A story that finally sees Bo and Lucky happily together from cover to cover. That’s not to say that there was no conflict. The story deals with Lucky’s family, so anyone who has read the series will know to expect conflict galore, but in respect to the main characters’ relationship…well, this book was kinda like one big, perfect epilogue.
Lucky and Bo are still working together for SNB, though working together often means working apart when it comes to undercover drug busting. Despite that, the two men are making a life with each other in their dream home, with their cat – Cat Lucky – and their behemoth of a dog – Moose. When it comes to these men, any glimpse of domestic bliss is like crack to me. I get all mushy when I see them finally, finally happy. After all of the drama and back and forth of the first five books, I needed this.
I’m so glad that the author decided to add this book to a series that many readers already believed finished. It gave us (and Lucky, I guess) the closure we needed in regards to Lucky’s family. The way they disowned him finally made sense and I utterly enjoyed the storyline involving them. The drama/mystery/crime plot was a little simpler than in the last few books, but that suited me just fine. My focus was on Lucky, a more vulnerable, less cocky Lucky than we met all those books ago, as he has to deal with the family that hurt him. The presence of all my favourite secondary characters was also a bonus; Loretta, Walter and even Nestor popping in to liven up Lucky’s life.
I hope that Ms. Winters decides that Bo and Lucky need at least one more book to finish their story. After all, their nice new house does have that empty nursery…
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One of my most favorite series 🙂 <3