Not What It Seems

De: Nicky James

Narrado por: Nick J. Russo

They say I killed them. They say I’m sick. They’re wrong. Nothing is as it seems.

Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Cyrus Irvine takes his job and his life very seriously. He is well-respected in his field and has worked hard to get where he is.

But he’s lonely.

When called in to evaluate a murder suspect, the last person he expects to find is the man he slept with a few months ago. The man who ghosted him and wounded his fragile heart.

Ethically, he should turn around and walk away, but he doesn’t. For as much as Cyrus understands the human brain, he can’t understand the pull he feels toward the patient.

One session with River Jenkins and Cyrus is sure of three things: River and everything about his preliminary diagnosis is a lie, his feelings toward River haven’t gone away, and despite his professional code, he isn’t going anywhere.

Someone needs to get to the bottom of this.

Cyrus’ world is turned upside down as he and River team up to find the truth.

During their quest for answers, Cyrus discovers the hardest part of his decision isn’t the risk to his career, but the risk to his heart.

Not What It Seems is a 115k MM romantic suspense with doctor/patient, forced proximity, and age gap themes.

©2021 Nicky James (P)2022 Nicky James

Loved!

Nick J. Russo brings this story to life in the best possible way. I found myself unable to stop listening as I was completely wrapped up in the world Nicky James has created in Not What It Seems.
This mystery/romance is top notch and you will find yourself going down the rabbit hole of trying to figure it all out.
I found both MC's to be absolutely fascinating.
Cyrus and River were so sweet; they had a good dynamic and great chemistry together.
Their HEA was absolutely perfect too!

such a great story! loved every minute of it!

This is my first book of Nicky James and it was amazing. I couldnt stop listening. it was filled with action and drama and emotion. I could connect to both Sirus and River and understand their motives and what gets them going.

the ending was epic.

the narration by Nick J Russo was done to perfection and I was amazed by it.

totally worth a credit!

Amazing Thriller!!

This one was such a thrilling ride!

Absolutely loved this.

The plot was interesting, complex and so well done.

The characters were well fleshed out and I loved the chemistry between them

Definitely recommend this amazing series

Suspense Thrillers

What a ride this book is truly a suspense thriller, is fast pace and entertaining as hell, I love muder mysteries and this was exactly what i love , and the narrator was so good , i give it 5 stars

Fantastic!

This has got to be one of my all time favorite books by Nicky James and I was ecstatic when I heard that Nick Russo was going to be narrating! I am happy to say that it lived up to the hype in my brain! It was stellar! Nick did such a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. This will be one I relisten to in the future.

loved it

I loved this book and thus audio so much! The narrators does an amazing job of bringing the story and the characters to life for me and I highly recommend it!

What an awesome book!

The Nicky-Nick combo is always a winner and this one was no exception.

First advice:
Approach this book as a mystery suspense more so than a romance because ultimately, the Mystery trumps the romance in this book. I guarantee that you would enjoy the book more that way.

Second Advice: Get the audio of this book because Nick Russo knocks it out of the park as usual. He brought the book to life. the voices, the inflections the emotions... He nailed it.

Review:
What I Loved:
1. The mystery whodunnit: I honesty didn't have an inkling who the villain was and was very surprised when it was revealed.

2. Cyrus: I loved his strength despite his vulnerability, anxiousness and extreme lack of confidence. He did the right thing against all of the odds because he was convinced that he was right and that River was innocent. even his light kink and his self consciousness about it. he was a mess most of the book but a cute mess and I was charmed by him.

3. The steam: What was on page was great and what was mentioned off age was hotter. I wish we had those on page too lol.

4. Dual POV which I loved in this case because we needed to be in both character's heads.

5. The HEA: Loved it!

On the other hand, I struggled to warm up to River. He was too calm at times and that made him, for me, a bit one-layered.

4

Four. Let me count the ways: an unusual
mystery plot, interesting characters, fine
narrating, and I know a lot more about sex
between men. All very interesting stuff.
So many surprises by book's end, I can't
remember a plot like it. An easy book to
listen to, no car chases, gross death scenes
and so on.

Didn’t want to put it down

I could go on and on about how much I love Nicky James, but I want to get right into my review of the book. Ms. James often goes into the taboo. The Endless Road to Sunshine had an inappropriate student/teacher relationship. This one delves even further into the ‘oh that’s so wrong’ realm – a doctor and a patient. Specifically a psychiatrist and a patient. And yes, Cyrus is only evaluating River, but he knew he was compromised as soon as he faced the much-younger man. He should have recused himself. Made some kind of excuse. But this is a Nicky James book and that would’ve been way too boring.

River knows he’s in trouble. He knows he’s been set up. What he can’t figure out is by whom and why. He’s lived an extraordinarily ordinary life. Mother addicted to drugs, grew up in the foster system, and now has an unremarkable job and lives in an unremarkable apartment. His greatest excitement in life is picking up guys at the local gay bar. And he doesn’t do commitment. The moment someone shows interest beyond a night or two, he’s happy to ghost them. If they get hurt? That’s their problem.

He hurt Cyrus. He knows this. Cyrus wanted more and River didn’t. So he ghosted the older man. But when Cyrus walks back into his life and is the only person who can save him, River sees a whole other side to the man. Just as, with the passing of time, Cyrus begins to see a different side of River.

But they’re on the run from the law, chasing down a killer, and fighting feelings for each other.

This book packs quite a punch. Each time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. In the end? I was shocked. Didn’t see it coming. My only quibble is there was a too stupid to live moment where the doc and the fugitive did something so ridiculous that I was yelling at them. But then the suspense dragged me right back under.

Wow. Just wow.

And, making it all the more amazing, was the awesome Nick J. Russo. He suits these suspense books that Ms. James writes. They are a good pair. So yes, grab this book. Enjoy the taboo nature of the relationship. Enjoy the thriller aspects. Be prepared for some twists and turns. And, in the end, know you’ve had a satisfying ride.

Kept me guessing

I didn’t figure out until near the end who murderer was. I like that Nickey uses characters than aren’t all 18 to 25. Nice to see some in 40”s and would like to see a main character in there 50’ one day. Nick J Russo has become one of my favorite narrators.