I really enjoyed this entire series. Easy to read with just the right amount of tension and heat. Recommend!

Four years and one month - that's how long it took me to finish this book, counting the first time I picked it up in June 2017. Since then, I started it several times, but for some reason, I never managed to read more than a few chapters before putting it on hold again. And I have no fucking clue as to why.

This time around, I devoured this book within two days, only pausing when I had to sleep or work. Yes, it was that good. Great writing, exciting action scenes and two absolute heart throbs as lead characters who had an amazing chemistry between them. A fun and emotional read I couldn't get enough of. I'll definitely be reading the follow-ups.

I enjoyed this m/m romance about two crime fighting professionals in San Fransisco. Loved the setting, the plot, the suspense, the romance! This book was like your favorite TV crime drama and romance all in one. The chemistry between the couple was smoking hot and leaves you wanting more! Will definitely keep reading Layla Reyne.

Eight months ago, FBI agent Aidan Talley lost both his husband and his partner in a car crash. Aidan is still mourning their deaths, but he is finally going back to work with a new partner and a new department working cyber crimes. Aidan isn’t so sure about either one, but he is eager for something to take his mind off his loss.

Jameson Walker (aka Whiskey) was a college basketball star headed to the NBA when he changed career paths and became an expert in cyber crimes with the FBI. He has long lusted after Aidan, but Aidan has been off limits, first due to his marriage and later to his mourning. Jamie’s looks and fame get him a lot of attention, and Aidan is definitely not immune to his charm, but Aidan is wary about getting involved. He is still not ready to move on from Gabe, not to mention Jamie is his partner and much younger, so Aidan is determined to keep hands off.

The men are assigned a new case to help with a cyber crime at the Galveston National Laboratory, a high-security facility that handles dangerous contaminants. The lab is being tested by some hackers who appear to be trying to get past their cyber security and so Jamie and Aidan head down to Texas to help the local team figure out what is going on. At the same time, behind the scenes the men are looking into the car crash that killed Aidan’s husband and partner. It seems evidence is coming to light to suggest that it was not a hit-and-run like everyone believes, but it may have in fact been a targeted attack. But that investigation has to get put on the back burner as things become more dire at the lab. The hackers are getting more persistent, and as they follow the trail, it is becoming clear that there may be even bigger targets at risk. Now Jamie and Aidan must work to figure out who is behind the threats before they lose their own lives, and thousands more people are put in danger.

Single Malt is the first book in Layla Reyne’s exciting new Agents Irish and Whiskey series. This appears to be the author’s debut work, and I am super excited for both the continuation of the series, as well as to read future books by Reyne. I found this to be an exciting romantic suspense with two characters who were both likable and intriguing.

Aidan and Jamie are new partners on their first case together. They combine Aidan’s experience in the FBI with Jamie’s skills in cyber crimes, which are the perfect match for the case at the laboratory. Reyne manages to handle the technical side of things well, giving us enough to understand the intricacies of what is happening with the hackers without overwhelming things with too much technical detail. I enjoyed watching the guys play off one another as they investigate, each working with their own strengths. The case is twisty and exciting and kept me guessing as to who was behind it all. The case does wrap up, but there are threads that are left open that will carry on into the next book, leaving me both satisfied with the ending and intrigued for more.

The other investigation these guys are looking into is the death of Aidan’s partner and husband. We don’t get too far into it in this book, and we are clearly set up for more as the series continues, but it opens up some interesting possibilities. We do know that evidence suggests that it was not an accident, but we don’t know who was behind the murder or why. At first Aidan is hesitant to share too much detail with Jamie, but as the story continues and trust builds between them, Jamie becomes more involved.

From a relationship end, things develop nicely here and with appropriate caution. When the story starts, Aidan is just coming back to work and is still mourning Gabe. On top of that, he feels guilty for even considering an attraction to Jamie, as if he is betraying his former husband. Even with those personal issues aside, the men are partners, there is an age gap between them, and Aidan isn’t emotionally prepared for another commitment. For his part, Jamie isn’t out, as his basketball career kept him closeted and although he no longer plays, he is still in a spotlight he would rather not have focused on him too deeply. So it does take some time for things to boil over between the men and for them to act on their attraction, and Reyne does a great job with the sizzling chemistry as these guys dance around each other. Although they do ultimately act on their attraction, the romantic future is still somewhat open ended as the story closes, which befits an ongoing series.

The only area I would have liked to see expanded upon is Jamie’s background. We are given glimpses of his past as a star basketball player, and are told bits about a relationship that ended and why he left the NBA. But there is obviously more story there and I felt like we don’t get as much background on him as I would have liked. That said, I expect that more will be revealed as the series continues so I am waiting patiently on that.

Overall, I was really excited about this book and about the series. Single Malt is a great romantic suspense that kept me engaged and excited throughout the story. And I loved Jamie and Aidan and found them both interesting characters, and a great couple. The chemistry between them is fabulous and I am really eager to see where the case and their relationship takes them in future books.

This book has been on my kindle for a while now and I’m not sure why I waited to read it…although I’m kind of glad I did now that I see it ended on not quite a cliffhanger but definitely with incentive for reading book 2 (and probably 3) right away. This author is new to me and I’m really glad I found her. This story is right up my alley…full of suspense with a strong love story mixed in. The writing was really good, not predictable with surprises right up until the very end and the characters, even the bad ones, were strong and intriguing. This book was hard to put down and I’m excited to start the next book.

I’m honestly not sure who I like more…Aiden (Irish) or Jamie (Whiskey). They both surprised me. I’m a sucker for a big athlete with a bigger brain and Jamie is both of those things as well as a bada$$ in his own right. He is quick witted and as good a field agent as he is a cyber agent. He clearly has a couple of secrets yet to be discovered. He seems to be fiercely loyal and protective and I can see a bit of a sweet, romantic side to him as well. Aiden is an Irishman (read: hot, freckled red-head with an Irish brogue who is also a bada$$ FBI agent) who has suffered many tragedies and he’s not done with the suffering (there is some foreshadowing to the future of the series that is a huge spoiler so I’m not including it). He doesn’t want to be hurt again so he’s trying (unsuccessfully) to close himself off from Jamie. These guys have amazing sexual and emotion chemistry…you can feel the tension between them throughout the book. They’re possessive of each other even though they won’t admit it to themselves, each other or others around them. They are perfect FBI partners, complementing each other and feeding off each other.

As stated earlier, the supporting cast is strong and complex providing several twists and turns throughout the book. I'm anxious to see who sticks around and who will surprise me next.

We definitely aren’t done with this story or these guys…book 2 will pick up where this one ends. So far this is a must read series that you’re going to want to allow time to sink into as you’ll want to go from book to book quickly!

I should have reviewed this as soon as I read it. Problem is, I was so sucked in, I could not stop reading. I could not stop listening.

I’d waited to read all these books until I could read all three together. Partially because I don’t like to have to wait, and these were coming out close enough that the wait to read all of them would not be that long. But also because I’d heard that Tristan-my ultimate voice crush-James was narrating. What can I say? If that man narrates a book, I’m going to listen to it.

So when they all came out, off I went, I started Single Malt… and I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop to think about how much I loved this book. I couldn’t stop to think about the specific things I loved about this book. I couldn’t stop.

Could.

Not.

Stop.

I had to keep going because it was just that good. It captured me right from page one and I could not come up for air until I was finished.

So if that’s not a recommendation to start this series, I’m not sure what else you’d need. But let me give you this…

Character development? CHECK
UST? CHECK

Angst? CHECK

Super hotness? CHECK

With the audio, Tristan James and his amazing voice doing amazing things with accents? CHECK CHECK CHECK

Single Malt has it all. So much that I needed to keep going on to book two immediately. Pick it up. Read it. Listen to it. Do both at the same time. Do the thing. Click the button. It’s a fun ride.

No rating. I was not able to finish this book and instead of providing a low rating, I simply won't provide one at all. This book just wasn't for me. I have tried multiple times to get into this story and each time I go back I dread it. That's not a good place to be so I have given up. I am not going to give it a rating because that wouldn't be fair. I don't know why I can't connect with this story.

So many of my friends love this story so it is clearly a case of "me and not the book."

Single Malt was...I’m not sure how to describe it. Aidan Tally lost his partner and his husband. Now after eight months he’s back investigating what happened to his husband, as well as other cases. He gets a new partner Jamie who was a professional athlete and now works tech. He’s had a crush on Aidan for a long time. They start working together and become really close and end up in a sort of relationship.

I felt Single Malt was beyond boring. I could not get into this book at all. I felt the story had a lot of technical stuff and the characters weren’t very anything. I didn’t feel much for them at all. This story was just not for me.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I liked the characters in this book and their chemistry, but I found myself wanting more of Aidan and Jamie and less of the actual story. I thought there was more focus on the story than their relationship, which I am sure others love, but I wanted more of them and less of the other stuff. I found myself skimming some parts because of it. I did like the secondary characters and there is another book in the series, I think maybe two more and I will read them because I do want to find out what happens; I just wasn’t interested in the “suspense” part of the book as much as the relationship. I do want to know what happened to Aidan’s husband, which I am sure will be addressed in coming books.

Characters: Well written
Sex: Yes
Religious: No
Would I recommend to others: Yes
More than one book in the series: Yes
Genre: M/M Romance
Would I read more by this author: Yes


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Experienced FBI agent Aiden was in a car accident that killed his husband and his partner. Ready to go back to work, he is teamed up with younger agent Jamie, who is an IT wiz and a former basketball star.

I was in heaven reading Single Malt. Two intelligent, sexy guys partnered up to solve crime who are drawn to each other as they investigate security breaches in the IT systems of a bio-containment facility. Crime solving and romance combined always do it for me.

I want more. I want to watch the partners solve more crime, I want to learn more about the bigger picture, and I want to watch their relationship develop. I want more, more, more. Thankfully, book two, Cask Strength, isn't far away.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I loved this! The story of two slightly mismatched federal agents chasing down a bio-terror/cyber-terror threat in a story complete with double agents and moles is a pretty perfect read for me. The chemistry between Irish and Whiskey is wonderful and their investigation is well crafted and perfectly paced.

This is definitely a series that fans of Abigail Roux’s Cut and Run books will love, but these characters feel fresh and original. I loved the age gap between Aidan and Jamie. Jamie’s charm and cyber skills work brilliantly against Aidan’s surly traditional skillset. While the contrast between them is amusing, they complement each other perfectly.

The plot is layered here. While Aidan and Jamie chase the bio-terrorists in their current case, Aidan’s sister-in-law (and boss) is also using them to slowly unravel the mystery behind the murders of Aidan’s partner and husband. This is definitely the beginning of a complex series and I really enjoyed the way the plot has been pieced together so carefully. The action in this book is exciting and fast paced and the author challenges readers to pick up tiny clues alongside Irish and Whiskey.

This first book only scratches the surface of the bigger conspiracy and I am so excited to have a new series to obsess over. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Oh my but wasn't this a pleasant surprise! I'm honestly not sure what I expected, but what I found was a little bit of so many things that I love! A fast paced, action packed thriller, with a twisty who-dunnit. That was one of my favorite aspects of this, because that genre has been a bit of a go-to for me lately. Yet, there was an irresistible romance in there as well.

Forbidden because of their job, angsty because of the past, and oh so steamy because of the chemistry that zapped my fingers as I flipped the pages. Enough of a slow burn to keep you begging for more, enough to keep you satisfied, yet not enough to make you passive or bored. Oh but it was a beautiful thing.

The secondary characters made it even stronger. It built a firm foundation for a world and those who will reside there, leaving it open for the future installments, leaving just enough unanswered that I immediately wanted to start book two. Not in a cliffhanger way, just because it was so good and then there was more to be had.

"It was a heavy burden to bear - a man's past, present and future in his hands - but Jamie wouldn't trust Aidan's life to anyone else. Protectiveness surged through him for this man whose fate seemed inexorably tangled with his own."

Oh but there is still so much story to tell, because nothing but the action went by quickly. The development and romance happened in what seemed like real time, and with two strong willed charismatic men in such a high stakes profession, there is an unvoiced promise of more of the action that I love. Absolutely 5 stars!

Review originally posted on The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange :)

*~.Book Analysis.~*
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)

THIS BOOK. Seriously, this was the best gay romance I’ve read in 2017 and my counting is already in 21 gay romances so far just this year. I CAN’T GET OVER THE PERFECTION OF IT ALL: the characters, the plot, the settings, the interactions… THIS BOOK HAS NO FLAWS, PEEPS! Five big stars with shiny eyes!

The narrative was third person styled with switching points of view between Aidan and Jamie – needless to say but I’ll say it anyway because I’l a rebel panda, my favorite style. Reyne did an awesome job in both constructing both males and in her writing choices. The book is fluid and mind grabbing – it HURT to stop reading!

The plot was a work of art. I may have mentioned once or twice that, when I grab a gay romance to read, I have zero expectations of any other elements the book may bring along. If they are well executed, I’m happy because it’s a nice bonus. If they fall flat, they don’t disappoint me, because I went in for the romance, you know? Single Malt has an ingenious plot that almost made me stop whining about the romance. Almost. IT WAS THAT GOOD. I needed to know who did what and when as much as I needed the next romantic scene between Irish and Walker (aka. Aidan and Jamie <3 ). Seriously, I just met Layla and I already want to worship her until the end of my reading days.

AND AND THERE ARE THE CHARACTERS! I usually avoid books with big age gaps between the couple like the plague, regardless of the gender of the people in the couple. It’s just not usually my thing. BOY, I’M GLAD I TOOK THE RISK! Aidan for sure has a lot of baggage, but he and Jamie work as well as my lungs on their team work! Ugh, actually, Aidan and Jamie are better in the picture, as sometimes I’m sure my lungs don’t talk to each other, but you didn’t need to know that, sorry. I’ll try to keep my lungs bromance to myself.

WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY is that Reyne gave Aidan and Jamie such personality and such vivacity that I had that cozy feeling of watching a movie inside my head each time I read the book and this is priceless. Everything was so crystal clear and magical! I didn’t expect to fall so hard for these two, but they are for sure my OTP of the year so far, hahaha!
And then there are the sex scenes. This isn’t an erotic book by no means – all scenes are connected and meaningful, but THEY ARE SO INTENSE I was left face first in the ground, trying to understand what kind of book-truck had ran my emotions over. Seriously, these guys are inspiring, to say the least.

Okay, if you think I have ravished enough about Single Malt which I totally didn’t, as there isn’t enough ravishing to make this book justice, I’ll give you a break AND LET’S GO TO QUOTES TIME! Because nothing sells the book better than itself =D

And remember, when all else fails, ponies. – Jamie, being the master lord know-it-all to solve any existential crisis. When you lose all hopes, ALWAYS bet on ponies. #justsaying #itworks

Were all cyber nerds predisposed to vampirism? – Aidan’s thoughts

Understandable. Not the word I thought we’d use to describe our first kiss. – Aidan

I’m not looking for promises. I don’t need commitments. I just need you.” – Jamie

And those killer dialogues:


Jamie: Sorry, I slept most of it away.
Aidan: Judging by your A-plus walking dead impression after the flight, I’d say you needed it.

Danny: Aidan’s got an idiot idea. Must be Tuesday.
Aidan: Love you too, baby bro.

*~.Cover Analysis.~*

To be honest, I think this cover is really confusing! You can see Aidan (or at least I think it’s him?) at first, but then there are all the numbers and the discreet outline of Jamie (or would THAT be Aidan??) and OMG TOO MUCH INFO! It’s not ugly, it’s just confusing. I did love the model for Aiden and the colors – blue, red, white and black :)

~*~

Overall, if you love action books, thrillers, mystery, gay romance and steamy scenes, PLEASE JUST PICK UP THIS BOOK AND LET’S FANGIRL TOGETHER!!!

I don't usually read crime series but I love this one. The heat between Jamie an Aiden is well written and no-stop action. Both characters have a load of history and Aiden still trying to solve the murder of his husband. Jamie is his new FBI partner and is becoming more to him. You must read.

I tried to like this one I really did.
But reading this soon after losing my dad and thinking that it has only been 8 months for 1 of the MCs I JUST COULDN'T buy it.
Sorry not sorry.
Mare~Slitsread

3.5 Stars

FBI agent Aidan Talley is a widower. Eight months prior to the start of Single Malt, readers learn that he lost his husband and his partner in a traffic accident. Back on the job but still in a profound state of mourning, Aidan is assigned a new case and a new partner—and both will cause him no small amount of professional and personal turmoil. The premise of this novel promises a suspenseful and action packed read, and it is, in all the right places.

I have some mad respect for the level of detail that Reyne wrote into this story. There’s a lot of terminology that was either well researched or the author knows firsthand, and the patience it must have taken to plot out this novel, let alone write it, is impressive. The investigative process was delivered in a methodical and what felt like a credible way, as Aidan and Walker dug deeper into their assignment and the threat they uncover, and then must work together to eliminate. I loved the undercurrent of internal intrigue within the FBI, and the suspicion that builds between the different offices and officers. There was only one problem I experienced as the story progressed, in that I felt the amount of detail slowed the pace of the story at times and I did find myself skimming over the tech jargon so I could get from point A to point B and the action. So, while I appreciate an intelligent and well thought out procedural, there were times I just wanted things in layman’s terms, which, of course, is more a personal issue than a storytelling one.

Aiden and Jameson’s backstories are woven into the story and parsed out well, Aidan’s drawing a nice connection to the investigation and the plot he and Walker are working to uncover and thwart. The slow burn of their relationship, which is exactly what this novel needed to be authentic to Aidan’s emotional state, becomes an issue for Aidan as his attraction to Walker provides for some plausible conflict, especially when he finds out Whiskey (their epithets, Irish and Whiskey, are cute and clever) is, in fact, not as straight as Aidan assumed he was. While the slow part of this “slow burn” relationship is portrayed successfully, it’s the burn part that didn’t always translate well for me. I blame much of this on Aidan’s grief and guilt, not that I begrudge him that, but that his equivocation translated to my feeling that he wasn’t at all ready to move on and that his waffling wasn’t necessarily fair to Jameson. But, as we all know, love isn’t always pretty, and this being just the beginning of their story, there’s plenty more to uncover and develop in the next book.

The climax of this story is truly its highlight, and it delivered a fantastic payoff. It was all so well portrayed that it played like a scene from an action film in my imagination. If there’s a metaphor I could use to draw a connection between it and my reaction to it, it would be that the narrative is often like watching a slow speed car chase unfolding. There’s some excitement along the way, some fits and starts before the action accelerates and the suspense finds some traction, and then comes the high intensity climax where the drama and suspense is delivered beautifully and made the wait worthwhile. I loved the tension the author infused in this pivotal scene, and the repercussions that followed for Irish and Whiskey.

Single Malt doesn’t end in a cliffhanger as much as a To Be Continued. The crime that was the focus of this installment of the series is resolved, though we’re introduced to a whole new layer of trouble which will play out in book two and seemingly have far reaching implications in the overall arc. While there were some parts where my investment in this story ebbed and flowed, there is also no doubt that there are some thrilling scenes peppered throughout and that this is an impressive debut.

Oh my but wasn't this a pleasant surprise! I'm honestly not sure what I expected, but what I found was a little bit of so many things that I love! A fast paced, action packed thriller, with a twisty who-dunnit. That was one of my favorite aspects of this, because that genre has been a bit of a go-to for me lately. Yet, there was an irresistible romance in there as well.

Forbidden because of their job, angsty because of the past, and oh so steamy because of the chemistry that zapped my fingers as I flipped the pages. Enough of a slow burn to keep you begging for more, enough to keep you satisfied, yet not enough to make you passive or bored. Oh but it was a beautiful thing.

The secondary characters made it even stronger. It built a firm foundation for a world and those who will reside there, leaving it open for the future installments, leaving just enough unanswered that I immediately wanted to start book two. Not in a cliffhanger way, just because it was so good and then there was more to be had.

"It was a heavy burden to bear - a man's past, present and future in his hands - but Jamie wouldn't trust Aidan's life to anyone else. Protectiveness surged through him for this man whose fate seemed inexorably tangled with his own."

Oh but there is still so much story to tell, because nothing but the action went by quickly. The development and romance happened in what seemed like real time, and with two strong willed charismatic men in such a high stakes profession, there is an unvoiced promise of more of the action that I love. Absolutely 5 stars! ~ George

Loved it, loved it, loved it!!! Love, chemistry, secrets, drama, intrigue - this book had it all! I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down once I started. I don't want to give anything away, so I will just say that it is one of the best romantic suspense books I have ever read. It was well written and the way Irish and Whiskey's, (love the nicknames!), love story was perfectly written into a great suspense plot. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end as it sets up the next book in the series which I cannot wait for. Very highly recommended!

4.5 Stars

I’d heard this is the author’s debut, and if so, what a great debut it is. Single Malt was smart, funny and sizzling and Irish and Whiskey are definitely my new favorite crime-fighting duo. Their characters were well-developed and well-represented and I really connected with them. The case they were working on was front and center and it didn’t just serve as background noise for their romance. The investigation and ensuing action was intense, fast-paced and altogether impressively detailed, and the overarching mystery surrounding Aidan's accident was expertly teased. The MCs had great work rapport and intense chemistry and the progression of their overall relationship felt very natural. The book ended with a HFN and a mild cliffhanger and I cannot wait for book two.

Edited to add: I liked the overall writing, but the MCs sure do gasp a lot in surprise for FBI agents :) Also, I thought their kiss in the car (you'll know the scene when you read it) was unrealistic considering the circumstances lol

This was such a pleasant surprise for me! I wasn't expecting the mystery to be so involved and intricate, and it really helped balance out the love story side of the plot. Obviously Reyne knows what she's talking about with hacking, and it showed. The characters and plot were great! Highly recommended!