Book Review: Bounty of Love by Scotty Cade

Title: Bounty of Love
Series: Love, Book 3
Author: Scotty Cade
Genre: Romantic Suspense, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: August 2011 by Dreamspinner Press

The night before his wedding, Zander Walsh, his parents, and his husband-to-be are all shot when they return home and interrupt a mysterious robbery in progress. After three weeks in a coma, Zander wakes up to find out he is the only survivor, and his perfect life falls apart in an instant.

Hunky FBI Agent Jake Elliot is investigating the case, and he eventually apprehends the killer-who soon escapes. Following six months of searching, Zander and Jake realize they're being stonewalled by the FBI... and that they have slowly formed an unbreakable bond that is beginning to turn into much more.

Once they embark on a journey to apprehend the killer for the second time, they'll discover that one terrible night was much more than just an interrupted robbery. Can big business and politics cover up the truth, or will Zander and Jake's quest to unravel the mystery be the end of their newfound love and their lives?

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: This MM romantic suspense has a bit more suspense than romance but it was still enjoyable with strong leads that fully developed over time.

The Set Up: Zander’s fiancé, mother and father were all killed on the eve of his wedding. As the only survivor of the attack, Zander thinks his life is over. FBI Agent Jake is assigned Zander’s case. As Zander slowly heals he learns the attack may not have been random. He asks Jake to help him expose the truth behind the attack and the two men start growing closer.

Why I Read this Book: Scotty Cade fan here!

What I Liked: I love that this book is told over time. Zander was deeply in love with his fiancé, Darren, so time was necessary for him to heal from Darren’s loss before he jumps into another relationship. I like the exploration of Zander’s survivor guilt and think it was handled with care and realism. Zander’s relationship with Jake starts off as just friends and slowly develops. I especially like that the author doesn’t rush the two men into bed but develops their emotional connection well before their sexual intimacy. This gave credence to Zander’s love for Darren and made the ending so sweet when he “introduces” Jake to Darren *sniffle, sniffle*

What I Also Liked: The plot of this novel paced well for me. Zander is clued in early that the attack may not be the random robbery that everyone thinks it is and he won’t settle for anything other than the truth. The shadowy villains aren’t all that surprising but I enjoyed getting to the full reveal.

I have to also mention how well the author did on setting up the attack. He wrote Darren and Zander’s mom and dad in such loving detail and did so quickly in the novel. In this way I felt emotional loss at their murders. He also did a great job of keeping them “alive” in the story by having Zander share memories of the three and the lives they’d all built together. In the hands of a less talented author this may have taken from the current story or romance but Cade does a great job of integrating both into a well-developed story.

What I Didn’t Like: Not sure this is a dislike but admittance that I thought more of the story would be set in Alaska like the previous two books in the series. I loved that setting and wanted the men to get to Alaska already when it took most of the book. Then the Alaska part was very brief. I’d love a short novella or story revisiting Zander and Jake’s Alaskan life but doubt I’m going to get that.

IMO: This is a good MM romantic suspense that I enjoyed and think others will too.

 

J9’s Rating:

 

 

J9’s reviews for other books in this series:
Wings of Love – 4 ½ frogs
Treasure of Love – 4 frogs