Review: Sticks & Stones by Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban

Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run, #2) by Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban
Published on January 25, 2010 by Dreamspinner Press

About the book
Cut & Run Series Book Two - Sequel to Cut & Run Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they're ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone's sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they've so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership. Ty and Zane, along with Ty's father and brother, head up into the Appalachian mountains for a nice, relaxing hike deep into the woods... where no one will hear them scream. They find themselves facing danger from all directions: unpredictable weather, the unrelenting mountains, wild animals, fellow hikers with nothing to lose, and the most terrifying challenge of all. Each other

Arlene's Thoughts:
Loved it!!!

“You’re okay,” Zane said quietly but clearly. “Just focus on me for a few minutes. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?” While talking, he was gently wiping away the blood. Ty blinked at him, opening his mouth as he thought the very first thing that came to mind when Zane prompted him. I love you. He snapped his mouth closed and stared at Zane, unable and unwilling to answer.

Wow! It’s only book two in the series, and I am seriously hooked on Cut & Run. Ty and Zane sure know how to fly off the pages of my eReader and send me on an adventure that’s filled with drama and intrigue, but not without a fair share of moments that make these characters feel real and full of life. Having been suffering from a chronic case of reader’s slump, I know I can count of my favorite duo to wake up my imagination and send me on a fictional journey that fuels my senses. Love these two characters!

In Sticks & Stones, Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are still trying to recover from the tri-state murder case they recently wrapped up. They are having a hard time adjusting after being targets of a serial murderer. When Zane fails his psychological exams and Ty isn’t showing much progress either, they are both pulled off the line of duty and ordered to take a mandatory vacation to hopefully get their heads back in the game. Their adventure takes them to the Virginia mountains on a hiking excursion that turns more dangerous at every turn. Being thrown back into survival mode and re-living past experiences that trigger destructive reactions, they are both dependent on each other to make it off the mountain alive and hopefully somewhat intact.

I could easily have a full on gush-fest when it comes to Ty and Zane. There’s so much about these two characters that attracts my attention and keeps me reading long into the night. It’s rewarding to see the progress they continue make all the while taking steady steps toward a relationship. Their shared moments are perfectly executed and when you couple that with the never-ending drama they constantly face, my imagination truly has no downtime.

“It’s twice you’ve saved my life,” he reminded in a gruff voice. “Time you stopped thinking of yourself as the weaker half.”
It was great meeting Deuce because I loved seeing how he handled his brother Ty, as well as Zane. I hope we see even more of this character in books to come.

Finally, the ending left me pining for more and I definitely won’t waste any time picking up the next installment because I hear this series just gets better and better, which I already agree with. Overall, Cut & Run is my brand of reading entertainment and Sticks & Stones was never short of fire, excitement and well executed drama. Well done!

5 Suns

Crystal's Thoughts:
I love these two guys!!  They have made me swoon and squee more than any other couple and I am not lying!  The first book in this series was fantastic and this second installment doesn't disappoint at all!

Ty and Zane after a bad experience are now on desk duty until they can both pass all their evaluations with flying colors.  Unfortunately neither one of them like being stuck behind a desk and when Zane fails his psych evaluation he and Ty both are told to go on vacation to clear their heads.  Burns, their boss, even goes as far as suggesting Ty visit his family in the mountains.  Needing someone to help him shield himself from his family he decides to take Zane along with him.  Neither one expect a relaxing hike to turn into a deadly adventure.

The story in this one kind of took a backseat for me.  Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed it I just wasn't as invested in the mystery like I was in the last installment.  The treasure hunter angle was a good one, but I think it fell off somewhere and we were just left with a strange babysitting storyline that didn't turn out well.  Once that part was over I felt like the story got back on track and everything played out nicely.  Well there is a mountain lion so I guess nicely isn't the right word, but you get my drift.

It was a good story, but Ty and Zane stole the spotlight and I wouldn't have it any other way.  These two are explosive and have the perfect kind of chemistry.  I don't know how to explain it but if you ever pick these up I know you will agree with me.  What makes this one so special though is that we get to see another side of both Ty and Zane that I have been waiting for.  These two are way alpha, but their tender moments are some of the best I have ever read and I just want more.  The last page will forever be imprinted on my brain and it left me squeeing for days!

This series is my new addiction and I honestly don't know what I am going to do when I am caught up with it!  Lucky for me I have 6 more books to get through before that happens.

5 suns