Tied up in Knots

Marshals, Book 3

By: Mary Calmes

Narrated by: Tristan James

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Miro Jones is living the life; he's got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn't just his partner at work - Ian's a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it's casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.

Work isn't the same without Ian. Home isn't the same, either, and Miro's having to face his fears alone...how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian's rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro's stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.

©2016 Mary Calmes (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press

Worth listening to

The beginning of the story is really slow and I almost quit listening. But the rest of the story is what I’ve come to love with this series with all the characters and twists and turns.

The narrator is the same: good but not excellent.

Confused

This is a good book with good narration. I love Ian and Miro, but got a bit tired of the angst in their relationship. I just didn't feel the love with all the fighting.
I am pleased the story ended with a HFN, but there were too many plot holes left for me to feel this is all over. Why the tie in to Rhys' series early in the book and never really mentioning them again? Also, Hartley. There's more to this story too.
When will the next one be available?

So much packed into one book!

This story has so much going on it it. I found it seriously hard to put down! Ian and Miro are the biggest, baddest, toughest men around. Together they are unstoppable. The story is again from Miro’s perspective, so we hear his angst and uncertainty, as well as his anger, joy, fear, dedication, and bottomless love. Miro is a softy when it comes to the orphans and young adults he ‘collects’ while on the job. He goes through hell in this book, sometimes while Ian is there, and other times while Ian is dedicated to his country and deployed. This might be my favorite of the series because of the peeling away of layers, the clearing up of feelings and emotions, and the struggles overcome within its pages. The end is a roller coaster and I might have gotten a bit sniffly. Fantastic narration as always.

miro jones by Tristan James is hot

the story had me laughing out loud at the idiosyncrasies of the character Miro Jones. Tristan James sounded especially sexy as the voice of Miro. Liked the storyline.

In love with all the Calmes men!

Now Tristan James is the voice in my head when I need for Miro and Ian (or Jory and Sam) to take me away from it all. Yum!

I need to take a break and so the plot thickens.

This is a very VERY unforgiving listen. It's going to seize your attention and drag you through every possible unpleasant thought you might want to ignore while desperately trying to drown in the love fantasy that is Ian and Miro. It definitely plays hard to get--or better yet is explicitly denial. You'll long for the simpler days that Ian and Miro shared to lose yourself in that fantasy in their fantasy...but there will be no rest for the wicked (in a sense).

Again because I don't like discussing details:

Personally I've come to dislike Miro and I'll stick to what I am saying, he's misguided. However his ignorance is astounding here and I unfortunately have to give the story only 4 stars even though I love, love, love this series. Why?

Miro makes incredibly dumb choices close to the end of the story. And even a few at the halfway mark. These are not transgressions against himself but transgressions against himself as a US Federal Marshal! The situations he finds himself in again is no ones fault but his own. It was at this moment I recounted all his mishaps: Getting shot, being with Hartman, stabbed, beaten, jumped. Simply because he refuses--sorry no because I am seeing the bad characterization in this entry.
At no point in this entry does Miro stop to appreciate when Ian is home but when he's away he complains and drones on. I get that this is a symptom of military spouses but in one particular jarring instance. Miro really should have come unhinged because he really isn't the strong stoic type, that's Ian. Miro is an extremely lucky damsel. Or that's what he's been reduced to...a trope homo.

I do not enjoy character stupidity to advance a plot however in this case I was just completely turned off Miro. My mind is made up...Ian deserves better. Well not that he deserves better but I don't think it's fair to Ian how much he has bent for Miro. Miro has given very little to Ian. Their love is not quid pro quo but the stupid shit Miro does is turning old and if Ian is true to his character. I suspect he'll catch on before long. Speaking of Ian his character is dynamic and changing and we are getting little peeks into him,he appeals to the part of me that likes to tinker, to know what makes him tick.

I don't know what it was but this entry just didn't do it for me. It's not bad but, there were critical moments where Tristan just didn't shine through here. There are some very emotional breakthroughs that take place and maybe during this recording...he wasn't feeling it? There were really good moments for some very overheated exchange and it just seemed lost on Tristan his narration is flawless.

There was a noticeable lack of embellishment during these moments. Everything, exactly everything else is on point and I still feel some kind of way when Ian is around however. I thought it was more important to the story that when those moments came about they really needed to be nailed. But...I'll say this I think maybe perhaps not even Tristan understands what Miro was feeling because his character is actually more submissive and then magically gets this iron will when faced with danger?
That's not Miro, with or without Ian. In every other way he is submissive in the sense that he's very bitchy and subversive and in my opinion very ungrateful, I don't mean sexually I mean in his character hes a damsel in constant distress...But he's not portrayed directly that way to the listener even though that's what he actually is inside his environment. So when his poor decisions bare their fruits; while he is a US Federal Marshall I know there are many instances he's not the strong silent type, he's very much a rookie in many instances in this entry. I thought about docking a star for performance but, I'll let it slide because it's not Tristans fault for Miro's poor characterization in this entry.

I'm just not into Miro being a damsel in distress when he started off pretty intelligent. I don't like that Ian by consequence has had to give up a lot because Miro can't seem to get his shit together. The number of attempts made on Miro's life should have Ian in a rage becasue Miro does it to himself. Miro's Characterization was definitely a back seat while the overall plot was focused on. What I don't like is that Miro's poor character has caused some pretty serious plot changes...via the dumbing down of his character to a helpless damsel. No longer do I see the Twisted Tango of two strong willed men. I see an ungreatful subversive bitch and a chivalrous man. We've heard that story...and with this a lot of that nuance was not present in this book...at all.

I sincerely hope Miro is not this helpless and explicitly stupid in the next entry. Cause I already bought the next entry...so yes it's that damn good!

5+ Stars!!

Any additional comments?

You know how sometimes when you want something really, really badly and you have to wait a really long time for it, and you keep getting assured it’s “coming soon”, but you really want it now and then you get it and you’re disappointed with the final product?

Yeah, you don’t have to worry – the wait was worth it because Tristan James once again rocks this out!

The narration for Tied up in Knots was incredible and so entertaining that I immediately re-listened…to all almost ten hours of awesomeness.

THIS. This is what perfection is. God! The cameos, the action, the sex, the romance, the suspense…it was all on point. So many things that happen in this story are awesome and Mary Calmes just delivered on every promise of greatness made. This series just keeps getting better!

So what do you need to know? The story is once again told entirely from Miro’s POV. There are cameos aplenty…some of which will probably shock you (in the best way), a ton of suspense, some humor, and even some *gasp* worthy moments.

This story grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Tied Up In Knots is an absolute gem in this series, polished to a brilliant, glittering shine and contains just enough setup to know the continuation of the series will be just as badass and kickass as the first three books.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Great Sequel for a Great Series

I love the Marshalls series. There is just something about Ian and Miro. Their story is a fairytale,.. Kinda... Maybe... If Quentin Tarantino were writing it.

This installment picks up with Ian being away on a four month op and Miro being loaned out to the DEA on the west coast. Of course Miro finds all sorts of trouble to get into out there. As he's headed home he gets the call that Ian is heading home too. For the first time, Ian asks Miro to pick him up from the airport with his team.

Miro starts hoping for some normalcy when Bam, the military life rears it's ugly head again. Several people from Ian's old unit have died and the government brass think that someone is trying to kill the whole team. Ian heads to Washington to try to figure out what's going on, meanwhile Craig Hartley has escaped from prison again.

Ian and Miro have some tough choices to make. Can Miro stand by Ian when's he gone for as much time as he's home? Can Miro live with the anxiety everyday of not knowing whether Ian is going to come home safe? Is Hartley coming after Miro again?

This story wraps up in stunning fashion, as I've come to expect from this series. I can't wait to see where the next story takes us, hopefully their is a wedding involved.

These characters are some of my favorites, the story was entertaining and fast paced. I'm kinda over the Hartley story line, I know the storyline was left open so he could possibly return in a later book, but please Jesus let Miro be. I can't handle the stress of him being kidnapped and tortured again.

I think Tristan James is perfect for this series. The Chicago accent is great, it's gritty and tough and perfect for Ian and Miro. I will admit Kage sounds damn good too.

Sinner's Gin meet the Marshals!

Easter Egg City!
We start off in San Francisco and Mary lets Miro meet Kane and Connor from Rhys Ford’sSinners series. Then we see the PI from Floodgates, we hear about the ASA from Parting Shot, of course we see a lot of Sam from the Matter of Time series, and Duncan and Dreo from Acrobat. Everybody is in this!
It was fun. It was HARD – at times- and I was this close to throwing a tantrum and crying and screaming – literally – but I got over it. (I thought for a moment that Amy Lane was going to lose her thrown for a minute but… nah, she gets to keep it!)
The sensual times are off the roof in this – our boys relationship has deepened and gotten so, so, so hot. There are some very deep feels in this:
“You’re all mine now.”
I had always been his, from the moment we met.
“Gimme kiss.”
Like he ever needed to ask.
I was taken totally surprised by the twisty turny ending drama and a bit grossed out too – Mary – you can be a little dark and twisty can’t you?
But most of all I just loved this and was so, so grateful for the ending.
For fans of the series you’ll be in heaven, if you haven’t read the series it just won’t be as magnificent – and really you almost need to have read all her books! Almost!
I kept expecting Cy and Weber to show up too…;)
Thank God for Chickie – loved meeting Josue and hope we get his story soon – and am hoping we get to hear more about Dreo again 🙂
Loved this and give it 5 of 5 stars.

Loved this and give it 5 of 5 stars.

Audio

MMMMM Tristan James. If you’re a fan, you know he’s been narrating the entire series so far, and – THANK GOD- he’s narrating this segment. What makes this extra awesome, is that he’s the narrator for Rhys Ford’s Sinner’s series as well, so all those YUMMY Irish accents the Morgans have he can deliver! It’s the PERFECT blend of the two series, delivered by the same narrator!

In addition, he gives us some other wonderful accents – the vaguely Midwestern/Chicagoan of Miro and Ian’s co-workers, Sam Kage’s gruff alpha male voice, and the creepy Dr Hartley.

You MUST listen to this if you haven’t – this is a series BEST listened to (though reading is awesome too!)

6 of 5 stars

Overall 6 of 5 stars

It's pretty good

I'm a big M. Calmes fan and really love the marshal books.
Tristan was an ok narrator. i had to speed up the recording because he talked slower then i liked. and some of the choices made for how voives sound were odd. but he wasn't bad. could definitely check out more of his books