New Release-Review: SHADES by Jaime Reese

Shades

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 23, 2018
Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Life made him dangerous. Love made him lethal.

Killian Marks is a third-generation hitman. After hunting monsters for over twenty years, he lives under no illusions of happily ever afters and fairy tales. Until he meets a man who threatens to disarm him, by giving him hope for a future and showing him there’s more to life than just death.

For Nick, living in shadows is second nature. He’s all too familiar with the dark side of humanity and knows how delicate life can be. Each new day is a gift, even though it means doing it alone. But he’ll risk his survival for the one man who awakens something deep within and leaves him yearning for more.

Nick wants to solve the mystery behind the dark, brooding man, while Killian craves the life and light emanating from Nick. They soon discover they have more in common than either could have anticipated. With both their lives and hearts at stake, they must confront the ghost from Nick’s past intent on tying up a loose end. Only then will they truly find peace, and discover the shades of life in between.

Though I have this author’s other books, I have not yet had a chance to read them—but after reading Shades you can be very sure that I’ve moved the rest of her books to the top of my list. Shades was a suspense and tension filled story with an intense slow-burn May/December romance that sucked me in from the opening words. This book kept me up way past my bedtime because I wanted to read it straight through to the end.

Killian, our hitman, is your classic bad guy with a conscience—a character type I love to read about and easily come to care for. At first glance Nick seems like an everyday guy, but as the story goes on we find out there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. The further into the story you get, the more layers peel back for both men revealing two very complex guys who are tied together by more than just attraction. Things between them develop at a slow pace filled with sexual tension, and the intensity of feeling between them is deep and passionate.

Besides Killian and Nick there are some great secondary characters, my favorite being Killian’s partner Dex. He brings humor to the story, helping to relieve the tension from time to time.

There’s plenty of heat between Killian and Nick, but the on-page physical scenes are few and don’t overtake the rest of the story. Don’t worry though—with their chemistry those scenes contain plenty of heat and passion while also showing the deep emotional connection between the two.

I’m finding it hard to say much without giving anything away, so just know that if you’re a fan of romantic suspense you’re going to be beyond satisfied with Shades. It gets 5 solid stars from me, and is one of the top five books I’ve read in the M/M romantic suspense genre. It’s definitely going to be finding it’s way onto my bookshelf as a paperback, a place only my favorites wind up. Be prepared to clear a day or two in your schedule for this one—you won’t want to put it down once you start reading! This story is for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.

Jaime Reese is the alter ego of an artist who loves the creative process of writing, just not about herself. Fiction is far more interesting. She has a weakness for broken, misunderstood heroes and feels everyone deserves a chance at love and life. An avid fan of a happy ending, she believes those endings acquired with a little difficulty are more cherished.

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