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Damaged Package (2014)

by S.A. McAuley(Favorite Author)

3.8 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1499713541 (ISBN13: 9781499713541)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

S.A. McAuley

review 1: Not bad, but nothing exceptional either. Deacon was incredibly sweet. There is something really emotionally resonating in seeing a man just want to make someone else happy. It pushes a lot of my happy buttons. I also liked that he was an older man. I liked that Trav wasn't brainless. He was a smart guy. I appreciated that. The sex was pretty good too.But the book full of clichés. Full of them. It's all pretty predictable, and everything after about 75% is 100% predictable. Worst of all it has the dreaded, 'he didn't know what but something made this man/situation/feeling/etc different.' NO. That is NEVER enough to explain someone's uncharacteristic feelings about someone or something. NEVER. It's as bad as, if not worse than, insta-love. Which to be fair, this isn't quite... more (pretty close though).Plus, a lot of it just didn't hold together very well. For example, The initial event in which Deacon was supposed to have come to Hank's attention didn't appear to be one in which a SWAT team would have been needed. Pretty sure the normal police could have handled that. Then, for the whole book it's hinted that Deacon was working for Hank to investigate corporate espionage, but it felt a bit over the top that he hires ex SWAT and soldiers for this. Then suddenly at the end, we're dealing with terrorists instead. But only for about 10 pages, it was all resolved in an instant. Then there's the fact that Deacon's ex just happens to work there too. Everything just barely hangs together. It does, if you don't look too closely at it, but just barely. Lastly, a personal irritant, as someone who worked in Child Abuse & Neglect investigations for several years: if by some manner Trav did become emancipated form his mother at 16, which it takes a lot to do, all her other children should have been removed as well. Think on it. The court is willing to declare, and thereby be accountable if something happens to him, that his mother is so unfit her 16 year old is better off caring for himself. Would they then leave several other children ranging from infant to 9 years old in her drug-addled care? I think not. The writing, however is fine and though the plot is shaky a lot of the men relating to one another is touching in it's own occasionally sappy way. The book is a solid, middle of he road read.
review 2: Damaged Package is fanfuckingtabulous!!! If I could request from the literary powers that be, that one book I’ve read this year, be made into a movie, Damaged Package would be it. Trevor and Deacon are magical. Both men have issues that run deep. Deacon calms his demons with the intensity of being SWAT. And now that he’s lost that guaranteed adrenaline rush, he’s moved on to private security. .. in the murder capital of the US, Detroit.There is a reason that Trevor’s family calls him Traveler. At 23, he’s already seen 93 countries. In his mind, he’s running from a screwed up past. Until he meets Deacon, it doesn’t even occur to him that he might be running towards something. Watching him integrate his past and present was almost painful, at time. He has so many reasons to not trust, but maybe Deacon is worth risking everything for.The characters in this book are sooooo good. Not just the main characters, but the secondary as well. I’ve spent much of my professional life surrounded by SWAT team members. Trust me when I say, SA McAuley got these guys right. The bravado, the dark humor…spot on. I know it’s only July, but if I’m asking Santa to ensure that Damaged Package is just Book One of a series. And I would not be at all upset if Jackson were to get his own story. Gay for you, MMF, I’m not picky, just give the brutha someone to love. ;-) Oh, and Sam, if you think you can make me like that Prima Donna Bitch…you are a damn good writer.I love a good romance, but wrap it up in a world-class romantic suspense, and I am a happy reader. Hot loving, buildings blowing up and oh, yeah…hot cops. Highly recommending Damaged Package to readers who like cops with swat, Twinks with brains, and bad guys who hide very well. less

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