Reviewed by Valerie 

TITLE:  Unstable Connections

SERIES:  Valor and Doyle #3

AUTHOR:  Nicky James

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published 

LENGTH: 466 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 17, 2022

BLURB:   

Missing children are reappearing, and ties to a thirty-year-old cold case can’t be ignored.

Between his shaky, brand-new relationship with reformed office playboy Detective Aslan Doyle, his sister’s case going from cold to hot overnight, his father insisting on being involved, and his boss breathing down his neck, Detective Quaid Valor is on edge.

The stress of the case is impacting Quaid’s whole life. He isn’t eating or sleeping, and every time he and Aslan are together, he is overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, which threaten to ruin the one good thing he has. Aslan’s patience seems unending until something happens to turn his life upside down too.

Can their relationship survive the personal and professional pressures they’re facing, or will it crash and burn?

Between media rumors and unstable connections, Quaid and his team need to work quickly to piece together a complicated case before more children fall victim to their unknown serial kidnapper. Maybe once everything is solved, Aslan and Quaid will have time to work on their rocky relationship and find stable ground once again.

REVIEW:   

“Aslan pulled back a minute later and swiped a thumb along my cheek, smearing the single tear away. He kissed my eyes, then my forehead. When he brought his mouth to my ear, he whispered, “You are worthy, and I’m not going anywhere. I will tell you every day until you believe me.”

Unstable Connections (a perfect title) is an outstanding book. I adore Aslan and Quaid and their slowly developing love story. It’s perfection.

Things to look forward to in Unstable Connections:

1. More of sexy Aslan and his Grumpy Bear
2. The most comical “I Love You” exchange in the history of ever
3. A riveting missing persons case tied to the disappearance of Quaid’s sister, Juniper, decades ago
4. The deepening of Aslan and Quaid’s feelings for each other
5. Fantastic comic relief provided by Aslan’s homicide partner, Torin
6. Little love language moments like gently pressing their foreheads together

Things I didn’t like:

1. . . .

Book three in the Valor and Doyle series has our heroes working together to solve the case of a young girl gone missing, which leads to a second missing girl, and, ultimately, Juni’s disappearance. The entire missing children mystery was so well done. This is by far my favorite plot of the three books, which says a lot since I loved the previous two. It’s extremely compelling, as it’s the culmination of Juni’s story begun in book one and especially the ending of book two with the backpack cliffhanger. I was so anxious to see what direction it would follow. I was stymied up until the end by some of Nicky’s clever diversionary tactics. She made her villain despicable and easily hated.

The process the detectives used to solve the crimes was fascinating. I enjoyed having Quaid’s fellow detectives, Allison and Erik, involved, along with Quaid’s partner, Eden, his father, Abraham, and of course Aslan, all working in concert.

Ever since the discovery of the backpack a month before, Quaid has been in a downward spiral, consumed by the need to find answers that will hopefully lessen his and his father’s suffering. Their entire careers have been based on finding Juni. He keeps pushing to stay on the case – pulling all-nighters and running himself ragged – while his boss threatens to reassign him if he doesn’t take a chill pill. Father and son, both under extreme pressure, are angry, clashing, and butting heads with each other. Their anguish is palpable. They’ve never had a chance to grieve. Additionally, Quaid worries about Abraham’s precarious health.

This series is about more than its crime elements, of course.

Aslan is amazing. What an incredible boyfriend he is, sensitive to Quaid’s needs and feelings. He’s intuitive, patient, understanding, and gentle. So swoony! Who would’ve thought way back when we met him that Aslan would be such a supportive partner? Aslan’s presence grounds Quaid and helps alleviate his stress. (I was particularly fond of a certain type of their stress reducing activities. Quite fond.)

But Aslan misses the closeness and heightened emotions that accompany a new relationship. Quaid is full of insecurities and stubbornness; Nicky does a great job of showing how his history has shaped his vulnerabilities. Aslan faces his own demons, as well. The strain on the relationship is sad but I’m glad they act maturely and work through it like adults. Thank you, Nicky, for not manufacturing drama and resorting to the dreaded Big Misunderstanding. They’re honest, communicate well, and don’t expect perfection. Their relationship is a slow burn, ideal for this same couple series.

“We were taking time to enjoy the view, discovering, savoring, and learning each other properly.”

So, yes, I love this book. I could keep reading about these guys forever – I’m a smitten kitten for them. I’m on team Aslan (someone in Nicky’s Facebook group keeps trying to make Aslan exclusively hers *ahemAmor* but he’s my book boyfriend too!) Quaid is equally lovable and has just as many fans. We can all agree that together they’re heavenly. Fortunately, there’s no set ending to this series so we can look forward to savoring their continually strengthening love story. Highly recommended.

RATING:

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