Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Ramen Assassin
Author: Rhys Ford
Series: Ramen Assassin #1
Heroes: Kuro & Trey
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 216 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: When life gives Kuro Jenkins lemons, he wants to make ponzu to serve at his Los Angeles ramen shop.
Instead he’s dodging bullets and wondering how the hell he ended up back in the Black Ops lifestyle he left behind him. After rescuing former child star Trey Bishop from a pair of thugs in the middle of the night, he knows it’s time to pick up his gun again. But it seems trouble isn’t done with Trey, and Kuro can’t quite let go… of either the gun or Trey Bishop.
Trey Bishop never denied his life’s downward spiral was his own fault. After a few stints in rehab, he’s finally shaken off his Hollywood bad-boy lifestyle but not his reputation. The destruction of his acting career and his relationships goes deep, and no one trusts anything he says, including the LAPD. When two men dragging a dead body spot him on a late-night run and try to murder him, Trey is grateful for the tall, dark, and deadly ramen shop owner he lusts over—not just for rescuing him, but also for believing him.
Now caught in a web of murders and lies, Trey knows someone wants him dead, and the only one on his side is a man with deep, dark secrets. Trey hopes Kuro Jenkins will stick around to see what the future holds for them once the dust settles, but from the looks of things, neither of them may survive to find out.
Review:
Gah, this book! I should know by now that whenever I start a Rhys Ford book, I shouldn’t expect to do anything else until I finish. This book was no different in that once I started, I could not put it down. I read it until the wee hours of the morning, as soon as I woke up in the morning and was actually late to work because I didn’t want to stop. I was drawn in right from the start and I just needed to keep reading. Trey and Kuro drew me in so quickly and I loved every minute of it. I loved that Kuro was a retired agent turned ramen maker. I loved that Trey was a former child star that struggled with addiction and I liked that they sort of knew each other before everything went down.
I loved that Kuro was the only one that believed Trey had seen a dead body and, really, was the only one that stuck up for Trey even when Trey didn’t stick up for himself. This story gave me all the feels because Kuro is so fierce and Trey is so broken. They wormed their way into my heart and I could happily read a dozen more stories about them. I adored that they both developed so much during the book. I mean, they have their own issues but they work through them and they lean on each other. Kuro comes to realize he can finally have ‘relationships’ while Trey comes to terms with what he’s done and realizes he can’t change the past but he can determine his future.
I adored Kuro and Trey but I also liked the secondary characters, even if I didn’t like Trey’s family all that much. I enjoyed the mystery, too. I liked that Trey was stuck in the middle of this situation and ultimately how everything comes together in the end. It was interesting to see how no one would believe Trey even with so much evidence coming forth that to show he wasn’t on drugs or wasn’t crazy. I like how involved Kuro became and how he came out of retirement for Trey.
I feel like I’m repeating myself but I really, really loved this book! I couldn’t get enough of it and have this urge to re-read already. I loved Kuro and Trey as characters but also as a couple. I loved seeing them explore their relationship while working through this mystery and trying to keep themselves alive. It’s such an intriguing novel and I couldn’t put it down once I started. I had absolutely no issues with this one because it was absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to see what happens next!! Really looking forward to the next book and everyone should definitely give this a go!
Overall Impression: It was amazing!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
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