Jack: Grime and Punishment

Brothers Grime, Book 1

By: Z. A. Maxfield

Narrated by: Joe Arden

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Brothers Grime is Jack Masterson's way of helping people in crisis after disability ends his career as a firefighter. Jack's people get to a scene long after the physical trauma ends. They don't solve crime or rescue the victims. They help people move on. The new job is all Jack wants or needs, until he gets the call about old flame Nick Foasberg's suicide. Ryan Halloran's cousin Nick has been on a downhill slide for a long time. Despite that, Ryan does everything he knows to help. Ryan only understands part of what happened between Nick and Jack in high school, but after Nick's suicide, Ryan agrees both he and Jack need closure. They work together to clean the scene and despite the situation, heat flares between them. Jack is keeping a painful secret and fighting his attraction to Nick's lookalike cousin, Ryan. Ryan calls himself a magnet for lost causes and worries Jack might be the next in a long line of losers. Despite his misgivings, despite the past and the mistakes they've both made, Jack gives Ryan something to look forward to, and Ryan gives Jack a reason to stop looking back, in Grime and Punishment.

©2013 Z. A. Maxfield (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

A nice story...

I liked this book. This was a story that could actually have occurred, making it real-to-life. The journey that Jack and Ryan find themselves on is an interesting one and each has to deal with certain aspects of life in order to meet at the end, together. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, even Dave. Joe Arden did a great job bringing the characters to life and enhancing the story. The details of Jack's profession was a new and inventive surprise and I learned things I did not know I wanted to know! Enjoyable story...

Fizzled out about 2/3 of the way through

I started this book very enthusiastically; I liked the setup, I really enjoyed hearing about the crime scene cleanup, and I liked the main characters (Jack more than Ryan, but that's possibly because we only get Jack's point of view). Then about 2/3 of the way through, the book completely fell apart. Jack's friends reveal themselves to be completely awful people, and then after they've entirely sabotaged Jack's life, they demand that he apologize to them, AND HE DOES. And it's almost as though the author thinks he should, for some reason? I'm not quite sure of the logic. It's like, Jack was horribly betrayed and abused by someone in the past and nobody seems to think anything of making him apologize to them for... not dealing with it well? Honestly I have no clue why we're supposed to like his friends after this. And they're the main characters of the other books in the series. Awful. By the end I didn't even care if Jack and Ryan got together.

Either way, this is the second book by Z. A. Maxfield I've read, and the second one that I thought was pretty bad, even though her writing is fine (if a little overwrought). I won't make the same mistake a third time.

A lot better than most MM romance....

I really liked this a lot. Characters are well drawn, great dialog, just the right amount of fun stuff. Narration excellent. Also, concisely told. Very enjoyable and deeper than the usual fluff. If you like the genre, pick this one.

Surpringly entertaining

Any additional comments?

I read this story a while ago and I must admit Joe Arden brought life to these characters that endeared me to them on a level that had me caring for them deeply, well, except for David. Even after the apology, I'm still angry at him.

This romance broaches on some very tuff topics but it was told beautifully and Ryan 💖 Jack definitely deserved a 'Happily Ever After'

Another great story from Maxfield

I've been a fan of Z A Maxfield since I read Drawn Together. I'm glad to have a new series from her. Her characters have character and the sex is good, too.

Cheesy and Anticlimactic

Just as the title says. No chemistry was really built. It was just bam boom love you too. There was no real climax, just resolutions to seemingly petty problems. Everyone has a good ol arm punching session of apologies. It was boring and over cheesed. Also the voice actor had an interesting way of reading lines. Made scenes more awkward than romantic.

Grimy!!

I enjoyed this just as much the second time around. Z.A offered up a story with a profession that I’ve never read in m/m before and it just makes it so interesting, and plus I really enjoy the authors writing.

The Story: 4 Pants Off

Jack is one of the owners in The Brothers Grime, a crime scene clean up service. Once a firefighter, an accident left him unable to continue the job of his heart but was able to find another way to help others. One wouldn’t think about what happens after the cops leave but Jack and his crew think about all that comes. They make it easier to clean up so the family, or maybe a spouse won’t have to deal with the hard reality of worrying about getting blood off the walls and out of a carpet.

When he gets the heads up from his detective on and off lover that his first love Nick from his teen years committed suicide Jacks knows he needs to bid for the job no matter that he’s too emotionally connected to the case. How he and Nick ended was very tragic and Jack still carry the scars of it all but deep down he knows he needs do the cleanup even though it will bring old hurts to the forefront. All that’s left is convincing his cousin Ryan who happens to be Nicks lookalike. Cleaning up what’s left of Nick while looking into eyes and face that’s a dead ringer to his once lover now dead is a bad idea of epic proportions.

As I said. I love the crime cleanup part of the story. No one ever thinks about what happens to crime scenes and the care that’s needed to cleanup. Thinking about blood born pathogens and all that isn’t even on people’s radar but Z.A brings it up here and gives you something to think about.

The relationship between Jack and Ryan wasn’t hot fire but I liked it well enough. What bothers me is how Ryan viewed Jack in the beginning without knowing anything and how Jack took everything on like it was his fault. I also didn’t understand why the story revolves around Nick and yet I know nothing about him expect he was a drug addicted punk. He obviously was dealing with somethings and his story intrigued me because I just wanna know “why”.

Overall, another solid book by ZAM. I’ve never really disliked a book by this author and this one had that dark morose element that doesn’t exist much in the other author’s work. It was a new type of pace.

The Narration: 3.5 Pants Off

The narration wasn’t horrible but I did find it forgettable. It’s a good thing the story is so enjoyable. The was no strong difference between the voice of Jack and some of the other characters. While not incredible I still enjoyed Joe Arden's narration. There was a lot of emoting and no actual strong emotions coming across and that stopped it from getting a higher rating.

JACk Grime and Punishment

I was not to sure at first but as soon as I listened to a little more of this book I WAS HOOKED , I TRULY ENJOYED EVERY BIT of this book I hope you enjoy it as much as I have

Just a really empty book.

I kept waiting for something to happen... it never did. Boring, sleazy and lacking. No effort is made to give credence to Ryan's attraction, it just happens regardless. Virtually no plot, Dave should have been named "plot device" and the ending can be summed up in a single sentence. "Suddenly we are ok again for no particular reason whatsoever." What a novel method for resolving conflict, gee, wish I had thought of that, it could have saved me agonizing over logical reactions and motivations for characters in my own novels. Or. ...at least....saved me hours of my life I can never get back. Please try harder not to just crap out a puke burrito next time Maxfield. I sincerely believe this is an example of a good writer who just wasn't trying at all. Also, the narrator sounded bored throughout the entire book. Not the best choice if the story is already struggling to be interesting to begin with.

MM Romance

This one was okay. I did not love it. I just really did not fully connect to the MCs. I found myself caring more about the side characters. First, you have Jack, who you just want to give a big hug and just love him so dearly. I did like Jack. I did not really care for Ryan all that much and honestly I just did not get their relationship. I thought them getting together was kind of cringey...it just wasn't the best. I am rooting for them to work out, and I am really excited to see the other characters get development in their own books, so will definitely be continuing on with this series. Joe Arden is an amazing narrator, so I am happy to listen to him any time.

Heart felt story of loss, new love ans some lol's

Childhood romance gone sour, a retired fireman finds that said man from said romance has committed suicide. His strange encounter with the deceased's cousin, sparks a few flames that he doesn't want to put out!

This is in some parts very close to the bone but also very humorous. It had me in stitches on more than one occasion.

Worth a listen!

Enjoyable but short.

This is a bundle of a novel and a short story on Kindle. The audio only covers 75% of the book. A particularly well read audio book though. I will be following Joe Arden as a reader.

Great story superb narration

Joe is a brilliant narrator. The story is not for the squeamish but has a plausibility. All the central characters including the cat are plausible. ZAM please get Joe to narrate more of your books! He's sexy intelligent and perceptive.