Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: mountains that move
SERIES: Kings of Airlie, Book 2
AUTHOR: Casey Cox
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 272 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2022
BLURB:
This season, I’ve got a lot to defend…
He’s known as ‘the angry one,’ the middle brother with a chip the size of an asteroid on his shoulders. Trouble seems to follow Troy King wherever he goes. What no one realizes is that Troy’s broody, angsty exterior masks a lifetime of pain, torment, and trauma––and a long-held secret that threatens to tear his already dysfunctional family even further apart.
The only place Troy feels in control is in the water, and this year, he’s determined to win his third world championship title. But that dream gets disrupted by a series of anonymous, online death threats. What’s even worse is that the person called in to protect him is the only man who brings him undone: Kaide Thompson.
Kaide’s mission is simple––keep Troy safe. But Kaide and Troy share a seven-year history. One that takes complicated and messy to a whole other level. Their chemistry is electrifying; their attraction undeniable; their dynamic as magnetic and destructive as ever. But they’ve been down this road before… Twice… And it always ends the same way.
Despite Troy doing everything he can to push him away, Kaide isn’t backing down this time. He’s prepared to do whatever it takes to not only keep Troy safe, but also help him find a way to deal with his pain. Even if it means he’ll have to walk away from the only man he’s ever loved.
To achieve his dream, Troy needs to double down and focus on winning the championship. But with his life in danger, the season spinning out of control, his family more dysfunctional than ever, and a lifetime of secrets simmering just below the surface, will Kaide be there for him when the horrific truth finally comes out?
Kings of Airlie is an exhilarating, action-packed MM romance sports trilogy about love, brotherhood and resilience––with a powerful message that dreams don’t die, they just sometimes change.
Each book in the series has a new love story with a happily ever after. With continuing family and competition plots, the books do need to be read in order.
REVIEW:
Casey Cox continues his latest series, Kings of Airlie, with mountains that move. The series focuses on the King family — uber-successful kitesurfers from Airlie Beach, Australia, who are considered royalty within the circuit. The storyline continues from book to book, so even though each book focus on a different couple, you must read them in order.
The first book, oceans that swim, portrays the story of Terry King, the youngest King brother, and childhood friend of the family, Richie Brown. This book picks up with the relationship between the middle brother, Troy King, dubbed “the troublemaker”, and his on-again-off-again boyfriend Kaide, a police officer turned private security. While these stories are romances, the backbone of them all is the dysfunctional King family dynamics between the three boys, Terry, Troy and Travis, their father, the egocentric kitesurfing legend Trenton ‘King of the Air’ King, the boys’ estranged mother Debra, and their Uncle Tim.
The three boys are famous in the kitesurfing world not just because of their extreme talent, but because of the spotlight cast on them through their Kings of Airlie reality TV show. Their whole life seems to revolve around controlling public perception, resulting in an enormous amount of deception and pretending to be something they’re not. Troy is perhaps the biggest perpetrator of lies and secrets as we learn over the course of mountains that move.
mountains that move is the weightiest story I’ve read from Cox, usurping book one, oceans that swim, as the titleholder. It’s dark, gritty, violent (albeit mostly off-page), and emotionally draining. The plot is cohesive, perhaps even moreso than oceans, but it is fairly predictable in its unfolding horror. Cox handles Troy and Kaide’s relationship well, and they have obvious chemistry. The push/pull nature of their relationship is intriguing and provides the framework for the story, even as the stalker “mystery” and Troy’s trauma are revealed.
There’s nothing ostensibly wrong with Cox’s storytelling in mountains. However, I feel it caters to a reader that wants to be spoon-fed. Cox lays out every introspective thought and interpretation of thematic elements, depriving mountains of the opportunity for greater depth. Allowing inference from subtext would likely have engaged the reader more and had more impact.
Notwithstanding, mountains that move is an absorbing read. Warm fuzziness is nowhere to be seen or felt, though. This is heavy content so heed the trigger warnings. mountains ends on a soft cliffhanger which will pique your interest for the next installment.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: