Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Real Danger
SERIES: West Coast Forensics #2
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press
LENGTH: 248 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2021
BLURB:
How can one man be so incredibly frustrating but so sexy at the same time?
Ryder knows two things. Tragedy can strike at any moment so you have to hold tightly to the gifts life gives you. And, Shay is one of those gifts. To Ryder their fifteen-year age difference is nothing, Shay is the man he wants. Now he just needs an opportunity to plead his case with the sexy lawyer.
He gets his chance when Shay asks him to assist on a case involving a missing person, but the investigation quickly turns perilous. A stomach-churning rollercoaster ride of what the hell is going on, puts both men in danger—but from whom?
Will the two get their chance at love, or will a brutal criminal tear the future from their grasp?
age difference, thriller, Criminal Minds meets Rockford Files, tragic past, medium+ heat, reluctant lover, persistent courtship 4tw.
Real Danger, second in the West Coast Forensics series is a dual POV, age-gap, m/m romantic suspense following Shay and Ryder as they fight for their HEA.
REVIEW:
After driving his co-worker home from several states away, Ryder is forced to take a vacation on the island of Piedras. His host is Lawyer, and half-brother to Niall Hamarsson (of the Hamarsson and Dempsey series), Shay Delacombe. The attraction between them is undeniable, but given their age difference, Shay keeps any budding romance at arm’s length. Nevertheless, Ryder is a determined young man who knows what he wants – age difference be damned. Ryder’s quest is further helped when Shay does a favor for the local Piedras fire chief, and they team up. Neither expected the favor to turn into a criminal investigation.
I eagerly anticipated reading Real Danger. This is mainly because of the return to Piedras – a place whose population consists of delightfully wild, sweet, and wonderful people alongside some awesomely uniformed personnel. Throughout several past novels, Shay Delacombe has also been a growing, tall, dark, and handsome character whose story I was eager to hear. While the adventure he and Ryder embark on is interesting and entertaining, it takes them away from Piedras, a place that, for me, was part of the magic that makes this series, and I felt somewhat bereft of some characters I’d grown to love.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Shay and Ryder. I received an uncorrected proof and therefore won’t be commenting on any technical aspects. For those who love a complete picture, worldbuilding is comprehensive, and a few cast members from previous stories briefly appear. The lady who had the most impact was Shay’s aunt, Claribel, whose fleeting time on the page was memorable and scene-stealing. This aging lady is the epitome of the Piedras community.
Ryder is the quintessential geek, and Shay is the suited, gorgeous lawyer. Both have stories of their past, and it is their pasts that make them who they are. One is guarded, the other…not – which makes these men complement one another. Much is made of the age difference between the two. While the writing makes it sound like Ryder is barely an adult, the timelines show that he’s a couple of birthdays off thirty. Given the information provided, I found myself spending too much time going over the timelines calculating age, which diverted me from the main story. Nevertheless, the age aspect allows the reader to see Shay’s vulnerable side and his underlying reasons for holding back from Ryder – which was a real treat and beyond endearing.
The beginning of each chapter contains a series of texts between Shay and Ryder. I believe their inclusion demonstrates Ryder’s persistence and provides a way of getting to know the characters on a personal level. In the early chapters, they were informative and entertaining. However, in later chapters, I found them rather random and out of sync with the story itself, to the point where I only gave them a fleeting glance, for the sake of story flow.
Overall, I enjoyed the investigative and personal stories within Real Danger. And the end certainly gets the heart pumping. But, the distractions, and the fact that much of the setting was outside the Piedras borders definitely affected my reading pleasure. I wanted to like it more. Shay and Ryder are loveable. But for me, the Piedras universe makes these tales unique – otherwise, it is another charming detective story with likable characters. I look forward to returning to the island more in the next book.
RATING: 
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