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Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run. After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter. Unfortunately, the minute I set eyes on the new sheriff in town, I know I’m screwed. Hobie’s top cop is none other than Seth Walker.
After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, Navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate - especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike's flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike's arrival would spark from Zack's teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can't refuse.
For Sean Wright, driving a cab in the tiny Navy town of Anchor Point isn't an exciting job...until he picks up just-dumped Paul Richards. A drive turns into a walk on the pier, which turns into the hottest hookup Sean's had in ages. After a long overdue breakup, Paul can't believe his luck. Of all the drivers, he's picked up by the gorgeous, gay, and very willing Sean. Younger guys aren't usually his thing, but Paul can't resist.
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown 15 years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I'm shocked out of the steady life I've built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The thing is: I don't do babies. And I don't do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don't do family.
Matt Lancaster is the star quarterback at Bodine College, a small Southern Division II school with an ultra-conservative dean of athletics. Matt is also very much in the closet, and he thinks he’s kept his secret well hidden, until his best friends take him to a happy endings massage parlor and request a male masseuse for him. In walks Trevor Kim, a gorgeous, pierced, tattooed fellow Bodine student who does massages - without happy endings - to pay for school after his family kicked him out for being gay. Trevor takes one look at Matt and breaks all his own rules about mixing business with pleasure.
The night I twice rescued presumably straight Ethan Harris, I figured that would be the last time I saw him. However, he keeps finding his way back into my life - and into my bed. Guess he wasn't as straight as I thought. Ethan's full of surprises, though, and being bi is just one of them. As cocky as he can be, he's also sharp and witty and, even when he's being his most arrogant self, he's charming as hell. He likes to win, but so do I. However, as we get to know each other, I realize there's more to us than the games we play in and out of the bedroom.
Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run. After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter. Unfortunately, the minute I set eyes on the new sheriff in town, I know I’m screwed. Hobie’s top cop is none other than Seth Walker.
After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, Navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate - especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike's flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike's arrival would spark from Zack's teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can't refuse.
For Sean Wright, driving a cab in the tiny Navy town of Anchor Point isn't an exciting job...until he picks up just-dumped Paul Richards. A drive turns into a walk on the pier, which turns into the hottest hookup Sean's had in ages. After a long overdue breakup, Paul can't believe his luck. Of all the drivers, he's picked up by the gorgeous, gay, and very willing Sean. Younger guys aren't usually his thing, but Paul can't resist.
I left my family and tiny Texas hometown 15 years ago to escape small-town gossips and to give my mom and sister the chance at a better life. But when a phone call from an attorney back home informs me that my sister passed away, leaving me custody of her newborn baby, I'm shocked out of the steady life I've built for myself running a tattoo shop in San Francisco. The thing is: I don't do babies. And I don't do small towns. Or commitment. And I especially don't do family.
Matt Lancaster is the star quarterback at Bodine College, a small Southern Division II school with an ultra-conservative dean of athletics. Matt is also very much in the closet, and he thinks he’s kept his secret well hidden, until his best friends take him to a happy endings massage parlor and request a male masseuse for him. In walks Trevor Kim, a gorgeous, pierced, tattooed fellow Bodine student who does massages - without happy endings - to pay for school after his family kicked him out for being gay. Trevor takes one look at Matt and breaks all his own rules about mixing business with pleasure.
The night I twice rescued presumably straight Ethan Harris, I figured that would be the last time I saw him. However, he keeps finding his way back into my life - and into my bed. Guess he wasn't as straight as I thought. Ethan's full of surprises, though, and being bi is just one of them. As cocky as he can be, he's also sharp and witty and, even when he's being his most arrogant self, he's charming as hell. He likes to win, but so do I. However, as we get to know each other, I realize there's more to us than the games we play in and out of the bedroom.
Zack never intended to become a phone sex operator, but with half a college degree and a smart mouth, his options were limited. It helps that he has a knack for thinking on his feet and a willingness to roll with whatever his clients throw at him. Sure, he gets his fair share of creeps and unconventional requests, but it pays the bills, and he's in no danger of breaking his one rule: never fall for a client. Until a man named "John" starts calling, and Zack finds himself interested in more than a paycheck.
Would you live a lie to hold onto the one you love? Dean and Jason are best friends, like brothers since boyhood, now architecture students and college roommates. They've always had each other's back, but when one walks in on the other with another man, everything changes. How do you explain to your best friend that he's the one you've always wanted, that until now your life has been a lie?
Luca McGrath may be returning to Napa Valley, California, as a promising chef with dreams of starting his own restaurant and winery, but his heart still lives with the bad-boy son of a billionaire, James Armstrong. Luca spent his childhood playing games with the golden boy of California society, so blinded by James he barely noticed the dark, quiet lure of his conservative older brother, Dylan Armstrong.
Gary should be living it up in his South Tower unit of Metropolis, but he's having a hard time adjusting to his newly single status. It's not easy to walk away from five years with his ex, who he discovered was cheating on him with some North Tower twink. After a night out partying, licking his wounds, he goes to bed alone. When he wakes the next morning, there's a naked guy in his bed. Not just any guy. A stud from North Tower. But hot as he is, what the hell is he doing in his room?
Malcolm Rodgers loses everything in one week. The quarterback is benched with an injury the same week his fiancée breaks off their engagement. Lost, hurting, and stuck on the sidelines, Malcolm must spend his days in physical therapy with the one person who refuses to let him get back in the game: cocky Vance Coberly. Vance is out and proud in the macho world of pro football. As the top physical therapist in his field, flirting with football players is strictly out of bounds. But the rules of play all change when Vance meets Malcolm.
Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for. Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He's a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school. When Thorne hires Dash, it's lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what's between them is more than physical.
Maximoff Hale is a force of nature. A ship unwilling to be steered. Headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible - the 22-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life. Born into one of the most famous families in the country, his celebrity status began at birth. He is certified American royalty. When he's assigned a new 24/7 bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who's known for "going rogue" in the security team - and who fills 1/3 of Maximoff's sexual fantasies.
Blue: When my ex walks into the resort bar with his new husband on his arm, I want nothing more than to prove to him that I've moved on. Thankfully, the sexy stranger sitting next to me is more than willing to share a few kisses in the name of revenge. It gets even better when those scorching kisses turn into a night of fiery passion. The only problem? Turns out the stranger's brother is marrying my sister later this week.
Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.
Blaming himself for the death of his parents, Dr. Drew Klein retreats into a shell of loneliness, merely going through the motions of life. After a disastrous, short-lived marriage, Drew leaves his lucrative medical practice to set up a clinic for abused young men and women. The decision has more repercussions than Drew could ever imagine when the dark and sensual Ash Davis volunteers to help. Although Drew isn't gay, Ash is inexplicably drawn to him.
New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field - which doesn't help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he's been successful professionally, he's never been lucky when it comes to love.
Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He's going to live in his hometown, be everybody's friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He's well on his way - until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it's no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer's two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he's never gotten out of his head.
Michael Sebastian thought that Curacao would be the perfect place to have a little fun in the sun - and between the sheets. So far no one has struck his interest - until Sam Anderson walks into the bar. With one look at his tense body and expensive suit, Michael knows that this is a man in need of release. And Michael is more than willing to lend a hand.
Shattered by the most intense sex he's ever had, Sam has to face the facts - one night with a handsome, dominating stranger is all he gets before returning to the closet he's been suffocating in for years. But when Sam starts his new job as the CEO of a failing technology company, he discovers that Michael is one of his new employees.
While Michael is desperate for another night with Sam, he knows he shouldn't get involved with his boss, let alone another man who can't accept who he is. But as they're forced to work together to save the company, the desire sparking between them becomes impossible to ignore.
Contains mature themes.
What did you like best about Takeover? What did you like least?
I liked the narration the best, the middle and very end of the story least.
Any additional comments?
I love the boss falling for a subordinate trope, and I especially love the whole one night stand turns into something more trope, so I was pre-disposed to loving this.
I absolutely loved Iggy Toma’s narration of the story! Once again, Toma blends different character voices and situations brilliantly. I also loved the kinky dominating sex, even when it made me all squirmy.
What didn’t work for me so much was the “mystery” with the board member, which was interesting until it came to no conclusion, which I didn’t understand at all. I mean, I would have loved to have seen a final confrontation. The story also stalls midway through and could have been greatly aided by cutting about an hour and a half of gristle from the meat.
Bottom Line: The narration is rock solid, the story less so, but still recommended for those who like a little kink with their business politics.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
I loved the book and the story was good though a little short in the ending. The characters was good and I felt as I got to know them. The voice reading was very clear and read with feelings.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
So many M/M romances are thin on plot. Takeover has all the elements - engaging story, characters with some complexity, plus good 'romance'. So nice to find a book in this genre that isn't a basic Cinderella story. I hope to see more books by this author.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
With a D/s flavor that is not too serious and stays in the bedroom. I enjoyed reading this series and am loving the narrated version so far.
Strong start, but lost momentum in the middle and the repetitive inner dialogue got tiring. Things picked up, and although the ending was a bit abrupt, I found a free epiligue on the writer's website that was satisfying.
Iggy Toma does a great job narrating and increased my enjoyment of the story!
Takeover follows the story of Sam, a successful CEO, who just sealed a deal in working with a company in Pittsburgh. He travels to Curacao before he begins this new job and is then approached by Michael. They share one helluva hot night together, then part ways the next day. This doesn't mean that their one night of passion is forgotten, when they return home, the thoughts of one another still lingers. When Michael learns that Sam is the new CEO at the company that he’d founded (but no longer holds high position - long story), he couldn’t be more surprised, but Sam is determined to maintain a professional decorum despite the attraction that he still feels for Michael, plus he's in the closet when it comes to work.
Takeover is probably one of the very few books I've read/listened to that held an honest reality when it comes to the struggles of the LGBTQ community that I could easily imagine people that I know in the real world having similar experiences and battling the same personal inner demons. Michael and Sam struggle with having to work together and keep the attraction under wraps that it obviously becomes over whelming and soon they can't help it. Along with that, they both have trust issues and need to make life-altering decisions which in turn could affect them both, professionally and personally.
I enjoyed listening to Iggy Toma even thought I prefer dual narration. The story did unravel the characters as it went on. You get to learn about Sam and Michael's insecurities and how they they work together to overcome them. It was a great listen!
Would you try another book from Anna Zabo and/or Iggy Toma?
Anna Zabo - no. Iggy Toma is brilliant.
Would you ever listen to anything by Anna Zabo again?
No.
Have you listened to any of Iggy Toma’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes, I own several audiobooks with his narration, and regardless of the quality of the work, Toma's immense talent shines through. His voice characterizations are subtle and distinct, and manage to carry a story despite the author's talent or lack thereof.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Yes, the author had the good sense to employ Toma.
Any additional comments?
If your sexual kink is the fetishization of another's pain and humiliation, then this book is for you. I find a celebration of degradation not worthy of my time. I believe the safe-word was red. "Red!"
This was my first gay erotica novel, and I thought the sexual parts of it were hot as hell and they’re really all that kept me engaged. This is the first book I’ve fast forwarded before, or listened to quickly, to get through the political correctness BS I felt like was going on. I get that coming out is a real struggle for people, but I thought I was getting a novel that treated the issue as normal instead of pressing on how unwelcomed it is in today’s world and the struggle of it. I was looking for something a lot lighter and hotter, and with a straighter sounding narrator. The narration made it complicated for me to enjoy. And both are what kept me from buying the next in the series. It wasn’t captivating, and the hot parts were few and far between. Very disappointed.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Would you consider the audio edition of Takeover to be better than the print version?
Yes.
What other book might you compare Takeover to, and why?
No. Admittedly, I have not read much gay literature but this book had nudged me rather forcibly into buying more and more gay books. A triumph.
Have you listened to any of Iggy Toma’s other performances? How does this one compare?
It was my first Iggy Toma performance. And I hope not my last. It is right there with the best narration I have come across. Well paces and distinctively articulated.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The interwoven love story was compelling and seductive.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful