Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Detective Mark Knight has a serious problem—one that comes in the form of Auckland Med’s brand-new forensic pathologist. Six feet of delicious blond-haired, scary smart, stern and disapproving hotness—Dr Edward R Newton.

The man is miles out of Mark’s league; completely opposite in almost every way, and shockingly immune to Mark’s flirtations. Mark should just let him go. But the alluring doctor has taken residence in Mark’s brain and is messing with his life’s plan—in particular Mark’s determination to skirt attachments and all the self-absorbed drama that goes with them.

Mark has spent two years watching his friends drop like flies to the white picket virus, only to suddenly find himself hankering for a hammer and some white paint. Edward, however, doesn’t want a bar of Mark’s roguish charm.

But it’s not like Mark can avoid the sexy pathologist—death brings them together on a regular basis. So when a string of murders threatens both their lives and sends them into hiding, something has to give.

Book Review

When two men with relationship and commitment issues (if for different reasons) meet and fall for each other without wanting to admit it, problems are to be expected. Add to this a lot of snark, intelligence, and an electric physical attraction, and the scene is set for an exciting story. But that isn’t all – there is an external threat to their lives and a tantalizing mystery around some sort of scientific discovery as well. The end result is an explosive mix on many levels which makes for a great adventure-heavy experience.

 

Mark Knight is a detective we’ve met in earlier books in the Auckland Med series. He seems arrogant and is a player, or so he thought. His reluctance to get into a loving relationship comes both from watching his parents’ “cloyingly sweet” love that did not leave any space for him as a child and the way things turned to sh*t with a recent lover. Mark has never so much as thought about a long-term relationship, but when he meets and then gets to know Edward, suddenly everything changes.

 

Dr. Edward R. Newton, with what the “R” stands for a close-kept secret, is a pathologist at Auckland Med who leads an “introverted and contained lifestyle” as befits a card-carrying nerd. He collects comics, uses “big words” in everyday conversation, and has absolutely no need for a lover or partner. Edward is blunt and prickly, which keeps most people at a distance. He needs space and that is a good fit with Mark not wanting to get too close, but… then there is Mark.

 

With both men having relationship issues, you would think there is no hope for anything beyond maybe the physical – for a while. But both men are also intelligent enough to know that they have met their match. It may take them a little while to admit what is going on. About a third into the book, the action totally surprised me into shock. An attack at home, a mysterious link between past murders, and a leak inside the police department sends them into hiding, and the forced proximity when they have to hide from their assailant speeds things up considerably.

 

If you like sexual innuendo that can carry on for pages, if intense sexual tension that curls said pages is your thing, and if you want to know more about the various men at Auckland Med, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 361 pages/10 hours and 29 minutes
Heat Level
Publication Date	23-March-2020
Price	$4.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback, $18.18 audio book
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Up-Close-Personal-Auckland-Med-ebook/dp/B0868WDPQY