Windward by Kirby Crow

4 Stars

Mirror - Book 2

This is a serious book!  Not for the faint-hearted, let me tell you.  And I loved it.  :)

We're back with Matty and Grant who still have so many things to iron out between them.  It's not an easy row to hoe by any means, love notwithstanding.  Are they to be allowed to do this by themselves?

Oh hell no.

If it's not interference and at times outright disapproval from Grant's family, it's the FBI come knocking with a request for Matty to help them out with the tracking down and capture of his ex-lover, the chilling assassin, Jaeger Koning.  And what's with Jaeger?  Well, nothing other than that he wants his one-time submissive, Matty, back where he belongs.  With Jaeger.

There's action.  There's banter.  There's humour.  There's emotion.  There's heart-stopping danger and there's moments that one is tempted to weep.   Seriously!

But the main strength in this book, I think, comes from the way the author brings us into the minds of the three main characters - Grant, Matty and Jaeger - sharing their thoughts and how their minds and their.. well... their selves are guided and formed by the power exchanges of D/s relationships.  I'm explaining it badly - who's surprised? - but I find the whole idea of power exchange to be sexy and heady and fascinating.

Loved it and I hope we may revisit the Mirror Universe at some point.  :)

Meridian by Kirby Crow

4 STARS

Mirror - Book 1

After the disappointment of the previous book I was reading and DNF, Meridian was a total joy to read! I knew it would be good because I really enjoy Kirby's work, but seeing as it's her first contemporary, there was always that slight possibility that things could go horribly wrong.

NOPE!!

First off, let me tell you, one of the MCs, Grant, is THIRTY-EIGHT years old!!! Stated clearly! He's not a kid! I can't tell you how much this thrilled me. So many of my fave authors seem to be gravitating towards the angst-filled 'new adult' characters and stories, that it was so wonderful to have a mature character and one who could bring the angst, trust me! And his younger love interest, Matty, isn't THAT young, he's twenty-seven, not really 'new'. *LOL*

The plot revolving around the assassin and the reason for Grant and Matty to come together works pretty decently - even if it did give me visions of Hotch and Reid at the BAU for a moment or two. *LOL* The villain of the piece, Jaeger, is menacing and evil and wicked and almost gave me the shivers. Had he more screen time, he'd have for sure given me the shivers.

The secondary characters, Grant's family and friends and Matty's friend/boss were terrific. Not cardboardy-cutout, but interesting, real people all on their own. (We don't see much of him but I have to tell you, I cheered out loud for Henry!) And if this is a series, I can say that I did not immediately spot the next couple, if indeed I spotted a couple at all! Which is rare in m/m, folks, and something that drives me insane.

But you know... I wonder if Grant and Matty's story is finished. Yeah, I'm very pleased with the HEA as it played out in the end, but man... there are threads dangling! And I'm reminded that Ty & Zane of Abi Roux's Cut & Run series got their happy and continued to have adventures, so.... we shall have to see what Kirby has planned. :)

OH! The sexy, BDSM, intimate love story. Well... it was very, very hot. No toys or role-play or costumes or any of that stuff, just Dom/sub power exchanges that are beautifully fascinating! And it's so wonderful to see a Dom that has a goofy at times sense of humour and the capacity for being so corny that he actually made me chuckle out loud.

And BEAKIE!!! I cannot forget Beakie!!! That's one special bird!

Anyway... I loved it and am looking forward to Mirror #2. :)