LET THE WOLF by Amy Lane
Fiction, M/M Romance, Action/Adventure, #2 in Covert Series
4****

Blurb: The Special Crimes Task Force (SCTF) recruits guys willing to disobey a bad order and put civilian lives ahead of their own. It is tighter than most units—when they’re not protecting innocent civilians, they’re protecting their pack. Gideon Chadwick recruits Joey Carlyle, who has worked his entire life to escape his mobster father. Learning fast, Joey loves his new job, and Gideon discovers the kid’s company doesn’t suck. Joey sees everything as predator or prey; Gideon sees every problem as having a solution. Between them, they mix instinct and reason into an increasingly volatile combination. When their passion finally erupts, it’s more explosive than either of them anticipated—and in their line of work, that could be dangerous. While Joey tries to keep up with Gideon in the “think first” department, Gideon tries to remember how to think at all. Their unit’s lives depend on them, and they can’t let their pack down because they’re tangled up in each other.

THOUGHTS: This story was a lot darker than I usually read. At times it was too intense for me, but that just means it was well-written because it did evoke reactions. Joey Carlyle is a young man who is trying to escape his cruel, dictatorial father. He tends to separate people into the predator/prey line, which can be problematic at times. Because of his upbringing, he has always been a loner. He is recruited into a special crimes unit where he is teamed up with Gideon, someone who tends to think too much. But they bond over music, especially Bruce Springstein. The two of them become more than just partners at work, but Joey still has trouble accepting that he is part of a “family”. It’s only when he comes close to losing Gideon that he finally comes to understand what love and true family is.

I loved how Gideon’s family immediately accept Joey as part of their family, even though he doesn’t understand the concept (yet). But one of my favorite parts – and it was a lighter moment in a dark scene – was when Gideon asks his tormentor “Where do bad guys get help? From Minons-R-Us or Lackeys Incorporated?” Had to chuckle at that even though I cringed at the scene. I also loved how the entire unit takes care of Joey while Gideon is recuperating and he finally realizes what family is.

But… I will say that I was definitely confused in the beginning. I strongly suggest reading the first book in the series first – which I did not – so I was lost for quite a while, which made it hard to get into the story. But by the end, I did like the characters and their relationship, if not the action.

Recommended with the caveat of read the first one first.