Stripped Bare

Title:  Stripped Bare

Author:  Susan Mac Nicol

Publisher:  Boroughs Publishing Group

Rating:  A List

Up All Night Satisfaction

Blurb: Now that Shane Templar has stripped the armour from Matt Langer’s heart, will either of them ever be safe again?

Though two years past, Matthew Langer is still getting over the death of a loved one. He’s steered clear of serious relationships, but when he meets the irascible, dirty mouthed and tempestuous Shane Templar that decision has never been harder. Shane is sexy, warm and funny, and Matthew finds himself trying like hell not to fall for him. Especially when Shane, with his quick wit and hacking skills, is quick to stand up for justice and avenge wrongs. Then Shane strikes at the wrong target, and Matthew realises just how far he’s already fallen. At the threat of losing for good yet another man who has broken through his armour, Matthew finds his heart stripped bare. He must face the demons of his soul or a future without love.

Review:  What a great story! It grabbed me from the first moments and didn’t let me go as it made me laugh, shake my head at male stubbornness, gasp and shed a few tears.

It was intense at times and there were a few really hard moments, but it was truly a charming story of two wonderful men falling in love. They deserved their happy ending, I craved their happy ending. I was so glad that though their road was rough and took a few sharp turns they were finally able to find their HEA.

The story is told from both main characters perspective, which I love. There was enough sadness and angst in the story that it would have taken so much away if we had only heard one of the men.

Shane is an absolute doll. A spoiled, impatient, meddling, sexy as sin doll. His quirky sense of humor and right and wrong added to the story at every level. He was brilliant, loyal, generous and caring. He was a charmer who was used to getting his way and while Matthew was no pushover, no one can prepare for the steamroller that is Shane. I adored him.

Matthew had taken some debilitatingly hard blows and remained a sweet, kind and principled man. He was so sexy and loving. He was not a man meant to live alone, shut off from the world and love. He deserved the happiness and contentment, and deliciously hot sex, that Shane brought into his life. I adored him.

Matthew was so complicated and delusional, he actually thought that he could somehow just have really fantastic, somewhat kinky, intense sex with an incredible man who he couldn’t stop thinking about and hold his emotions separate. Did I mention the part where he didn’t like casual sex, believes in monogamy, and was possessively jealous? Yeah, it didn’t work. He threw up roadblocks and ran and did everything he could think of to stay in the past and not allow Shane in. Did I mention that Shane is a professional hacker? Yeah, you can’t keep him out of anything.

An absolutely delightful read that I could not put down and read in a matter of hours. Did I mention the part where it’s around 328 pages long? Yeah, it was that good. Seriously, go buy it, you’ll thank me.

Reviewed by Nina