janetted's review
4.0
4.5 stars
I've enjoyed every second of this series, and Jewel Cave seems to really ratchet things up a couple notches. Elizabeth Noble manages to add even more excitement and suspense than ever before with this chilling, stalker storyline. Griff and Clint are back, and as usual, they do not disappoint.
Griff and Clint have been together a long time - 10 years to be exact. They've reached a level of comfortable companionship, a stage where it's easy to be complacent and sometimes simply coexist. To me this is a perfect depiction of realistic phases of commitment; romance fluctuates and we have to adjust to living daily life with our chosen partner. Sometimes that life is a bit more mundane and less swoon-worthy than we'd like, and this story serves as a fantastic reminder that life really isn't a romance novel.
What Noble gives us in realism also brings forth another modern concern - the internet. We're all connected to people whom we may never meet in person. We rely daily on those we may never have known had technology not brought us together. Clint's publicity as a writer and his online writers' forums are terrific examples of pooling those online resources. While there are many out there using these venues for good, in this case, they serve as a perfect avenue for a classic case of "be careful who you meet online." All the signs are there and they're putting the pieces together, but it's simply too little too late.
I have to admit this book creeped me out far more than the two previous stories. When I say it's chilling, I mean it's lock-all-the-doors-and-sleep-with-the-lights-on terrifying. I guess that's because it could truly happen to anyone. Through a meticulously detailed investigation, Noble hammers home all the ways we can be deceived and how someone could simply just vanish with little trace. She makes it all so very real, and I applaud her methodology in everything from the set up and execution to the intense resolution. This is a story that will keep me thinking and rethinking safety - personal and online - for quite some time.
Safety isn't the only thing it's causing me to ponder; I've been dreaming up ways to keep long-term relationships new and exciting. I think I'll just focus on that. It's definitely far less frightening. :)
I've enjoyed every second of this series, and Jewel Cave seems to really ratchet things up a couple notches. Elizabeth Noble manages to add even more excitement and suspense than ever before with this chilling, stalker storyline. Griff and Clint are back, and as usual, they do not disappoint.
Griff and Clint have been together a long time - 10 years to be exact. They've reached a level of comfortable companionship, a stage where it's easy to be complacent and sometimes simply coexist. To me this is a perfect depiction of realistic phases of commitment; romance fluctuates and we have to adjust to living daily life with our chosen partner. Sometimes that life is a bit more mundane and less swoon-worthy than we'd like, and this story serves as a fantastic reminder that life really isn't a romance novel.
What Noble gives us in realism also brings forth another modern concern - the internet. We're all connected to people whom we may never meet in person. We rely daily on those we may never have known had technology not brought us together. Clint's publicity as a writer and his online writers' forums are terrific examples of pooling those online resources. While there are many out there using these venues for good, in this case, they serve as a perfect avenue for a classic case of "be careful who you meet online." All the signs are there and they're putting the pieces together, but it's simply too little too late.
I have to admit this book creeped me out far more than the two previous stories. When I say it's chilling, I mean it's lock-all-the-doors-and-sleep-with-the-lights-on terrifying. I guess that's because it could truly happen to anyone. Through a meticulously detailed investigation, Noble hammers home all the ways we can be deceived and how someone could simply just vanish with little trace. She makes it all so very real, and I applaud her methodology in everything from the set up and execution to the intense resolution. This is a story that will keep me thinking and rethinking safety - personal and online - for quite some time.
Safety isn't the only thing it's causing me to ponder; I've been dreaming up ways to keep long-term relationships new and exciting. I think I'll just focus on that. It's definitely far less frightening. :)
suze_1624's review
4.0
I enjoyed this one a lot, the read was quick and pacy and I could feel the tension. I would say that because it is a fairly short book that means that the plot does leap along quickly and a longer treatment would have been right up my street!
Colin and Griff's domestic apathy gets a rude awakening when an acquaintance of Colin's decides to intervene.
Colin's acceptance of Dylan's persistent stalking has gone from 'he's harmless' to 'that's not right' but he is only just thinking it may be more sinister when Dylan reaches crisis point.
Griff hasn't really been following Colin's online world so is very worried when he does look at Dylan's communications.
We dont get into Dylan's head really and that and more tension in the caves would have really elevated for me. Nevertheless, good read!
Colin and Griff's domestic apathy gets a rude awakening when an acquaintance of Colin's decides to intervene.
Colin's acceptance of Dylan's persistent stalking has gone from 'he's harmless' to 'that's not right' but he is only just thinking it may be more sinister when Dylan reaches crisis point.
Griff hasn't really been following Colin's online world so is very worried when he does look at Dylan's communications.
We dont get into Dylan's head really and that and more tension in the caves would have really elevated for me. Nevertheless, good read!
pagesandprozac's review
3.0
A free copy of this book was provided through the Don't Buy My Love program @ M/M Romance Group in exchange for an honest review.
(2.5 stars)
This book was quite enjoyable and well-written. The pacing was quite good, and provided a strong current of suspense running throughout the narrative. I also really liked the dynamic between Griff and Clint, and their relationship was written in a realistic and believable manner.
However, from a plot-point of view I found it somewhat predictable, as the blurb pretty much tells you what's going to happen and you can also guess from the beginning what's going to happen, and there wasn't really a twist in the story, and I also thought that Dylan was a typical antagonist with no interesting or unusual aspects about him.
Despite this, it was still quite gripping, although I would have liked a stronger element of mystery - maybe that's just my personal preference, though. I'd say the story was more about Griff and Clint's relationship than the kidnapping aspect, so if you like focuses on relationship dynamics I'd recommend it.
(2.5 stars)
This book was quite enjoyable and well-written. The pacing was quite good, and provided a strong current of suspense running throughout the narrative. I also really liked the dynamic between Griff and Clint, and their relationship was written in a realistic and believable manner.
However, from a plot-point of view I found it somewhat predictable, as the blurb pretty much tells you what's going to happen and you can also guess from the beginning what's going to happen, and there wasn't really a twist in the story, and I also thought that Dylan was a typical antagonist with no interesting or unusual aspects about him.
Despite this, it was still quite gripping, although I would have liked a stronger element of mystery - maybe that's just my personal preference, though. I'd say the story was more about Griff and Clint's relationship than the kidnapping aspect, so if you like focuses on relationship dynamics I'd recommend it.
anitalouise's review
4.0
I was gifted a copy of this book by the author through the Don't Buy My Love program in the MM Romance Group for an honest review. I thank the mods and the author for the opportunity. So I vacillated between a 3 and a 4 so gave it a 3.5 but bumped it up. I didn't read the first two Circles books and didn't find that I was at a disadvantage because I didn't. Years before I started reading romance, I read mysteries, police procedurals and crime novels so love a good mystery. I also have a current guilty pleasure of watching true crime television shows liked Snapped, Joe Kenda, Detective, Fatal Attraction, etc. full of blood and gore and people behaving badly. This book was done well and captured many elements of the mysteries I read. In the beginning I felt like I was watching one of those scary movies like the ones where teenagers are walking around a dark house and the bogeyman is hiding in the basement with an ax and you find yourself yelling at the television "DON'T GO DOWN IN THE BASEMENT!!" That's how I felt as Clint was sitting in the house trying to convince himself that Dylan wasn't crazy. The kidnapping scenes were gripping and reading about the abduction through the prism of Griff's and Clint's relationship was heartbreaking. Two relatable characters in a long term relationship and things between them are strained. I think everyone can relate. You fight, stay mad but then when something happens to the other person, you are consumed with guilt, regrets and what-ifs. The author did that well. I had a minor quibble and I'll spoiler tag it . I thought that could have been handled better. The end was done nicely - not wrapped up too nicely with a bow and a realistic portrayal of a couple trying to get back their mojo, so to speak. Nice breezy style of writing - simple and concise. Well paced and suspenseful. I wonder if I got some sort of draft version because funnily enough, the title that appeared on each page said "Jewel Case" instead of Jewel Cave. There were also a couple of boo-boos I found odd in a Dreamspinner pubbed book. Lovely read, though. I may try the others in the series.
Spoiler
why didn't Griff understand what Clint was going through - he's a cop, for goodness sakes and should know PTSD when it hits him in the faceamyaislin's review
4.0
*A free copy of the book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review*
I've never read anything by Noble that wasn't her Sentries series (which I highly recommend), so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one, but I very much enjoyed it.
Even though Clint is the one who gets kidnapped, it's Griff I really sympathized with and felt for. As a US marshall you can just feel how awful he feels at not being able to protect his husband.
Clint is the more lighthearted of the two, but all of that changes after being kidnapped. I love that the story didn't just end after Clint was rescued, or time jump to an epilogue months later where everything is hunky-dory. We actually get to see the aftermath of the kidnapping, where Clint is fearful and struggles with panic attacks and Griff has no freakin idea what to do for him. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing how traumatic Clint's kidnapping was for both of them.
The only part for me that dragged a bit was the middle where Clint is kidnapped. I would have liked a few less scenes there and a few more aftermath scenes of Clint and Griff dealing with everything. Despite that I thought the book was well-written, with fully-developed and relatable characters.
Clint and Griff are an established couple (they've been together 10 years at the start of the story), but I never felt like I got thrown into a relationship with no context. Noble does a great job of weaving backstory into the plot without it bogging things down or making it confusing.
I haven't read the previous two books in this series and I had no problem at all delving into the world Noble created. This book is easily read as a stand-alone.
I've never read anything by Noble that wasn't her Sentries series (which I highly recommend), so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one, but I very much enjoyed it.
Even though Clint is the one who gets kidnapped, it's Griff I really sympathized with and felt for. As a US marshall you can just feel how awful he feels at not being able to protect his husband.
Clint is the more lighthearted of the two, but all of that changes after being kidnapped. I love that the story didn't just end after Clint was rescued, or time jump to an epilogue months later where everything is hunky-dory. We actually get to see the aftermath of the kidnapping, where Clint is fearful and struggles with panic attacks and Griff has no freakin idea what to do for him. I thought the author did an excellent job of showing how traumatic Clint's kidnapping was for both of them.
The only part for me that dragged a bit was the middle where Clint is kidnapped. I would have liked a few less scenes there and a few more aftermath scenes of Clint and Griff dealing with everything. Despite that I thought the book was well-written, with fully-developed and relatable characters.
Clint and Griff are an established couple (they've been together 10 years at the start of the story), but I never felt like I got thrown into a relationship with no context. Noble does a great job of weaving backstory into the plot without it bogging things down or making it confusing.
I haven't read the previous two books in this series and I had no problem at all delving into the world Noble created. This book is easily read as a stand-alone.
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