Book Review: Cask Strength by Layla Reyne

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Cask Strength
Author: Layla Reyne
Series: Agents Irish & Whiskey #2
Heroes: Aidan/Jamie
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 205 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.

Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer’s radar. They’re assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie’s home state, where Jamie’s past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.

As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner’s world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them.

Review: The excitement continues in this installment that picks up where the previous book left off. Aidan is still trying to keep things casual between him and Jamie as a way to protect himself from caring too much about someone he could potentially lose, just as had happened with his husband. Jamie wants more, but he is still under orders to keep what he knows about the death of Aidan’s husband under wraps. While it is killing him to do so, he plans to continue connecting the dots until he has the full story before coming clean with Aidan.

After another near miss on Aidan’s life where Renaurd is concerned, the guys are sent to lay low pursuing another case at the college where Jamie used to play ball. They go undercover, Jamie as the assistant coach and Aidan as his agent, in an effort to uncover an illegal gambling ring.

So, there are basically three things going on here with tons of branches heading in different directions from each. First, is the initial case of tracking down Renaurd and the events and coincidences surrounding the death of Aidan’s husband, as well as the attempts on his own life; then there is the cyber-gambling ring they are currently trying to uncover; and third is their relationship, which finally takes a more solid positive turn as they realize how much they love each other.

However, just as with the first book, there are secrets and more secrets, with more ties to more people being involved, most of whom appear to be betraying Aidan or those he loves. We are getting closer to the answers, but I just hope these two will survive when it is all said and done. Aidan and Jamie make a fabulous couple. They have amazing chemistry, both on the job and off, and really fit each other well.

This was another exciting and nail biting installment, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. These really need to be read in order, and this one also ends in a somewhat cliffhanger that left me ready to dive right into the next one to continue the story. If that’s an issue for you, you might want to wait for them all to be published, but I definitely recommend you keep them on your list and ready to go when the time comes!

Overall Impression: I loved it!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*