Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Sink or Swim
SERIES: Relic Book 2
AUTHOR: Maz Maddox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 226 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2021
BLURB:
Trapped on a cruise ship with a man I absolutely hate is not how I wanted to spend this fake honeymoon. Especially when my “fiancé” has a deadly ex on the same boat.
Jackson is everything I’m not: brash, careless and a former fossil thief. But he’s my ticket to getting what I want — the original Spinosaurus fossils that have been lost for decades. Now I have to play the part, win the fossils and try not to kill him in the process.
The danger of being caught, tortured or killed isn’t what scares me.
Navigating the waters of this fake relationship is threatening to pull me under.
And I’m terrified of sinking.
REVIEW:
Sink or Swim, Book 2 in Maz Maddox’s RELIC series, sits in the unenviable position as the follow-up to the fantastic series Book 1, Smash & Grab. That introduction to the series brought us on a crazy, uber-creative, engrossing romp, and set itself up as a tough act to follow. Yet with Sink or Swim, Maz Maddox creates an equally immersive, twisty-turny, exciting adventure that lives up to the high bar set by Smash & Grab.
Sink or Swim features an enemies-to-lovers story between grumpy Baha, a member of RELIC, and Jackson, a smug cowboy with a notorious history. It just so happens that Jackson steals and smuggles the very artifacts and fossils RELIC seeks to protect. Or used to steal and smuggle. So he says. Yet for reasons unbeknownst to Baha, RELIC enlists Jackson’s help to recover some important missing fossils. RELIC learned that the fossils were stolen and are being auctioned off on an elite, invite-only cruise to the highest bidder.
Even more inexplicably, RELIC’s leader asks Baha to partner with Jackson on the mission to recover the fossils. As a (fake) couple. Together in one stateroom on the cruise. It’s sure to go swimmingly don’t you think? Just two men who hate each other, trapped in forced proximity and a fake relationship with miles and miles of blue ocean surrounding them and nowhere to escape.
Trust issues and anger fuel the simmering tension between Baha and Jackson. Baha is understandably skeptical and suspicious of Jackson’s motives. He used to help steal fossils for the very guy that is hosting the cruise and auction. Jackson has his own motivations and agenda. While he may or may not work at cross-purposes with RELIC and Baha’s goals (you have to read to find out 😉), suffice it to say that Baha and Jackson possess abysmal communication skills. Well, unless you consider punching, wrestling, and “other” physical activities to be “communication”. If so, then Baha and Jackson excel.
Ms. Maddox expertly creates this intense push-pull between the two men. She loops us into what the characters are thinking and doing. Meanwhile, Baha and Jackson stumble around and into each other trying to discern motivations and trustworthiness. Their dynamic is mesmerizing. Two large, built, alpha males resort to the equivalent of pigtail-pulling, trying to get under the other’s skin when what they really want is to get under, or on top of, something else entirely.
Baha and Jackson harbor feral instincts, which makes sense since beneath their skin they are literally dinosaurs (or dinosaur-adjacent). Ms. Maddox brings to life the multiple facets of these men. She demonstrates through amazing action sequences and super-charged interactions exactly how weak the chain that tethers them to civility really is. Both men are in total control of themselves – except when they are with each other. Their attraction and lust allow their defenses to slip and their baser instincts to surface. The story arc of their enemies-to-lovers relationship is epic. Baha thaws towards Jackson and trust and understanding between them builds. Buckle up for the finale; it’s a wild ride.
Ms. Maddox sets the book at a nice pace, with a good balance of action and relationship development. The sex scenes are crazy hot. Like, get the fire extinguisher hot. Yet Baha and Jackson both reveal deeper layers, love felt soul-deep, unwavering dedication towards each other. The breathtaking contrast between lust and love, physical and emotional, provides a strong, almost startling emotional connection for the reader.
Overall, Sink or Swim proved to be just as fun, enjoyable, and impactful as its predecessor, Smash & Grab. The book also provides much of the background and details about RELIC that we were craving at the end of Book 1. So now I’m even more hooked on the crazy escapades and improbably warm, sweet romances of the RELIC shifters and their men. Thankfully, Book 3 is already out so I’ll be loading King & Queen onto my e-reader posthaste.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: