Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run Series Book 6)

I rated this book 4.5 stars.Before I start on my review proper I want to make something perfectly clear: I adore Ty and Zane who are fast joining that small and elite group of fictional characters who refuse to stay fictional in my mind. I love their antics, the quick fire dialogue between them, their relationship as it is steadily growing stronger and the mad adventures they find themselves caught up in. And as far as all of that goes this book was a very welcome addition to the series and a wonderful read.And yet...While I had a wonderful time reading ‘Stars & Stripes’, this book missed the oomph factor for me. The previous books in this series somehow managed to hit me hard, made me want share my adoration for the series and the characters in it with the world in SHOUTY CAPS and refused to leave me alone.This story on the other hand wasn’t more than a highly enjoyable read. While I loved every minute I spent with Ty and Zane, this book didn’t have the ‘can’t put it down, have to keep on reading’ urgency for me. And I think I know why that is. For me these books have always been about the relationship between these two men. I enjoyed the thriller aspect of the stories and can’t deny it added some much appreciated spice to them, but I didn’t read them because that particular kind of action.In this book the relationship between Ty and Zane is rock solid and never in any doubt. They love each other and are so sure about their relationship that they actually find the courage to come out to those closest to them. With one exception this revelation didn’t cause the tension it might have and although that was heart-warming in a ‘if only that was true for everybody coming out’ sort of way it didn’t add a lot of emotional depth to the story.Which leads me to a statement I didn’t think I’d ever make; I could have done with more angst in this story. Yes, you heard me right. Me, who always proclaims that she is not one for angsty reads, is bemoaning the lack of that aspect in this particular instalment. No, I don’t quite get it either and can’t begin to explain it.Now, you may have noticed that I did give the book 4.5 stars. Everything I said above doesn’t mean that I didn’t like this book – I loved it – just that it lacked the WOW factor earlier titles had. There is a lot to love in this book; most of all the insight we get into Zane, his background and everything that made him into the person he is. My heart broke for him as his mother refused to give even an inch, knowing it would cost her the relationship with her only son. On the other hand, I adored Zane’s father.“Had a gay bull I had to sell last year. That was a damn nuisance. Gay son? That don't cost me nothing.”And as always there are the jibes between Ty and Zane to bring light relief even in the direst of circumstances. I also loved Ty’s relationship with the animals he encounters, unrealistic as it may be.I would probably read these books if all Ty and Zane did in them was talk to each other and have sex. I love these characters individually but adore them as a couple which makes me very glad that I have at least two more books of their story to look forward to. This brings me to something else I rarely do; read two books in a series immediately after each other. As soon as I finish this review I’ll be starting on ‘Touch & Geaux’. I realise that book number eight in this series, ‘Ball & Chain’ is already available. The official release day was March 17th though, and my aim was always to be ready for that story on St. Patrick’s Day. The way things are looking right now, that won’t be a problem. I’m looking forward to an Abigail Roux filled reading week and can’t think of a more enjoyable prospect right now.“There are...there are so many paths in life. Some we choose, and some are chosen for us. We walk our paths without looking down and that’s the life we lead. The only things you’ll get from guessing where another path would have gone are questions you can’t answer and heartache you can’t ever soothe.”

The media could not be loaded.  Yo adoro la serie Cut & Run. Todita. Pero este libro? Yo lo amo, cada vez que leo la serie siempre empiezo por este libro si o si y luego me paso al primero y así voy. Todo lo de este libro me encanta. Amo a los personajes. Todo

I almost didn't read this series as I was put off by Warrior's Cross, my first book by this duo and which I did not like at all. I did finally read the series though and am glad I did, as I instantly fell in love with Ty and Zane. I've reread it already and look forward to further adventures with these two FBI agents.Cut & Run is the grittiest and the longest and really allows the reader to get to know these characters, where they're coming from and where they're heading. Sticks & Stones keeps the pace going, focusing more on Ty and Zane's relationship while they trek through the Appalachians for an unexpected adventure. Fish & Chips brings the guys into close quarters literally and figuratively as they try to figure out where this relationship is going and what they want out of it. Divide & Conquer gets a little unbelievable with the plot but does an good stellar job of showing the strains in the relationship of our two heroes, Ty in particular. By this point I was so thoroughly enjoying the series that I bought Armed & Dangerous without first reading the sample, only to find myself stuck with Julian and Cameron again for a large bulk of the book. I still don't like those characters and was glad to see them leave, hopefully never to return again. It was fun seeing Smith and Wesson again though, and the only times I enjoyed Julian was when Ty had him in a chokehold. I skipped most of the Julian and Cameron stuff on reread except for that. ;)Stars & Stripes was a good read from beginning to end. The change in tone from Cut & Run to this book is noticeable. It gets almost too cutesy at some points, but then it's so much fun to see Zane actually relax and Ty charm all of Texas, that I wasn't put off by this too much. I did find it unbelievable that suddenly everybody in and around the ranch knew about Zane and Ty when they only told Zane's sister and father. What did his sister and father do? Go around announcing it to everybody? That is not their business to be spreading that news high and low, though apparently Zane would have announced it to everyone anyway when they got to the bar. Still, it made me not like Annie as much as I would have knowing she was off outing her brother to everyone under the sun. There are some plot elements that are questionable, but a little suspense of disbelief goes a long way here. Barnum and Bailey are adorable and could give Smith and Wesson a run for their money. And am I the only one thinking that Zane really needs to get Ty a couple of kitties he can actually snuggle with? Ones that won't want to kill Zane, of course. ;) Overall, I enjoyed my time with the boys in Texas, as well as their brief stints in West Virginia. I hope we'll be getting the story of just how Chester figured it out (I have my theories) and the Gradys have proven to be a close-knit and loving family.

This is a review for the entire series, not just this one book.The series was recommended to me on social media by a friend of a friend who said it was different from most male/male books as the focus was on the plot, characters and story-line rather than the sex. Thus, I decided to give the first book a go; I really enjoyed it and ended up buying, reading and enjoying the entire series.As the person recommending it to me said it is not all about the sex. In fact the sex does not make up a great part of the series; yes, there is a fair amount of sex and there are some detailed and long scenes. However, it doesn't seem forced and step-by-step, it feels very real and about two men in love, not just two men having sex. Also, for the most part the sex was a necessary part of the books and moved the story forward rather than just being there in order to titivate.I got caught up in the world of Zane & Ty and enjoyed the case aspect of the books as well as the personal aspects. It showed a different side to the FBI from what I had hitherto seen or read. All of the characters were real and far more than just cardboard cut-outs - even those who had very small, at times 'walk on', parts. The writers are clearly fanfic writers (which is not a criticism or a negative thing, quite the opposite) who have branched out into mainstream writing and have, for the most part, made an extremely good job of doing so. The fact that I did read the whole series is proof of that. It is a series I thoroughly enjoyed and read all the way through without breaking off to read any other books.So why have I only given it three stars? Well, because there were a few things which irked and even irritated me and spoilt to an extent my reading of the series.Firstly: Why, oh, why, oh why, with twenty-six letters from which to choose, did the writers decide to give both leading men surnames that began with the same letter? That's one of the huge no-nos in writing. It completely spoilt the first book for me, as every time the surname was used by anyone other than Zane or Ty, I had to pause and remember (even go back on occasions) who was being spoken to or about. That even happened a few times in later books. Given in one of the books the authors use a similar thing when they give another pair of lovers the same initials but reversed, I'm guessing they thought it was cute or something - it really wasn't; it was very annoying.Secondly: The chapter lengths in a lot of the books were far, far, far too long. Twenty, thirty, in some cases forty minutes for a chapter (and I'm a pretty fast reader) is a ridiculous length.Thirdly: The formatting in some books could have been better. There was a lack of proper hyper-links in some of the contents pages (i.e. you couldn't go to a particular chapter) & also the fact that a couple of the books only allowed you to see the reading time of the whole book rather than the length of individual chapters. These mistakes are unnecessary as it is so easy to create a contents page with links to chapters.Fourthly: The price. I bought the ebooks and thought, especially given the formatting in some books, them to be somewhat expensive for what they were. I would have expected them to have been priced at a least a pound less than they were.Would I recommend the series? Yes, insofar as it's a good, well-written, gripping series with very good characterisation and plots and a male/male romance where the sex is not the main theme of the books. On that score it's very recommendable. However, due to the above mentioned 'issues', at the price the books are I'm not certain I could wholeheartedly recommend the series - not without mentioning the cons as well as the pros.All that said, it is a series which I shall reread.

Like many others this has fast become one of my most favourite series ever. I have read every one of them avidly and sighed disappointedly everytime when I've got to the last page. The plot lines containing the crime cases that they have been involved in are cleverly crafted and have always been exciting ,edge of the seat, with action and suspense aplenty, aswell as being extremely well written in a fast, pacy kind of way that jumps off the page! Ty and Zane are definitely the type of kick ass heroes that would grace any big screen action movie. There is plenty of humour too, in the dry, witty style that always works well in these types of books.But, what I think has made these books a cut above a lot of LGBT crime m/m romances is the relationship between Ty and Zane, both complex men and both carrying a lot of baggage from their pasts. Over the six books we have seen the love between them grow stronger and more intense with each story and the chemistry they share is palpable. The way they fiercely support and protect each other, even at times from each others family members, is a joy to read. Ty and Zanes mum, priceless!In this story we learn more about Zanes family as he is called home when his father is shot on his ranch and this segues into their next perplexing crime, it is also contains their "coming out" moments ( which they've been putting off )and the reactions from all who are important to them. Loved the scene with Ty's family and Zane's dads reaction was hilarious. Great stuff!Like other reviewers this has become my fave in the series, originally it was 'Fish & Chips', but they've all been Fab and even though the original pairing of authors split after book 4, Abigail Roux has managed to keep the feel and flow of the series going really well on her own and in my opinion actually enhanced the pairing of Ty and Zane and their relationship. Please keep 'em coming Ms Roux!!

Re-read 25th April - 28th April 2018Another fabulous read I really can’t get enough of these two.Ty’s T.shirts don’t feature as strongly now (I assume that must have been one of Madeleines things) but we have.Gravity –It’s the LawThe more I read about Ty the more I fall in love with him, he’s a loveable enigma.Ty frowned. “I don’t hate all other animals.”“Horses. Dogs. Chipmunks.”“They’re twitchy, Zane. And chipmunks have shifty eyes.”“Moths?”“They have erratic flight patterns!”“Come on, Elmer. Let’s go find a glue factory,” Ty said to his horse, who tossed its head and snorted as if in argument.“Uh-huh, you know why? Opposable thumbs, bitch!”“Man’s crazy,” Zane’s uncle said to Harrison. Zane grinned. Harrison nodded and they watched Ty argue with the horse. “Seems to work for him.”“That’s why I’m up here, and you’re the one wearing the saddle,” Ty told his horse as they headed off.Original review.This time it's the turn of Zane's family, another interesting bunch. As always the writing is fabulous we've come so far with these two and hopefully there's a lot longer to go it will be a very sad day when this series ends. I read this book again the other night and I'd forgotten just how funny it is, it was a mistake reading it in bed as I was shaking with laughter and tears were rolling down my face, just love these guys.

Review of books 1 - 8Where have I been? How could I have not read this series until now? The Cut & Run series is a must for MM romance readers.FBI Special Agents Ty & Zane appear outwardly different but we soon see they are similar in many ways. Ty, with his rep for being difficult to work with, likes to ruffle suited Zane's feathers but Zane has many surprises up his sleeve.Each book features its own suspense plot which, although focusing on Ty and Zane, draw in great secondary characters (members of their families, colleagues, marine buddies).This series isn't insta-romance, it's a slow sizzle as 2 pig headed men get to know each other through the job. They have to rely on each other, trust each other & look after each other, building a bond which although tested to the max, withstands every challenge coming their way.Be prepared for laughter, tears, uncertainty, despair, tenderness and smoking sexual chemistry combined with truly excellent suspense plots.Love love love this series. Ty & Zane are THE couple of MM romance.

Wwhat do I read next?? How can I cope without another installment of Ty and Zane? I'm sooo depressed! I've really come to look upon most of the characters in this series as friends, most of Ty's family are 'barking mad' (I liken them to a latter day 'Beverly Hillbillies' clan, especially Mara and Chester, still not sure about Pa though, he's mean!), even the work colleagues at the FBI were nice enough (who'd a thought it!). Beaumont Tyler Grady is absolutely wonderful and completely mad, Zane Zachary Garrett is brilliant if slightly annoying at times, and together they make the perfect couple, none of this sugary sweet 'we never argue' c**p that you find in most M/M romances, when those two argue, they really go at it hammer and tongs, and then of course, the best part - making up! I'll just have to go back to re-reading 'Hot Head', and start the whole Cut & Run series again in a few weeks time. Thank you to the authors for writing these books, and giving me a couple of weeks of perfect reading time!!