A review by haletostilinski1
Chokehold by K.A. Merikan
5.0
Whew, what a fifth installment to this crazy good series.
5 books in, and Seth and Dom (and Mark) finally cross the border. Although, since it's this series...it doesn't go as planned.
When Dom gets injured and has to be laid up for a few months (and they lose their money, which you have to find out how and why when you read), they're strapped for cash and Dom, who sees himself as the provider of their little family - and generally is - wants to find work even while injured, but Seth is not having it.
Seth feels like he is useless (he isn't) when Dom gets injured because Dom usually takes care of everything, but he doesn't want to be useless anymore, so Seth goes out to look for a job. Only, they're in Mexico now and Seth can't speak Spanish, and the only guy that hires him for "construction work" is Miguel, who is seemingly the head of the local cartel and who is able to speak English so Seth can communicate effectively with him.
Not the smartest thing to do, but Seth is determined to provide for their family when Dom can't. He wants to be able to do as much for Dom as Dom does for him.
But Dom...is Dom. And he doesn't like that Seth is going out there and being worked to the bone and then when he finds out exactly who Seth works for, being in such a dangerous situation.
This whole situation brings up old scars, things these two haven't truly dealt with. Like what happened in the first book with their first time, and another time.
I like how what happened was acknowledged, and that Dom took full responsibility for it. Even if Seth wasn't sure if he wanted it - like he wasn't completely opposed to it - him not being 100% on board should have stopped Dom and he didn't. I think Dom needed to take responsibility for it and show how regretful and sorry he was for them to move past it.
Because when Dom goes way too far in his overprotectiveness of Seth, it brings up some bad memories for Seth and these two actually spend a few weeks apart. Not fully, they're still around each other, but they're not exactly....together. Dom isn't allowed to touch Seth and Seth just isn't sure if he can continue being with Dom.
This book, so far, was their toughest battle as a couple. It wasn't easy, and if they hadn't talked eventually then they for sure would have fractured. But the important thing is that they did talk, really talk, about what happened in the first book that hangs over them and hasn't fully gone away.
Relationships are fucking hard. Throw in being a part of a mafia family and one character especially being very morally gray (and yet still somehow devoutly religious...) and them being on the run and you've got and even more complicated relationship, and even harder one.
And these two don't exactly hold back when fighting - harsh words are said, nasty words are said, and both get hurt by those words. But the wonderful thing about these two is how they make up as well. How they talk to each other, eventually.
I also loved how this book acknowledged what Dom did to Seth in book one was not okay. And yeah, circumstances were different and at the time they barley tolerated each other, but that still doesn't make it okay.
But Dom now...now he treats Seth like a king, like the most precious thing. It's beautiful to see how far they've come.
Definitely a great book, I loved it. Whew, what a series this is. I love Seth and I love Dom (even with his misogynistic bullshit and how he thinks "real men" should act and...I hate him at times, but I love him. Oh how these are able to to do that is astounding. I feel like if another character acted like how Dom sometimes acts...I would hate them. But not Dom...*sigh*)
Whew, onto the next book. I know I'm nearing #7, which several reviews said was the hardest on Seth and Dom's relationship, so....fun times! lol. Here we go!
5 books in, and Seth and Dom (and Mark) finally cross the border. Although, since it's this series...it doesn't go as planned.
When Dom gets injured and has to be laid up for a few months (and they lose their money, which you have to find out how and why when you read), they're strapped for cash and Dom, who sees himself as the provider of their little family - and generally is - wants to find work even while injured, but Seth is not having it.
Seth feels like he is useless (he isn't) when Dom gets injured because Dom usually takes care of everything, but he doesn't want to be useless anymore, so Seth goes out to look for a job. Only, they're in Mexico now and Seth can't speak Spanish, and the only guy that hires him for "construction work" is Miguel, who is seemingly the head of the local cartel and who is able to speak English so Seth can communicate effectively with him.
Not the smartest thing to do, but Seth is determined to provide for their family when Dom can't. He wants to be able to do as much for Dom as Dom does for him.
But Dom...is Dom. And he doesn't like that Seth is going out there and being worked to the bone and then when he finds out exactly who Seth works for, being in such a dangerous situation.
This whole situation brings up old scars, things these two haven't truly dealt with. Like what happened in the first book with their first time, and another time.
I like how what happened was acknowledged, and that Dom took full responsibility for it. Even if Seth wasn't sure if he wanted it - like he wasn't completely opposed to it - him not being 100% on board should have stopped Dom and he didn't. I think Dom needed to take responsibility for it and show how regretful and sorry he was for them to move past it.
Because when Dom goes way too far in his overprotectiveness of Seth, it brings up some bad memories for Seth and these two actually spend a few weeks apart. Not fully, they're still around each other, but they're not exactly....together. Dom isn't allowed to touch Seth and Seth just isn't sure if he can continue being with Dom.
This book, so far, was their toughest battle as a couple. It wasn't easy, and if they hadn't talked eventually then they for sure would have fractured. But the important thing is that they did talk, really talk, about what happened in the first book that hangs over them and hasn't fully gone away.
Relationships are fucking hard. Throw in being a part of a mafia family and one character especially being very morally gray (and yet still somehow devoutly religious...) and them being on the run and you've got and even more complicated relationship, and even harder one.
And these two don't exactly hold back when fighting - harsh words are said, nasty words are said, and both get hurt by those words. But the wonderful thing about these two is how they make up as well. How they talk to each other, eventually.
I also loved how this book acknowledged what Dom did to Seth in book one was not okay. And yeah, circumstances were different and at the time they barley tolerated each other, but that still doesn't make it okay.
But Dom now...now he treats Seth like a king, like the most precious thing. It's beautiful to see how far they've come.
Definitely a great book, I loved it. Whew, what a series this is. I love Seth and I love Dom (even with his misogynistic bullshit and how he thinks "real men" should act and...I hate him at times, but I love him. Oh how these are able to to do that is astounding. I feel like if another character acted like how Dom sometimes acts...I would hate them. But not Dom...*sigh*)
Whew, onto the next book. I know I'm nearing #7, which several reviews said was the hardest on Seth and Dom's relationship, so....fun times! lol. Here we go!