Leveled: A Saints of Denver Novella by Jay Crownover
Release Date: November 2, 2015
Spoiler Free Review By Rachel
Synopsis:
We all need a hero...let the Saints of Denver begin
Orlando Frederick knows what it is to be leveled by pain. Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop, makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure he can do it again.
Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working toward a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own...if only the man will let him close enough to mend what's broken.
My Review
Yowza!! This did NOT feel like a novella at all; it read like a full length novel. I have to admit this was my first strictly M/M book and I couldn't have been more excited that Jay decided to surprise her readers with this story. If you've read the Marked Men Series, you will recognize these names. If not, I'll give you a little back story to help you along. I believe this novella could actually be read as a stand alone if needed, as it begins a whole new series called, Saints of Denver.
Orlando "Lando" Frederick is introduced in Rule, the first book of the Marked Men Series. He is the boyfriend of Remy Archer, Rule's twin brother. Where Rule is tattooed and defiant, Remy is clean cut and seemingly straight laced. Remy kept his private life private, telling no one, except his best friend Shaw, (and Lando of course), that he is gay. It's a secret that he unfortunately takes to his grave.
Dominic "Dom" Voss is introduced to us later in the series, but more so in the final Marked Men book, Asa. Dom is the police partner of Royal Hastings, who is Saint's best friend and the love interest to Asa. Dom is strong, sexy, and thinks he knows exactly what he wants out of life; he doesn't live his life hiding his identity.
When we start off in Leveled, Dom has arrived at Lando's physical therapy practice after being hurt in the line of duty. He has high hopes of quickly getting his damaged body back into shape and getting his badge back. Their attraction to one another is immediate, and equally shocking to both of them. The fireworks start there and they don't stop until the very last page!
Dom has never really been in a serious relationship, whereas Lando never thought he'd feel anything close to the love he holds onto for Remy. We get to see numerous familiar faces throughout the book, along with getting a look at both Dom and Lando's family's.
Lando has serious reservations in regards to getting into a relationship with Dom, whose job keeps him in a constant state of danger. He's still raw from losing Remy and cannot imagine living through that kind of heartbreak again. It's almost a deal breaker for them, but they both soon realize that their love is real, and it is fully worth any risk they may face.
Jay brings these characters to life in Leveled. I hurt for them when they hurt; I celebrated with them when they overcame hurdles; and holy hot sexy scenes, Batman! I utterly fell in love with them as a couple. Jay's writing is so spot on and powerful, there were a couple of parts that I read over and over because they were so damn well written I just couldn't shake them.
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| With a dedication like this, how can it NOT be good?! |
Dom has never really been in a serious relationship, whereas Lando never thought he'd feel anything close to the love he holds onto for Remy. We get to see numerous familiar faces throughout the book, along with getting a look at both Dom and Lando's family's.
Lando has serious reservations in regards to getting into a relationship with Dom, whose job keeps him in a constant state of danger. He's still raw from losing Remy and cannot imagine living through that kind of heartbreak again. It's almost a deal breaker for them, but they both soon realize that their love is real, and it is fully worth any risk they may face.
Jay brings these characters to life in Leveled. I hurt for them when they hurt; I celebrated with them when they overcame hurdles; and holy hot sexy scenes, Batman! I utterly fell in love with them as a couple. Jay's writing is so spot on and powerful, there were a couple of parts that I read over and over because they were so damn well written I just couldn't shake them.
"Fear and love were two powerhouse combatants and it was questionable which one was going to win"
OMG, right?! I highlighted 35 times in this book. So much goodness! This highly addicting book will make you "kiss drunk and sex stupid"! You won't know what hit you, and you'll want more, more, more!
I cannot say enough about this book. If you're unsure about reading it because its #2boyskissing, I'll kindly point you back to the dedication. Read it. Read it again. Then take a deep breath and dive right into Leveled and don't look back.
This story is real. It's beautiful. It's touching. It's heartfelt. It's LOVE.
Find the incredibly badass Jay Crownover at these links:
Theodore 
