Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Salesman Mateo

SERIES: The Lonely Heroes (Book 6)

AUTHOR: Sam E. Kraemer

PUBLISHER: Kaye Klub Publishing

LENGTH: 389 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2021

BLURB:

A strong sense of loyalty courses through the lifeblood of the Torrente family, and as a member, Mateo is duty-bound to move to America to assist his favorite cousin, Gabriele, when threats are made against the family. Mateo possesses a skillset that is required to protect Gabriele’s children and to assist in identifying a traitor in their midst.

The job seems easy… until Mateo meets the one man who reminds him that, in his profession, it’s wise to remain without encumbrances—emotional or otherwise. No one with a conscience will accept Mateo’s profession, so he fights his own desires for the kind of happiness he sees around him in New York, resigned to be forever without love… though a little fling never hurt anyone.

Shay Barr is a talented hair stylist and barber. His reputation is golden, and his prestigious client list is a who’s who of New York society. His future is bright as long as his secrets stay buried in the past. When Shay receives unsettling news from home, he’s reminded why he ran at eighteen, and now, it seems history is set to repeat itself. The pack of religious zealots Shay barely escaped as a teen have found another lamb—to convert or to slaughter—and Shay is determined to save him, but how?

When Mateo Torrente walks into DyeV Barr with a teary-eyed little girl Shay thinks of as part of his found family, the chemistry is explosive. Unbeknownst to either man, the other is exactly who he needs. With one “Torrente” smile, Shay is enraptured by Mateo, but there is danger lurking in the shadows.

Will the Salesman and the Barber be able to escape the perils at their heels or will they become love’s martyrs to save each other?

REVIEW:

Wow! This series just keeps getting better and better. These lonely heroes have captured my heart and won’t let go…and I’m totally fine with that!

Mateo Torrente is the  son of Giuseppe Torrente, owner of Golden Elite Associates in Italy, and the one who takes care of “things” and cleans up “messes” that need to be “taken care off”. He is a solitary man that does what he has to do to get things done. He is Rafael Bianco’s brother, the famous New York Chef and restauranteur. He is also cousin’s and very close to Gabriele Torrente, who runs GEA-A. When things start heating up with the Mangello family after pieces of Giancarlo Mangello started showing up around the world Mateo is sent to America to keep little Dylan and Searcy, Dex and Gabe’s children that they adopted that were Dex’s late sisters, safe and protected. Little did he realize that when Dylan tormented his sister by putting gum in her hair and then cut it out with the pocket knife his Nonno had given him he would come face-to-face with the beautiful and sassy barber that would capture his heart. Shay Barr is still not in a good place. He feels deep guilt for being gay and the torment his bible-thumping hillbilly homophobic family inflicted on him to chase away the demons that he was supposedly possessed by. They were nothing more than sadists disguised as a preacher and his brother taking joy from torturing the wicked. But can two lonely men, one plagued by years a family abuse and one the family killer, ever make a go of it or are the odds to stacked against them?

I have been waiting impatiently for the release of this book like I did all the rest since I read Hank’s book first. Let me tell you…this book definitely did not disappoint! It was action packed from the moment I turned the first page until I read the last word. I never wanted it to end! Somehow I thought this was the last book in the series however I can joyfully tell you that there are at least two more! Thank goodness!!!

I loved both these men. The tortured Shay and the ruthless Mateo were the perfect match. They could see beyond the flaws to the pure heart that loved them. I will say that I wanted to thunk Mateo over the head more than once and expected several of the heroes to do it too. And I loved that both men were extremely loyal to the parts of their families that deserved their loyalty.

There were so many different twists and intrigue plots going on in this book that you had to pay close attention to all the individual sub-plots. Between the on-going Torrente/Mangello feud and crazy demented Barr clan there was never a dull moment.

I did love that we got to see most of the “Heroes” for at least a bit in this book and it sounds like we will get to be around them some more soon in the next book. Shep and Parker’s bachelor party should prove to be a eventful one with all these men and their significant others.

I can’t recommend this series enough. Is there violence and death…yes but it is also jam-packed with love and sexy times. I literally couldn’t set this book down it was that great!

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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