| Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Agents/Spies / Artists/Actors/Musicians/Authors / Military/Former Military / Law Enforcement / Interracial / Romance / Mystery/Suspense/Thriller / Action/Adventure |
| Reviewed by | Christy Duke on 26-July-2019 |
Together, professional badass Luki Vasquez and his husband, textile artist Sonny James, fight to survive and build a family.
Saving Sonny James: The events of the last couple of years have begun to catch up with Luki -- loving Sonny James and letting Sonny love him back have left gaps in his emotional armor. Sonny says yes to a European tour with Harold Breslin, a dangerously intelligent promoter whose obsessive desire for Sonny is exceeded only by his narcissism. When Harold's plan for Sonny turns poisonous, Luki must break free of PTSD and get to France, fit and ready in time to save his husband's life.
Yes: Professional badass Luki Vasquez and textile artist Sonny James have been married for five years, and despite the sometimes volatile mix, they're happy. From their first days together, they stood united against deadly enemies and prevailed. But now the deadly enemy they face is cancer. Sonny tries, but Luki dances with cancer alone -- until he gets a startling reminder of the miracle of life.
Because of Jade: Still cancer free after five years, Luki finds out his nephew Josh and wife Ruthie have met a tragic death. Luki and Sonny must help each other learn to parent an unexpected child, Jade, and still nourish the love that has kept them whole for the past ten years. A relative's claim to Jade threatens the new family, and even if they prevail in court, they could lose their little girl unless they can rescue Jade from evil hands and true peril.
First edition of 'Saving Sonny James' published by Dreamspinner Press, October 2013.
First edition of 'Yes' published by Dreamspinner Press, July 2012.
First edition of 'Because of Jade' published by Dreamspinner Press, May 2014.
Saving Sonny James
Lou Sylvre, you really know how to start off a book, huh? Introducing me immediately to the deranged mind of a narcissistic psychopath. Since my enjoyment of the 'Vasquez & James' series has increased with each book I've read, it stood to reason that I was instantly hooked from the very first sentence. That is also the sign of a good writer. 'Saving Sonny James' brought me back to my guys, to the mystery, the action, the heartbreak, and to the love. So much love.
"But whatever the act of shooting that green-eyed guard had done to Luki's brain, Sonny couldn't get past it. He wanted to help his husband, but this thing today… Luki leaving, more than anything else… It had finally opened Sonny's eyes to the cold, hard fact that he couldn't do anything for Luki because Luki wouldn't let him."
It was physically painful for me to experience, with Sonny, the changes the PTSD and depression wrought in Luki. Seeing Luki doubt himself, and not feel strong, confident, worthy, or deserving, was more than heartbreaking. Dramatic? Maybe. Honest? Yes. Luki is such a strong character that it threw me for a loop and forced me to see him in a more realistic light. Of course, when the psycho stalker freak abducted Sonny…well, there was no place on the planet, or off, where he could hide from Luki's wrath.
I enjoyed this fourth book in the series. As always, the author has provided me with strong characters and an interesting tale. I would have been interested to see the rescue of Sonny occur in a not so hasty manner, as I think that could've been fascinating to watch Luki be pitted, mentally, against the protagonist. However, it was not to be and the author showed me an excellent time. Thank you, Lou.
Yes
I believe I've said it previously, but it bears repeating, I really enjoy a novella in the midst of a series. 'Yes' is exactly that, set between books two and three, and Lou Sylvre did a great job. Of course, she also did something totally mind-boggling by setting this five years in the future and having Luki sick with lung cancer. Really, Lou? You just had to give me heart palpitations and have me practically hyperventilating, huh? No matter. I love these guys and the author.
What I found when I read this novella was it wasn't about the cancer so much as it was about the love, the devotion that Luki and Sonny share. A diagnosis that changes lives is incredibly hard on a marriage, no matter how strong and secure the relationship. Trust me, I know. So, these were new, confusing times and often, couples can fracture from the stress, the anxiety, and they end up losing the most valuable support they have. Certainly Luki and Sonny struggled, as there was anger, guilt, fear, and more anger. Their love never changed, though. Luki might've gotten frustrated at being babied and Sonny got so angry that Luki smoked at all, terrified that he would lose him, but when the chips were down, they were each others’ rock.
A beautiful story about the miracle of love. Thank you, Lou, you made me cry.
Because of Jade
It seems so difficult to believe that I'm already at book five in Lou Sylvre's 'Vasquez and James' series. It's been five years since Luki went into remission and he's still holding cancer free. I can't believe that Luki is fifty-one years old already. No matter. He and Sonny are still two of my most favorite characters and they continue to be insanely electric together. Of course, 'Because of Jade' is going to bring a whole new dimension into their world, something they never really contemplated. Fatherhood and the fears, worries, and all-encompassing love that it entails.
Death is never pretty and it's never easy. The death of two incredibly loving parents and truly good people like Josh and Ruthie is more than sad. It's heartbreaking. They've left this incredible little five-year-old girl, Jade, to grow up and never really know her parents. It wasn't their fault. They certainly didn't choose it. It's still hard to watch even knowing that Jade is going home to live with Sonny and Luki. Out of all the wonderful things Josh and Ruthie did for Jade, the most important, the most vital thing that they did, was to ensure there was paperwork designating who they wanted to care for Jade in the event of their deaths. A priceless gift that eliminated a legal battle. Or so they thought.
Sonny and Luki knew that parenthood wasn't going to be easy. A minivan, really? But it was the things they didn't think of that sometimes brought them the most joy, love, and sorrow. First day of kindergarten. First school field trip. Being accused by another parent of inappropriate touching of a child. Laughter and giggles over hot chocolate at Grammy Margie's. Getting started on adoption proceedings only to have Ruthie's long-lost sister climb out of the woodwork to file for adoption. That's not even the worst part because Luki, with the help of his amazing admin, Jude, found enough dirt on the judge to get custody granted to Sonny and Luki. Unfortunately, by then, the Jacobs had disappeared and taken Jade with them during their court appointed visit. Oh, hell.
'Because of Jade' is my favorite of the series, so far. I have no idea whether the author plans any more, but I think it would be a shame if I never got any new Sonny and Luki stories. This was such a great addition to the series and I loved watching the change Jade brought to Sonny and Luki's lives. Thank you, Lou, for this truly beautiful book.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Changeling Press for the purpose of a review.
| Format | ebook |
| Length | Collection/ 3 novels, 478 pages |
| Heat Level | |
| Publication Date | 26-July-2019 |
| Price | $6.99 ebook |
| Buy Link | https://www.changelingpress.com/vasquez-and-james-vol-2-vasquez-and-james-2-b-2895 |
