Bad Dogs and Drag Queens (Rose and Thorne #1)

Title: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens (Rose and Thorne #1)
Author: Julie Lynn Hayes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 25th 2016
Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 138 pages
Reviewed by: Belen
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.

There are times when I’ll read something that I think will be great but it ends up just plain not working for me. This is one of those times.

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are Federal undercover detectives who work primarily in the Southeast U.S. as part of a covert task force that lends an unobtrusive helping hand between the feds and local authorities wherever it’s needed. At the start of the story they’re on loan to the Roanoke, Virginia Police Department to first help catch a mugger and then later to help find who’s terrorizing some of the customers and performers at a popular gay nightclub featuring a premiere drag queen show.

While I read the story I was constantly left with the feeling I had missed something. This really felt more like the second story in a series than the first to me. I got hints of their background, their history, but not enough to sink my teeth into.

I wanted to know Ethan and Vinnie’s beginning and their history as I was honestly far more interested in their relationship than I was the investigation and shenanigans in the nightclub.

Because the one thing I really did like about the story, when Vinnie wasn’t being all whiny, jealous and worried, was their relationship. Vinnie and Ethan are so obviously in love with one another and have been trusted partners (both literally and figuratively) for over five years. Ethan treats Vinnie so lovingly it was just so sweet. *sighs* I really liked how wonderfully Ethan treats Vinnie.

I have to confess—I like to be babied by Ethan. I love when he takes care of me. On my own terms, naturally. I think it satisfies something vital in each of us.

Told exclusively from Vinnie’s POV, I simply didn’t connect with the character. Between his diva-like attitude, self-esteem issues and jealousy he was a really hard character for me to like, care about, or root for to be honest.

I didn’t understand how after five years together, five obviously good years, Vinnie was still worried about their relationship. I also didn’t get the whole federal detectives being loaned out to city police departments. Too much of the story just didn’t work for me at all. Maybe that’s just me or maybe it was an off day.

If you’re looking for a low angst, established couple romance with some heat, humor, and mystery you should check this out for yourself.

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