I started with “Law Man” and then worked my way around.  Kind of made it fun getting to go back and see how the people you meet while reading Mitch and Mara’s story, get together.  I like interwoven series where each book focuses on one set of characters but you get glimpses of others who you meet in their own book.  Plus each book could be a stand-alone.  Genius.  And I fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Dream Man Series

Of course reading them back to back made my mind do crazy things like turning them into my own brand of Stephanie Plum fanfic.  I’m serious.  All the women are lovable, sassy, quirky, smart but just slightly inept enough to need help.  The men are all alpha males who think their lady is adorable, lovable, sassy, quirky, smart but just slightly inept enough to need them.  Hawk from “Mystery Man” is obviously Ranger – super alpha commando who calls his lady Gwen “babe” and “sweet pea” all the time (although all the men call their ladies “babe” but once I had the Ranger thing in my head, it stuck).  Det. Mitchell Lawson in “Law Man” is Joe Morelli, Tack from “Motorcycle Man” is Diesel and I’m sure Brock in “Wild Man” is someone – can’t put my finger on who.  And Elvira is totally a classier and wiser version of Lula.

For the most part I really like the series, and have gone and gotten a couple of the books based on the world of the Chaos MC (Motorcycle Club) but not a part of this series.   There are some issues I have, like the way people talk, but since I’ve never been in a biker gang and don’t live in Denver then what do I know?

I do know that the “alpha” in the males tends to be a little misogynistic for my tastes, and I will always have issues with any man who claims to respect and care for a woman and calls her stupid, dumb, etc.  I don’t care that he means it in a way that’s really a “compliment” to her – in that she thinks badly of herself, which they think is stupid– it still rubs me the wrong way so there are a few of the men I’m glad I’d never meet.  I can’t even say guys like Tack are nice people, he’s ok when he wants to be, but can be a real a**hole otherwise.  Plus, he can do things that aren’t necessarily “within” the law.  Then again so can Hawk, but somehow it seems different.  I guess I’m judging based on job/lifestyle.  Again, don’t hang out with bikers so maybe that’s how they treat people and if that’s the case, bikers and I are glad we do not hang out with each other.

Plus, as I demonstrated in one of the paragraphs above, the author does have a tendency to repeat almost entire sections word for word.  I think it’s supposed to be a clever ploy, but honestly it just made me wonder if there were typos or if I’d zonked out and was rereading a section.

However, despite those issues I did like the stories. Obviously since I read them all back to back in a week 😉

What redeems them is that the guys are loyal.  I mean super loyal, and they love them some Gwen/Mara/Tabby/Tessa.  Let’s face it, I may not really want to deal with someone who is super duper bada** but it’s fun to read about them.  Plus with guys like Mitch – who waits 4 years for his shot with Mara – that’s just really awesome to read about.  What girl doesn’t want a guy who is that into her and what girl doesn’t want to read about a guy who has her back at all times?

The women could get a wee bit annoying.  Like most romance ladies in present time, they have a tendency to not think before doing something and then get themselves kidnapped or their lovers shot.  Or they argue over nothing.  I mean they’re likable, but it gets annoying.  I’ve gotten used to it, I guess, since it didn’t make me rage quit like a lot of books have been doing lately.

I’d definitely recommend the series.

novelstrumpetsig

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three-half-stars