In which psychic Victor Bayne — oops, I mean Jonathan Bane — works for the police — oops, I mean works with the police -- partnered with a Stiff — oops, I mean with a non-psychic — to solve crimes in Chicago — oops, I mean Nashville.

You get what I mean?

DNF @ 22%. If you’re going to copy — oops, I mean pay homage to — an already existing and well-loved series, you better bring some impressive writing chops. Not the case here.

____
Popping back in to clarify: I think itÂ’s perfectly fine to be inspired by PsyCop, and to tip the hat to JCP by naming the MC Bane. But still, I wish the author hadn't named the MC Bane. It forces the reader into comparisons that do this book no favors.author-not-for-me crime-mystery-thriller dnf-in-2020 ...more66 s1 comment Jilly1,838 6,356

First, there is the title to this book. Then, the blurb with all the "warnings". It made me think madcap shenanigans would prevail, so I had to read it. There was no madcap or shenanigans. I felt a little cheated. As a matter of fact, I don't think I lol'd once. Jilly s LOLing!!


No, no. That never goes away. Mommy's who do that turn into psychopaths forever.

All I'm saying is that if you put a silly name and humorous blurb, expectations will happen. Don't do that if you can't deliver. Do what I do - tell everyone that you are human trash and then when they see that you aren't that bad, and are only human clutter instead, they are pleasantly surprised by you. Set the bar low enough that the only way is up. I should give motivational seminars. I'm good at this shit.
Oh, I mean.... I'm bad at it. *wink wink*


(Oooh, just got another punch in my "Going to Hell" card. One more and I get a free sandwich made personally by Jared from Subway in Hell. (They only have the Vegie Delight))

The second problem I had was that there were some moments when the dialogue got weird. this exchange:

The set-up. Okay, this is the main guy, Jon, having his new partner meet his cop friend who tells new partner that Jon had been shot once:

"Once," I mourned to the world in general, "I get shot once and no one lets me live it down."
(Oooh, I thought. This has the potential to be funny. Jilly knows an opening for a joke when she reads one.)

"Because you've already used up one of your lives with that once, " (Cop Dude) informed me testily, "and you don't have any others to spare. Idiot."
(That wasn't funny. Not at all. Come on, Jon, bring it home to mama with a hilarious retort!.)

"What am I, a cat?" I grumbled.
(um... ha..ha? Was that the punch line? Cop said specifically that he didn't have 9 lives. Plus, not funny. Am I missing something? Also, this is something a grandma would say, not a 20-something who is bantering with his cop buddy. WTF is happening here?)

So, yeah. Not funny. This book is more of a romance with a bunch of mysteries and cop stuff going on as well. Jon is a psychic who works with the police since this is an alternate universe where psychics are real and accepted. He needs a partner to watch his back when he gets all psychic trance- and for another really big reason:
He is tech-poison. His psychic ability comes with the side-effect of killing anything technology or electrical related. It's a nightmare. If only he were Amish. That would solve everything. Oh, except the psychic part which would mean they might burn him as a witch. And, the gay part. I think they aren't cool with that either. I don't think he has a beard either. Plus, the clothes! Don't get me started on the clothes! What, you can't be Amish and still look cool?



So, he gets his partner in the form of a huge Hawaiian dude who radiates the purest psychic energy Jon has ever seen. This guy has the aura of a saint. So, of course Jon wants to hit that. Who wouldn't want to fuck a saint (said no one ever)?

So once the complaints are to the side, the book was decent. I felt the main characters were developed pretty well for them to have a series and I'll probably read the next ones. I just won't be expecting the funny.male-male-romance mystery57 s Wendys Wycked Words1,579 3,882

Really enjoyed this one, though the romance part did get a bit sappy/cheesy. That said..it was very interesting, I love psychics !! Thanks for the rec Susan !!

Full review to come soon...maybe ;) crime crime-fighters drama-llama ...more49 s Barbara?1,616 411

This was one of those books that I saw in my newsfeed and decided to pick it up and read it, hoping it would grab me. I only read a couple of my friends' and then jumped in with both feet. Boy, am I glad I did. I absolutely loved this book. Real life kept screwing with me and I didn't get to devour it I wanted to, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Jon is a psychic and human lie detector. He can view other people's auras and meridian lines and knows if they are telling the truth or not. And while that is a great thing, he also fries every electronic he comes in contact with. It makes life difficult for him and those around him. Some have patience with him and others, well, don't. What he needs is an anchor, someone to keep him grounded. In steps Donovan.

Donovan is used to being gawked at and knows he intimidates most people. It makes it hard for him to have any kind of relationship, friend or otherwise, because people immediately see his outward appearance and run the other way because clearly based on his looks he's up to no good. But Jon can see what is truly inside.

Man, did these two need each other. Jon was perfect for Donovan because right away he could see his aura blindingly bright with goodness. And Donovan was perfect for Jon because he knew exactly what to do keep him grounded.

This was just sweet and precious. I mean, we don't even get a kiss until after the 60% mark. This would normally bug the shit out of me because I'm an insta-love kinda gal. But watching these two dance around each other but clearly care for one another was just sweet. And of course, we have all the cases popping up that these two have to help solve.

I am definitely looking forward to the next one. Who knows what these two might get into.book-boyfriend favorite-couples friends-to-lovers ...more35 s Susan2,245 426

Re-read August 2019

After re-reading this it is even more clear how boring the second and third book are. This book is quirky and fun and the scenes where Jon uses his ability were just great and even had a few twists! But he hardly even uses his psychic powers in the other two books. So disappointing. Well, at least I'll always have this book.

---------------------------------------

4.25 stars

When I saw the title of this book and the cover I wasnÂ’t sure this book would be for me. I thought this must be an OTT slapstick kind of story. But that wasn't the case (yay!). This book really would benefit from a different title and cover, because I don't think they fit the story.

Because this book was awesome! But not particularly funny or anything.

In this world psychics are a real thing. Different psychics with different abilities who aid the police in their investigations.

Jonathan works for an agency that mostly consults for the police, but can be hired by regular people as well. Jon can see peopleÂ’s auras, well, all the colors in their body. PeopleÂ’s emotions and actions all have a color, so Jon can learn almost anything about a person just by looking at them. He is also a pretty good human lie detector since he is never wrong.

And thatÂ’s what he mostly does for the police, tell them if the suspects are guilty or not. But they still have to come up with solid evidence, so Jon tries to steer them into the right direction.

But JonÂ’s ability is not always a positive thing, since Jon canÂ’t touch or stand close to anything electronic. It will simply fry. He canÂ’t use a cell phone, or touch an electronic door. He also needs to wear sunglasses all the time since people around him all look flashing neon lights to him. His life can beÂ… challenging.

When thereÂ’s a new hire at the agency Jon takes one look at the man and barges in to tell his boss he should hire the man. Donovan Havili must be the most amazing man Jon has ever seen. He can see deep inside the man, and that man is good to his core. Kind, gentle, patient, and very protective.

JonÂ’s boss immediately jumps at the chance to partner the two of them up, since Jon has had trouble keeping a partner in the past. But Jon is sure Donovan will be the same. ItÂ’s not easy to be around someone who can see your every secret and who canÂ’t be in the vicinity of anything electronic.

But Donovan seems to be thrilled to be partnered up with Jon. The big man is used to people fearing him because he looks a bad biker mobster, even though he is a big teddy bear inside. Jon seems to be the only one who sees that. It doesnÂ’t help that Donovan has scars of an acid attack. They make him look even scarier.

The two men really hit it off, and itÂ’s not long before Jon notices that Donovan has a crush on someone. But Jon is sure itÂ’s not him, since no one can stand him that longÂ…

I really loved the cases these guys had and Jon using his ability. That was just plain awesome! I was hoping this would be a 5 star read since it started out that way for me. But I have to admit that the romance was just a bit too happy sappy for me. These guys were just a little too cute together. It even felt a bit out of character for Jon sometimes. how they suddenly called each other Babe. That didnÂ’t feel authentic at all. I did the anchor bond they formed, but I would have been happy if that happened in later books. It did feel a bit fast here (that was one of JonÂ’s concerns too).

But I really d Donovan and how sweet he was. And I also loved his protectiveness and how he would do anything to protect the people he cared about.

Jon was overthinking things a bit too much at times and that could frustrate me a bit. But he was still a great character and I loved being in his head for this book.

I canÂ’t wait for more books in this series! The romance was sweet, and I loved the characters, but the psychic aspects were what held my interest the most.comfort-reads hurt-comfort low-angst ...more30 s mwana395 352

OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK.

What drew me to it, was the outrageous title and even more outrageous cover. Everything about it, is just a calling card to me. Along with vodka lemon cocktails, Sony headphones and Mahershala Ali's voice.

Jon is a psychic who occasionally collaborates with the police to solve murders. Mostly he sits in during interrogations and interviews to allow the police to narrow down suspects and find evidence. Think Among the Living series but with less investigative involvement and not about mediuming and more about chakra and aura reading.

This book was funny, captivating, charming... it doesn't have a main mystery but more mini mysteries to establish Jon and Donovan.

I am really looking forward to Book Two.

The book is available on KU at the moment. And I could not recommend it more.adult fantasy mm ...more27 s Anita1,790 27

While there were parts that were fun and quirky, I had a major issue with this book that left me quite ranty. The author tends to stereotype people based on ethnicity. The author introduces a character who is an international exchange student from China. Description starts out as "Asian men never looked their real age." What!? Then the author says that he spoke in a light Chinese accent (what's a light Chinese accent!!??) and THEN proceeds to write his dialogue in broken English..."Ms Thompson and I go to same college. We all thought it hoax." Now just because the man is Chinese, we don't need to further compound the stereotyping by insulting the reader by indicating that Chinese people speak in broken sentences. I am dating myself here but the TV show "Bonanza" from the 1960s had a Chinese character who spoke just that. The author goes on the say that "he had dark circles under his almond-shaped eyes." Ugh, okay, we get it you want the reader to know this guy is Chinese. Then we go on to describe a bad guy who's "half black, half-Hispanic, he had the dark black hair and almond skin tone of his heritages" Oh my head was about to explode. First, not all biracial people look the same. We go on to talk about Donovan and there's a line when Jon is making pizza and says to himself, "oh because Donovan is Hawaiian, I'll add pineapple to his pizza." Yes because all Hawaiians eat pineapple. At one point, the author describes Sho, the IT guy in the Psy office. Sho is half Vietnamese (author uses that "half" bit quite a lot) and half Chinese. Sho was born in the states but the author takes pains to say he was "American through and through in many ways but did have a few Asian mannerisms." OMG, I just can't with this. What the hell is an "Asian mannerism?" And of course he's American!! He was born in the US!! I suspect the author was trying to show the world that Jon and Donovan lived in was multicultural but I am afraid some of the author's biases and misconceptions about people of color were sprinkled throughout the book. Now I know that I am solidly in the minority on this book but hey, my review, my rules. Ok, rant over. In terms of the plot/story/characters. There were parts that were cute and parts that needed tightening up. At times, Jon and Donovan sounded middle schoolers. There's a part where Jon asked his cop friend, Borrowman, if he could tell that Donovan d him. By the way, loved Borrowman, who says "dude, you could see his crush from space." Great line. Then the crimes - you could see a mile away who did the shooting. I mean, the description of the shooter practically put an arrow next that character's head! And I thought Jon says that he is not a telepath early in the book but then says he can "go deep" and do telepathic things. And my final pet peeve - names. All of my fellow MM readers are familiar with and love the Psycops series. The psychic in those books is Victor Bayne. So as I am reading this book, I kept wondering why the author used "Bane" for Jonathan's last name. A slip? A head tip to Jordan Castillo Price?? I don't know but it kept bothering me. I also didn't quite get that whole anchoring business. Yes it was described later but then I thought about Jon's mother and step-dad and their backstory and wondered, ok, how did that work if the stepdad was the mom's anchor. I won't go into more detail since that is rather spoilery. So, not sure I can read another of this author's books. Wanted to it since it has rave and multiple 5 star ratings. But this book left me sad and angry. Not how you want to feel when all you want is an HEA.004-april-2019 bisexual fantasy ...more26 s Ariana (mostly offline)1,447 61

Reread in February 2021

I loved this as much as on my first read. And everything I said in my original review still holds up. Maybe I loved Donovan even more this time? That man is just dreamy!
Now that I've refreshed my memory I will go for book 3!

Original review:

*4,5 stars*

There have been a lot of psy-cops about recently.
But I have to hand it to AJ Sherwood – this is really well thought out and different.

Apart from the epilogue this is told from Jon’s POV – and his snark, his compassion, his determination to do the right thing make him ultimately able. That’s why it hits double hard when you see what devastating and hurtful effects his ability has on his private life, and how much damage this has left behind.

I loved Jon’s abilities, but I wouldn’t to live with them. It must be hell to see people that clearly in the long run. Not even talking about blowing up anything electrical when he gets too close. The explanations how he can still have a (mostly) ‘normal’ life are detailed and cover anything from how to use a fridge/microwave (without frying it) and how to survive without a mobile phone.
In his professional life his psychic powers are awesome to watch, and I wished fervently people Jon really existed.

So – full marks for the intriguing world building!

Donovan is a mountain of a man, and with a shorn head, tattoos and a glower to kill fits the perfect image of a violent thug, when, in effect, heÂ’s the epitome of a gentle giant and the ultimate carer and protector. People judge him before they know him, but not Jon. He sees what Donovan is inside, what kind of man he is, and his goodness and kindness literally blind him.
I did hear and applaud the message that you simply canÂ’t deduct who people are by looking at their exterior appearance. Really nicely done here!

And God, I loved Donovan – I just dissolve in puddles when a guy as strong and outwardly intimidating as him turns out to have the most beautiful, softest heart and radiates pure goodness.

I know some people marked this as insta-love and I can fully understand why. Both men admit themselves in the later stages of the book that it was virtually love at first sight for them. And yes, you feel that immediate attraction, that pull between them, but for some reason this works really well here. I think it might be due to Jon’s ability – it paves the way much more easily if you know most things about a person instantly and makes the connection between the men more believable.

So, I certainly did not get the feeling that love hits with the power of an unforeseen and unexpected meteor here. ThereÂ’s also a lot of pining on JonÂ’s part, and although we have a clear inkling that Donovan is also interested, we donÂ’t really know for quite a while. And they get to know each other pretty well before anything happens between them.

I enjoyed the two of them, tiptoeing around each other, teasing and flirting and falling for each other. And the cases JonÂ’s working also kept me all on board!

Loved pretty much all of it! Highly recommend this.
Off to read book 2!fantasy-paranormal ku lgbtq ...more26 s M.I.A406 97

Well, the title of the book is quite misleading.

I was expecting something along the lines of Alice Winter's humor and banter.
But this isn't particularly humorous, entertaining yes, funny not so much.

I'm not complaining, quite the opposite, I was happy it wasn't over the top. It's quite balanced and a well-told urban fantasy about a psychic police consultant and his new partner.

The best element of this story was how A.J Sherwood portrays Jon and his psychic abilities. I loved the descriptions, the consequences of his powers, and his inability to function in a world full of technology.

The romance is insta-love but well-paced throughout the story. It felt right. The MC's connection really comes through quite clearly. The epic scene when they realize they've both felt the same way about one another. There isn't much relationship angst. Smooth sailing for the most part. Truly very sweet.

Donovan the other mc is the very definition of gentle giant , and gosh I do have a soft spot for that characterization. He's a melt-your-heart character.

An overall pretty decent and entertaining read. It's not quite 5 Star, and all I can say is that this one of those stories that's great at the moment but it drifts away from your mind once you are done. Or it's just me, hehe. Regardless definitely recommend it for fans of urban fantasy and insta-love. alternate-reality angst-low fantasy-urban ...more24 s Gustaf1,439 155

Why haven't I started this series earlier? I freaking loved everything about this.

Edit: It's just as good the second time around.
And the third! favorites24 s Eugenia1,732 285

Storyline cute, but race is not well handled.

some other reviewers, I had issues with the way the author treated individuals of other races in this book. At best, stereotypical; at worst racist.

Was it intentional? I donÂ’t believe so, but that is what makes me sad. I do think the author was trying to be inclusive, but did it in such a way that demeaned her characters and insulted her readers.

So, props to the author for tying to be inclusive. Now, how about the author checks out some anti-racist literature to erase micro and macro aggressions from her writing?mm-romance mystery-thriller22 s Gerbera_Reads1,481 145

This was the sweetest urban fantasy I've ever read. I d the world the author started to build. The psychics work alongside police detectives to bring criminals to justice by using their gifts to find the truth. It makes them invaluable and the detective's work easier. This is low angst, medium heat romance told from Jon's POV only. (although epilogue afforded a glimpse into Donovan's mind, so that was a treat).

I d Jonathan Bane. He has the ability to see emotions that manifest in colors in every person but his life is challenging because he destroys anything electronic around him and sees too much without wanting to. Many would think him a menace. He gave up on personal happiness since one time he tried, it didn't work out well. But he will settle for a solid work partner. What he gets is the best of both worlds. I d Jon's vibrancy, his zest for life despite the difficulties he encounters every day. He is a genuine person who cares about people around him. I loved his family, his niece Skylar was a riot!

Donovan Havili has been judged for his appearance all his life. His size intimidates not only his possible coworkers but makes any personal encounters almost impossible. Jon sees Donovan's kindness, patience and generosity as soon as he sets his eyes on him. For the first time Donovan feels accepted and respected. His patience and protectiveness makes him perfect partner for Jon. But Jon being his amazing self, and Donovan can't help but fall for Jon fast hook, line and sinker.

These two were so cute together. Jon's need to be protected and cherished was fully met by Donovan's need to be the protector and provider of everything Jon might possibly need. It felt they were made for each other. Despite them declaring their feelings in the end, the relationship was still new and the feelings will deepen later in the series, it seems. I was fond of these two men by the time the book was over.

The work Jon and Donovan were doing was a uncommon. They were constantly on the go, and their help was invaluable. The case they investigated this time was a bit of a conundrum. Truth that was and wasn't, actions that contradicted the facts, shooting that didn't make sense and the victim who is is not what they seem. I d the case. As with all the psychics, the investigation was unconventional just as the result was. This was a well-written PNR romance, and I am curious to know what happens next. I recommend it! 22 s Bo386 23

Loved it so much, I'm going into an immediate re-read after my Kindle charges!18 s Shelba2,356 63

DNF @ 17%.

I the premise of this, but the execution just isn't there.

First, Jon's psychic abilities allow him to see people's meridian lines and chakras, which in turn allows him to tell, essentially, how corrupt a person is and if they are lying. That means, Jon is essentially a walking, talking lie detector. Which, as far as setting up a mystery series, seems a poor choice. A crime series, yes... but there isn't much mystery if you can just ask someone if they killed Mr. Plum in the ballroom with the wrench and be able to tell if they are lying or not. Not to mention, just being able to look at a person's meridian lines and be , "oh, shit, this dude's a murderer.

Oh, coincidentally, being able to read a person's chakras and meridan lines also gives to the ability to tell that your hot new co-worker is bisexual. Oh, and since you can read chakras, I suppose that ruins any shot at Gay Angst & UST.

Now, I could see this series working if it was was supposed to be comedic. And from the title, I thought it was supposed to be more comedic, and maybe it was intended to be comedic, but if that is the case, the author failed to do so. In my opinion, you can make murder mysteries funny, but as soon as you throw a murderous pedophile into the mix, even if it's only briefly, you've killed any comedy you may have had going.

And Donovan is just goodness personified. That's his personality in a nutshell, so far. Jon isn't nearly as exasperating a character as he is implied to be. Over 50 pages in and he hasn't fried on electronic device yet. If it were me, I'd have him constantly slipping up with personal info about his co-workers that he shouldn't know, and being ridiculously clumsy and constantly frying things.

Also, there is a lot of describing people's hair colour, eye colour, clothing, race, general appearance. , your shirt being pink isn't relevant to the plot. The niece's red h air being worn in a ponytail and blue eyes being accented by the pale blue tank top she is wearing definitely isn't adding anything either.
I did really want to this book, and in turn this series, but I just can't take it seriously and it isn't funny enough to not be able to take seriously.17 s Fenrir36 3

Interesting premise rendered painful by simplistic writing

I loved the concept:

Jon is a psychic who comes with a few complications that make him hard to live with. On the upside, he can read the life energy of people, learning all about them with a single glance. On the downside, he knows all about people when he firsts meets them which makes him hard to stand. Donovan looks a thug but has a heart – or a life energy – of gold. They are meant for each other. And it could have been an interesting, heart-warming ride. Alas, it was not meant to be.

I hated the execution:

The writing. At first I thought I was just some growing pains but it got worse and worse as the story progressed, probably because the effects of cheap writing compound with the pages.
--#1: We were told so often that Jon was difficult to be around. We get no proof whatsoever, not even a tiny little mishap. Nada. Nothing happens that would justify the level of STIGMA that he throws at himself. It was unbelievable at best and whiny at worst.
-- #2: A lot of telling. Jon talking about the shit that happens in his life. Other people talking about it. Talk. Talk. Talk. When does anyting actually happen?
-- #3: The talk was made worse by being boring! So much inane dialogue.
-- #4: Ridiculousness through the roof at times. Oh, you drive an actual Humvee? As in, not in a war zone? Really? Oh, you’re a gay man but you haven’t fucked in 5 years because people are so mean to you? Get over yourself. There’s tons of people out there. You want to f?çk, go out and do it!
-- #5: Everything is overexplained. The very simple mystery. Every little detail in the meager worldbuilding. Even the characters' emotions. Even their jokes!
-- #...

The obsession with genes, blood, and heritage. Everything got traced back to a personÂ’s genetic makeup. Even how much they tended to eat. Bordering on racist and obnoxious.

The worldbuilding. I said I d the premise. By that, I mean mostly how the characters were set up. Other than that, there is very little world building. Jon can read chakras and is incompatible with electronics. ThatÂ’s pretty much it, people. Only a few other psychics mentioned, and we never go into detail. ItÂ’s your neighbour just woke up with a 3rd eye one day, shrugged, and went to work.

The black and white. Jon can read chakras and immediately spots if a person is good or bad. And they are either good or bad. Not bad people having a good day, or good people having a bad day, or even neutral people having complicated motives. Nope. Good or bad. Booooooring!

Had I not been reading this for a group contest, this would have been a clear DNF. I really need interesting characters and decent writing. You can cheat with the plot, with the logic even, certainly with the world building, but never with the characters and the language! Sorry, this' a fail.m-m-romance14 s Bookreader87(Amanda)1,056 40

J & D

4.25 stars

I really d this one.
Jon is a psychic who works with the police to stop criminals. Many times he finds himself in danger because of his ability. Luckily for him, after many failed attempts, a new partner comes into his life.
Donovan is a big dominating man whose looks can be deceiving because underneath his exterior is a big teddy bear. Jon with his ability is able to see this immediately. Donovan turns out to be the perfect fit for Jon.
The two work together to figure out multiple cases. While doing such they also find themselves being attracted to one another.
Navigating a new partnership can be difficult but these two seem to take to each other easily.
This book came to me at the right time. I was in a slump and it brought me out of it.favorite-couples favorites friends-to-lovers ...more14 s Erth3,848

This is the first book i have read by this author and I enjoyed it that much that I have downloaded the other two books in this series.

The storyline is simple enough, Jon is a strong psychic who helps the police on difficult or confusing cases. When Donovan interviews for a position with the Psy Jon knows he is right for the job and are partnered together on a confusing case of Alice who claims someone is writing threatening letters to her but something's not right and when an innocent man gets shot by her the mystery deepens.

There are plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing and there is a surprise culprit that you won't expect. Overall a really good story with able characters and an interesting twist on psychic investigations.

Well worth a read.14 s Annika1,376 97

Audiobook review

I will admit that I first overlooked this book because of the title. JonÂ’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case. I pre-judged it to be over the top and ridiculous and not to my tastes. Then I caught a couple of that stated otherwise, that it was in fact just what I was looking for. I decided that I needed to know what it was all about, I couldnÂ’t be happier. It was a great story with great narration and IÂ’m sitting here crossing my fingers, toes and everything else that can be crossed, hoping that the rest of the books in the series will be produced into audio soon.

This book was everything I wanted and more. I listened to this book at work and was sadly forced to paus listening a few times (darn work for interrupting my happy time). I almost didnÂ’t want to start listening again, not because I didnÂ’t the book, quite the opposite. Starting up again would mean IÂ’d come that much closer to the book ending, and I just wasnÂ’t ready for that. There was something about the feel of the bookÂ… I was completely sucked into the story and nothing else existed outside it.

Jonathan Bane is used to doing everything alone. His psychic abilities have scared people away, his family included. Sure, they tried to stick around, but in the end it was too much for them. It wasn’t so much that he was psychic as much as his abilities allowed him to read everyone constantly, knowing the most intimate of details. And when you added in his propensity of frying anything electronic within seconds it puts a strain in all his relationships. So, he lived alone and worked alone. Until one morning when his boss was interviewing a prospect hire and he was mesmerised by the shining aura of the new man. A person so innately good Jon couldn’t help but to be drawn to the man, all the while knowing Donovan would probably be scared off in no time – just everyone else had been.

Jon and Donovan were such likable characters, maybe a smidgeon too perfect but I didn’t care about that. I cared about their off the chart chemistry, the magnetic pull they had for each other. From the start they just worked – as partners and friends then something more. I just about melted when Donovan gave Jon the watch, it said it all. I believed in them, wanted to know more, much more.

IÂ’m a huge fan of Kenneth ObiÂ’s and his performance of this book shows you why. He captured the essence of both Jon and Donovan, made you feel the connection between them, see the bright and shining auras. He made you feel and live this book with all of them.

There was so many epic lines, but one of my favourites would probably be You just got shot at, and now you want to go after a serial killer? (or something to that effect, quotes are difficult to get accurate with audiobooks). I loved the way Obi delivered that line. It was pure Donovan, but also kind of hilarious.

I had a blast listening to this book and I will be first in line to listen to the rest of the books when they are released. I need more of Jon and Donovan in my life.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

audio contemporary fantasy ...more12 s Gabi678 115

dnf @63%

People need to speak for themselves. Explaining their feelings with their own words (even if most of the time it seems impossible), in their own time, when they're ready, without anyone else putting words in their mouth. It's important for me in a book. People need to try and express themselves, to talk about their feelings, no matter how hard, uncomfortable or embarrassing it might be. Sure, it would be ah-mazing if I didn't need to tell my friends or the object of my affection how I feel about them, whether it's a positive or negative feeling. If they could just look at me and know, and I wouldn't have to spell it out.

The problem with this story is that missing free will. Jon, being a psychic, can read emotions no other. But I think the author overshot with him and with the world-building in general (what with Jon's inability to live in a world with electronics. For real?). Jon was too accurate sometimes. He could read auras, and sense what a person is feeling, but a few times he could even tell the exact reason Donovan was sad or apprehensive or any other thing. He could feel Donovan's growing emotions for SOMEONE (of course the fact that it was him, eluded Jon. How surprising). The icing on the cake was when he figured it out and jumped Donovan. He didn't even asked the guy. Sure, he could feel it, but Donovan didn't say it out loud and then in between kisses he goes "oh btw. I you back". -.- 
Stupid me forgot to highlight, otherwise I would shared some of what made me roll my eyes and cringe at the same time.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but this took away the charm of the story. Otherwise I  d it fine, maybe 2.5 stars. Then again, maybe psychic books just aren't for me. But considering how far I've got, it wasn't all bad. Though I've been trying to finish it for a month and I stopped every time for the above mentioned reason.
lgbt m-m-romance mystery-crime ...more12 s Kaity B1,533 13

Reread #3 Rating 3-3.5: March 2023

Same as reread #2.. i don't think Kenneth Obi was the right voice for this book...he kinda took me out of the story for a bit.. this can be found on Scribd.

Reread #2 Rating 3-3.5 November 2021

I didnÂ’t this as much as beforeÂ… Kenneth Obi wasnÂ’t the right choice for narratorÂ…

Also, I couldnÂ’t feel their chemistry as much as before I am bummed about that, but I feel I have read so many books since the first go around with this book and my preferences have changed.

Reread #1: December 2020:

Still the same rating, I think the narrator could have been better, but I really enjoyed the story. The ending did end abruptly but didnÂ’t take away from my enjoyment.

4-4.5 stars: November 2020

Loved it reminded me a lot of Hitman's Guide by Alice Winters.

Loved Jon and Donavon!!

Can't wait to start the second book now!12 s M440 7

2.25 stars

I wanted to this more than I did. The premise sounded intriguing but the execution was a bit boring. Everything always got wrapped up with a nice pretty bow way too easily. Whether it be Jon’s cases or his relationship with Donovan, there was no real conflict to keep me interested. Also the writing felt more “telling” rather than “showing”.mm13 s Len Evans Jr1,473 212

Wow... Love this book!

Read the followup series to this one first so was familiar with the author's style and really enjoy it. This first book of the series is awesome. Really the author's use of humor and the mystery part of it kept me guessing to the end. contemporary kindle-unlimited lgbt ...more11 s Meep2,140 208

I really can't see me reading on, 74% and I'm struggling.

Loved the idea, make it sound perfect, but it doesn't work for me. Possibly the issue is I my mysteries and detectives, and was expecting a quirky mystery. There is zero detecting here, the crimes are sort of mentioned, forgotten and maybe remembered later where you struggle to remember what the case was. Jon's abilities mean he take some look at a person knows they're guilty, knows their sexuality, goes lie/truth a few times and that's it. Don't pick this up hoping for detective work. He can also look at a garden and know who planted it? The criminals are all obvious but too background to matter.

I'm honestly not sure if the book is meant to be funny in anyway, the title certainly suggests it - but throw in a paedophile - yes guilty, move one. Then a serial killer you should probably chase up but shrug and leave until later, days later where he's still out there stalking people. And any joking is lost.

The characters are very poorly developed IMO. Donovan is a big scary looking softy who radiates good on a psy level, needs to be needed to a point of being fully dependant on him - which apparently wasn't a joke when said and something I found creepy. He has no personality beyond that. Former special forces and military police he applied to be a consultant but got taken on a phone holder/body guard. He's instantly attracted to Jon with nothing to show that develop.
This is definitely a 'homage' to another very popular psy detetective with a very similar name.

Jon, it's his pov, keeps telling us how hard work he is, how noone can cope around him long, how he fries all electricals, costs money, his own parents couldn't cope.... But er, everyone loves him? Everywhere he goes he's greeted warmly, people respect and him, he appears close to his mother, there've been no electrical fails. It's all tell and the show contradicts the telling.

They don't act on their attraction until the 70% Mark when Jon immediately becomes 'babe' but overall Jon's reaction to Donovan's shiny bright goodness, the hugging and awe made me think of a besotted five year old, and once that image hit it was over for me.

A few word uses seemed odd to me. 'denied' used as 'said' when denying nothing. A low, smooth 'cackle'? But I learnt that non-electrical showers are a common thing, which is all I take from this.11 s BWT2,192 236

A very interesting start to a new series.

I really enjoyed this, especially the relationship and communication between Jon and Donovan, even though it's very love at first sight, which is normally outside of a paranormal romance a No-No for me, it absolutely worked for me here because of Jon's abilities.

Told almost entirely in Jon's POV, we get a final epilogue from Donovan that solidifies how much he loves Jon.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.2020 mm-fiction11 s JoAnn772 28

Updated 08/06/2019

Decent read for an up and coming author.

I kinda stumbled on this last minute and since IÂ’ve been on the crime beat these recent days I figured IÂ’d give it a try.

In the beginning I truly loved it, the world building was fantastic and the characters had nice depth. I always love books with psychics and I felt this one stepped it up with psychic detective agency and Jon, the detective that can read meridian lines and chakras. I also loved the over protectiveness and military play that we get with Donovan.

The only thing that didn’t work for me and completely turned the book upside down was the relationship. Some reviewers said it was a slow burn and I wonder why? While I do agree it took a while for the relationship to present itself I didn’t feel there was any real “burn” at all, be it slow burn or not. I felt no sexual tension, and sexual tension is the whole point of a slow burn. From there once the relationship became official I felt it kind of stiff and insta-lovey. Now I don’t mind insta-love... I read omega smut for crying out loud. But this insta-love took us from a unique mystery to an awkward super mushy relationship that pretty much drained the rest of the story.

(Update: 08/06/2019.... so much for the “unique” mystery I thought was written here... so here I am listening to a true crime podcast when they tell the story of the “Tahlequah coed case”, which is pretty much the crime case in this book, including the ethnicity of those involved..........)

Even the mystery died from this point forward and the big “solve” was incredibly underwhelming. Which considering the case and circumstances should have been anything but underwhelming.

(Update: 08/06/2019 - the actual real life solve of this case was even worse... unfortunately)


DonÂ’t even get me started on the epilogue that 100% wasnÂ’t needed. I didnÂ’t think it added anything to the story. I can see the author wanted to give us Dons POV but it couldnÂ’t have been at least something worth reading.

From what I can see this author only has 3 book, another one thatÂ’s actually been on my waiting for list for some time now. And truthfully even though this book didnÂ’t work for me, there was a lot of potential and IÂ’m sure this author is only going to get better as they go and itÂ’s going to be fantastic.cop-detective-pi ku little-to-no-smut ...more9 s Megan *Semi-Hiatus*791 172 Read

Note To Self: You started this for your ‘J’ book but are not in the mood for a book this. It’s also giving you major deja vu. Come back to this later because you the main character and his love interest. DNF’d it at 33%

Note To Everyone Else: If I had realized how hard it would be to find a ‘J’ book I wanted to read, I would have searched weeks ago. Everything is either over 400 pages, MF, not a romance or so boring it hurts. I’ve stalked everyone’s bookshelves too.
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