Book of the Week: Tied Up In Knots by Mary Calmes #Review

Author: Mary Calmes

Book: Tied Up in Knots

Series: Marshals #3

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publication Date: September 16, 2016

Length: 313 pages

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Synopsis

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.

Review

I'm going to do my very best to make sure this review doesn't contain any spoilers, which is going to be sooooooo hard, y'all. Because ... just damn. 

Like the rest of you, I love Ian and Miro. Hard. There is just something about these two that just gets me in the feels. Maybe it's that they were best friends for so long. Or maybe because Ian in all his gruff, growly bear self is really just a big pile of mush when it comes to Miro. Or maybe because these two are so absolutely perfect for each other. That's never been more apparent than in Tied Up in Knots, the third book in Mary's Marshal's series. This one is my favorite. Not just because of the plethora of surprise appearances (omg!) but more so because of Ian and Miro. 

Tied Up in Knots is full of the things that make Mary's books among the elite. Dialog that is so snarky and funny and sweet and sexy that no one compares. Action scenes that feel like you're watching a movie. Not to mention the scorching hot sex scenes. But what REALLY made this book for me is how Miro and Ian act as a couple. Their bond and commitment to one is so palpable it drips off the screen. In this particular book, they are tested. Boy howdy are they ever tested. The internal struggles of both men, even though we only get Miro's point of view, is achingly wrenching. And it's mixed with all this other stuff. Work and friends and their responsibilities, so much so that if often seems like too much. There is no doubt that these two love each other with all they have, but sometimes love isn't enough. 

Things needed to be settled between us, but not now. The only thing that mattered now was feeling Ian wrapped around me. 

I sat up and rolled him to his stomach, shoved his face down into the rumpled blankets before I dove for the nightstand to retrieve the lube. 

"Do you think about me at all when I'm not here?" 

"Idiot," I croaked, snapping the tube. I slicked my cock fast and then pressed against his pale-pink hole. "You're all I think about." 

"Then kiss me when I get home, and grab me and put me over the table in the kitchen and just hold me the fuck down. Please, Miro, stop pulling away and show me." 

I had to take what I wanted so he'd know he was loved. And no matter what happened between us, that was the irrevocable truth.

So. Many. Feels. 

There isn't much I can say about this book that won't spoil it for you. Believe me, this book is to be savored. Though, the ride is so crazy you'll need to read it twice. I know I did. I flew through it the first time, only because I was so anxious to see what came next. The second time around, I was really able to appreciate all the nuances and subtleties that Mary has woven throughout what I think is her best book yet. This is a roller coaster of a ride, y'all. There are twists and turns, so many you can hardly keep up. And Miro and Ian? They get ALLLLLL the swoony sighs. All of them.