Publisher: OmniLit/All Romance eBooks
Publish Date: February 6, 2015
Reviewed by: Lou & Heller
How we got this book: E-Arc from Author
When love’s on the line, the brave jump in with both feet…
Small town cop Clint Rivera can’t catch a break. His ex of two weeks is suddenly getting married, his dogs tore up his furniture, he’s getting evicted, and he’s out of beer. When he decides to solve his alcohol shortage by going to his ex’s engagement party, Clint winds up too drunk to drive himself home.
Enter gorgeous deputy mayor Hawk Black, the man who constantly shows up unexpectedly and sends Clint’s body and mind into a tailspin with nothing but his whiskey voice and blue eyes. After months of patience, Hawk can finally seduce the man he’s been craving.
Clint’s day might not have started out well, but Hawk’s going to make sure it ends with a bang, preferably in bed. He’ll show Clint some rewards are worth the risk. With love on the line, Clint will need to decide if he can open his heart, tear down his shields, and jump in with both feet.
Lou: It’s been a while since I read a m/m book and when I saw this blurb in our review requests, I immediately went, gimmie. Sadly, while the blurb is great, I had issues with the novella and its execution. I understood the premise of the series (or is it an imprint of sorts?) is alpha. While Hawk is very alpha, the quickness of the romance and his love for Clint was super fast. Almost like the Flash! The beginning of the story also dragged on for a little while and it wasn’t until halfway that Clint and Hawk actually engage with each other on a consistent basis. Then Hawk went all alpha on Clint and it didn’t feel organic. I didn’t feel the connection. In fact, I think I was like Clint and was very bewildered on why Hawk got so heavy with Clint in such a short space of time. My eyebrows were also raised when Clint was getting ready to drink-drive home from his ex’s engagement party, with only Hawk stopping him.
Clint. Who is a police officer ready to drink drive.
Yeah…
Anyway, I did like Hawk at times as I do like the big alpha trope but his emotional involvement with Clint was too quick. Hawk moving to this area because of one glance at Clint had me going, what? I can believe in lust at first sight but love at first glance? Nope. The story premise is there but the shortness of the book meant I didn’t engage or believe in their romance.
I give Jumping In a C-
Heller: The blurb caught me as well. I read a lot of M/M and this sounded like a great read but the length of the story caused a lot of issues for me. I think if it had been a longer story it would have worked for me because some of the elements were great but as a novella this wasn’t a read that I liked. I agree with Lou about the beginning. I think the extended conversation with Sally really dragged this read down for me because it felt awkward. I would have rather had more interaction with Hawk and Clint. I did like the concept here, a lot, but the instalove didn’t work for me at all. If this had been about the two men falling in lust and starting a relationship I would have liked it so much more. Hawk falling for and expressing love to Clint without really being a relationship? I didn’t like it. I also didn’t like that the men didn’t use condoms but that’s a pet peeve for me. You’re not in an established relationship so be safe please.
I’m not sure I really understand the premise. I’m with Lou because is it an imprint or a series? Despite a great blurb and elements that almost worked for me this just hit short of the mark. There were moments I liked the characters and their story but in the end I found myself frustrated at their actions and wishing that it could have been a much longer story. I think I would have really enjoyed that read.
I’m giving Jumping in a D+