Book one in the Turning Point series.
Matthew Elliot is one of LA’s best detectives. He’s been labeled the golden boy of the Fab Four: a team of four detectives who’ve closed down drug-rings all over the city. He’s smart, tough and exceptionally good at his job. He’s also a closeted gay man.
Enter Kira Takeo Franco, the new boxing coach at the gym. Matthew can’t deny his immediate attraction to the man his fellow cops know as Frankie. But in allowing himself to fall in love with a man known to his colleagues, Matthew risks outing them both.
Matt and Kira work to keep their relationship and private lives hidden from Matt’s very public life, fearing it would be detrimental to their careers. But it’s not the other cops who Matthew should be worried about finding out his deepest, darkest secret…. It’s the bad guys.
Third edition – has new cover and has been re-edited, though no new content has been added.
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited
Audible
I always love NR Walker. This series is no different. It follows Matthew Elliot, a closeted LA detective and Kira Franco, the new boxing trainer at the police gym. Insta-lust ensues and it doesn’t take long for these two to hook up. So, sexy times are taken care of pretty quickly, but why then are there 3 books? Well. Naturally there are issues. Let’s start with Matt being closeted, and Kira sort of is too. Matt also has some abandonment issues from his youth, which hurts my heart because he’s rather sweet. Then of course there’s also the bad guys we’re dealing with as part of Matt’s job. Matt is mostly happy keeping his private and work lives separate for now and he’s in no rush to come out with Kira, who is also mostly okay with that. But his Enemy #1 uncovers his weak spot and puts Matt in that position he wasn’t yet ready to be in. I can always get into the skin of Walker’s characters and I’m gutted and torn and confused like they are when they have to consider what their issues are and determine if this new person in their life is worth them trying to overcome these issues, whether it’s coming out to others, trusting your heart with another person, the logistics of creating a new life with someone — and their family. Matt and Kira are sweet together and they make me happy.
In book 2, Matt has quit his job as a detective and has joined an underground MMA fighting club. See, Matt has slowly developed a liking for the physical pain because he feels guilt for putting Kira in danger at his old job. But while he’s taking his penance in the ring, he’s not being entirely honest with Kira. As the months go by Kira sees Matt changing into a kind of rage-aholic and he doesn’t know why. Guys, my heart *hurt*. I even cried a little. Poor Kira doesn’t know what’s wrong and Matt isn’t shedding any light on the situation, even though it’s tearing him apart.
Starting Point is also heartbreaking in its own way, as Matt seems to have finally shaken his demons and begins working with kids in self-defense training and drug counseling. Matt feels a bit helpless when it comes to the underserved kids he works with daily, but as time goes on, he learns to better distance himself while still providing guidance and opportunities for the kids. This book is really about Matt learning to find a new passion for work, with Kira by his side rooting him on.
The audio for the series was read by Sean Crisden, and I’m always torn by Crisden’s work. He reads well and has distinctive voices, most of which are really good. But one of his “voices” just sounds so … unenthusiastic about everything. It makes me feel like the character is just a mopey Debbie Downer. But the story is good and I liked the characters, and I soon got past it. Don’t let that stop you from listening.
4 pieces of eye candy
