Book Review: Rack & Ruin by Charlie Cochet

Title: Rack & Ruin
Series: THIRDS, Book 3
Author: Charlie Cochet
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: November 7, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press 

New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly immerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

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Reviewed by: Crissy

Why I Read This Book: Okay, if you’ve been keeping up, this is the third book in the THIRDS series, and honestly there’s no way I couldn’t not read this book. Plus, I had to know what was next for Dex and Sloane—not to mention the rest of the guys.

In A Nutshell: Read. This. Book. But only read it after you’ve read the first two. In saying that, if you haven’t read the first two, maybe you should jump on that as well so you can get to this one.

The Setup: Sloane has finally committed to a relationship with Dex, but outside of that he makes no promises. After THIRDS realizes a mole is feeding information to the Ikelos Coalition—a vigilante Therian group, Destructive Delta works to hunt the traitor out. With Sloane and Dex mostly on the same as far as their relationship goes, secrets begin to shake up the team threatening to tear them apart before the Coalition and the strengthening Order has a chance to do it for them.

What I Liked: Is it fair to say everything? No? Well, I’ll start out with my favorites then. Dex and Sloane. In this book we finally, finally, finally get Dex and Sloane in harmony, more or less. They still have some issues to work out, but mostly their journey has led them to this point. Although, I will tell you, the way this one ends, I’m dying to see what Dex and Sloane encounter next as far as their relationship goes.

I love the balance this author maintains throughout this book. There is plenty smexy lovin’—the bathroom scene, just sayin’—but there is a fair amount of story. It’s the perfect mixture of romance, action, mystery, and suspense. Not to mention, the subplots and side stories. There is so much that interweaves to create this story and I loved every second of it.

What I Also Liked: The cast of supporting characters has been a draw for me since I first opened book one. In this story we finally get a taste of what’s to come—mainly for Ash and Cael. No one, and I do mean no one, wants to punch Ash in the throat as much as me (well, maybe except for Dex). Then the author goes and does something like this—she totally redeems Ash. Not only that. She leaves me wanting so much for him to find his happy ending. Yes, ladies and gents, we finally get some Ash backstory and it’s so good. Added to that is the conflict between him and Cael—and I can promise you it’s not what you’re thinking it is.

Here’s the thing about this story and this series as a whole. I am so captivated by Dex and Sloane that I am literally stalking the publisher’s website for the tiniest hint of the next book. But then we get tidbits about Ash and Cael, and Calvin and Hobbs, and even Seb and Hudson. I find myself one hundred percent invested in this series and this story because I want more. The writing is engrossing in a way that keeps me hanging on every word till the last then keeps me wanting until the next book.

The addition of the Coalition to this story adds not only another level of danger and action, but another level of mystery. We knew at the end of Blood & Thunder that there was a mole, but now it’s firmly in our faces. What is so good about this one—well, one of the things—is that everything is not as it seems. The action, the mystery, the suspense—it all builds perfectly until all is revealed in the end.

In My Opinion: This is a must read—and reread. I loved everything about it and I cannot wait for the next book. If you haven’t read the first two books, what are you waiting for? If you’ve read them, you must read Rack & Ruin.

Memorable Moments:

“I pooped today.”

Dex grinned as he typed away at his desk’s interface. “What a coincidence. So did I.”

“I was reading your mug, wise guy.”

“There’s a fuckwit naked in your closet.”

Dex looked up at Ash with wide eyes. “This isn’t what it looks like. I dropped some change, it rolled under the closet door, and when I went to pick it up, my clothes fell off. True story.”

Crissy’s Rating: