Dirty Kiss, Book 1

By: Rhys Ford

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A Cole McGinnis Mystery

Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman's son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man's handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min.

Jae-Min's cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover's trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about.

It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min's arms, and that could be a problem. Jae-Min's cousin's death is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence-he's not about to lose Jae-Min too.

©2011 Rhys Ford (P)2014 Dreamspinner Press

great beginning to an awesome series.

Love the stories Rhys gives us, a great introduction to a fantastic cast of characters all wrapped up in a fun and humorous way.

Rhys...you ROCK! This is just wonderful...

Any additional comments?

If the series stays as good as this, I will be back for more and hanker for more when it ends I have no doubt. I just LOVE Bobby! and Greg, you made this book yours...I was taken aback by the "blandness" at first, but then I understood why you chose to do it this way and as the story got going, found it extremely appropriate as you went from one character to the next....and now, I can't imagine it done any other way. Listener, this is one of those love it or hate it. Try it..you've got nothing to lose and I believe you'll gain an interest in a series just like I have. If you don't understand the Asian values, this will give you an ever so light but definitive insight into the rigid society of expectations and obligations felt deeply among the Asian culture and what it does to gay Asians.

Loved the narrator!

**Audible edition**

I've said it time and time again but I'm not a mystery lover. I'm just not! I couldn't give a crap who killed whom and I don't love the anxious feeling that romantic suspense gives me. ::shrugs:: I'm a wuss!

But I really liked this one.

This is your typical guy gets injured past what would be humanly possible for most people romance. Cole must have bones of steel because he bounces back from some serious $hit! Jae too. What is in the water over there?

What were my favorite parts? I loved the back-and-forth between Cole and Bobby and Cole and his brother. This book was a home run for me whenever Rhys Ford got to show off her bantering skillz. It had some insanely funny and clever moments that I loved. I also liked that these guys had some real issues to deal with. They each had a lot of baggage, between family issues, money, and jobs, and it felt real to me. Very weighty, very legitimate. I also think that Cole and Jae had some nice chemistry, though the romance was a little rushed for my taste.

What elevated this book from 3.5 stars rounded down to a solid 4 star read was a KILLER narration by Greg Tremblay. He did such an amazing job. I loved his Jae voice (just spot on) as well as his Cole voice. A really smart, nuanced narration that made the somewhat cheesy sex scenes squirm-in-your-seat hot.

Overall, a very nice first book in a series that I can't wait to get my grabby hands on.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Love

Greg Tremblay brings this book to life. Rhys Ford writes a fantastic tale. Love the characters and the narration.

Amazing!

There's something about this series that makes me want to come back for more, time and again. This time though, it was the audiobooks that called to me. I mean Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay, that's a winning combination if there ever was one.

Cole McGinnis is a former police detective with LAPD, but the death of his lover, and his own near death had him leaving the force and start over as a private investigator. His brother asks him to look into an apparent suicide, as a favour to him. As the case unravels it becomes apparent that there is nothing easy with the case. It's full of intrigue, secret and secret lives. But nothing is more difficult than keeping away from the victim's cousin, Jae-Min, the most beautiful man Cole's ever laid his eyes on.

Each time I read this book (and series) I enjoy it more and more. There are so many nuances that you miss when reading the book for the first time. There are those I forgot about that moments, and even more swoon worthy moments. I love the relationships between all the characters; they all have a past and have their own struggles. They are genuine, complex and they all have a purpose to the story. And each and every one of these side characters is beyond awesome in their own way.

I'm a huge fan of Greg Tremblay. He performs the books he narrates to perfection and ticks every single box I have for how I want my audios; the different voices, the pacing but more importantly the emotion added to bring the listener into the story. To become a part of it. Tremblay does this. Every. Single. Time. I just also have to add that there are a lot of Korean names and phrases in this book, and while reading this book I couldn't even begin to guess the pronunciation for a lot of them, but there was never any hesitation on Tremblay's part. Listening to this book was pure pleasure.

It is obvious that Dirty Kiss is the start of a (great) series, because while the case has been closed, there's still so much more left to explore. You are left with a lot of questions you want answers to (no cliff-hangers as such) but the overall story just feels unfinished - which is why I'm going straight for book two. Highly recommended if you for some reason still haven't read this series yet.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes.

Best. Narrator. Ever.

The book was great but I came to it by following this amazing narrator. Greg Tremblay makes stories come to life.

It’s okay

I have to admit that I’m really not sure if it was lame storytelling or if it just wasn’t for me, but I didn’t enjoy this story all that much. I’ve finished this story a couple hours ago now and I’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly what I don’t like about it and all I can do is shrug and say I didn’t enjoy it.

I don’t want to be too harsh about it. I didn’t think it was bad, I just didn’t think it was good either.

Killer narration brought the story to life

What made the experience of listening to Dirty Kiss, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

Greg Tremblay's narration, with his portrayal of Jae-Min and Cole, kept me engaged from the very beginning.

What did you like best about this story?

Cole and Jae-Min's relationship and the fact that their relationship is a work-in-progress - like most relationships.

What does Greg Tremblay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have had this Kindle book in my bookshelf for quite a while, but I just hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. I noticed that it was available on Audible, so I picked it up to entertain myself while driving back and forth to work. Boy, am I glad I did! While the story line kept me engaged, it was Greg Tremblay, the narrator, who really sold the story. He brought both Cole and Jae-Min to life, and I can't wait to start book 2 - Dirty Secret - on tomorrow morning's drive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

While it would have been nice to listen to it in one sitting, I made myself wait each day for the drive to and from work - a little delayed gratification never hurt anyone!

Pretty Good

I am so glad I listen to the reviews. This was a pretty good story. I was surprised in how real it was. I mean, I felt like this story is so believable... having a lot of Koren friends.... Ford really did her research into the lifestyle of Asian families... Koreans especially.

I like how Jae Min was all shy...but when Cole and Jae get together Jae gets all smexy!!!!

Nice action, drama and romance all through this book. A good read/listen from beginning to end. One to Dirty Secret...book 2!

Narration was superb! This was my first time listening to Greg Tremblay... and I must say... this won't be my last... Good strong narration.

Good buy, credit or sale.

Greg tremblay

Greg makes a good book even better. He really knows how to narrate. if i could give him 6 stars i would