‘Down & Dirty’ (Cole McGinnis #5) @Rhys_Ford #LGBT #Review #NewRelease

MtSnow reviews ‘Down & Dirty’ (Cole McGinnis #5), published by Dreamspinner Press January 2nd, 2015. 200 pgs.

Why MtSnow read this: Well. I’ve been a fan of the Cole McGinnis mysteries for years. And look at that cover! Not only that, I’ve always wanted to see Bobby get what’s coming to him *smirk*

Blurb:
From the moment former LAPD detective Bobby Dawson spots Ichiro Tokugawa, he knows the man is trouble. And not just because the much younger Japanese inker is hot, complicated, and pushes every one of Bobby’s buttons. No, Ichi is trouble because he’s Cole McGinnis’s younger brother and off-limits in every possible way. And Bobby knows that even before Cole threatens to kill him for looking Ichi’s way. But despite his gut telling him Ichi is bad news, Bobby can’t stop looking… or wanting.

Ichi was never one to play by the rules. Growing up in Japan as his father’s heir, he’d been bound by every rule imaginable until he had enough and walked away from everything to become his own man. Los Angeles was supposed to be a brief pitstop before he moved on, but after connecting with his American half-brothers, it looks like a good city to call home for a while—if it weren’t for Bobby Dawson.

Bobby is definitely a love-them-and-leave-them type, a philosophy Ichi whole-heartedly agrees with. Family was as much of a relationship as Ichi was looking for, but something about the gruff and handsome Bobby Dawson that makes Ichi want more.

Bobby. Cole’s retired LAPD, gay, tricks-every-night best friend. And Ichiro. Cole’s until recently unknown beautiful, snarky, tattoo-artist little brother. Definitely off-limits. But what is that saying about forbidden fruit tasting sweeter?

With these two characters in the past, we just get a tease, a glimpse, and the idea that if Ichi wasn’t Cole’s little brother, that Bobby would’ve had him in a back alley, or as a trick in his bed as soon as his eyes set on the gorgeous young Japanese man. But. The whole ‘off-limits’ thing seems to make Bobby stop and re-evaluate. I mean, hey, big, buff, still in awesome shape and still able to beat Cole in the boxing ring, Bobby is the optimal playboy. So why would he want to even take a second look at Coles little brother, and endanger a long friendship for a chance to get into Ichi’s pants? Maybe Bobby got hit in the head a few too many times in the boxing ring.

 

And Ichi. What’s the deal with him even WANTING to, say, blow off his brother’s advice, and STILL consider a physical thing with Bobby behind his brother’s back? Even knowing Bobby’s rep, and that he’s off-limits. Having been stuck in a restrictive, traditional Japanese household until his move to LA to meet his half-brothers Cole and Mike, Ichi is just raring to become the ‘devil-may-care’ playboy, and literally take some time to bust loose, be a rebel, and have fun while he goes about trying to build a business for his own tattoo-shop. Well, let’s just say these two guys are playing with fire, and do it quite well with snark and bravado.

Just a heads up. This is not what I consider a mystery or in the familiar formula that we are used to from Cole’s stories. In fact, as in all reality Bobby is Cole’s sidekick, not a private investigator himself, this is actually just a romance taking place in parallel with the previous mystery story in this series. But, having said that, it was a very detailed, funny (AND hot) way to see how Ichi and Bobby were able to work it, even if it was behind Cole’s back *snicker*. And, hard as it is to imagine, there were some tender moments included, also. These two are actually kind of sweet together.

This story is like a teaser, a fish-eye view of what’s going on under Cole’s nose, with him being oblivious, and more of a bonus read for Cole McGinnis series fans than what I’d consider the next book in the series. But, having said that, I found myself just waiting with baited breath to find out how Cole was gonna react to these two getting together *smiles*. And it was definitely a sweet addition to the series as a whole. Now, I’m ready for the next one!

 

To purchase this book:

 

* Goodreads * Dreamspinner Press *

* Amazon * Barnes and Noble

 

About the Author

Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai’i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.

Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.