Sunday, January 11, 2015

Rarer Than Rubies by EM Lynley


Synopsis From Publisher:

When Trent Copeland runs into Reed Acton at a Bangkok airport, he thinks the handsome American is too good to be true.  Why would someone like Reed be interested in a quiet, introverted gay-romance writer?  After all, even an obvious tourist like Trent can see there is more to Reed's constant unexplained appearances in his path than meets the eye.

Reed Acton has one mission and one mission only - he need to get the map that was accidentally slipped into Trent's bag and keep the mobsters who want the priceless artifact from taking deadly revenge.  Trent Copeland is a delicious and damned near irresistible diversion, but Reed can't afford distractions right now, especially if he wants to keep Trent safe.

From Bangkok's seediest back alleys to the sacred north, the two men will fight to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and learn that the only treasure worth finding is... each other. 

Trent has been living a pretty dull life over the last two years.  His previous partner, who happened to be addicted to excitement and adrenaline, was killed feeding that addiction.  His death caused Trent to do the exact opposite, retreat in to himself and not allow and sort of excitement or adventure into his life.  When he is forced to take a vacation by some friends, not even being given a choice in the location, Trent is finally taking that first step out of his comfort zone.

Once he is in Bangkok, almost to the minute, his life is thrust into one long adventure, that is so far outside his comfort zone, it might as well have been on another planet.  In what sounds like a crazy plot, right out of a romance novel, he finds himself linked to a mysterious undercover FBI agent, Reed Acton, who just can't seem to stay out of trouble.  There are bus crashes, kidnappings, killings, hotel rescues, and even buried treasure to found.

Through it all, you see Trent become more comfortable with the craziness his life seems to heading in.  He lets himself fall for Reed, even if he's not sure Reed is telling the whole truth, or can be trusted.  For his part, Reed is changing too.  He's never really wanted anyone, or allowed himself to doubt his choices before this.  You know he has a secret past, which will be revealed in the second book, and you know there is deep pain and regret there, and it's that pain that has caused Reed to close himself off so much.  But in true romance book fashion, the two men seem to compliment each other in ways they never though possible.  And both of them find themselves charting new waters, unsure of their footing, but willing to see where the journey will take them.

Challenges: Men In Uniform

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