Dating Games Power of Zero Book 5
Gay, Gay Romance, Romantic Suspense
Independent
Aug 14, 2020
Kindle
155
Amazon
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This book follows Jack, Gareth, Nico and Daniel after the book Ghosts. The book is broken up into short stories highlighting events that occurred after Ghosts and leading up to Jack and Gareth’s second anniversary.
We get a more in-depth look at the relationship between all the characters, and it does not involve any dangerous situations, which is a first since Jack usually is a magnet for trouble.
A night playing a game, The Dating Game and Jack losing every round brought the knowledge that Jack never had a date, something Gareth is determined to rectify.
A visit to a restaurant Nico heard about proves to be a mystery since they are expected to eat in the dark trying to guess what they are eating. It proved to be an adventure and at the end all was revealed.
A masquerade ball leads Jack to discover his love for ruffles, especially when Gareth is wearing them.
A night at the theatre and dinner turns into a visit to the police station thanks to Jack’s inquisitive eye.
Gareth finds the best way to get back at the boys, ironing. Iron a shirt and then mess it up so it must be ironed again, and again.
Jack knows that Gareth is determined to find the perfect way to give Jack his first date, unfortunately Jack is one step ahead and plans the most amazing date for Gareth.
The relationship between Jack and Gareth is strong and with all the bumps in the road they have come out happy and in love.
If you are not familiar with this series, I highly recommend beginning with book one, Job Hunt. Gareth and Jack are characters you can’t help loving and each book follows them as they overcome one obstacle after another while raising Nico and Daniel, two teenage boys whose life was a living hell till Gareth and Jack adopted them.
Reviewed by Ulysses Dietz
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Gareth and Jack are unbelievable. In this various, but charming, assortment of stories, Jackie Keswick lets us see deeper into the relationship between these two men, and into the complications that pretend to threaten its stability. I like that their two rescued boys, Daniel and Nico, continue to play important supporting roles in the emotional evolution of their two dads-in-all-but-name.
The Jack we see throughout this little book is stronger and happier than he’s ever been and has his ghosts pretty well under control (can you ever really vanquish the sort of ghosts he carries with him?). Both of these men, impossibly handsome and powerful, have control issues; but those issues come from radically different places. Under that, the author has made it easy to see how they are perfect for each other, while also being smart and strong enough to be aware and make accommodations as necessary. Would that real life relationships were all so thoughtfully managed.
The greatest irony in this book (this series) for me is that these men (who could, honestly, be my sons) would not me my cup of tea at all in real life. Too butch, too powerful, too addicted to adrenaline. The fact that I like them so much, and see them as wonderful fathers to Daniel and Nico, is entirely up to Keswick’s writing skills.
I do hope that the series will bring more about the boys, especially Nico. I feel there’s territory still uncharted (which, having raised two children as a gay man) is no surprise.
I think this book series would make a great television series (a la Homeland or The Americans); but the cultural barriers to such a fantasy are, alas, too great.