beeziereadsromance's review
4.0
If you like sprawling ensemble action films with a smattering of romance and dubious morality, you should enjoy this.
It's written mostly as a dual POV story, however some supporting characters do have their own POV sections (mostly Jeanne, once Mac). These instances are always clearly indicated, so it's not confusing.
The concerns Nick, a young drifter-type with a shady past, and Graves, a mob boss battling a mole in his organisation. Nick meets Graves when he's trying to start a new life in Singapore at the American Embassy and they are drawn to each other, despite the chaos surrounding them due to Nick's past and Graves' current difficulties with his organisation.
It took me a bit to get into it, there is a lot going on and this style isn't one I normally gravitate towards.
Once I was in though, I was hooked and I'll be looking for the next book.
I appreciated the pragmatism in relation to Nick's PTSD and Graves' prosthetics and asphasia. You are not meant to pity these guys and there is no one trying to save them from their disabilities. There is no preaching or pitymongering for sympathy points ("oh, poor them, I'm glad they found each other") as there sometimes is when an abled person writes characters with disabilities and doesn't bother to use sensitivity readers.
Mostly you're just supposed to accept their disabilities as part of who they are and then join them for the good stuff (fights, intrigue, scenes of an intimate nature).
There is a tasty epilogue that I assume will lead into the next book, although I'm uncertain if it will focus on Nick and Graves or another set of characters that will propel the series forward.
It's written mostly as a dual POV story, however some supporting characters do have their own POV sections (mostly Jeanne, once Mac). These instances are always clearly indicated, so it's not confusing.
The concerns Nick, a young drifter-type with a shady past, and Graves, a mob boss battling a mole in his organisation. Nick meets Graves when he's trying to start a new life in Singapore at the American Embassy and they are drawn to each other, despite the chaos surrounding them due to Nick's past and Graves' current difficulties with his organisation.
It took me a bit to get into it, there is a lot going on and this style isn't one I normally gravitate towards.
Once I was in though, I was hooked and I'll be looking for the next book.
I appreciated the pragmatism in relation to Nick's PTSD and Graves' prosthetics and asphasia. You are not meant to pity these guys and there is no one trying to save them from their disabilities. There is no preaching or pitymongering for sympathy points ("oh, poor them, I'm glad they found each other") as there sometimes is when an abled person writes characters with disabilities and doesn't bother to use sensitivity readers.
Mostly you're just supposed to accept their disabilities as part of who they are and then join them for the good stuff (fights, intrigue, scenes of an intimate nature).
There is a tasty epilogue that I assume will lead into the next book, although I'm uncertain if it will focus on Nick and Graves or another set of characters that will propel the series forward.
justreaditem's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Wowee! This book is hot af. Graves is one you do not want to mess with but to be honest, I kind of do? I love the batner between him and Nick from the get go. I cant wait to read The Chief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Torture, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, and Gore
lonevixen_ka's review
3.0
"I thought I would get to take my time, pull you to pieces little by little. I didn't think I'd be so..." He kissed Nick again, nipping at his lower lip. "So bloody desperate for you."
There have been very few moments in the past, where a romance read has taken me by surprise. With a backdrop of an action film, I can say that Graves and Nick added to the very limited set of scenarios I conjure up in my head when it comes to romance reads. They were not the best, but they certainly were unique enough to be memorable. J. Calamy may not have written a masterpiece, but this book is a huge step forward in the #OwnVoices genre, normalizing the representation of queer and the disabled in an environment which finds their existence to be implicit and not an anomaly.
Nelson Graves is the Lord of the crime syndicate Red Sky and the biggest arms dealer/drug boss in Southeast Asia. Calamy's description of him made me imagine him as Dwayne Johnson with face tattoos lol. Though his life seems to be all glamorous at first, we see him struggling to bring the syndicate back on track. Amidst this chaos, enter touch-starved and hot-headed Nicholas Erickson. He has been to prison and takes no shit from anybody, even though he's a former prisoner doing a menial job in the US Embassy in Singapore. While Nick is trying hard to stay away from trouble, trouble is where Graves thrives. So when these two cross paths, we see them falling for each other with a slow burn that only cares about who they are in the present moment.
First of all, the blurb does NOT give any heads-up for the steam this book has. I admit that most of the erotica I get to read focuses on straight couples, so maybe it was just my lack of encounter with queer sex that I was taken by surprise. But to be fair, the build up to that one sex scene is so, so damn good. The description, the pace, and the sweet endearments just hit home perfectly. Not gonna lie, but Calamy gave me a teeny-tiny orgasm with her erotic writing. The sex was not just steamy, but informative too!
The author tries to balance the steam - or even complement it - with the action sequences but I couldn't connect much with the latter. The conspiracies and drama within Red Sky only helps reinforce Graves' masculine image as a dom/protector in the relationship, in contrast to Nick. Otherwise, I did not feel much motivated to learn about the happenings of Red Sky.
"Everything. I want to take you to bed. I want you to make me laugh and insult me and keep me from slipping too far down this dark road I am on. I think you could. I think it could be good with you. I think I could be. Might even get out of the game for a bit. Just a little. Rest. God knows we could use it. It would be good. That was it, wasn't it? Being with Nick could be good. Really good."
I can't say I'm very enthusiastic about the sequels but I'll give them a go because I ship Graves and Nick. I appreciate the way books like this one may not hit us hard but they do help in normalizing queer representations of love. Calamy also does a good job integrating Nick's panic attacks and Graves' disability within the romance, using them to enhance their bond, yet not treating them as some distinct abnormalities. In all, loved the sex and the slow burn but looking forward to a more gripping and wholesome plot in the sequels.
There have been very few moments in the past, where a romance read has taken me by surprise. With a backdrop of an action film, I can say that Graves and Nick added to the very limited set of scenarios I conjure up in my head when it comes to romance reads. They were not the best, but they certainly were unique enough to be memorable. J. Calamy may not have written a masterpiece, but this book is a huge step forward in the #OwnVoices genre, normalizing the representation of queer and the disabled in an environment which finds their existence to be implicit and not an anomaly.
Nelson Graves is the Lord of the crime syndicate Red Sky and the biggest arms dealer/drug boss in Southeast Asia. Calamy's description of him made me imagine him as Dwayne Johnson with face tattoos lol. Though his life seems to be all glamorous at first, we see him struggling to bring the syndicate back on track. Amidst this chaos, enter touch-starved and hot-headed Nicholas Erickson. He has been to prison and takes no shit from anybody, even though he's a former prisoner doing a menial job in the US Embassy in Singapore. While Nick is trying hard to stay away from trouble, trouble is where Graves thrives. So when these two cross paths, we see them falling for each other with a slow burn that only cares about who they are in the present moment.
First of all, the blurb does NOT give any heads-up for the steam this book has. I admit that most of the erotica I get to read focuses on straight couples, so maybe it was just my lack of encounter with queer sex that I was taken by surprise. But to be fair, the build up to that one sex scene is so, so damn good. The description, the pace, and the sweet endearments just hit home perfectly. Not gonna lie, but Calamy gave me a teeny-tiny orgasm with her erotic writing. The sex was not just steamy, but informative too!
The author tries to balance the steam - or even complement it - with the action sequences but I couldn't connect much with the latter. The conspiracies and drama within Red Sky only helps reinforce Graves' masculine image as a dom/protector in the relationship, in contrast to Nick. Otherwise, I did not feel much motivated to learn about the happenings of Red Sky.
"Everything. I want to take you to bed. I want you to make me laugh and insult me and keep me from slipping too far down this dark road I am on. I think you could. I think it could be good with you. I think I could be. Might even get out of the game for a bit. Just a little. Rest. God knows we could use it. It would be good. That was it, wasn't it? Being with Nick could be good. Really good."
I can't say I'm very enthusiastic about the sequels but I'll give them a go because I ship Graves and Nick. I appreciate the way books like this one may not hit us hard but they do help in normalizing queer representations of love. Calamy also does a good job integrating Nick's panic attacks and Graves' disability within the romance, using them to enhance their bond, yet not treating them as some distinct abnormalities. In all, loved the sex and the slow burn but looking forward to a more gripping and wholesome plot in the sequels.
shelf_blame's review
4.0
Thank you so much to Nine Star Press and Pride Book Tours for the ARC of this book!
The Boss is a gritty, action-packed mm romance set against the backdrop of Singapore. Nick Erickson is a low-level grunt at the US Embassy, having escaped his life and the horrific mistakes he made back in the US. Nelson Graves is a shipping magnate, important enough to have government officials and noble peace prize winners on speed dial -- he also happens to be head of the Red Sky drug cartel. When their paths diverge, it sets them on a dangerous path of lust and danger, with neither able to resist.
This book surprised me in that I absolutely could not stop reading it. It's a quick and easy read as a lot of romances are, but I loved the story here. Nick had his demons, and we saw the way he let them eat at him in painful flashbacks and his guilt-ridden conscience. Graves, a war vet from New Zealand, is a double amputee who struggles with aphasia and agonizing pain. As characters, they're both a bit unbelievable. Especially Graves, a giant of a man with tribal tattoos and a posh English accent who will also murder you if he needs to. But I didn't even care. The story caters to it so well, I was just along for the ride.
The book could definitely use a bit more of an edit. Some of the dialogue is a bit stiff in areas and felt a little unnatural. That said, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book. The sex scenes were well written and super spicy, pillow talk included, so if that's not your thing, this book is definitely not for you.
I think the epilogue is maybe meant as a sneak peek into the next book? I'm not sure but if so, I'm there!
The Boss is a gritty, action-packed mm romance set against the backdrop of Singapore. Nick Erickson is a low-level grunt at the US Embassy, having escaped his life and the horrific mistakes he made back in the US. Nelson Graves is a shipping magnate, important enough to have government officials and noble peace prize winners on speed dial -- he also happens to be head of the Red Sky drug cartel. When their paths diverge, it sets them on a dangerous path of lust and danger, with neither able to resist.
This book surprised me in that I absolutely could not stop reading it. It's a quick and easy read as a lot of romances are, but I loved the story here. Nick had his demons, and we saw the way he let them eat at him in painful flashbacks and his guilt-ridden conscience. Graves, a war vet from New Zealand, is a double amputee who struggles with aphasia and agonizing pain. As characters, they're both a bit unbelievable. Especially Graves, a giant of a man with tribal tattoos and a posh English accent who will also murder you if he needs to. But I didn't even care. The story caters to it so well, I was just along for the ride.
The book could definitely use a bit more of an edit. Some of the dialogue is a bit stiff in areas and felt a little unnatural. That said, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book. The sex scenes were well written and super spicy, pillow talk included, so if that's not your thing, this book is definitely not for you.
I think the epilogue is maybe meant as a sneak peek into the next book? I'm not sure but if so, I'm there!
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