Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Dead Draw

SERIES:  Perfect Play #1

AUTHOR:   Layla Reyne

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  241 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2022

BLURB:

When a marriage of convenience is the only play left…

Special Agent Emmitt Marshall knows how to:
Wear a cowboy hat.
Hack anything.
Win at chess.
Fall in love with emotionally unavailable men.
He even knows the perfect play to catch the terrorists who killed his mentor.

Special Agent Levi Bishop doesn’t know how to:
Move on after his wife’s death.
Help his grieving son.
Pay off his mountain of debt.
Fix the mess some cowboy cyber agent made of his case.
The same cowboy who proposes a marriage of convenience to stop a common enemy.

Marsh is either the answer to Levi’s prayers—or a handsome nightmare in a Stetson.
Levi doesn’t know.
But both men do know their cases and lives are at a dead draw.
There’s only one play left…
I do.

Layla Reyne returns with an all-new m/m romantic suspense series featuring a cocky hacker with a heart of gold, a widowed father who needs so much help, and a plan only a cowboy could cook up. Grab your hat, hold tight to the reins, and enjoy the ride!

REVIEW:

Reasons I love Dead Draw:

1. Highly likable characters with awesome chemistry
2. Scorching hot dirty talk
3. A compelling, suspenseful plot
4. Excellent writing
5. Marsh’s filthy mouth
6. The sweet romance
7. An exciting chase scene
8. Marsh saying, “Ask, baby, and I’ll give you what you need” and then edging Levi with his dirty words. If you haven’t noticed, I liked the sexy times.

Dead Draw is a thoroughly enjoyable first novel in the new Perfect Play series about two FBI special agents working together to solve a complicated human trafficking case. Aaaand, there’s that little thing called a marriage of convenience they have to navigate while staying strictly, um, professional. Layla Reyne takes a popular and entertaining trope – the fake relationship – one step further by making her men legally wed.

FBI Special Agent Levi Bishop lost his wife of sixteen years to cancer two years ago. He’s now struggling to raise his surly teenage son, David, on his own while working a stressful job, fending off his family’s many unwanted matchmaking attempts, and avoiding the collection agencies. The last thing he needs is his eighteen month-long trafficking investigation to be blown out of the water by a rogue cowboy. Said cowboy, Special Agent Emmitt “Marsh” Marshall – a Texan based in the Netherlands – is working his own terrorism case which seems to be linked to Levi’s. But after screwing up Levi’s raid, the only way for him to stay at the San Diego field office to see his case through and officially work together with Levi is if they’re married. I’m not sure exactly how this works but it is what it is. It’s a great setup for a fun and interesting… and sexy… plot. So, within minutes of meeting for the first time, Marsh proposes. What’s in it for Levi? Marsh will pay off his substantial debts.

They set ground rules, most specifically no nookie. Levi quickly becomes comfortable with Marsh living in his house; it helps alleviate his loneliness and grief and feels like a return to normal. Even David seems more settled. But Levi does struggle with a mix of anger and unwanted attraction toward his big, sexy cowboy.

Marsh finds himself falling for Levi (and his welcoming family) but has to fake a lack of attraction because he can’t allow himself to once again fall for an emotionally unavailable man – in this case, a man he believes is still grieving his late wife. But they like being husbands, spending time with each other and with David, holding hands, talking about life. Levi’s scared to take a chance, however, because he’s afraid to lose someone else he cares about. He feels safe with Marsh, though, and Marsh seems to innately understand what he needs, both in and out of bed. Levi’s a bit submissive and needs someone to take the reins. Marsh delivers.

Ms. Reyne has included a great supporting cast including David, Levi’s sister Amy and his FBI colleagues. For loyal readers of the author, you’ll enjoy the inclusion of Marsh’s best friends, Brax from Silent Knight and Sean from What We May Be.

The story ends with a soft cliffhanger. It’s not a “sitting on the edge of your seat” ending but some aspects of their cases are left unsolved and their personal relationship is just starting to blossom. Despite the cliffy, this is a wonderful amalgamation of sweet romance with suspenseful storyline; romantic mystery is a genre at which Ms. Reyne is an ace. Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon